Cleaning out the Fridge and Weeding out Extra Words

I cleaned out my refrigerator the other day. Yuck. There were numerous re-sealable plastic containers of leftovers from the holidays. As I dumped each bowl into the sink nothing seemed even remotely appetizing. I remember everything being so yummy on Christmas, a week and a half later -- not so much.

Writing is like that. When I’m composing that first draft, I’m totally on a roll. Fabulous ideas are popping into my head. The characters are speaking to me. It’s so good! Then I come back a month later to revise and think, “What? This dialogue is unnatural. Where’s the description? etc.”

It’s annoying, but it’s part of the process. The point is, when I clean out my refrigerator I typically find delicious leftovers from two nights ago that are still perfectly good. No one was eating them because they were hidden behind the milk. Heck, they were right next to the baking soda and are as fresh as can be. It’s the same when I’m editing. There are usually scrumptious paragraphs of emotion and great conflict tucked among the pages. I relish discovering them.

I enjoy cutting out the garbage just as much. I can be verbose on one page and have minimal description on the next. It’s not unlike noticing it’s time to restock the refrigerator after you purge all the yucky stuff.

There is one last thing cleaning the refrigerator and writing have in common. They’re both satisfying!

No matter how hard I looked today I couldn’t find a relevant quote. So, I’m writing my own. Here goes.

The difference between food and writing is good writing comes with time and good food goes bad with time.

WRAPPING UP AND LOOKING FORWARD

Like many people, in December I like to analyze my progress and plan goals for the upcoming new year. Below are reports on my writing ‘career development’ this past year and my objectives for 2011. I hope you had a wonderful 2010 and I wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

SOCIAL MEDIA

I have a three year plan for social media. The first step was joining Facebook in 2009. I’m still on Facebook and have enjoyed the opportunity to reconnect with family and friends in other states. (With all our moves, I have more faraway friends than nearby friends here in Colorado. Facebook has truly been a blessing.)

The second phase was this blog. I started it in late January of 2010. Committing to write the blog was much harder than using facebook. Making a public statement, saying to anyone who’d listen -- “I AM A WRITER” -- is difficult. I’d often think of things to say, but felt they were too personal or worse yet, too boring, to share. I’m learning how to come up with suitable blogging topics and working on acquiring a distinctive ‘blog voice.’ In 2011 I hope to be a more frequent blogger and post more than my thirty offerings this year.

The other plan for 2011 is to create my Twitter account. Thank goodness my young adult daughter is living in town and offered to help me with this. (I wouldn’t have a clue how to begin without her.) As soon as I have my Twitter information available I'll pass it on to you. I’m hoping Twitter will be easier than blogging and be as fun as Facebook.

NO WRITER IS AN ISLAND

One of my goals at the start of this year was to join a critique group. It didn’t go well at first. Initially I found only one person. We emailed a few times, but never shared our work. She decided to go back to school and was not going to have time.

Next I found a small group. We met several times, but they were all so busy with their day jobs they could not commit to consistently meet. The group disbanded.

Luckily this fall I joined a new group. These writers are dedicated and come regularly. They have also provided valuable insight on my work. Another bonus is most of them live nearby. Yay! My fingers are crossed that this group will stay together.

In addition to seeking critique partners, I’ve attended all but one 2010 SCBWI (Society of Childrens’ Book Writers and Illustrators) Denver Schmooze meetings. These talks are led by Hilari Bell and Anna-Maria Crum, two published authors. They cover various “how to” writing topics. I’ve learned a lot at these meetings and have made some friends.

EDITING

I’ve re-worked my THE FAMILY SECRET - A Rainy Day manuscript numerous times. I know it’s improving, but it could still use some skilled editing before I send it to agents and editors. So, I applied to the SCBWI - Rocky Mountain Chapter’s Mentorship program hoping I could get some skilled direction. I found out I was accepted into the program in November. I will be working with published author Claudia Mills. Yay! Claudia already has a copy of my manuscript and we will be working together from January to June. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to work with her. She is a prolific author with so much to offer.

WRITING

I’m struggling along with the first draft of the second novel in THE FAMILY SECRET SERIES. I worked on it during NANOWRIMO, but I’m snagged with some plot issues.

