Well, it's Wednesday and I didn't pre-plan a post to auto pop up here at 5 AM! Yes, I'm slacking in my blogging duties. Ha!
I'm halfway through the final pre-query edit phase of a project I've been working on for quite a while. I'm close to reaching the 100,000 word goal, which really wasn't a goal at one point in time. I mean, the project was up to 141,000 words. My only hope was to eliminate 10 to 20K and be done with it!
Yeah, Right!
With tons of effort on my part, I have just 500 words left to eliminate to reach 100,000 words and . . . I'm only at Chapter 13! So, I figure I can probably eliminate at least 5,000 more words . . . if I"m lucky. If not . . . well, still below 100,000! Woo-hoo!
The best part about the word elimination is that it really made me take a close look at what I'd written and tighten it up. There were so many excess words, phrases, sentences, paragraphs and what-not! It's a bit unbelievable and daunting.
Still, I persevered - something all writers should do when following this crazy writing dream - and did much better than expected. Woo-hoo!
I also never gave up on this project. Yeah, I know, I haven't started the query process yet. Still, I think the main thing we all need to remember is: perseverance! Don't give up. Keep plugging away, even if the project you think is the best thing you ever wrote has to sit on the closet shelf for a few years or forever.
Things happen when they're meant to happen, and not when we want them to happen.
Perseverance!
S
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
There is No Consistency
I'm going to share a deep, dark secret that I've discovered: there is no consistency with writing.
Okay, now I'll explain a bit further.
I've written a brilliant book. It's scathingly brilliant. It's absolutely brilliant. It's brilliant brilliant. Okay, maybe that's only in my mind.
The book began as 12 Chapters w/three sections (i.e., perspectives) per Chapter. Then, the book grew to 24 Chapters. Well, technically, there was more story to tell, so I wrote the sequel, but then decided that a sequel wasn't necessary and effortlessly turned two books into one. Voila!!!
Then, there's the whole industry wide standard that your book must be this # of words for this genre thingy!
My brilliant world crashed down around me! What's a guy to do? Yes, drinking plenty of margaritas was an option. Throwing myself into a volcano was an option. Jumping off a cliff . . . Well, other than margaritas, the only option was: split the book in two (again) or eliminate enough words to drive an insane man sane . . . or vice versa.
I chose the elimination of words. Yea, Me!
Woe, is me! OMG, I had to eliminate 40,000 + words! 40,000 + words!
Somebody pass me a margarita.
Onwards and downwards (the word count, that is) I plunged into the elimination fray. I made progress. Slow, very slow progress. There was no way in a very hot place I was ever going to eliminate enough words.
Oh, wait, what is that in the distance? Is it the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel?
Yea, Me!
The proverbial light at the end of the tunnel was the epiphanous moment where I realized that I could easily (far too easily) eliminate one of the sections in the first twelve chapters of my brilliant book. Woo-hoo! And the words came tumbling out of my brilliant novel.
Yea, Me!
Woe is me!
How can Part I only have two sections per Chapter and Part II have three sections per Chapter? My life, as I knew it, was over. I would have to shelve the book, give up the dream, and move on to something else.
Wait, woe is not me. Yea, is me! Why? Well, dear readers, let me tell you why: there is no consistency in writing! I don't mean the actual words to page. I mean the actual published books out there by debut and established authors.
Sherlock Holmes switches from first person to third person in one book. Yes, first to third then back to first! Is that consistent? Of course not!
An author tells the majority of the story from one perspective and then, the last three chapters, adds a second perspective. Is that consistent? Of course not!
I have a brilliant novel that has two perspectives per Chapter for the first twelve chapters, and then three perspectives per Chapter for the last twelve chapters. Is that consistent?
Everyone: OF COURSE NOT!
There is no consistency with writing. We as authors - aspiring or otherwise - have total control over our writing. Yes, an agent, editor or publisher might take issue with our total control, but . . . until they do, we do as we must, because we must do as we do.
So, always, remember: there is no consistency with writing. Read a book, read a dozen, and look for the non-consistency. You'll find it, my friends, in book after book written by both debut and established authors.
S
Okay, now I'll explain a bit further.
