It's Heeeeeere

THE WRITING PROCESS
NaNoWriMo began today.  Once again, I'm smack in the middle of a deadline, and although one would think that's the perfect time to write, write, write, for me and the next couple of weeks, it's edit, edit, polish.  And a little synopsis writing.

I've never had the opportunity to participate in what I consider a wonderful opportunity for adventure in the writing world.  This is not to say that I've never used the process.  In fact, I did it earlier this year.  While waiting for a thumbs up or down on a proposal for two books for Harlequin American Romance, I pulled out an old partial that had been rejected years ago by Silhouette Romance and decided to finish it.  I did, in 23 days, with a total of 45,791 words.  205 pages.  Finished with the rough draft of that, and still waiting for word on that proposal, I turned around and did it again, with another old partial, rewriting the beginning and finishing it in a month and a half.  After two days of rest and making sure the plot for the first of two contracted books (the ones I'd been waiting to hear about), I jumped back in and hit the keyboard.  The month of July netted me 50,046 words/244 pages.  Yes, 50,000 can be written in one month!  I did it, and even I was impressed that I could.

What's so great about NaNo?  

• If you know anything about it, if even only aware that it happens each year from November 1st through November 30, you can prepare for it.  If you're not a part of it this year, you can begin planning for next year.  Start getting your head in the game for 2014.  A year goes fast.
• Having a goal.  Nothing works better than that.  Yes, I've coaxed and cajoled, enticed and almost threatened that setting goals is the key to being a writer--even for someone like me who isn't at all goal oriented.  The Queen of Procrastination never is.
• It's been said that a habit can be made or broken in 21 days.  Sit down and make yourself write for 30 days, and it becomes a part of you.  You've made it a habit.  That's how books get written.
•  There's a community of writers among the NaNo'ers each year.  People who will guide you, encourage you, and help you when needed to make that goal.  People who may become good friends.
• If you make that 50,000 word goal, you'll be patting yourself on the back for a job well-done.  Okay, you might even start jumping and hollering, too.  If you don't make it, a pat on the back is also in order for trying.  Because if we don't try, we never move forward.  And isn't that what it's all about?
• You might have a finished book on your hands when it's over.  And just how great can that feel?
• The friendships of other writers.  And that's the biggie.

I've been incredibly lucky since I first decided to write.  After playing around with the idea for many months--not counting all those years I tinkered with it, now and then--I found a chatroom community of romance writers and made some of the best friends I have, both inside and outside of writing.  We're not only writing friends, we're real friends.  Lasting friends.  Always there for each other in every way possible.  As crazy as it may sound, all four of us became published in only a few years of that first day I sucked it up and introduced myself in that chatroom.  Would we have done it without knowing each other?  Maybe.  Maybe not.

What are you waiting for?  If you're too late to be a part of NaNoWriMo this year, pledge to yourself--and writing friends--to participate next year.  Even better, do it on your own before next year.  Up the stakes and do it with a writer friend or two.  Encouragement is a noun that can help you and others reach your dream.

The victory of success is half won when one gains the habit of setting goals and achieving them. Even the most tedious chore will become endurable as you parade through each day convinced that every task, no matter how menial or boring, brings you closer to fulfilling your dreams.  ~ Og Mandino

Goals are Set. Now What?

MOTIVATION MONDAYS

Today marks the official last day of the first week of the new year.  Our goals should be made.  In theory, we should be moving forward on them.

Reaching our goal is like climbing a staircase.  We start at the bottom by deciding what it is we want to accomplish, then step by step, we move toward it.  That takes motivation.  The key is knowing what each step involves so we can more easily get to the top aka Our Goal.  That's where a little planning comes in.  My goals won't be the same as another's, but there are a few steps that we all can take to make the trip easier.

As it was last year, my goal this year is a specific word count.  Because of that, I have a good idea of what I can do in that amount of time.  I set last year's goal at 120,000 words.  I included both blogging and book word count and ended up nearly doubling my goal. This year I'm sticking totally with main writing word count, which I've increased to just over last year's total.  A quick look on the right will show that I haven't made any progress yet.

