Friday Mash Up: apologies, fav. post of week and WiP update

Apologies

So apparently I offended some people yesterday. This really sucks because it was not my intention. I'm sorry. I can't say it won't happen again, but I'll try and do better next time.

That's the thing about blogging--the learning is harsh. I'm sure most of us have been there--posting something that is supposed to be honest and thoughtful but comes across differently from how it is intended. I appreciate the feedback and the notice that I might not have thought things through as much as I should have. But we all know those comments can be a little harsh. I'm still kinda reeling from that.

Anyway--post deleted. I'm sorry. I'm moving on. Won't you move on with me?

Favorite Post of the Week

I thought I might add this little section on Fridays. There is no rubric for how I'm figuring this out--just random enjoyment of a particular post.

This week, I loved Adam Heine's post Confessions of an Analytical Writer where he talks about how he comes up with his stories. I loved it because it is the complete opposite of how I write, and it is always nice to remember how many different ways there are to write a novel and that none of those ways are "wrong". I enjoy Adam's blog because he is intelligent and writes well reasoned, interesting blogs on a variety of topics (mostly writing). I also enjoy his blog because I am very different from him and it is fun to read posts that are either outside my experience (I am so not an analytical writer) or that have ideas/thoughts that I disagree with (in the nicest possible way--I never think Adam is wrong, I just occasionally see things differently).

Website Contest

Writer Hearth Cricket has a contest for a free website hosting and design over at her blog.

WiP Update / Critique Partner Celebrations!

Ah...going to hit my weekly word count goal for Gone today! I'm completely pantsing it--something I've never done before. And I feel really great about the voice/plot (probably because I haven't read it yet!). I never would have thought that pantsing could go so smoothly.

But alas, all that rough drafting it has me ignoring Protected. Poor, lonely WiP--I need to work on your edits.

My awesome critique partners are doing awesome things--as usual.

Marie is deep in edits for her Weather Dragon books--which is like this colossal series of eight books. I've only read the first two, but I'm excited to see more! And we've finally starts to nail down the corners of that novel we are co-writing. Turns out I get to be in the head of a guy again, which I'm excited about. I love writing the dudes.

Gina (who has a fabulous blog--check it out!) is so "there" with her WiP! I can't wait to see that one in print!

And Kathleen should be querying soon too. Her novel is adult (not ADULT--just not YA), which means it is like three times longer than anything I ever write. I can't imagine taming a beast like that!

So, yay CPers! I love it when you are doing awesome things!

Have a flirty Friday!

Yay! Critique returned...now what?

I never know what emotion I am going to feel when getting a critique back--excited, anxious, frustrated, all of the above?

For me, getting a critique of my WIP returned is the most difficult part of writing. And it isn't about what the critiquer says--it is about getting back into the rhythm of the text and trying to implement the changes. In order to struggle though this, I've made myself a specific agenda that I follow for critique revisions.

Step One: Read though all the suggestions. Then close the document and walk away. I wait at least a week before making any changes. I'm thinking about it that entire time--my brain is organizing and evaluating, but I don't make any changes yet.

Step Two: Get back into the text. I work on a second WIP while the first is out on revision vacation, so there is always a break, which helps me get perspective, but also creates some distance for me with the critiqued WIP. I get back into it by reading my favorite section. For my current WIP, that happens to be the last four pages. But it not always the end--for Gone it is this one kissing scene Mmmm...kissing scene.

Step Three: Make all the little changes first (awkward/confusing sentences, deleting extra words, etc). I do this for a few reasons. First, it gives me a sense of accomplishment. Second, some of these changes are hard to find after the larger changes are completed. And even if the sentence in question doesn't make it into the final draft, I still learn by making the changes. I understand sentence structure and diction and syntax better with every single change. I don't want to forgo that learning just because a section is deleted.

Step Four: Make a list of all the larger changes suggested and classify them: changes to make, changes to consider, suggestions to shelve (for now). For the changes to consider, I decide not to change the text now but pay special attention to what a second critique partner says. Suggestions to be shelved are those tidbits of advice that I don't think fit in my overall concept of the text. But, but, but--I keep this list so that if other critique partners make the same suggestions, I re-evaluate.

