That Little Extra

Mothers use it with their children; teachers use it with their students; credit card companies use it with their cardholders; banks and stores use it with their customers: businesses use it with their employees.

What is it?

This month over at Bits & Bytes, the WARA members have been blogging about the struggles they have with writing.  The list is varied and includes distractions, poor time management, and poor self-discipline.  Also mentioned were writing obstacles that include family, employment and health.  Plain old procrastination is a biggie, too.  Strange, but finding ideas hasn't been mentioned.  It seems we don't have any big problems with that.  Our imaginations seem to be working just fine, so it isn't that we aren't inspired.  It's just that we don't or can't do it...for all of the reasons listed and more.

What is it that all those people and entities listed up at the top do?  They use REWARDS.  They use INCENTIVES.  And that's something that writers don't always think of using.

The writing of a novel spans quite a lot of time, from the first tiny glimmer of an idea to the finished product.  There are characters to be created, research to be done, plotting, writing, revising, polishing, and finger crossing when the final product--our baby--is sent off to an editor, agent, or contest.  The act itself should be rewarding enough, right? Well, not necessarily.

We've learned that setting goals can sometimes work well in getting us motivated and moving.  And while reaching those goals brings satisfaction, there's usually still a long road ahead.  We often choose publication as the reward for all of our hard work.  But at the end of the road there may or may not be publication.  That's something we can't control.

So what's a writer to do?  Reward ourselves along the way.  Rewards don't have to be big things.  Small things work great!  So you wrote for 10 minutes today?  Super!  Give yourself a treat.  An ice cream cone or some yummy yogurt you've been wanting to try would be perfect.  You finished a chapter?  Congratulations!  Reward yourself with a long bubble bath or an evening with a friend.  That novel is finished and has been sent to an editor or agent?  Fantastic!  Pull out that book you've been dying to read and enjoy it or spend a day or several days doing what you want to do, such as a mini vacation, if it fits in the budget!

Rewards don't have to cost money.  Just calling a friend and sharing the news that you've reached a goal can be rewarding.  And that friend may give you the incentive you need to keep going.  A quiet evening watching a movie makes a good reward and can often offer inspiration or new ideas for your story, too.

My reward for reaching the goal of a finished manuscript used to be to read the latest Susan Elizabeth Phillips book.  I've forgotten to do that and am behind at least two reward books.  Maybe, if I write fast enough, I can get caught up soon!  Now that's my kind of reward!!

Any suggestions or ideas for rewards and incentives?  We can all use some fresh ones to keep us going on the road to reaching our goals, so feel free to share what works for you.

That Old Sticktoitiveness

You've heard of it before.  Stick-to-it-ive-ness.  Hopefully everyone has experienced it least once in their lives.  It's the determination that keeps you going and going and...yeah, like the bunny...going until you get what you want.  Or need.

It's something anyone who decides to write must have.  Oh, you may not have been born with it.  Most of us weren't.  But writing takes determination and a will to go on trying, even in the face of stinky comments from friends and relatives or downright rejection of industry professionals aka agents and editors.

Learning the hard truth is just that--hard.  Why?  Because it's best learned by experience, and experience can hurt.  That experience is usually gained through two things.  Writing (finishing) several books and...the R word.  Rejections.  I wrote several complete novels before I ever submitted to a publisher or agent.  I've also never counted how many rejections I received before I sold my first book, but I admit that each one left an impression.  At times I wanted to quit.  Other times a rejection made me more determined to write a better book.  I'll even admit that there are still some days when throwing in the towel would be easier, especially when the ideas and the words just won't come easily.  But I didn't quit.  I kept persevering.  (Isn't that a nifty word?)

If rejections are getting the better of you or even the thought of them are, here are some tidbits that might help a little.