Why no progress?  For nearly two weeks before Christmas and after New Year's Day, there have been five grandkids, ages 3-11, here from morning until evening.  By the time they leave, I do well to know my name.  Now that they're back in school, I can relax and work some during the day.  (3-year-old will still be here during the day.)  What I realized last night is that I've been waffling, not knowing for sure what I specifically want to work on this year.  I gave it some thought yesterday and last night, and I now have a clear idea of what I'm going to do.  Of course it can change, but I can look up that long stairway and see the top.  I know how to work my goal.

Stuck with no idea of where to start?  If you're working on a specific book/manuscript or more than one, it doesn't matter whether you've set your goal to write to the finish or if you'll use page count or word count as your goal.  By now you should have broken that big goal into smaller ones.  You should also know what you want to work on.  That puts you one step up.  Forward motion!  What's left is each of the rest of the steps aka mini-goals.  It's like losing weight.  We do it day by day, pound by pound, whether dieting or exercising or both.  Writing goals work the same way.

There are a few things that can help make the journey easier.

1. Know what kind of story you'll be writing.  Whether it's romance, suspense, paranormal, inspirational or other, have an idea of 
2. Know your characters.  Not just their names, but who they are, what they do, and especially where they came from.  This is where GMC comes in.  This doesn't have to be done in a day, and quite often when the writing is moving along, we often discover things about characters that we didn't know when we wrote the first words or even chapters.  Or even more often, we've had these characters in our mind for some time, growing little by little.
3. Know where your story is going.  This doesn't mean your book must be completely plotted or even a little plotting, but if you know where it needs to start, what the main turning point will be, and some kind of an idea of how it will end, you can go from point to point more quickly and smoothly, without a major panic attack.
4. Know when your best writing time is and write on a regular schedule.  I'm guilty of not doing this as much as I should, so it's something I need to work on.  Remember, the more often you write, the easier it becomes.  You might even get lucky and make it a habit.  If you know on Monday that you're going to be writing the second scene of chapter four on Wednesday, you can be thinking about how that scene will play out.
5. Know in your heart that if you get behind on your mini-goals, you can still make progress and quite possibly still make your goal.  You missed a day writing on your 3-page-a-day goal?  Write one extra page for each of the next 3 days, and you're back on track.  Or give up an evening of television to make some progress.  Your goal isn't over until the time is up.

If you've found some ways to keep yourself motivated through the year-long goal, share them!  We learn not only from what we do, but from others do, too.  

Let's make 2013 the year we meet and maybe even exceed our goals.  I'm willing to try.  How about you?

Everyone has inside himself a piece of good news! The good news is that you really don’t know how great you can be, how much you can love, what you can accomplish, and what your potential is! - Anne Frank

When Your Motivation and Creativity Need a Boost

MOTIVATION MONDAYS

Life has been getting in the way lately, so I'm behind on blogging.  In fact, I nearly skipped today, but something came through in my email that caught my attention.

iVillage.com often has some great motivation tools for a variety of things in our lives.

• Need some decorating or storage ideas?  
• Need some motivation to exercise?  
• Need some tips on making your relationships better?  
• Need tips on healthy foods?

iVillage will send you an email on the latest tips and tricks for all that and more.

Today's topic is 10 Ways to Boost Your Creativity, and here are the highlights:

1. Break Your Routine
2. Do It
3. Daydream
4. Brainstorm
5. Interact with People
6. Schedule It
7. Expand Your Experiences
8. Reflect
9. Relax
10. Change Your Space

Those are just the tip of the iceberg.  Use the link above or below to see it all.

# 10 is what I did this weekend.  I moved most of the furniture in my office.  With colder weather coming on, I decided my desk in front of a window might not be the best idea.  Too bad I didn't have time to do some painting!  Now I get to spend the rest of the week (and weeks to come) sorting through all the boxes and containers to throw out the things no longer needed or wanted.  I'm hopeful I can downsize, which in itself will mean less clutter and more room to CREATE!