I've written a brilliant book. It's scathingly brilliant. It's absolutely brilliant. It's brilliant brilliant. Okay, maybe that's only in my mind.
The book began as 12 Chapters w/three sections (i.e., perspectives) per Chapter. Then, the book grew to 24 Chapters. Well, technically, there was more story to tell, so I wrote the sequel, but then decided that a sequel wasn't necessary and effortlessly turned two books into one. Voila!!!
Then, there's the whole industry wide standard that your book must be this # of words for this genre thingy!
My brilliant world crashed down around me! What's a guy to do? Yes, drinking plenty of margaritas was an option. Throwing myself into a volcano was an option. Jumping off a cliff . . . Well, other than margaritas, the only option was: split the book in two (again) or eliminate enough words to drive an insane man sane . . . or vice versa.
I chose the elimination of words. Yea, Me!
Woe, is me! OMG, I had to eliminate 40,000 + words! 40,000 + words!
Somebody pass me a margarita.
Onwards and downwards (the word count, that is) I plunged into the elimination fray. I made progress. Slow, very slow progress. There was no way in a very hot place I was ever going to eliminate enough words.
Oh, wait, what is that in the distance? Is it the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel?
Yea, Me!
The proverbial light at the end of the tunnel was the epiphanous moment where I realized that I could easily (far too easily) eliminate one of the sections in the first twelve chapters of my brilliant book. Woo-hoo! And the words came tumbling out of my brilliant novel.
Yea, Me!
Woe is me!
How can Part I only have two sections per Chapter and Part II have three sections per Chapter? My life, as I knew it, was over. I would have to shelve the book, give up the dream, and move on to something else.
Wait, woe is not me. Yea, is me! Why? Well, dear readers, let me tell you why: there is no consistency in writing! I don't mean the actual words to page. I mean the actual published books out there by debut and established authors.
Sherlock Holmes switches from first person to third person in one book. Yes, first to third then back to first! Is that consistent? Of course not!
An author tells the majority of the story from one perspective and then, the last three chapters, adds a second perspective. Is that consistent? Of course not!
I have a brilliant novel that has two perspectives per Chapter for the first twelve chapters, and then three perspectives per Chapter for the last twelve chapters. Is that consistent?
Everyone: OF COURSE NOT!
There is no consistency with writing. We as authors - aspiring or otherwise - have total control over our writing. Yes, an agent, editor or publisher might take issue with our total control, but . . . until they do, we do as we must, because we must do as we do.
So, always, remember: there is no consistency with writing. Read a book, read a dozen, and look for the non-consistency. You'll find it, my friends, in book after book written by both debut and established authors.
S
Friday, June 25, 2010
This has been a strange week for me, that started last Thursday (June 17, 2010 - my sister's birthday, btw). It all started with a sense of knowing what I needed to do on a certain project and having this burning desire to get home and get started. In fact, I mentioned that in an earlier post.
Then, articles I read, things I heard people say on television - fictional characters, but their words held impact for me - and so much more seemed to gel together into this sense that I'm back on the right track with my writing and that what I'm doing with this current project is definitely the write (yes, meant to use that word) thing!
Life is full of so much doubt, so much negativity, and it's hard not to fall in step with the doubters and negators (not sure it's a word, but I'm using it). It is, I believe, human nature to have feelings of doubt and negativity.
It is also human nature to become a self-fulfilling prophecy. If a person believes bad things are going to happen to them, then, most likely, bad things will happen to them. If a person believes that nothing is going to come of a blind date, then isn't it more likely they're really not going to try really hard to impress the other person on the blind date? No, not me, but a friend of mine did just that recently. He had such a negative outlook on the upcoming blind date that I think he sabotaged the date. Just my thoughts.
But, back to happier things: Dreams don't work without action. Nobody can stop me but me. By now, you know these are the words spoken by the fictional character Roseann Connor in the final episode of Roseann. You should also know by now, that these words have become my mantra.
Life is what we make of it. Yup, I'm going all Pollyanna on you - if you've never seen that movie with Hayley Mills (she of the original Parent Trap) and Jane Wyman (she of Falcon Crest), then stop what you are doing and go rent that movie now. Heck, even Agnes Morehead (Endora from Bewitched) is in the movie, and has a delightful part. Anyhow, perhaps I am going all Pollyanna lately. Perhaps we all should.
