Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Is It Safe?

Some days it isn't safe to come out.  I hope today isn't one of them, but lately they all have been.

Serioiusly, life sometimes throws a wrench into the works.  Just when we think we're beginning to get it all together, something happens to bring everything to a halt.  It happens to everyone.

So what should we do when that curve ball from life has hit us between the eyes and may have even knocked us out for a while?

Maybe it's time to step back and re-evaluate things in our lives.  Not necessarily everything, but discovering what brought about the event that's caused the shake-up is a good place to start.  Determine if something done--or not done--tipped the scales enough to kickstart the upset.  In my life, nine times out of ten it comes back to me.  Not necessarily something I've done--or not done--on purpose, but an action or inaction of my own is often at the root.  Once identified, some thought can lead to the changes needed to correct whatever it was that happened.

Our lives are busy enough without things going wrong, and there are times that we had nothing to do with it.  If that curve ball was completely from left field and had nothing to do with something we did or didn't do, then it's time to deal with whatever it brought and then move on.  No sense in wringing our hands over something we can't control.

It's been three weeks since I last blogged here, and that was far from what I'd planned.  Things happened.  Much of those things had been screaming for my attention, and then finally reached a point where they could no longer be ignored.  I'm working on that. ☺  I hope to be back here on Friday to report that life is moving along as it should.  It's definitely feeling safer already.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Creative Space

What does your office look like?  Is it large?  Small?  Dark or sunshiny?  Do you have a large or small desk?  A comfy chair to sit in?  Music playing in the background or through earphones?

When I think back over the past fifteen or so years, I'm amazed at the different writing spaces I've had.  At one time I sat at the edge of an old floor furnace in a drafty old farm house and wrote by hand on large, lined pads of paper.  In the summers when I helped haul wheat to the elevator, I wrote on those same pads in the cab of the dump truck between loads of wheat.

There was the freezing-in-the-winter and melting-in-the-summer half-finished attic where I shared the computer with my then-husband, followed by porch which had been enclosed years before. 
When the marriage ended and my daughters and I moved to an apartment, the computer and I shared the floor of the small laundry room.  Later, I unfolded myself and moved upstairs.  I shared my mother's dining room where she had her computer and large desk for a few months, then settled into another laundry room in a different place, but at least with a new desk and chair.  Finally in one place for more than a few months, I have the converted garage, and although the view isn't of a lovely wooded area or the ocean, there's plenty of room for my bookcases, shelves, desk and file cabinet.

I work on a desktop computer and have never had a laptop.  Maybe someday I will, but only if I'm so mobile that I'll need one.  Until then, there's always that big pad of paper, and even though it's getting more difficult to decipher my own handwriting, it works well.  Sometimes it works even better than when at the computer.

Not everyone has the luxury of having a special place to write, but that shouldn't keep anyone from writing.  Outdoors in parks and even the backyard in the spring and fall can be ideal, depending on the weather and where you live.  In cold or bad weather, there are bookstores, coffee shops and libraries.  Even grabbing a few minutes while waiting in the car will bring you that much closer to typing THE END.

How important is the place where you write?  Is having a space all your own where you can go to write in solitude important to you?  Would not having that space keep you from writing?

If someone gave you a magic wand and told you that all you had to do was wish for the writing room you dream of having, what would it be like?

Don't let the lack of the perfect writing space keep you from creating.  Learn to create anywhere at anytime, and you'll never have no-place-to-write as an excuse.

Monday, June 6, 2011

Carving Out Time

Whether you stay at home or work outside the home, finding the time to write can be similar to shaving your legs in the dark.  Both are difficult and one can be dangerous.  The demands on our time come from everywhere.  Whether it's spouses, children, grandchildren, parents, other family members, neighbors, friends, (taking a breath) or from jobs, bosses, or employees, women are constantly at the mercy of someone or something.  With apologies to Mick and the rest of the Stones, time is not always in our side.

I chuckle and moan at the stereotype of writers--mostly depicted as male--sitting at their typewriter/computer, pipe at the ready, brow furrowed as their minds spin the tales.  No one bothers them.  Once inside the inner sanctum of their writing space, they are oblivious to the world outside.  Children, if present in the home, are shushed by a wife, who dubiously eyes the closed door, knowing Writer cannot be distrubed.  Whether Writer spends all day in his private space or whether it occurs after regular working hours, he has no worry that someone would dare to invade his time for creating.  If depicted as female, the writer stretches supine in a fluttery negligee on a velvet sofa, eating bonbons and dictating words to a prim, proper, and bespectacled assistant.  Oh, my!  Honestly, I don't think I'd enjoy even trying that one. ☺

Those of us who actually do write know the above description isn't only silly, it's downright criminal and untrue.  But the fact is that because we are women (mostly, at least in the romance category), we're clever enough to beat the odds.  No matter what it is we need, we'll find a way to find it, even if it means a little less sleep.

So how does one carve out even a small wedge of time?  The tried and true include getting up an hour or more early, which works for morning people.  Staying up a little later at night works for nightowls.  Writing during the kids' soccer or dance or swimming practice rewards us with time.  I've been known to have some of my best ideas while sitting in the car waiting for school to be out for the grandkids, and I've definitely taken advantage of it...even in the backs of receipts.

