November really is the best month…EV.ER!!!

Wow – what an amazing month!  Not only have agented friends gotten publishing deals, and writerly friends agents…

but one of my dearest friends is now repped by an incredible agent.

Who is this dear friend, you ask?  Well – it is someone who has inspired me in ways I can’t ever begin to articulate.  I looked for a card for this friend – something to tell her what she means to me.  And while I couldn’t find just the right one, I did find something that really speaks about the qualities I see in this friend every single day:

Behind every success is effort…

Behind every effort is passion…

Behind every passion is someone

With the courage to try.

Elana Johnson – thank you for showing me every day what it means to persevere – and CONGRATS on finding an amazing agent.  Your success is inspirational!

21 years ago…

 

 

Today is just a little post to celebrate twenty-one years of married bliss to the most amazing and supportive husband any woman could ask for!  When we married, neither of us had any idea what was in store….but we survived the adversity, celebrated each other’s successes and brought two amazing girls into this world.  My life is so much better simply because I get to share it with him

Thanks, super hubby, for 21 amazing years…I look for to the next 20+.

 

 

When to hit delete on that scene.

I thought I would build on a post from last week about story creation.  In that post I presented the questions I ask myself when I craft a story:  What is the mc’s main problem, what is at stake for the mc, and what is the tension of each and every scene.  This post focuses more specifically on that last question.

I like to read (and consequently write) really tight stories.  Too often I read a book with overwritten prose and unnecessary scenes.  It drives me nuts.  But, because I am a true reader, I read on. 

I don’t want readers to feel that way when they read my stories.  So I focus on each and every scene, picking apart its own internal story arc, and seeing how it specifically contributes to the story as a whole.

In my opinion, each scene in a story has its own arc – its own emotional story.  I ask myself questions – How does this push the character forward?  Does it help them solve the initial problem?  Does it create new problems? Does help the reader gain a better sense of what’s at stake for the character? Does it move the character towards some sort of resolution? 

 By answering these questions I am able to figure out whether or not the scene is relevant in and of itself – and whether or not it moves the story forward.  If the answer is no to either question, it will wind up in the trash – every time.

If I am doing my job as a storyteller well, each scene moves the reader to the next flawlessly.  Each scene is fulfilling in its own right.  Each scene is necessary.

That does not mean that each scene needs to have some sort of resolution.  Some of the best leave the reader screaming for more.  And as my crit buddies know, I  LOVE making the reader scream for more!  But it does mean that the scene leaves the reader feeling fulfilled – feeling like they did NOT waste their time by reading it.  I can think of a few books I have read over the last year that failed in that regard.  In fact, I have been know to read some scenes and literally “fast forward” to the end of the scene – all because the scene was not needed.  Not relevant.

So – your turn…how do you ensure that each scene has a purpose to your story?  Do you find this important too?  How do you decide which things will wind up in the digit trash can?

 

 

Holiday schedule…

Can you believe the holidays are just about here?  I mean, seriously, I looked at the calendar yesterday and nearly fell off my chair…I am on vacation for Thanksgiving in two short weeks (In Hawaii…thus the picture.  I know, I know, it is a bit disturbing). 

By the time I get back, it’ll be December.   Close your eyes too long after that, and it’s 2010.

WOW!!!

Now, while I do love the holidays, and I REALLY love going on vacation, it does through my whole “how to balance writing” thing out the window as I add more and more to the mile-long to-do list. For example, look at my writing to-do’s:

• Reread ms for Emotionally Intense and work on revisions with editor
• Finish revisions on new NF proposal and get to agent ASAP
• Work on revisions for Lacrimosa and get to crit buds.  Goal, polished up by the new year
• NaNo novel (yeah…I’m thinking not so much…)

And that doesn’t even include the mss I read and crit, my work schedule, etc.

Obviously, something has to give.  So, I decided I would have a “holiday” schedule for the blog and only post three times a week or so.  Of course, that is always subject to change if I get exciting news, or an urge to post more!

Please continue to come on by, leave me lots of comments.  And maybe we’ll have to do a contest or something for the holidays too!!!

How are you guys going to handle the increased craziness?

The Great Balancing Act!

I have a very busy life…like VERY busy.  I try to squeeze 50 hours of work into my 40 hour work week.  I coach my daughter’s Odyssey of the Mind team, am the Band Boosters Board President for my other daughter, teach parenting classes, and conduct trainings around Southern California.  I have active kids, a busy husband and a rich social life.  I exercise, meditate daily, and try to spend quality time with each member of my family.  Oh, and did I mention I try to spend 30 or more hours weekly improving the craft of writing?

Yeah – I know – crazy busy.

Whenever anyone hears about my schedule they always ask th same thing?  How do you do that?  Do you EVER sleep?  The answer – of course I sleep.  And yeah, sometimes things don’t get done.

But most of the time I am able to keep all the balls in the air. 

So…how do I do this?

Planning.  I maintain a long to-do list and work hard to keep my head fully focused on whatever I am doing.  When I am at work, I am fully present at work.  When I am home, I am fully present at home.  I learned a long time ago that if I can completely focus on the business at hand, I can accomplish a great deal. 

Most people think I multi-task well.  Really, that isn’t it.  I just hyper focus on single activities and can switch between activities effortlessly.  It looks like multi-tasking, but it is actually much, much better.

In addition to focusing on a single activity fully, I am a planner.  If I can “see” that everything really can get done, I relax and plow through my tasks.  The key to my planning is prioritizing what I need to do.  At work, at home, with writing.  I will give myelf deadlines on my writing so that I treat it more like work.