On that note: Boyd Morrison, debut author of The Ark - he "didn't let rejection discourage him". His book was "turned down by 25 publishers". He persevered. He believed in himself and his book. - Writer's Digest - July/August 2010 - p. 18.
Boyd Morrison was passionate enough about his book to do whatever he needed to do to get his book out there. We, as writers, need to be just as passionate.
I also read a comment on Twitter, or maybe the blogsphere, about an author who received way more than 25 rejections . . . and still ended up getting published.
Perseverance is key.
Trusting our instinct, our gut . . . is key.
I'm going with the sense that everything is just right at the moment. It's just a feeling. I'm diving into that feeling and not coming up for air until I absolutely have to come up for air!
If I take meaning from words spoken on Bewitched or Roseann or from a successful author, or whoever, and if that meaning inspires me and pushes me forward . . . so what? I take what I can get in this life. I can either move forward with a positive attitude, or I can stagnate with a negative attitude.
In the end, we make our lives what they are . . . and not somebody else. We choose our path. I've chosen the crazy, nerve-wracking, OMG I have to write a query and a synopsis in addition to a novel of brilliance path . . . and I have no intention of giving up. I may lose my way from time to time, but I know that, out here in the blogsphere, there are enough friends to set me back on that path!
S
Then, articles I read, things I heard people say on television - fictional characters, but their words held impact for me - and so much more seemed to gel together into this sense that I'm back on the right track with my writing and that what I'm doing with this current project is definitely the write (yes, meant to use that word) thing!
Life is full of so much doubt, so much negativity, and it's hard not to fall in step with the doubters and negators (not sure it's a word, but I'm using it). It is, I believe, human nature to have feelings of doubt and negativity.
It is also human nature to become a self-fulfilling prophecy. If a person believes bad things are going to happen to them, then, most likely, bad things will happen to them. If a person believes that nothing is going to come of a blind date, then isn't it more likely they're really not going to try really hard to impress the other person on the blind date? No, not me, but a friend of mine did just that recently. He had such a negative outlook on the upcoming blind date that I think he sabotaged the date. Just my thoughts.
But, back to happier things: Dreams don't work without action. Nobody can stop me but me. By now, you know these are the words spoken by the fictional character Roseann Connor in the final episode of Roseann. You should also know by now, that these words have become my mantra.
Life is what we make of it. Yup, I'm going all Pollyanna on you - if you've never seen that movie with Hayley Mills (she of the original Parent Trap) and Jane Wyman (she of Falcon Crest), then stop what you are doing and go rent that movie now. Heck, even Agnes Morehead (Endora from Bewitched) is in the movie, and has a delightful part. Anyhow, perhaps I am going all Pollyanna lately. Perhaps we all should.
On that note: Boyd Morrison, debut author of The Ark - he "didn't let rejection discourage him". His book was "turned down by 25 publishers". He persevered. He believed in himself and his book. - Writer's Digest - July/August 2010 - p. 18.
Boyd Morrison was passionate enough about his book to do whatever he needed to do to get his book out there. We, as writers, need to be just as passionate.
I also read a comment on Twitter, or maybe the blogsphere, about an author who received way more than 25 rejections . . . and still ended up getting published.
Perseverance is key.
Trusting our instinct, our gut . . . is key.
I'm going with the sense that everything is just right at the moment. It's just a feeling. I'm diving into that feeling and not coming up for air until I absolutely have to come up for air!
If I take meaning from words spoken on Bewitched or Roseann or from a successful author, or whoever, and if that meaning inspires me and pushes me forward . . . so what? I take what I can get in this life. I can either move forward with a positive attitude, or I can stagnate with a negative attitude.
In the end, we make our lives what they are . . . and not somebody else. We choose our path. I've chosen the crazy, nerve-wracking, OMG I have to write a query and a synopsis in addition to a novel of brilliance path . . . and I have no intention of giving up. I may lose my way from time to time, but I know that, out here in the blogsphere, there are enough friends to set me back on that path!