Be sure to visit 10 Ways to Boost Your Creativity at iVillage for more information on each of the 10 Ways listed above.

"You can't wait for inspiration, you have to go after it with a club." ~ Jack London

Bring on the Tissues

MOTIVATION MONDAYS

If only the tissues were needed for a sad movie.  No, it doesn't work that way.

I woke up yesterday morning with a sore throat.   With no nose tickle warning of a cold coming on, but knowing I had a busy day ahead, I took my usual ward-off-a-cold meds.  Quite often I can nip a cold in the bud on the first day.  Not this time.  Today isn't any better---I woke up coughing---so I decided to take it easy.  The only problem is, there are things that need to be done.  Goals for the day need to be reached.  Motivation to do that needs to kick in.  That isn't happening.  I hate being sick.

It takes being motivated to choose a goal.  On the other hand, there needs to be a goal to be motivated to reach.  Seems to be something of a conundrum.  We're in an endless circle.  Without one, the other doesn't work.

A person needs a goal to be motivated to move/work toward a goal.

We start with an idea or a need that we hope leads to an idea.  Once we have one or the other, the next step is setting the goal.

I have the goal.

It wasn't all that difficult.  After reaching the goal of finishing the eighth book set in Desperation, OK, a few weeks ago, I gave myself a few days off.  That didn't last long, since I already knew that I needed to move on to the next two books, so that became my next goal.

GOAL=2-book proposal

I have the motivation.

I was eager to start on the story of the sister of the two previous heroes, so the motivation is there.  In fact, in this case, the motivation came before the goal and spurred me on to finish Dylan's story.  It doesn't always work that way.

MOTIVATION=Writing Erin's story, plus I'll need another that is yet undecided

Breaking the goal down into smaller goals.  

For a 2-book proposal, I need the first three chapters and a full synopsis (approximately 7-8 pages for me) of the first story and a short (two page or so) synopsis on the second story idea.

• First three chapters  

For a full synopsis, I have to have an idea of where the story is going after that third chapter, so, for me, I have to plot the story.  Those three chapters were finished almost a week ago, and I finished plotting on Saturday.

• Plot story

Once I have the story plotted, I can write the synopsis.  It's never easy, but with a road map to follow, it isn't as hard as it could be.  (And this is why I learned to plot!)

• Write synopsis

Now that the proposal for the first book is in the process of being written, the idea of the second book can be "cooking" in my subconscious.  I don't necessarily need as much information or plot for this one, but I do need to know the characters well, their GMCs, the main points of the story (opening, turning points, black moment and resolution).  The rest of the story will eventually fall into place while the first is being written.  It's amazing how ideas come along when focusing on something else. 

• Make notes on second book for short synopsis
• Write second synopsis

It may sound easy.  Of course it isn't, but when once it starts, it can often gain momentum.  There will be bumps and dips and curves, but the idea is to keep moving.

And then what?

I'll be doing revisions and edits and checking galleys on the two books that will be out next year.  While that time seems far away in one sense, March is only 5 months away.  Besides, we all know there is no rest for the wicked. 

This is how I do it...when I do it.  Each writer works out her or his own way.  I have friends who plot even more deeply than I do and others who have scene ideas, but don't actually plot.  Then there are some who plot as they go.  In the beginning, we have a goal and motivation.  In the end, we have a story that becomes a book.  Or we hope it will. :)

Find your way and go with it.  Tweak and make changes when needed.  Just remember that it all revolves around goals and motivation.

Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing. ~ Thomas Jefferson

Which Bird Are You?

MOTIVATION MONDAYS

Most of the time I don't know what I'll be blogging about until I start.  I'm sure that's easy to believe, considering how often I ramble.  But this morning was a little different.  Before I'd even thought about the blog, the topic magically presented itself to me.

