Who We Are

In case you haven't noticed, I like inspirational quotes.  I like them so much that when I finish a blog post, I search for a quote to add to the bottom.  I also have a folder where I've saved far too many like the one on the left that I've grabbed from Facebook and other places.

Why?  I'm not sure.  I find many of them inspiring.  Wow, what a concept!  On those days when nothing seems to be going right, one of those quotes can change at least a few moments of my day.

How much time do we spend on figuring out who we are?  We simply are, right?  We change and evolve as we grow, internalizing somewhere in our subconscious everything we think and experience.  Every thought, every action, every word we speak, hear and read make me ME and you YOU.

This morning, I was reading my Facebook timeline and came across another one of those links to silly tests.  With those, I have a little more constraint than I do with inspirational quotes, but this one, What Religion Should You Actually Be?, drew me in out of curiosity, just as far too many do.  I knew that, more than likely, none of the optional answers to the questions would be my answer.  But, hey, it's Saturday, why not give it a try?

I took the test and, as I suspected, very few (one or two?) questions gave me the choice of the answer I needed.  As it turned out, the outcome of my test was Buddhism.  O-o-o-kay.  If you say so.  But my first thought was to think how sad it is that people's beliefs are pigeonholed into one or another.  I am who I am.

Admittedly, I was and still am considered weird.  The number of times people told me so is infinite.  Is weird good or bad?  And just what does that mean?

From Dictionary.com on weird
adjective, weird·er, weird·est.

1. involving or suggesting the supernatural; unearthly or uncanny: a weird sound; weird lights.  (No, that isn't me, although I do think about those things now and then and even try to learn more about them.  Knowledge is power, right?)
2. fantastic; bizarre: a weird getup.  (I like fanastic.  Who wouldn't?  But is bizarre the right word?)
3. Archaic. concerned with or controlling fate or destiny.  (I'm iffy on this one.)

Maybe it's simply that I'm not pigeonhole-y enough.  Those online tests tell me exactly that.  I don't fit anywhere.  And that's okay.  We're each individual with our own view of everything, including ourselves.

My philosophy?  Be who you are and love whatever that is, as long as you don't hurt others physically or emotionally.  Add to that to be the best you can be and continue to improve yourself in all ways throughout life.  Ol' Will Shakespeare's quote in today's image pretty much says it all.

Who are you?

I don't pretend to be captain weird. I just do what I do. ~ Johnny Depp

What Happened to Monday?

Let's just call this Thoughtful Tuesday, because that's all I have.

To be honest, what happened to Monday is that it was such a blah day, I didn't care if anything got done.  No, not a bad day or even a down day.  It was simply BLAH.

Somewhere, as Monday finally wound down---or would that be up?---the blah moved on.  Blame it on spring break coming to an end and life getting back to normal.  My normal.  Maybe it was watching the WSU Shockers lose in the NCAA tournament, which didn't especially hit as hard as would have expected.

No, it was just Monday, and I vetoed every hint at being productive.  Not that I've been especially productive lately, but  really, I should have gotten life back on track.  I simply didn't want to.

So here I am, late, as has become my habit.  Those who know me understand that late thing.  I'm notoriously late with a lot of things.  I blame it on having four children, who managed to suck up every second of time I built into anything.  Get up an hour earlier to get them up and ready for school?  Never worked for me.  Start getting ready to go somewhere two hours early, when it should really only take an hour?  Nope.

But back to Mondays.  From that vantage point, the weekend is only something in the far, far future.  Does anyone like Mondays?   If you do, it must be your day off.  Let's just leave it at yesterday was my day off, especially considering what an off day it was.

So I'm at Tuesday and decided it was time to forge ahead.  Not that there's been much forged.  I did clean off half of my desk, put papers in folders, and...  Um, okay.  Not a productive day quite yet, but it's getting there.  A touch of spring fever?  Yeah, that's a good excuse.

I have managed to get a few other things done.  I was behind so many episodes of Parenthood, that I watched three in one night, then two more last night.  I'm also behind on Castle.  Believe me, it's not as if I watch a lot of TV, but there were more important things to do, and I stopped watching everything.  Did I really miss anything?  Probably not.  It's nothing but entertainment, but I've been needing a huge dose of entertainment.  It could be because it really isn't yet spring, and it isn't still winter,either.

In spite of my blah Monday, I found something to share.  Instead of adding a quote, this is my gift for today.  Read it, think about it, and try to incorporate it into your life.  That's what I'm going to do.  No more blah days!