Last night, from nowhere, this really cool idea for a middle grade basketball novel came to me. (No. I’ve never played basketball, but I do like to watch.) Anyway, yesterday afternoon, my husband had a basketball game on in the family room while I absently cleaned in the adjoining kitchen. I really wasn’t paying much attention, but it must have impacted my subconscious. At bedtime we watched the old movie Crocodile Dundee. I started to doze off and then suddenly, sat up completely awake and scribbled down this basketball plot idea. (The only thing I will divulge is it has to do with foul trouble, but really it is sooo much more than that. The main character is speaking to me, I swear.) First thing this morning I re-read my notes and took the dog for a walk. (I do some of my best pre-writing while walking Charlie.) The more I walked the more the idea made sense. I think I might be on to something here. Yay! (Don’t worry, so far, there are no crocodiles in the book, the Crocodile Dundee movie seemed irrelevant to the thoughts floating around in my subconscious mind.)

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.” Edith Lovejoy Pierce

To Nano or Not To Nano

To Nano or Not To Nano . . .

November is National Novel Writing Month. In honor of this special occasion an organization named NaNoWriMo (for obvious reasons) promotes writing an adult length novel (50,000 words) in the thirty fleeting days of November. The idea is to pump out a whole novel lickety split and worry about editing later. Impossible you say! Well, it was for me last year. I accomplished a measly 15,000 words during Turkey month 2009.

It was my first attempt. I started with an idea and four characters, but no real outline. By November 30th I was halfway through a middle grade novel, typically about 30,000 words. I haven’t touched it since.

Now I’m in a quandary about whether to participate this year or not.

Here are my excuses of why not to do it:

1.) I’m busy.

2.) I’ll be out of town visiting family for a week this month. I don’t have a lap top so it might get a little difficult to write on the road.

3.) I didn’t finish last years’ novel so I don’t want to start a third, even though I do have a great idea.

Here are my reasons why I should probably do it:

1.) If I focus on word count and fudge on the rule to start a new novel, it’d be a nice opportunity to finish the novel I started last November.

2.) I need a break from editing my first novel. I’m sick of picking at it and would like to write something from scratch again. The NaNoWriMo emphasis is on quantity and not quality. I’m ready to focus on a feeling of accomplishment from word count alone without having to worry about perfection.

3.) I already signed up.

All right then, it’s decided. I’m going to give it another try. I mean come on, I couldn’t do any worse than 15,000 words. At least I hope not.

I’m going to pull out those chapters from last year tonight and re-read them so I’ll be ready to pick up where I left off on November 1st.

Check out NaNoWriMo for yourself, but don’t tell them my goal is to write the second half of a novel! (My nano cheating just may be my mother’s fault, she’s always insisted I finish what I start.) Next year I’ll start from scratch again. I promise.

“He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.” Benjamin Franklin

Synopsis Progress

I hate synopses. Heck, I don’t even like pronouncing the word, let alone writing them.

I’ve been working on mine off and on for the last few months and have not been satisfied with the result. So, I wasn’t surprised when I had my critique (a review of my manuscript and synopsis by a published author) and she said something like, “I love your manuscript and really don’t suggest you make many changes, but your synopsis is another story.”

Sigh. Don’t I know it.

As far as my synopsis goes I’ve been in writer’s block mode for a long time. Well, maybe it’s been more like just plain avoidance mode.

Then last week I decided to show it to my new critique partner, let’s call her P. She’s a non-published writer like myself. She analyzed my synopsis and had some great suggestions. After working with her I went home and got busy. I’ve made lots of changes, even some she hadn’t thought about. Before, I was just listing the action and not including the emotions that drive the plot as well. Now I feel my synopsis gives a better account of my protagonist’s story. All I have left is to work out a few of the transitions between the paragraphs so it flows smoothly - then I think it will finally be done. Yay!

I’ll be seeing P. again on Wednesday and will probably have her take a post revision look.

It’s so nice to have a support system, sometimes all you need is a little push.

The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing. Walt Disney

“Put it on the list!”

My family members are always saying things like “We’re almost out of milk,” and I usually respond with “Put it on the list.” A list of some sort is a fixture on our kitchen counter. It seems no sooner do I run errands and get to throw away a list that we have a new list starting.