Okay, there's no magic to it.  I had to make a fast trip to Walmart.  Because I'm there several times during the week---it's a seven minute walk, if need be, and my talent for shopping once every two weeks died some time ago---I'm familiar with and "know" several of the many clerks.  These are the ones who greet me with a smile and ask how I'm doing as if they really want to know and then chat with me while they scan and bag my items.  When greeted by one of these at the checkout this morning, my answer was that I was still trying to wake up.  (I'd been up for maybe fifteen minutes when I climbed in the car to drive over there.)  She said her daughter was a Night Owl (yes, capitalized on purpose), and I answered that so was I.

Ding! Ding! Ding!  We have a blog topic.

There have been many interesting studies done, both scientific and not-so-scientific, on the subject of sleep.  We tend to joke about it, but there really are differences in our sleep cycles that point to whether we're more productive in the morning and daytime (Larks/Early Birds) or evening and nighttime (Owls/Night Owls).  Because society as a whole has decided that we all get up in the morning to go to school, go to our job, clean our house or whatever, that's what we do.  Of course there are those odd ducks (to add to the bird mix) who work late and night shifts.  And shop at Walmart at 3 a.m..

Not sure which one you are?  Not sure it makes a difference?  Check out HUNCH - Early Birds vs. Night Owls: Are night owls really smarter? where you can discover which one you are.

We’re all familiar with the Benjamin Franklin aphorism, “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” But sleep research from the London School of Economics concludes that people with higher IQs tend to be night owls who sleep in. Early risers may catch the worm, but could it be that they’re not the brightest birds in the nest?

Of course, being an early bird doesn’t mean you’re a dodo. Other research from the University of Bologna shows that people who go to bed earlier are more well-adjusted — more cooperative, considerate, and persistent. They cope better with deadlines and tend to do better in school. They’re less grouchy when they wake up. Meanwhile, night owls are less reliable, more moody, and often struggle with addiction. They’re more likely to drink, smoke, and have eating disorders. (What else is there to do in the wee-est hours)?

What does learning and knowing about your biological clock have to do with motivation?  If you're a Lark and are trying to do the brunt of you creative work at night, you're working against yourself.  The same is true for an Owl who tries to create when the sun is shining.  These biological clocks that tell our bodies when to sleep and wake have been with us since birth.  We can't change them.  Working against them is a poor choice.  Guess what?  I'm well known for making poor choices.

So what's a writer or anyone to do?  We each have to accept our internal rhythm and do whatever we can to work with it, instead of against it.  For instance, I know Larks who get up two or more hours before their family, just so they have a special, quiet time to write.  Me?  It takes me two our to wake up!  Besides, if I get up earlier, I have to go to bed earlier, and I lose that time at night.  There's not much sense in battling something you can't win.

As an Owl, I'd sleep until close to noon and stay up until the wee hours.  In fact, I've done that.  At one point is time, I worked a short shift of 6 to 11.  P.M.  I'd wake up late, sometimes after noon, then stay up until 3 or 4 in the morning to write.  It worked great at the time.  The reason I don't do that now is that the first of my g-kids arrive around 8 a.m., the others shortly after.  I have them at school by 8:30.  Sadly, I can't just slip back in under the covers for a few more hours of sleep.  For some reason, once I'm up, I'm up, although a short afternoon nap is a perk I take advantage of when I can.

Then comes the problem of not being able to think as clearly as the sun begins to set.  When biologically I should be getting ready to hit some of my peak hours, I'm starting to droop and the brain is beginning to shut down for the next cycle: sleep.  The article Life's Extremes: Early Birds vs. Nigh Owls at LIVE SCIENCE explains it well:

Right from birth, our personal biological clocks are already wound. Genetics establishes a person's "chronotype," which is pegged to when his or her body feels up and at 'em.

"People span the range of those who are very early risers to very late setters, and this is genetically determined," said Frederick Brown, a professor of psychology at Penn State.

To a certain extent, behavior and environment — say, routinely pumping iron in a well-lit gym toward midnight — can shift our built-in predispositions. But for those of us squarely in one chronotype camp or the other, in the end, the body is the boss.