P.S.  Writers beware!  I found some excellent "stuff" and will share it tomorrow.

The Creative Process

THE CREATIVE PROCESS

The Key to Inspiration

A few days ago, I received an email from a reader via the contact form on my website.  She was reading my very first book, a Silhouette Romance titled RACHEL'S RESCUER.  No way was I not smiling when I read that she liked the book, although she hadn't finished it yet.  I hope the end doesn't disappoint her.  It's one of those endings that made me smile as I wrote it.

It's been almost thirteen years since I sold that first book, even longer since I first idea of it creaped into my mind.  It also doesn't seem like it was that long ago.  Not only has Silhouette Romance been a thing of the past, but I've added a few years to my age.  Even so, writing a book is always a new and exciting process.

After some thought and missing several Mondays and Wednesdays here, I decided that instead of my usual days and topics, I'd change things around a little and share what I've learned about writing in the past 15+ years on Thursdays.  When the mood strikes, I might stop in on a Monday, Wednesday, or maybe a Friday or weekend to share something different, but I'm hoping Thursdays won't find me as Mondays--and Wednesdays--have lately, wondering how I managed to forget what day it was and have allowed the it to pass without blogging. For those who stop by more frequently, I apologize and hope the change will help.

So here we go!

From Idea to Book

The question most asked of writers is, "Where do you get your ideas?"

I haven't discovered a single writer who has been able to answer that question in less than ten words.  Unless the answer is, "Everywhere," that is, and that's an honest answer.  Ideas spring from TV, movies, songs, books, overheard conversations, photos, the evening news, and much, much more.

A lack of ideas isn't usually a problem.  It's what to do with them.  Many a writer has had an inspiring idea for a story, only to discover, once begun, that it lacked something vital and eventually found its way to the bottom desk drawer.  Some ideas work.  Others don't work, no matter how long or hard we work on them or how badly we want them to.

An idea is only the beginning.  That sliver of inspiration goes through a long, arduous process to become a full story.  It involves characters, back stories, settings, goals, dialogue, and conflict, just to name a few.  The process can involve hours spent in front of a blank screen and even more hours, days, months and sometimes years putting letters and words together that become the story on that screen.

Example

RACHEL'S RESCUER was far from the first book I wrote and obviously not my first idea, nor the first book I wrote.  But it was a viable idea and it began as a silent reply to yet another rejection.  That reply was, "They want babies, brides and cowboys?  I'll give them babies, brides and cowboys."

Yes, my inspiration was a rejection.

It didn't take long to create the characters.  The "cowboy" was a rancher in Montana.  The "bride" was a mother, and the "baby" was her six-year-old son.

Then came the questions.

• What is one thing all mothers fear?  Answer: The loss of a child. After thinking of all the ways a child could be lost, I finally found the answer.  Aha!  Ex-in-laws (mother was a widow) were trying to take the child because...?  They had made an assumption about her and considered her (unfairly) to be a bad mother.  Conflict and Motivation for the mother.  She was on the run from them.
• What is the rancher/hero's conflict?  Answer: He didn't believe in love and marriage and didn't want a family.  Simple, right?  But why did he feel that way?  What was his Motivation?  He'd been in a bad marriage, and his wife (an absolute opposite of the rancher) had miscarried their baby.  One important thing.  He loved kids, but didn't know or accept it.
• Where to set the story?  Answer:  Montana.  It was a long way from where the heroine and her in-laws lived.
• How do the H/H meet? Answer: The heroine arrives at the hero's ranch with a sheriff following.  She thinks her ex-in-laws have found her. (They haven't.) Thinking the drive leading to the ranch is a road, she dead-ends at the ranch...with a flat tire.
• How to increase the conflict and keep the heroine there?  Answer:  A snowstorm.

That was how the story was born.

The tagline on the back cover reads: A sheriff, a snowstorm and suspicious ex-in-laws were hot on Rachel's heels...  I wish I could say I wrote that, but I didn't. ☺

 Of course more conflict arose, and the H/H could only fall in love.  It is a romance, after all. :)   But that's for another day.

Rachel's Rescuer
working title was
The Rancher and the Runaway Mom

Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That's because they were able to connect experiences they've had and synthesize new things. - Steve Jobs

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

Choosing Our Paths

WRITING WEDNESDAYS

Last week's blog post is still sitting in draft.  After a few paragraphs written during a plague of interruptions, I decided to let it sit and simmer.  I'm glad I did.  Things happen for a reason.