S
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Questions/Answers
No, not me. Hop on over to Rachelle Gardner's blog and read this post. She answers some burning questions in a short/sweet manner.
Two questions/answers that stood out for me:
If you have more than 2 POV characters, are your chances of publication lessened?
→ Not unless your book is really bad.
Do you think agents are more likely to take on work that has a great plot with writing that needs work, or great writing with a plot that needs work?
→ Great writing with a weak plot - for sure. I can help a good writer improve their plot. But teaching an average writer to be a good writer is not my job.
Two questions/answers that stood out for me:
If you have more than 2 POV characters, are your chances of publication lessened?
→ Not unless your book is really bad.
Do you think agents are more likely to take on work that has a great plot with writing that needs work, or great writing with a plot that needs work?
→ Great writing with a weak plot - for sure. I can help a good writer improve their plot. But teaching an average writer to be a good writer is not my job.
Question 1 - I love it, especially since I often write from more than one POV! Love it, love it, love it! Enough said.
Question 2 - this is one of those double-edge sword kinda answers. Why? Well, let me tell you . . . the answer provides great hope and great delusion. Great hope in that a writer who writes great, but has a weak plot, has a good chance of success. Now a writer who actually writes poorly, but thinks they write greatly, well, ya know . . .
So, what did I glean from Question/Answer 2?? Again, thanks for asking that brilliant question. Ha! I learned that we all need to write to the best of our abilities. It helps to have both great writing and a strong plot, but, if you are a great writer, and your plot is weak, all is not lost. I'm just saying . . .
There are some other great questions and answers, so don't forget to click on the linkity-link above and check everything out!
S
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Validation
Again, from the July/August 2010 edition of Writer's Digest . . .
When I began writing, I was surrounded by people who couldn't understand what writing meant to me. Many times, faced over and over with these attitudes, I came close to quitting. I longed for someone to validate not only my work but the entire enterprise of writing. (Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni - Emerging as a Writer - Writer's Digest - July/August 2010 - Page 21).
How many of you, dear readers, can relate to the above statement? How many of you have seen people's faces go blank when you try to explain your love of writing? How many of you are tired of the endless question - well, what have you published?
Non-writers don't have a clue that writing a book isn't easy, and that getting published is even harder.
We're lucky, here and now, that there's such an entity called the blogsphere where aspiring and published writers blog about this crazy writing adventure we've all embarked upon.
How many times have you read a blog post and thought: yeah, that's me, I understand completely?
I've seen posts about doubt, about wanting to quit, about believing in our abilities, having faith, and so much more.
I can relate. I've written a few posts on those topics as well.
I've left comments on those posts thanking the blogger for putting my feet back on the writing path.
I've been in a funk with my writing lately. I'm not writing as much as I should. I'm not blogging as much as I should. Last week I began to get on track again. Last Thursday, I absolutely knew what I had to do once I got home from work and sent Franklin off to work. I was double-dog tired. I didn't want to write. I wanted to just lay on the couch with the dogs. This heat is killing me, people!!! 110 degree heat index. It saps all the energy I have, and there doesn't seem to be enough energy lately. Still, double-dog tired and all, I did what I had to do! I know what I have to do on one project that has been in the works for a number of years.
I can't tell my non-writer friends about my doubts, my funk, or the joy of having a moment of epiphany where I absolutely know what needs doing to succeed! I can, however, share it here on the blogsphere because I know, know, know that every single one of you reading this blog can understand what I am going through because you can validate my work and the entire enterprise of writing.
Oh, and once again, since these words seem to be becoming my mantra. I'm going to quote the words spoken by the character Roseanne Conner in the final episode of Roseann: Dreams don't work without action. Nobody can stop me but me.
S
When I began writing, I was surrounded by people who couldn't understand what writing meant to me. Many times, faced over and over with these attitudes, I came close to quitting. I longed for someone to validate not only my work but the entire enterprise of writing. (Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni - Emerging as a Writer - Writer's Digest - July/August 2010 - Page 21).
How many of you, dear readers, can relate to the above statement? How many of you have seen people's faces go blank when you try to explain your love of writing? How many of you are tired of the endless question - well, what have you published?
Non-writers don't have a clue that writing a book isn't easy, and that getting published is even harder.