We're a flexible lot, even though I have no doubt I couldn't touch my toes if I was offered a RITA for doing it.  We find time here, there, and anywhere, even if it's only ten or fifteen minutes.  Sometimes I'm amazed at how much I can do in those small spaces of time

Sometimes it can all come down to one simple thing.  How much are you willing to give up?  Are you willing to give up one TV show a week?  What about two TV shows?  Think hard.  Is there something you do that you might give up even a little to have that extra time to write?  It might be worth it to give it a try.  After all, if it doesn't, you can always go back to the way things were and try something else.

Anything is possible if you believe in it, so believe in yourself.  Remember, if we want to do something strongly enough, we'll find a way.  We are WOMEN!

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Who, Me? Plot?

Having been a writer who never wanted to plot a book before actually writing it, I can relate to those who are reading this and nodding at the title of this blog.  Strange, but I've come almost full circle since those days and am no longer a panster.  In fact, the mere thought of writing a book or synopsis without first knowing where the story is going, turns my blood cold.  Yes, it terrifies me.  And that is so weird.

I did not go from panster to plotter in a day, a week, or a month.  It took me a few years to find what worked for me.  Would I like to go back to the days when I sat down with that glimmer and wrote until THE END?  Uh, no.  Not even if I could do away with the cold blood thing.

The key to plotting is that each writer must find what works best for her/him.  Trying to use the exact method of another writer will probably result in huge frustration. Instead, pick from several ideas and use what works for you. If being a panster works for you and you're either selling books or at the least getting requests for full manuscripts if not yet published, then far be it from me to tell you that you must plot.  Not hardly.

But if you've had submissions rejected because of a sagging middle* or you begin to struggle halfway or somewhere else during the writing of your book, giving some thought to doing a smidgen of plotting could be helpful.  And there are as many ways to plot as there are writers.  You may already be plotting in your head and haven't realized it.

Here are a few questions you might want to ask yourself:

  • Do you have a fairly solid idea of where your story will start?
  • Do you know your main characters, especially their GMCs (Goal, Motivation, Conflict)?  Yes, for the hero and the heroine.
  • Do you have an idea--at least an inkling--of what event the H/H is keeping them apart and what (sacrifice?  truth-telling?  compromise?) will bring the together in the end?  (This would be the Black Moment and the Resolution aka the HEA.)
  • Most importantly, do you have a main turning point?  A scene about midway through the story where something will happen that changes everything and ups the ante for both characters?  knowing this will save you from that sagging middle problem.
I'm hearing groans.  I'm hearing deep, heart-wrenching sighs.  I'm hearing voices raising in argument.  I'm also seeing blank looks and eyebrows drawn together in confusion.  So that's plotting?  Well, yes, for some it is.  For me, it's the beginning of plotting.  But you aren't me.  (Lucky devil!)

There's a plethora of information out there that can help with plotting.  The best way to find what will help is to do a search for *book plotting* or similar search strings, read a few articles and suggestions, and then give it a try.  (There are also tons of books available on the subject, if you want to dig deeper.)  Don't try to force yourself into something that isn't comfortable, but look for some small things that, with a personal twist that suits you, could be helpful.  Need suggestions to get you going?  Okay!

Learn the Elements of a Novel - Structure and Plot
I discovered this one not long ago when I was tweaking my own plotting.  It works off the 3-Act principle, making it easier for some to understand.  And there are many other parts of this site that are connected to plotting, so if it grabs your interest, even a little, check out more of it.

Alicia Rasley's Writer's Corner
This is one of my all-time favorites.  Look for the Archived Articles of the Month link in the column on the left.  Alicia and fiction editor Theresa Stevens also have Edittorrent, a blog about editing.  Definitely a must visit!

Hopefully you'll find more resources on your own and maybe one or more will be exactly what you need to shed some light on plotting.  Just so you know that I really, truly do plot, here's a photo of my plotting board.  It's just one way--my way--of plotting.  I hope you can find yours!

Scary, huh?

*Sagging Middle
No, not that kind of sagging middle.  I haven't found a way to overcome that kind.
In writing, a sagging middle is where a book loses steam...and interest.  This often happens in the middle of the story.  Good conflict and a change (turning point) can go a long way in beginning to help fix the problem.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Plotter vs. Panster

There's been a war brewing between writers for a long time about which is best, plotting (being a 'plotter') or writing by the seat of your pants (the act of being a 'panster').  The truth is that whatever way you write is right for you.  But sometimes you can't always get away with your choice, and that's where compromise comes in.

When I first began writing in hopes of publishing, I sat down at the keyboard with two main characters in mind, maybe another one or two minor characters, an opening, and a glimmer of an idea of what the story was about.  I wrote, and then wrote more, trying to stay one step ahead of myself.  Did it work?  In many ways it did.  I entered writing contests in which I didn't do too shabby, and all the while my critique partners were telling me that I might want to try plotting.  Just in case I sold.  After all, the day might come when I would be submitting proposals that contained not only the first few chapters, but a complete synopsis, too.

And then it happened.  I sold my first book.  Once again, my cp's reminded me that learning to plot and writing a synopsis would be good for me.  But let's face it.  I'd never written a synopsis for a book that wasn't completely written.  Never.  By the third book, my editor decided I could submit a proposal, instead of a complete manuscript, and asked for three chapters...and a full synopsis.  Suddenly, I had to learn to plot.

I panicked.  But I also learned how to plot in advance.

But plotting means different things to many people.  Even pansters have learned to do a little plotting so they have a vague idea of where there story is going.  If you're like I was and believe that if you plot a book and know what's going to happen all the fun and joy would vanish, don't be afraid.  There are many degrees of plotting, and we'll take a look at them tomorrow.