Late last night I finished writing the first three chapters of a new book.  Those pages plus a synopsis will soon be a proposal that will be sent to my agent and then my editor.  Not that it's important, but mostly to set the stage for showing that, although our goals are quite often the same, the ways in which we get there can be very different.

I had a story idea.  I had the main characters.  The setting was already there.  What else did I need?

• Conflict? check
• Characters' backstories? check
• Opening? check
• Idea of what scenes 1-3 (first chapter) will involve? check
• 1st Turning Point? check
• Main Turning Point? check
• Black Moment? check
• Resolution aka HEA? check
• Story plotted?  Uh, not yet, so no check

That's the way I usually start.  Idea, characters (including their GMCs), bare bones plotting and an opening.  It's worked fairly well, but this is the first time I really thought about what I was doing.  I like it better when the plot simply falls into place when I first start to fill out my plotting board, but it didn't happen this time.  Other writers do it different ways.  Some are meticulous plotters, some are pansters and jump right in as soon as an idea strikes.  Others do it a little different each time.

DISCLAIMER:  Below is my method, the path I chose to take.  It is not the right path for everyone.  In fact, a few years ago it wouldn't have been the right path for me.  When I first started writing, it would have definitely NOT been my path.  We grow, we change, and we try new things.

The first chapter went fairly well, and the day after I finished it, I started the second chapter...only to realize chapter 1 need some changes.  Major changes.  All that plotting in my head that I'd done didn't gel when I moved on with the story.  What to do?

My choice at this point was to either go back and rewrite sections of the first chapter or to continue on with the first, keeping in mind what I'll need to change later.  I chose to wait until I finished the third chapter.

Let me say that I have many writing friends who revise and polish as they go.  They're pros at it.  It works well for them and they continue to make it work.  When I try it, I feel like I'm running a race on a treadmill.  I can't let go of the idea that I'm not moving forward.  That's merely a deception I haven't overcome.  Besides, I tell myself, it will have to be done at some point, so why not now?   Well, because I said so, I guess.

When I finished writing the second chapter (without revising anything in the first, but keeping in mind what I would change), I knew my characters much better.  They were letting me in their heads.  I was even jotting down snippets of dialogue to be used later that kept popping into my mind.  Those helped form more scene ideas, so I was able to add more scenes to my plotting board.  I was making headway. But as I opened my template to start chapter 3, I froze.  I was one chapter away from needing a solid plot.

Ideas come to us at the strangest times.  I've been working on making a new habit of taking a pad of paper with me each day when I go to pick up grandkids after school.  I go early for a good parking place, then sit. Prime time, if the brain cooperates.  The day after that third chapter freeze netted me all but three or four scenes for the rest of the book.  To be honest, I was amazed that they came to me so quickly and easily, but looking back, my subconscious was probably working on it all the time when my conscious mind was writing pages.

Last night's writing time took me to the end of chapter 3, so with all three chapters finished, except for the changes that I'll make in chapter one, I'm ready to finish plotting so I can write a seven to eight page synopsis.  Just knowing the main event (mini GMCs) of each scene is like having a road map of where the story is going and where it will end.  Sure, there will be some changes, especially those in the first chapter, but because I'm aware of it, I won't panic.  Or shouldn't, anyway. ☺

That's my path, but rest assured that it changes and morphs with each new story.  I love to hear about the paths of others, because there might be something in them that will be an asset in my mine.  Always remember, your path isn't set in stone.  Like the weather, it can changed in a moment's notice.  That's a good thing, because it means we're not only growing, but these small changes can help keep our writing process fresh.  Choose your path and make it uniquely yours!

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. ~ Robert Frost

When You Just Don't Feel Like It

MOTIVATION MONDAYS

Yes, that's a picture of my crown.  My queenly crown.  My Queen of Procrastination crown.  It's on my head right now because I'm living up to my title.

For the past few days, I've been having trouble being motivated enough to get my work done.  It really needs to be done.  And I've been trying.  Really trying.  I'm getting words on paper, but I just don't seem to be making the headway I think I should.  I don't seem to be able to find the motivation I need.  I guess you could say that I'm demotivated.