We're lucky, here and now, that there's such an entity called the blogsphere where aspiring and published writers blog about this crazy writing adventure we've all embarked upon.
How many times have you read a blog post and thought: yeah, that's me, I understand completely?
I've seen posts about doubt, about wanting to quit, about believing in our abilities, having faith, and so much more.
I can relate. I've written a few posts on those topics as well.
I've left comments on those posts thanking the blogger for putting my feet back on the writing path.
I've been in a funk with my writing lately. I'm not writing as much as I should. I'm not blogging as much as I should. Last week I began to get on track again. Last Thursday, I absolutely knew what I had to do once I got home from work and sent Franklin off to work. I was double-dog tired. I didn't want to write. I wanted to just lay on the couch with the dogs. This heat is killing me, people!!! 110 degree heat index. It saps all the energy I have, and there doesn't seem to be enough energy lately. Still, double-dog tired and all, I did what I had to do! I know what I have to do on one project that has been in the works for a number of years.
I can't tell my non-writer friends about my doubts, my funk, or the joy of having a moment of epiphany where I absolutely know what needs doing to succeed! I can, however, share it here on the blogsphere because I know, know, know that every single one of you reading this blog can understand what I am going through because you can validate my work and the entire enterprise of writing.
Oh, and once again, since these words seem to be becoming my mantra. I'm going to quote the words spoken by the character Roseanne Conner in the final episode of Roseann: Dreams don't work without action. Nobody can stop me but me.
S
Monday, June 21, 2010
Write What You Want To Write
This week, the inspiration for my posts comes from the latest edition of Writer's Digest - July/August 2010.
After 20 years of publishing, Charlaine Harris wrote the book she'd always wanted to write - and hit a vein with readers everywhere. (Writer's Digest - July/August 2010 - Page 51).
In case you don't know Charlaine Harris, she writes the Sookie Stackhouse novels which were the inspiration for the HBO series True Blood. Yes, she was out there with vampires, werewolves, etc., long before Stephanie Meyers even thought about writing about the same creatures.
The article is four pages long, but the italicized blurb up top is, to me, the most important part of the entire article. She wrote the book she always wanted to write.
I've written about this subject quite a few times. I've said before: the best writing I've ever done is when I wrote solely what I wanted to write, me as the audience, without a thought for a bigger audience, an agent, a publisher, anyone! I didn't think about trends or anything. I just wrote the story I wanted to tell, a story close to my heart, and something I wanted to find on the bookshelves at Borders!
All of that aside, I wrote what I wanted to write!
As writers, I think we tend to forget to write for ourselves, to write what we are passionate about. We attempt to follow trends. We stray away from our passions and desires, our love of the story we want to tell, and settle for something . . . less.
Perhaps we chase the dream too fast and far and lose ourselves in the process.
Perhaps as a Race this is an inherent trait, something humans are hard-wired to do, and there is no way around the chasing of the dream.
Perhaps . . . well, there a a number of perhaps scenarios I could come up with.
I think the thing we have to remember, and be reminded about time and again: write what you love!
On an end note, since I mentioned chasing the dream, I want to leave you with some words spoken by the character Roseanne Conner from Roseanne in the final episode:
Dreams don't work without action. Nobody can stop me but me!
S
After 20 years of publishing, Charlaine Harris wrote the book she'd always wanted to write - and hit a vein with readers everywhere. (Writer's Digest - July/August 2010 - Page 51).
In case you don't know Charlaine Harris, she writes the Sookie Stackhouse novels which were the inspiration for the HBO series True Blood. Yes, she was out there with vampires, werewolves, etc., long before Stephanie Meyers even thought about writing about the same creatures.
The article is four pages long, but the italicized blurb up top is, to me, the most important part of the entire article. She wrote the book she always wanted to write.
I've written about this subject quite a few times. I've said before: the best writing I've ever done is when I wrote solely what I wanted to write, me as the audience, without a thought for a bigger audience, an agent, a publisher, anyone! I didn't think about trends or anything. I just wrote the story I wanted to tell, a story close to my heart, and something I wanted to find on the bookshelves at Borders!
All of that aside, I wrote what I wanted to write!