Step Five: Plan out the larger changes I intend to make. I make a change outline that addresses specifically how I plan to alter the text. I do this because I want to be sure of the changes. Why? Because I don't save previous versions of my novels. I do this intentionally. There is no going back, which means I take the changes very seriously. If I delete a scene or chapter, then it is gone for good. Something about it wasn't working anyway, so if I need a section back, I re-write it.

Step Six: Print out and re-read after all the new, shinny changes. Smile at completing a rewrite/revision and send it out again!

Silent Time

"You don't need to leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen. Don't even listen, simply wait. Don't even wait. Be quite still and solitary. The world will freely offer itself to you. To be unmasked, it has no choice. It will roll in ecstasy at your feet."
— Franz Kafka

I love this quote, especially today which, according to my son, is Grump Day. Yes, we've been grumping all morning. A busy weekend will do that for a little guy.

The reason I love this quote is because it reminds me to stop. I'm one of those people who always has to be doing something. Even when wasting time (is there such a thing?), I have to be listening to music or watching stupid TV. I can't just sit and waste time silently. But I need to try and do that more often--sit and reflect and let the world roll over me. Maybe then it wouldn't be wasting time.

But I don't think there is time for silence this morning--I say as the little one starts another round of whining.

Maybe tomorrow.

Do you make time for silence?

Friday Mash-up: Weekly goals, blog changes and inappropriate pitches

Some weeks, I dream big and set a hefty writing goal for myself. Other weeks, not so big.

This week my goal was on the heavy side: 10k. I'm 700 words away, and I should be finishing instead of blogging. Oh well. I'll get it done--I have until Monday, although I haven't scheduled any time to write this weekend.

I also spent some time creating horizontal tabs for the blog, which you can see above. I smashed out some text for each of the tabs, which I'm sure is rife with typos since I didn't have time to proofread much before we had to leave for mid-day dog walks. I have to remind myself that editing is not overrated.

And check out this hilarious article about some of the pitches agents have endured.

Finally, we are heading to the Renaissance Fair this weekend (yes, we are dressing up!). This is a good reminder for me about all those things in my life I enjoy having, but I really don't need. Do you need your computer to write a novel? Nope. Thesaurus? Nope. Blog? Nope.

All that is necessary is paper, a utensil of some sort and imagination. The rest might just be clutter.

Which reminds me of one of my favorite quotes-- "The things you own end up owning you." Probably an easy one, but does anyone know where that quote is from?

International Nude Day

I'm on a holiday kick. I wrote about Bowdler's Day on Monday, and here I am with Nude Day today (although I'm sure it isn't the only Nude Day celebrated around the world). When I taught high school, I used to put up whatever national holiday it was on the chalkboard every morning. The kids always looked at it, and it isn't a coincidence that it was written next to the objectives for the day, which were far less interesting but much more important (according to me at least).

So today is International Nude Day. This holiday started in New Zealand but is now celebrated internationally, or so the official website tells me.

But the point of Nude Day isn't just about being naked, although I will support you if you choose to take the holiday in that direction. Instead the goal is to celebrate the human form. According to the official website:

Our bodies are the only things we own, be proud of them no matter what shape or size you are.

But I disagree with this statement--not about being proud of our bodies, but that our bodies are the only things we own. I own my stories too. And this got me thinking about how similarly I view my body and my stories. When I look in the mirror, my eyes go straight to my tummy because that is where the "problems" are. I don't notice that I have a nicely shaped face and a contagious smile (not in a herpes kind of way).

When I look at my writing, it is the same. I notice how I tend to write in short, fragmented sentences with a limited variety of words. I don't notice that my character relationships are always complex and compelling.

Part of this is because I need to concentrate on fixing what isn't good. Just like I need to do more sit ups at the gym, I need to work on varying sentence structure and expanding my diction. But that's no reason to ignore the good.

So today on International Nude Day, let's celebrate our forms. For a few minutes at least, concentrate on the positive. What are you good at? What is it that makes your stories or writing compelling, exiting and different?

Side note: Have you heard the new lingo? If you aren't a pantser or a plotter, then you probably do some combination of both. Making you a....pantyliner! I love it! I stole the term from here.

National Censorship/Bowdler's Day

Today is Bowdler's Day. What the heck is that you ask?

Thomas Bowdler (1754-1825) was probably a man of many talents and experiences. But he suffered the fate of any person who plays one small part in history books--his life became known for one thing. For Bowdler, that thing happens to be censorship. Bowdler created bowdlerized versions of Shakespeare's words, redacting any text that didn't fit within his puritanical beliefs. He also did this for History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire and the Old Testament.

So it is kinda like Censorship Day today. Which is a strange thing for me because I'm pretty far down the free speech hallway--like knocking on the door which reads "anything goes".

But I also sympathise with Bowdler. And not just because he got the history curse (I feel for individuals with rich, beautiful lives who get reduced to one line of text in a history book), but because he believed in what he was doing. He thought that censorship was the right thing to do. That's the thing about censorship--people attempting to change art believe that society would be better without certain influences. And I appreciate believers, even if I disagree with them.

The part of censorship that I struggle with is other people making those decisions for me. Although it would have been helpful for someone else to decide for me that I didn't need to see the rape scene in A Clockwork Orange--that still gets to me.

As a YA writer, I battle with this constantly. Is there a difference between age-appropriate and censorship? Some teens just aren't ready to experience certain things. Heck--I'm not ready to experience certain things. As a reading teacher of fourteen-year-olds, I had to make those decisions for some kids. I hated it. It always felt like censorship, even if I applied the less evocative term "age-appropriate" to what I was doing.

I'm glad to be on the other side--no longer doing the deciding for others, but doing the writing. Now I get to decide what, if any, age-appropriate boundaries the text should have. I'll leave it up to others to make the decisions about what they should/shouldn't experience.

So, I leave you with a thought...Don't worry about censoring yourself because there will always be someone to do it for you.

Happy Bowdler's Day.

Do you have an author website?

If you have an author website, I'd love to see it!

I bought my URL about a year ago, but I've yet to create the website. I'd love to see what others are doing. So if you have one, please post the link in the comments below.

Below is Marie's website. She's undergone several revisions and reformats since she first started it a few years ago. I don't think she uses it very much. But, in my obtrusive opinion, it doesn't seem very much like her. If the website didn't have her name across the top, I wouldn't attach to her. And it seems like being good friends for fifteen years and her crit partner and enjoying having her art hanging on my walls, I would have a solid idea of who she is as a writer/artist.

But maybe that's the hardest part--figuring out what really represents you and displaying it in such a way that others can see it too.

Visit Marie's Website!

On falling for a new guy

I've received a two emails the last few days asking--in the nicest ways--where I have been. The emails surprised and touched me and made me realize how much I've neglecting blogging. There are a variety of reasons, the most recent is that I've met a new guy.

It's not what you think--I'm a happily married woman. No, this new guy doesn't exist. He is the new voice in my head demanding to have his story told.

You see, the WIP I've been focusing on for the last year is narrated by Jie, and she tends to be a little distant and cold. I love her, but she, like all characters, is a victim of her circumstances. And some of her circumstances have hardened her.

When Jie went out for a much needed critiquing vacation a few weeks ago, I started opening the random gazillion documents that are various outlines and starts of other novels. Three of them inspired me, and I began working on all three knowing that one would be the gold in the bottom of the pan. That if I just kept sifting out the sand, it would appear.

But then a new idea struck, and I started writing frantically. My new man is Carbry. I attached to him because in many ways, he is the opposite of Jie. He's warm and caring and has a sense of humor that is refreshing.

I'm not sure how it is for all writers--but when I get a clear sense of a character, I hear the voice in my head. Carbry's smooth voice is as present in my head as my own. The dips and pulls and rhythms in his speech dominates my own when I am writing him.

That's how I know when a story has to be told--when a character's voice can override my own. For me, it has nothing to do with the plot or story, all of that comes later. But as soon as that character's voice is as loud as my own, I know that I will have to tell their story-- at some point.

How do you decide what stories to tell?