• Margaret Mitchell received 38 publisher rejections on Gone With the Wind.
• The Diary of Anne Frank was rejected by 15 publishers.
• Stephen King's Carrie received dozens of rejections, although he was writing stories for magazines at the time, so he could obviously write.
• John Grisham's first novel, A Time to Kill, received a dozen rejections from publishers and 16 from agents.
• Madeline L'Engle received 26 rejections on A Wrinkle in Time.
• William Golding's Lord of the Flies was rejected by 20 publishers.
• J.K. Rowling didn't give up after her young boy-turned wizard in a world of magic got a thumbs down from dozens of publishers.  It wasn't until after it was published by a much smaller publishing company and readers had Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in hand, begging for more, that those mega publishers were clamoring for it.

And if that isn't quite enough, here's the latest best-seller addition to the previously-rejected list:

• The Help, Kathryn Stockett's current blockbuster novel-turned-movie, was rejected 60 times by agents.  Read her interview with Katie Couric.

I've been ready to give up many times, and if it hadn't been for two things, I might have, very early on.  The first of those things was a few very special writing friends who were determined that I wouldn't quit and throw in the towel.  The second one was a thought that stayed in my mind and would never be silenced completely.  What if tomorrow would have been the day an editor liked my book, but I quit before I ever sent it?

If you're a writer fighting thoughts of quitting--or someone who isn't a writer but is having thoughts of giving up on anything--stop.  You'll never have what you want or be able to reach your dream if you've left it behind.  If you've recently been rejected, pick yourself up and dust yourself off, then take a closer look at whatever it was that didn't make the cut, and then do your best to fix it and go on.

Remember, no one was born published.

Reach for the moon and land among the stars!

Rainy Days and Mondays

It isn't really raining.  The streets and sidewalks aren't wet, just showing occasional big drops.  It's barely enough to have to turn on the windshield wipers even less than the lowest intermittent setting.

But the sky is cloudy and gloomy, keeping the sun from brightening the room...and me.  It was a blah weekend, while I searched for a project I could sink my teeth into...or put my heart into...or just get into.  I'd think I found it, only to discover after settling at the computer that my interest had already waned.

So it isn't really the rain or the cloudy skies.  Sometimes it just happens.

I read The Help this weekend.  Although I found it slow going at first, due to written dialect, which always give me a little trouble, once I got the hang of it and attached it to the character, the story and all the characters grabbed my attention.  By 5 a.m. on Sunday, after reading all Saturday evening and night, I forced myself to put the book away so I could get some sleep, with a promise to finish the book later.

The ending holds promise for people of all color.  Segregation ended--or was supposed to have ended--several decades ago.  But I remember it, and although things have changed, I still see remnants of it.  I expect there will always be some, at least in my lifetime.  Even on this cloudy, raining, and gloomy Monday, there's hope.

Here's wishing all a happy and productive week, no matter what your weather or even your current mood. :)

The End of an Era

Although I've only read the first book, my youngest daughter has read them all--at least once.  She's also made sure I went to see the movies.  And we certainly wouldn't miss having all of the DVDs, except this last one. Of course it will join the other seven on our DVD shelf as soon as it's released.

Thinking we were going to see HP 7.2 on the nation's largest IMAX screen in 2D last week (3D gives me a headache), we discovered we'd read the online theater schedule wrong and had to see it in a regular, non-IMAX theater.  Even so, I still forked over $17 for tickets.  (Lucky me.  I got a discount.)   No popcorn, drinks or goodies.  Yes, I'm cheap.  I go to the theater to see a movie twice in a good year, and usually after it's played out at the more expensive theaters.  Being the first in town (or even my family) to see a movie is not my main goal in life.

After sitting through the trailers of the coming soons and the first fifteen mnutes of HP, I was eternally grateful we weren't able to see it in IMAX in any kind of D.  It was by far real enough on a regular screen.

Was it good?  Oh, my, yes!!  Even for someone who has only read that first book.  Although I have to mention that Brits tend to mumble, so I have to listen extra closely.  Or maybe my hearing is going with the rest of me...downhill.

Anyway, I won't give any spoilers, but for someone who didn't know how it was going to turn out, as readers of the books did, it had me in tears more than once.  I'm waiting to see it again in the cheap seats theater ($3 tickets) with my oldest granddaughter, who was disappointed we didn't take her along with us.  And we'll have the DVD later, so we can look forward to haveing a complete Harry Potter marathon.  I can't wait!