As writers, I think we tend to forget to write for ourselves, to write what we are passionate about. We attempt to follow trends. We stray away from our passions and desires, our love of the story we want to tell, and settle for something . . . less.
Perhaps we chase the dream too fast and far and lose ourselves in the process.
Perhaps as a Race this is an inherent trait, something humans are hard-wired to do, and there is no way around the chasing of the dream.
Perhaps . . . well, there a a number of perhaps scenarios I could come up with.
I think the thing we have to remember, and be reminded about time and again: write what you love!
On an end note, since I mentioned chasing the dream, I want to leave you with some words spoken by the character Roseanne Conner from Roseanne in the final episode:
Dreams don't work without action. Nobody can stop me but me!
S
Friday, June 18, 2010
Stifle
Stifle, Stifle, Stifle! For some reason, I hear Deputy Barney Fife from The Andy Griffith show saying these words. I'm not sure if he ever did. I know he said zip it and hooty-hoo, but not positive about stifle!
As I was editing one project the other day and cutting out words - she brightly smiled (guess which word got cut - ha!) - I wondered if many writers sometimes stifle themselves with all the rules we're allegedly supposed to follow - don't end a sentence with a preposition, don't use adverbs, don't do this, don't do that, blah, blah, blah.
I've read some blog posts where writers are very careful in their very first draft. They follow all the rules, fix the problems as they occur, etc.
I think that's all fine and dandy . . . for other writers.
As for me, the rough draft is all about getting the words to paper, the story out, and the revision process is for fixing everything.
Now, what does all this have to do with Deputy Fife saying stifle, stifle, stifle?
Well, my question: do we stifle the creative process by adhering to too many rules during the initial writing phase?
For me, the answer is YES! Now, I try to pay attention to not using too many words that end in -ly! I try not to have the characters smile brightly or laugh loudly or softly for that matter, but every now and then one of those pesky words will end up in the project. It's life. It's part of the creative process.
I don't think rules were meant to dictate the creation of art - written word, music, painting, whatever. The whole point of creativity, at least to me, is to follow your heart and ignore the rules. Yes, there comes a time and place, especially in writing, where we have to pay attention to the rules.
But . . .
Do we pay attention to those rules so much that we stifle our creative process?
Do we want to stifle our creative process or do we want to encourage that process to its fullest extent?
As for me, I'm all about the fullest extent . . . at least in the rough draft stage.
How about you? Do you ever feel you're stifling your creativity by adhering to all the rules in the rough draft stage? If so, how do you handle the stifling of your creativity? Is it a price to pay for one day being published?
Comment away!
S
As I was editing one project the other day and cutting out words - she brightly smiled (guess which word got cut - ha!) - I wondered if many writers sometimes stifle themselves with all the rules we're allegedly supposed to follow - don't end a sentence with a preposition, don't use adverbs, don't do this, don't do that, blah, blah, blah.
I've read some blog posts where writers are very careful in their very first draft. They follow all the rules, fix the problems as they occur, etc.
I think that's all fine and dandy . . . for other writers.
As for me, the rough draft is all about getting the words to paper, the story out, and the revision process is for fixing everything.
Now, what does all this have to do with Deputy Fife saying stifle, stifle, stifle?
Well, my question: do we stifle the creative process by adhering to too many rules during the initial writing phase?
For me, the answer is YES! Now, I try to pay attention to not using too many words that end in -ly! I try not to have the characters smile brightly or laugh loudly or softly for that matter, but every now and then one of those pesky words will end up in the project. It's life. It's part of the creative process.
I don't think rules were meant to dictate the creation of art - written word, music, painting, whatever. The whole point of creativity, at least to me, is to follow your heart and ignore the rules. Yes, there comes a time and place, especially in writing, where we have to pay attention to the rules.
But . . .
Do we pay attention to those rules so much that we stifle our creative process?
Do we want to stifle our creative process or do we want to encourage that process to its fullest extent?
As for me, I'm all about the fullest extent . . . at least in the rough draft stage.
How about you? Do you ever feel you're stifling your creativity by adhering to all the rules in the rough draft stage? If so, how do you handle the stifling of your creativity? Is it a price to pay for one day being published?
Comment away!
S
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