We've all see the motivational posters and plaques that help us to keep going, even when the going gets rough.  I'm a sucker for them.  Pinterest abounds with them.  So does Facebook.  A day doesn't go by that several dozen of my "FB friends" haven't posted them there.  I've gotten to the point where I often scroll right through.  Some people post picture after picture, and since I'm a big sucker, I have to snag a few for my own use.  As if I actually use them.  They end up in my a folder on my computer, where they sit as I scroll by yet again.

But have you seen the demotivational posters?  Today is one of those days that I can really get behind them. The following text from the posters is found on a website called Despair.com.  These posters bear the name of Demotivators®.

• GET TO WORK You aren't paid to believe in the power of your dreams.
• WISHES When you wish upon a falling star, your dreams can come true.  Unless it's really a meteorite hurtling to the Earth which will destroy all life.  Then you're pretty much hosed no matter what you wish for.  Unless it's death by meteor.
• BELIEVE IN YOURSELF Because the rest of us think you're an idiot.

Obviously my sense of humor has taken a left turn, but there's a plus to that.  I'm laughing.  It hasn't been much of a laughing day, but these did  it.

And now that there's a smile on my face (where did that come from?), I really should take the above demotivational quotes to heart.  I need to GET TO WORK  After all, you're I'm not paid to believe in the power of your my dreams.  Talk about a wake-up call!

Because goal setting is a part of getting motivated, my goal for this week is to write and finish chapter 3 of a new book.  20 pages, give or take a couple. 4000-5000 words.  I can do it.  And when I can't I'll think of this:

PROCRASTINATION Hard work often pays off after time, but laziness always pays off now.  (Demotivators®)

 Have a wonderful week!

Refilling the Well

WRITING WEDNESDAYS

Whether we write or have a day job or are busy raising a family, we all need to take step back once in a while and give ourselves the gift of doing nothing.

Before going any further with this, let me state that "doing nothing" isn't necessarily what it sounds like.  There's a whole range of possibilities and each of us should take the time, now and then, to explore some of them.

For the past six months, I feel like I've been going non-stop.  That could be because I have, in a way.  The grandkids, who had been staying at home with their dad who'd lost his job several months before, returned only two weeks after I'd set deadlines for two new books.  I'd become accustomed to not having them around, except to pick them up from school and take them to their home.  I'd forgotten how crazy life can be with them around.  My schedule and goals took a beating, and it's been crazy, but somehow I've managed to stay on course...or close, anyway.

The time of meeting deadlines will ease soon.  I'm wrapping up the last of what's needed on A NANNY FOR THE COWBOY, out in March next year, and hope to have the last chapter of DESIGNS ON THE COWBOY, June 2013, written well before the upcoming holiday weekend is over.  That will ease the pressure, and we all know how important that is.

While I admire those who are like the Energizer Bunny and never seem to run out of steam, I have a deep, dark suspicion that what we see isn't what's really happening. Why?  Because everyone needs some time to refill the well.

I'd never heard that term before, until I heard Kathie DeNosky use it back in the late 90's, when we were both struggling to sell our first books.  Kathie had been at the writing game a few years longer than I had, so she became my guide in everything writing related.  She taught me about the need to stop the insanity and refill the well that empties without us noticing when we have our nose to the grindstone.  (How's that for mixed metaphors?)  I do have to say that she didn't have to explain what "refilling the well" meant.  I got the meaning immediately.  It was the "how" that had me stumped.

Reading has always been an integral part of my life, but once I began writing, the reading time began to shrink, little by little.  Now just reading a handful of books a year is difficult.  There are those deadlines and all the other things in life that need attending to.  I envy writers who have the time to read the work of others, while moving forward with their own writing career.  I wish I could do the same.

Because I can't pick up a book every week or two and devote time to immersing myself in the worlds of other writers, I have to remind myself that it's important to take a break, no matter how short, and do some reading.  Time for that break is coming up very soon.  By next week at this time, I hope I'm in the midst of it and enjoying it.  It's time to refill the well.

As that special time grows closer, I've been thinking more about it lately, and I realize that there are other things to enjoy, in addition to reading.  So here's a list I've come up with to try, just for me.

10 Things to Do to Refill the Well

• Find a quiet spot to think or just "be"
• Spend time with friends, both writing and non-writing, especially ones I don't see often
• Sleep or take a nap without interruption
• Go outside and watch the clouds drift by
• Find a place away from the street lights--away from the city--to once again enjoy the beauty of the night sky
• Take a leisurely walk in the park, not for exercise or any reason other than the sheer joy of it
• Go to the park and swing
• Sit by the water and listen to the sounds it makes
• Find a new and unusual shop and explore
• Watch favorite movies for a full day

That's my list. What's yours?