J.K. Rowland did a super job of storytelling!  My only question to her would be to know if what showed on the screen in the movies--the cinematography and special effects--were what she saw in her mind as she wrote.

In one word:  FANTASTIC

Which Came First, the Chicken or the Egg?

After blogging about goals on Monday, I started thinking about how we determine what goals we choose and in what order we might do them, especially when life things are happening all around us.  Of course I'm talking about priorities.

If life was as easy as we dream of it being, there'd be no reason to prioritize.  Everything would just fall into place.  Some things are easy and don't take much thought.  We have a meal before we do dishes.  We get dressed before going to work or shopping.  But when it comes to other things that are equally if not more important, it can become much more difficult.

Finding the time to write can seem impossible sometimes.  Women especially battle this more than men.  While that may be changing, we women are still the multi-taskers who watch over everything and try to keep disaster from happening.  For decades women were taught to put everyone else before them.  Not so much anymore.

Still, trying to find time to write or do anything related to writing can seem impossible at times. Writers often have jobs, spouses, families, and those families can include parents, children, and grandchildren.  Writers with children often postpone their writing and their writing dreams until the children are older.  Others search for and find ways to squeeze in some writing time on a regular basis.

Don't beat yourself up, whether you choose to take some time for yourself or devote your time to your family or other things that are important to you.  If you find you want to shift your priorities and make some changes, do it.  Just don't let others tell you what and how.  If you're determined to write, but others don't see it as important as you do, sometimes a talk with family and friends can help make the changes needed.

If your schedule is mind-bogglingly overcrowded, but you're determined to write, don't forget that even a few minutes, here and there, is enough.  It's all forward motion, whether you're writing pages a day or only paragraphs.

So shake off the guilt and the worry.  If this is your time to do something for yourself--something like writing that book of your heart--you'll find a way to do it, if you just keep looking and trying.

Back in the Saddle Again

I may be back in the saddle, but what it really means is that life is back to normal.  I spent ten days dealing with a pulled muscle in my lower back and practically wearing a heating pad 24/7, while revising two proposals that eventually involved some major replotting.  (It happens, folks, to all of us, even the best of us which I am not.)  By Friday I was more or less pain free.  Well, except the pain of plotting and revising and rewriting and...  After all the blood, sweat and tears, both proposals were emailed this morning just after 1:30.

That done, it's time to turn my attention to doing what had to wait while making that deadline.  That involves setting goals.  I'm good at setting goals.  What I'm not good at is reaching those goals.  With that in mind, here are my thoughts on goals--the writing kind.

I'm perfectly aware that the key to reaching goals is to set ones that are doable. If it isn't within your control, find a goal that is.

Big goals are fine, but if you don't have a plan to reach them, you've set yourself up for failure.  Break your large goals down into bite-size pieces.  Is your goal to be published?  Study your craft, read the works of others, discover what your strengths and weakness are so you can use and improve.  Network with other authors, both published and not yet published.  Research the market, who's buying and what they're buying, what agents and publishing houses are a good fit for your work.

And write.  Even if it's half a page a day because your life is full of family, work, responsibilities.  And I'll be the first to admit that I need to take my own advice.

Set a reachable goal as to when you want to have your project finished, and when it is, don't sit on it.  For one thing, markets change.  For another, fear must eventually be faced if you want to succeed.  That means it's time to SUBMIT.  And when you've done that, instead of sitting around, while waiting probably months and months for a response on that book of your heart, start the writing process all over again and create a new book of your heart.

And good luck!  Because luck has a lot to do with it.  Even the most talented are overlooked because the story doesn't fit the market or the publisher has just bought five books with the same general theme.  Don't let it get you down.  Pull up your big girl panties (or your big boy briefs) and keep going.  Your goal--your dream--is still there, ready to be reached if you keep working at it.

Happy Monday, and have a terrific week!

It's Deadline Time

White Rabbit Syndrome

"Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be late!"