"If you're a morning-type person, you can't become an evening type, and vice versa," said Brown.

Intellectually, we understand that we need to motivate ourselves to do things and especially to do those things well.  But if we're fighting our internal rhythms, we're having to virtually swim upstream, a real motivation killer.  Once you know if you're a Lark or an Owl, instead of trying to fight against it because of external things (jobs and/or family), discover a way to work with it.  The answers are there, if only you look for them.

“Follow your inner moonlight; don't hide the madness.” ― Allen Ginsberg

Patterning

MOTIVATION MONDAYS

Finding a title for this blog post took more time and thought than deciding on a topic.  The thing is, it's easy to talk (or blog) about something, but actually doing it and repeating it can sometimes prove to be difficult, if not impossible.

I pulled out my handy Synonym Finder (The Synonym Finder by J.I. Rodale) and looked up the word "habit," because what we're really trying to do is to motivate ourselves enough to make something--writing maybe--a habit.  Right?

Habit, routine, practice---none have the right ring to them to make me want to repeat the same thing over and over.  Oops!  Now that sounds really boring and not very positive.  Let me tell you, finding an image that had something to do with repeated action was much simpler.  When I saw the escalator, the light bulb went on over my head.  An escalator goes and goes, never stopping until, well, probably when the mall or store or whatever closes--if it does--and then it's started again the next day.  (Gee, sounds like my life!)  Making something a habit is much the same.

We've all watched small children shrink back in fear of stepping on an escalator.  I vaguely remember when I was a child that my mother kept telling me to just step on it and stop being afraid.  I was convinced my foot was going to get caught somehow and I'd be pulled down between those panels of steel to be cut into ribbons.  (BTW, the escalators at Macy's in Chicago went about 100 mph.  Or seemed to.)  As an adult, I rarely give it a thought.  Stepping on an elevator with barely a glance has become a habit for most of us.  Wouldn't it be nice to make a habit of writing regularly (or anything else!) the same way?

So I checked out a few more words, since habit, routine, and practice struck me as being on the not too nifty side of the list.  There had to be words that were more positive and would lure me into making something a habit.  A GOOD habit.

I came up with two.  Custom and pattern.  Of those, I chose pattern.  The reason I chose it is because the word patterning came to mind.  Here's what dictionary.com has to say:

patterning  pat·tern·ing (pāt'ər-nĭng)  n. 

 A method of physical therapy in which a rigid pattern of exercises is imposed to stimulate weak or paralyzed nerves and muscles to act on their own.

Oh, yeah. Uh huh.  Weak or paralyzed nerves and muscles?  What a wonderful description of what it's like to try to get back to writing (or playing the piano, exercising, painting, etc.) after not having done it for a while.

As for the word pattern, this definition pretty much says it.

 pattern pat·tern   noun

5. a combination of qualities, acts, tendencies, etc., forming a consistent or characteristic arrangement: the behavior patterns of teenagers.

Apparently I've been doing some patterning and didn't realize it.  I know it's important to write every day.  When I don't write for a while, I have a very hard time getting back into it.  The simple act of thinking up words, much less stringing them together to make a coherent sentence, can be almost physically painful after not doing it.  While I know I need to do these things, I don't.  I find something else to do.

Let's face it.  I understand goal setting and how breaking a large goal into smaller pieces is the key to reaching that goal.  Well, that and actually doing those daily goals. ☺ That's where my problem lies.  But I'm working on correcting that.  For the past two weeks, I've been writing steadily and reaching goals better than ever.  I've been stimulating those weak and even sometimes paralyzed writing nerves and muscles.  I'm within a chapter of having a book finished and shouldn't have a problem of making my deadline.  After that?  I plan to keep going.  Who knows what I can accomplish?  Who knows what we all can accomplish, if only we learn to use patterning?

"Watch your thoughts for they become words. Watch your words for they become actions. Watch your actions for they become... habits. Watch your habits, for they become your character. And watch your character, for it becomes your destiny! What we think we become." ~ Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady