Looking back--stumbling forward

 Yes, it’s that time of year when we all look back at what we’ve done (or haven’t done ;)) and look forward to what we will do.

I was thinking about this past year for me as a writer-- it started out with heart break as an agent I really admired “loved my book” but had to pass since she didn’t think humorous fantasy would sell.  I disagree on that front, but I know agents have to do what they need to do to survive.  Then, an editor LOVED my space opera, said how awesome it was, etc…and that he was passing on it because he had too many equally awesome books signed up.

Those two actions really changed things for me.

One- it was nice, REALLY nice, that two professionals thought highly of my work.  Two- it really made me seriously think about self-publishing. My work was there, but NY wasn't.  I realized that money and pride were really the two biggest things holding me back- aka- self-pubbing right, takes money and my little child-writer voice wanted to be validated by having the full traditional package.

But I had been validated, and have been previously.  I am a writer.  Some may love my work, some not so much- but I AM a writer.  I started to believe it on the heels of two painful rejections.

At that time I picked March 1, 2015 as the start of my self-publishing empire.  I wanted to have excellent covers, find some awesome editors, and get the first three books in my humorous fantasy series out a few months apart from each other. (Which meant having them done well before publishing started ;)- hence the year "wait").

I’ll admit I’ve had some issues, really started doubting myself a few times. I kept marching forward, but there were plenty of stumbles along the way. But NaNoWriMo kinda kicked me back in gear and I am within a few weeks of completing the rough of book 2, have found an artist I really like and who will hopefully be able to make cover magic for me, and have been finding editors to help along the way.

Will I make it by March 1?  Who knows.  But I have faith I WILL make it.  And I will just keep writing and publishing on my own terms.

Happy New Year's!  Make sure 2015 is your best year ever- ON YOUR TERMS!  :)

Cutting a plot

As many of you know, I did another NaNoWriMo this year.  I was working on The Obsidian Chimera, the second book in The Lost Guardians series that starts with The Glass Gargoyle- aka the one with the drunken faeries ;).

I've been reading what I have so far, NaNo is so fast I don't really read what I write, and I have to say--it ain't bad.  In fact, it's feeling like a nice solid book baby!  

But there was one sub-plot that kept haunting me, and not in a good way.  It's an emotional thread and just felt out of place.  I still like it, I think, but after a few days thinking about it I've realized it doesn't feel right in this book.  This is a trilogy (or possibly a pair of trilogies) and the third book already has a darker feel (things go from bad to worse to worser (yes, it's a word- I say so ;)) so this thread might feel more natural there. 

I liked it when I added it in, and in theory liked it when I thought about it.  But when I read it, it just felt shoved in.  Plot-wise, it fits, there's nothing jarring about it.  It was just more at a gut level that I felt like I was already trying to find ways to work around it.

So, I'll be yanking the sucker out and setting it aside for possible inclusion in book 3.  I did already write the ending of The Obsidian Chimera, and the string does play a part there, so I'll have some fixing to do, but I already feel better that I'm removing it.

What about you?  Ever have to rip out a sub-plot or character because they just weren't doing it for you?

Goaling

Today's post is more about writers and even non-writers, than writing.  It's about deciding who and what we want to be, then making plans to get there.

AKA- goaling.

Not making a goal, that sounds too stagnate and stationary, but goaling (yes, I made it up, it's one of the perks of being a writer- we make up words ;)).  Goaling refers to building a goal system that grows and changes as the goals change and as we change.

And yes, I'm looking at goals when everyone is in a holiday madness.  I hear you yelling, "I do that on January 1st!  Not now!"  But that's the great thing about goaling, it never ends and starts whenever you start.

The idea of making resolutions, hard and fast lists that most will lose after a few days, doesn't work for many folks- if they work for you- awesome!  Keep doing them.  But if they don't, I propose goaling as an option.  Now, you could start your goaling now- planning the up coming year, and just be in "training" mode for Jan 1.  That way you're kind of doing both and you'll possibly have a better success rate than the just starting/planning/ everything on Jan 1 folks.

How do you start goaling?  I'm glad you asked. :)

1)  Look at your entire life and see what's working and what you think could be better.  Write those down.

2)  Where do you want to be a year from now on all aspects of your life?  Write those down.

3) How can you make things better for others in the coming year?  Write that down. (yes, goaling is sneaky, because making things better or helping others actually makes YOU feel better this will help keep you moving towards your own goals.)

4)  Write down anything else you think might be helpful, cute, funny, or challenging in the next year.

Now look at those things, all your nice lists- make sure they include everything you want to move towards this year (you can do further if you want).  Start at the end goal- 12 months from now (or your start point if you are delaying it ;)).  I put it at the top of a big sheet of paper with twelve lines I use one of those oversized paper pads.  Then below it, write what would be where you would be the month before it, and so on.  At the bottom is your start point.  I do one sheet per goal.  Now you do have a list, but at anytime you are allowed to change that list.  Make a new one.  In fact, you should be reviewing the goals and steps each month at least.  List not working?  Revamp and move on.

The idea of reminding yourself that adjusting goals, or the path is allowed, removes the whole "oops- broke my resolution, might as well give up."  You CANNOT fail your goals as long as you keep moving and keep adjusting them. As long as you are moving forward you can't fail ever- you're just adjusting things.

IWSG: Stop! NaNo recovery in process

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Today I'm talking about stopping.  Just stopping.  Not stopping, wandering away, and not coming back-- but take a step back in a project, surveying the work done so far, and then moving back on with it.

Yup- another NaNoWriMo has come, gone, and been won.  Now thousands of writers are left with these huge piles of words, friends and families who haven't seen them for a month, and possibly a serious caffeine addiction.

And no clue as to what come next.

I'm not going to go into the "don't send anything out for a long time" spiel-pretty sure all of you know that (if you don't-- just don't send NaNo work out until you've worked on it- A LOT).

No, I'm dealing with the weird feeling of having pulled that hand-break on the madness that is writing 50,000 words in 30 days and trying to get my brain to slow down.

For those who haven't NaNoed, it's sort of like you've been running everyday for 30 days.  No time to look at the scenery, or where you've been. You build coping mechanisms to get just one more mile out of tired legs and an exhausted spirit. You. Just. Keep. Moving.

Until you stop.

That stopping is sort of a shock.  You knew it would end, in fact often times you were praying for it to end.  But when the end comes it's a bit of a shock.  You can keep trying to move forward at that same breakneck pace (and kudos for you if you can- I hit 50,000 two days early and did NOT keep going ;)), or run away screaming swearing to never write again, or stop and take a look at what you've wrought.

So this week I'm stopping.  I'm taking a breather, trying to put my head around what I did, and make plans for moving forward.  I was a NaNo rebel this year, I have a timeline for three books to come out next year and was already about 24,000 words into the second book in the series when Nov 1 rolled around.  So my 50,000 for NaNo was on top of the 24,000 already created.  For those of you who don't think in word counts- that means right now I'm at 243 pages total (what I had plus NaNo) out of a probably 330-350 page book.

I'm now starting at the beginning and doing a "what do we have here" edit. Not a heavy edit, but just trying to catch mistakes, make notes on characters and sub-plots, and give my brain time to process what it created during 30 days of madness.

I have to say so far, I'm pleasantly surprised :).  I'm enjoying going over the chapters this way and will get back to writing at a more normal pace once my review is done.

But there is still a little part of my brain yelling, "What's the word count now?!  Must write faster! No reading!  No editing!  MOVE IT!"  I know from past years, as November moves further away that voice will die down.  But right now I just smile at it, thank it for the awesome words it created, and continue to stop and smell the story :).

Happy IWSG day!  And if you NaNo'd whether you won or not- congrats!

Stories within stories

Everyone tells stories about their lives, about who they are, about who they wish they were or who they think others wish they were.

Our characters should do it too.

Humans (or human behaving aliens/paranormal creatures/superheros ;)) tell stories about things that happened in their lives for pretty much two primary reasons.

1)  To connect with others.  If you share a bit about yourself, you are inviting the other person into your world, sort of like a window display.  How much you share, and what, determines how close you and the other person are and at what stage in the relationship.  Too much too soon could kill a romantic or even just friends relationship.  Too little too late can make the other person feel you don't open up to them and again kill things.

If I want someone to think I'm adventurous, I might regale them with tales of my one skydiving jump, or that many of my ex-boyfriends were musicians (both of which sound far more adventure some than they were- ok, the jumping out of a plane all by myself was adventurous ;)).

If I want someone to think I'm smart, I might talk about my time in Mensa- ok, that would be a lie, but you get the point.

Most story sharing isn't that pointed though, people aren't always calculating what they want the other person to think.  Most of the time something in a conversation triggers an emotional response and off we go with a story.

2)  However, the second reason is more controlling. Sometimes either insecurity or ego step in and people create, rehearse in their heads, and repeat stories which reinforce a persona they wish to project.  These can be complete fabrications or simply an embellishment of what really happened.  "Did I mention the 30 times I've jumped from a plane?  Lemme tell you about time 12 where....."  I've jumped once, but if being adventurous was part of the persona I wanted to project, and I felt insecure around this person--that one time may have jumped-LOL-to 30.

Braggarts will often do this as well, and oft times for the same reason- insecurity.  Eventually, the made up and rehearsed stories become real to the teller.  They've told it so many times it is real- to them (Gollum and his "birthday present" anyone?  ;)). What would happen to someone with a rehearsed set of lies, both internal and external if a new person in their life burst those lies?

The same with our characters.  What does your character share with others?  What don't they share?  You could show alot about how a character feels around different people by the changes in the story.  Do they lie to everyone simply because they feel inferior?  Are they trying to cover up a failing?  Do they fear their friends won't like them if they know the real them?

All of those things and more can be shown by designing the stories they tell.

NaNo Haters

We're right at the half way mark (ok a bit short) of NaNoWriMo, that annual marathon sprint for writers across the globe.

This is my fifth or so NaNo and every year I'm shocked by other writers reactions.

There is a lot of vitriol flung at NaNo out there and I just don't get it.  Yes, I agree that agents and editors have reason to fear it- I'm sure they get slammed in December by folks sending in NaNo works that are still raw and bleeding from November.  But for every over excited clueless one who does that, there are probably a few hundred who don't.

Some folks slam it because they feel it is too rushed, an emotional burden in an already too fast industry.  Ummm, yeah.  No one was forced to sign up, and bailing on it won't destroy anyone's future career.  I admit I was a bit perplexed by that one.  I think the post writer was trying to make a point and just threw in anti-NaNo statements to make it catchy.

Others attack it because it is "encouraging mediocre or worse writing".   Many writers are dirty draft writers- aka we write fast and messy and clean it up as we go along but mostly on the back end.  I personally only know ONE writer who writes an almost clean draft the first round.  They are a serious plotter, and polish each sentence before moving on.  Most writers, even plotters, aren't like that.  Multiple drafts are part of the game. So why should it matter if my rough draft was born over one month or three?  No matter how slow I write, I will need to edit and do revisions galore.

I don't understand why people feel the need to bash something others are enjoying and might actually be getting their writing kicked up a notch.  The only thing I can figure is these naysayers need to feel involved somehow since there is so much talk about NaNo in the writing community.  They are trying to show their moral and professional superiority to us shlebs out there doing this crazy (and in their mind useless) thing.

I have one thing to say to those people- Bite me.  Not professional nor morally superior, I know.  But it does get the point across.  If you don't like something- DON'T DO IT.  You don't need to mock, slam, or insult the people who do like it to make you feel superior.

If you are doing NaNo this month- WRITE ON!

If you are not doing NaNo this month- STILL WRITE ON!

Writing is a tough and oft times lonely field- we should be supporting each other, not passing judgement and bashing each other.  *diving off the soap box now*

IWSG: Ideas for sale?

     


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Now on to our regularly scheduled blog :)

Ideas for sale.  Ok, not for sale so much as I would like to find out where they come from.  As in what invisible entity is selling these crazy ideas for my books to my brain.

This idea of ideas came as I speed through last night's NaNoWriMo word count.  I'd had a vague idea of what was coming up ahead in my story earlier in the day. Not too far, mind you, just the upcoming scene.  Then, as I was chugging along, a brand new set of ideas took over and completely changed the direction of that part of the story.

That happens a lot to us pansters, we never know completely where we're going, so we often jump the rails.  And writing at the accelerated word count of NaNo even makes it worse.

But this time I really thought about it.  About all of the times that I zigged in my story instead of zagging.  Where I brought forth one character and let another fade away.  What happens to all those other stories?  the other ideas we had that just went "poof"?

Back in the day, before I realized I really am a pantser, I'd try plotting.  More notes of ideas really but still, I'd lay down some ideas, then go off writing only to come back to find my ideas had totally changed. I still find notes jotted down that are light years away from where my story ended up and I find myself wishing I could see how that "other" story would have turned out.

I like where my stories have ended up in the past, so hopefully the same will hold true with my current WIP- but it does make me wonder about ideas. And where they go when we don't use them.

Have a great IWSG day and if you are NaNoing -good luck!