I like to think my continued tardiness throughout life is because I was born late.  But because I'm adopted, I have no idea how close I was born to my "due date," so the excuse doesn't really work.  Nevertheless, that isn't going to stop me from using it, nor will I suddenly change to one of those people who would be on time, even if their house caught fire as they were leaving and their car broke down on the way.  (God forbid that would happen to anyone!)

It's not that I'm late for everything.  And I do have an excuse today for being late.  Or several excuses, if that works better.

1. I was up late last night trying to plot a new story that apparently doesn't want to be plotted.
2. My daughter decided to organize the hall closet that contains everything from shampoo and cotton swabs to furniture polish and hair color.  She did a great job, but after showing me how good it looked, she announced my office needed organizing.  Oh, no!!  I had to physically restrain her from opening the drawers in my desk, and then I physically restrained myself as she searched my bookcase for a book to read.  My parting goodnight included, "Just turn off the light when you leave the room."
3. I've already written one blog post today (topic: writing struggles) and was late with it, too.

I can plan and schedule all I want, but something will always come along and throw a monkey wrench into the works.  Just what is a monkey wrench, anyway? 
Case in point:  Saturday nights are usually spent at my oldest daughter's house, where we enjoy dinner cooked by said daughter and a lot of chit-chatting about everything from the weather to politics to soap operas.  (I quit watching soaps long, long ago.)  But this past Saturday, she and her daugher had a baby shower to attend, so I planned to finish that plotting I mentioned earlier. 

(Time out to show how crazy life is here at Rancho Delaney)
Mid-day and knowing we'd be spending the evening in, my youngest announced, "There's nothing on!" as she scrolled through the menu of cable offerings.  I revised her statement to, "There's nothing that I want to watch," and reminded her that in addition to the hundreds of cable channels, there's also On Demand, Netflix, and our 400 or so DVDs, including her entire collection of Harry Potter and Buffy.  Some people just can't be pleased.

(Back to the monkey wrench...)
About seven p.m., our usual time to go to oldest's for dinner, granddaughter called and said they were on their way home from the shower and we could come over.  I should've stayed and continued the plotting, but to tell the truth, my eyes were beginning to cross as I juggled scenes on my storyboard.  Besides, I always enjoy time with family.

In a nutshell, I was able to amend my usual schedule of Saturdays with family, and instead planned to work on current WIP.  Schedule fixed.  However, new plan was interrupted and changed again when granddaughter called to say, "Come on over!" 

To quote Rosanna Roseannadanna, "It's always something."

And that's what really causes White Rabbit Syndrome.  That and being born late. ;)

Better Late Than Never

To understand why I didn't get a blog written yesterday, take a look at my writers group's new blog and website.  By the time I was finished, after working on them most of the day, my eyes were crossed, and I never wanted to look at a computer screen again.

Of course that has passed now.  I watched a little TV, went to bed, couldn't sleep, got up and wrote some notes on current WIP, and finally drifted off to dreamland.  Typical night, except that I don't watch a lot of TV, especially in the summer.  I'm not a couch potato in the fall, either.  That's a habit I broke, long ago, and don't plan to return to.  One bad habit down, a gazillion to go.

I should be writing.  I have two proposals that need to be reworked, and I've actually dabbled at doing that.  But dabbling is all.  I seem to be frozen and unable to do what needs to be done.  I've brainstormed with the two Ks, and we have another session planned for tomorrow via 3-way phone call.  All I can do is hope that something inside me clicks.  And soon.

This is the first time in over fifteen years that I haven't been doing at least something with a WIP.  There have been times in the past when I've needed to write--desperately needed to get it down on paper/computer--but couldn't because of other things going on.  This is one of the few times in all those years that my time is pretty much my own.

I should be churning out words by the pageful.  Blame must be put somewhere, other than on my normal duties as Queen of Procratination, so I've decided to blame it on the heat.  It's noon here, and the temp is 109.  That's expected to rise to at least 112 at some point.  We've had over a month of 100+ temps, so it must be the weather.

It isn't.

Help and advice are needed, before LATE becomes NEVER.