Sometimes I think we’re so preoccupied with the busywork detail kind of stuff on our day to day list, we miss the big picture. So today I decided to write my own “Bucket” list. It’s sort of my husband’s, too, since our lives are so intertwined. I figure writing these goals down will make them seem more tangible and less like dreams. One of the things toward the top of my list will be no surprise to you. It's to become published, and not just once, but again and again.

“Great people create their lives actively, while everyone else is created by their lives, passively waiting to see where life takes them next!”

Michael E. Gerber, The E Myth

RMC-SCBWI Conference

The RMC-SCBWI writers’ conference in Denver on September 18th and 19th was fun and beneficial. From a networking perspective, I was thrilled to meet several writers who live nearby and we set up a new critique group. In addition, I got to listen to published authors give inspirational speeches and share writing tips. Oddly enough, the best lesson I learned from the conference came a few days later, when I was home curled up with a good book.

I enjoyed listening to Elizabeth Law, publisher at Egmont USA, moderate a First Pages session in which she evaluated the beginnings of manuscripts submitted by attendees. During her literary discussions she made countless references to classic novels. I took notice because I hadn’t heard any of the other industry professionals who spoke during the week-end make these kinds of comments. Curious to find out more about Egmont, I bought Scones and Sensibility, one of its 2010 publications. It’s written by Lindsay Eland, who happened to be at the conference and was kind enough to autograph the book for me. (I loved rubbing elbows with published authors like Lindsay, it makes my goal to be published seem more attainable.)

Anyway, when I got home and began reading Scones and Sensibility--a cute novel about a modern day girl captivated by the romance of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice--I found it less than a coincidence that Elizabeth Law chose to publish a book about a classic. Clearly, she is partial to these kinds of books.

I’ve always heard publishing is a subjective business, but this experience really hit the concept home for me. When I’m ready to submit my manuscript (which better be soon -- if I could ever stop editing) I really need to seek out an agent who likes my kind of writing. In turn, that agent will know the tastes of specific editors and will know the right perspective publishing house for my manuscript.

Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.
Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

The Eye of the Beholder

On my daily walk this morning I heard someone coming up behind me. I turned and noticed a young man. Oh, I see people on my walk everyday, many have backpacks and lunch boxes. They move at a quick pace in the direction of the bus stop near Walmart. I also see dog walkers with their customary poop bags, joggers with ipods, and clusters of retired people chatting as they amble along.

I knew right away, this guy was different. He was tall, wore a muscle shirt and green fatigue colored pants. I kept glancing behind me at him, intrigued, but not sure why. His arms swung back and forth with each gangly stride. In spite of his quick pace there seemed to be an indifference to his demeanor. Something about him made me nervous. When he was about to overtake me, I dodged into a commercial parking lot. After he passed I headed back to the sidewalk and followed him up the hill. He had unruly dark hair that hadn’t seen a scissors in some time. When he got to Walmart, he passed the bus stop, and plopped himself down on the grass median between parking spaces. He just sat there, his long legs sprawled out in front of him. I realized he was undoubtedly a street person and probably had no where to go.

I think it’s odd how I immediately sensed there was something different about him. Periodically, I see street people. They usually have old weathered faces and faded clothing, unlike this kid, who had to have been between 15 and 25 years old. The biggest tip was something about the way he walked. He had a sense of energy the beaten down typical street people don’t have, yet there was no direction, no plan, every step was a new agenda.

As a mother, my heart went out to him. What horrible circumstances could possibly have brought him to the streets? As a writer, I thought about the characteristics about him that intrigued me and held my interest. I wondered, wouldn’t a character like him have a great story to tell in a young adult novel?

And then I laughed, had my “the glass is half-full” husband encountered the young man he may have never noticed him or he would have assumed he sat down on the ground to enjoy the nice weather. I hope my “the glass is half-empty” attitude is wrong and that young man is okay, but if my instincts were right I hope he realizes he does have a lot to offer. He fed my creativity without even knowing it.

“It is generally admitted that with woman the powers of intuition, of rapid perception and perhaps of imitation, are more strongly marked than in man . . .” Charles Darwin