The ultimate in refilling my well:

Well it's not far back to sanity, at least it's not for me
And if the wind is right you can sail away and find serenity
Oh, the canvas can do miracles, just you wait and see.
Believe me. ~ Christopher Cross, "Sailing" Lyrics

Inspiration

WRITING WEDNESDAYS

Where do you get your ideas for stories?


It's one of the most frequent questions writers are asked.  It's also one of the hardest to answer, because ideas come from everywhere, and that isn't what people want to hear.

So what does "everywhere" mean?  Some ideas come from personal experience or the experience of friends or family.  For instance, the idea for my second Silhouette Romance, A Saddle Made for Two, began with my encounter with a snake in my house.  Just to make it clear, I don't like snakes.  Not one bit.  And I don't think they belong in my house.  The heroine in that book was an independent, tough talking, tiny woman who competed as a barrel racer at rodeos.  She wasn't afraid of anything...except snakes.  And relationships.  I loved Ellie, especially because her reaction to that snake in her camper was exactly what mine had been when I found the big bull snake in my kitchen.  Except for that, there's very little Ellie in me.  Well, maybe. ☺

As a rule--at least for me--inspiration isn't something I can force.  It can be coerced and teased, and there are many ways to do that.  Music is often a prime inspiration for writers, invoking emotions that are a part of something or someone in the story.  A scene in my first Silhouette Romance, Rachel's Rescuer, was inspired by a song by country singer Collin Raye.  Another by him inspired another scene and much of the idea for my Harlequin American Romance, Bachelor Cowboy.  Foreigner's Until the End of Time was the perfect description of Tucker O'Brien, the hero in The Maverick's Reward, and I played it over and over, never tiring of it.

In addition to music, inspiration comes in many forms.  Pictures and photographs aren't only used for research, but can inspire a location or the action in a scene or a character.  For many writers, a story plays out in their minds in a way that's similar to a movie.

One of my favorite things about writing is when I suddenly start "hearing" a character.  It's one of the things people who don't write seem to think is very odd.  But characters are very real to writers.  While they aren't real people, like something we can look at and see with our eyes, our imaginations see them with our mind's eyes.  And just when do these characters usually decide to talk?  Never when needed and often at the most inopportune time.  I've lost count of the number of times I've had to get out of bed and go to the computer where I can record certain childhood memories of the character that are suddenly revealed or even snippets of conversations between two characters.

Open yourself up to the many types of inspiration.  It's not important where we find inspiration, it's what we do with it.  Use yours well!

“Enthusiasm is excitement with inspiration, motivation, and a pinch of creativity.” - Bo Bennett

I Should Be...

If you can't tell by the picture on the left, the rest of the title of this blog post should be the word "writing."  I'm hearing strains of the BeeGee's song from Saturday Night Fever, You Should Be Dancing, in my head, only it isn't "you" and "dancing" that I'm hearing.  It's I and writing.  I don't want to look at that writing progress meter down there on the right.  It's one more reminder that I've accomplished nothing in the writing department for almost two weeks.  Or maybe it's been over two weeks.  I've lost track.

In case you just dropped in out of curiosity, the members of my local writers' group are working together on a new project.  We're trying to reach word count goals we've set individually and collectively.  At present, our group goal for 2012 is 1,639,700.  Yes, that's right.  Over a million and a half words.  There are fourteen of us involved.  I'm not the only one who hasn't had my nose to the grindstone...uh, fingers to the keyboard.  Life has intruded for most of us.

But that's okay, because we know that catching up now on our individual goals will be much easier than if we wait until, oh, December 31.  All I know is that I need to get in gear and get writing.  Just as soon as I do some tweaking on the new website of a friend.  And do some updates on another website.  And get that contract revision letter thingy signed and in the mail.  And convince myself that it does not matter that the IRS's Where's My Refund is not working online and wondering if that means refunds are not being sent.  YIKES!  Oh, just a gazillion other little things that I allow to intrude.

So here's the deal.  I'll get all those intrusions out of the way this morning, and use this afternoon for the writing side of the writing business.  If the creativity gods are willing, of course.  It's obviously time to start setting a daily schedule.  Ha!  Like that's going to work.

A little inspiration.  To dance, at least.  I'm not promising anything for writing.

And if you can stay in your chair while this is playing, there's a problem.

The only way to learn to write is to write. - Peggy Teeters