Here’s an example:  I have four distinct writing projects, plus my blog posts, that rattle around in my head at any given time.  These include two nonfiction projects, my newly finished YA fiction, and my NaNo novel.  I prioritorize based the needs of my agent (who reps my nonfiction project (s)) and the status ofmy fiction.  Currently this means finishing a proposal for my agent FIRST, then the revisions of Lacrimosa, then the NaNo novel.  Sure, I may fall behind on the NaNo novel…but agent always trumps NaNo, and a completed ms always trumps one in progress.  So, there you go…a writing plan.

Once I have a plan, I attach reasonable deadlines – and yes, I am anal-retentive enough that I put it all on a calendar.  This results in a lot of work getting done in any given week. 

I carve out writing time daily – usually while the kids are doing homework, or after they go to bed.

I carve out family time daily as well.

As for meditation time (or exercise time) – I am not as consistent as I need to be on these – but generally I do these things either first thing in the morning or last thing at night.

And yes, I do sleep about 7 hours every night.

In the end, the balancing act for me has been a lesson in deliberate attention/focus.  In this way, it is a great spiritual practice as I learn to be completely present in every moment of the day.

How do you guys figure it all out?  I am always loking for new ideas…

The Best Day…EV.ER!!!

I received an exciting piece of news today. What was it, you ask? It was the publishing contract for my nonfiction book, Emotionally Intense! That is right, I have signed with Prufrock Press, the leading publisher for books related to gifted education. It is scheduled for a fall 2011 release date. WOOT!!!

As I have more information regarding the actual date, I will let you all know.

In the meantime, a moment of thanks to Krista Goering, my agent, and Lacy Compton, my editor, as well as Joel McIntosh, the President of Prufrock Press!  Thanks for helping make this dream a reality!

Wi….WHAT????

Happy Wednesday everyone.  I have not done a WiP Wednesday in a really long time.  I was going to report my NaNo progres…but I am kind of embarassed.  Being a very competitive person – like seriously competitive – it is killing me seeing the amazing word counts my fellow NaNo writers are racking up in such a short period of time.

Me, well, I have …. drumroll…..700 words.  Yep, that is not a typo…Only 700.  I wanted to write last night – but yeah, sleep won out.  

When I started beating myself up over these paltry numbers, I flashed back on NaNo 2008.  It was an amusing flashback – so I thought I’d share a bit:

November 2008:

I am just recovering from a month-long bout of pneumonia.  Work is piled up like crazy, as is my stress.  I am coming unglued at the tiniest of things.  But, I want to do NaNo.  So I begin (I know, I know – first mistake, right).  So, I decide to write a sequel to my first, now shelved, novel.  I figure I know the characters, the setting, the storyline – this should be a piece of cake.

And I start writing.

But, as I said, work is crazy…like crazy with a capital C.  So I get behind.  VERY BEHIND. 

I join a NaNo group on Rally.  And I meet Elana and Carolyn – both involved in NaNo.  They encourage me, fill my mind with thoughts that I can actually complete this blasted thing.  And, if I am being completely honest, they intimidate the heck out of me – cause clearly THEY are going to finish, no sweat.

But, like I already said, I am very competitive.  So I wrote more.  But, I still was miles away from any possibility of ending up with 50K.

Now, since my work calendar enables me to be off for the entire week of Thanksgiving, I was able to write, constantly, for about 8 days.  In that time, I completed more that 35K.  And yes, I made the goal of 50K.

Of course I deleted a lot of that after the fact – but hey, I DID write 50K

See, I guess I need the looming panic-filled deadline to quiet that internal editor enough to allow me to write for NaNo!

In all seriousness, I have no idea if I am going to finish this year – but being the competitive person I am, I will try. 

How about you guys?  Where do you stand with everything?

When Kids do NaNo…

 

We are all trying to do NaNo at my house…even my kids.  Especially my kids.

It started as a way to do a little enrichment and manage to carve out some writing time. 

It turned into a major project.    For them, 50K is a bit extreme.  Thank goodness NaNo has an alternative - NaNoWriMo’s Young Writer’s Program.   In this program, my kids can pick a word count – and change it up through mid November.

To prepare, my beautiful kids did something even many seasoned writers don’t do – they outlined, plotted and prepared. See the pictures below…this is what my wonderful kids do for fun!

 

 

 

My youngest likes to use a web to get her ideas on paper

 

 

 

While my oldest uses a plot line and then does some research – A LOT of research!!!

 

 

 

And you know what, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Besides, when they write – I get to write. Truly a win-win for all of us. 

Besides – all their hard work forces me to commit too.

If your kids like creative writing, give the NaNo for Young People a try. You won’t be sorry.

Blog Chain Time: The Art of Story Creation

Welcome to November and Day One of NaNoWriMo.  I, for one, am both nervous and excited at the prospect of what this month entails.  But I digress…

This post is about the Blog Chain!  It was my turn to pick a topic.  And so, in honor of NaNo and story construction, I decided to ask the following question:

How do you create a wonderfully dramatic story? Are there any questions you ask yourself, or specific things you keep in mind to ensure that you have the level of tension necessary to propel the story forward?

Most people who know me know that I need a structure when I write.  So, do I outline?  Yes…and no.  Really I ask myself three questions.  Now, these are not “Christine-original” questions…these are things I have learned in talking with other writers, reading about the craft and reading agent, editor and publishing blogs.

Okay – so onto my self-reflection questions:

1. What does the main character want?  Based on things I have read, I separate this into a couple of things…first, what does the main character want before the first turning point (the catalyst for everything else that happens in the story); and secondly, how does the catalyst derail the main character from getting what they want.  I think the way they deal with that is also essential to the story.  The more dramatically I deal with this, while keeping the writing tight, the more compelling a read.  
2. What is at stake for the main character?  I have had endless convos with crit partners and fellow writers about this one.  For me this is HUGE….no stakes involved in attaining the goal, no drama.  And, in my opinion, NO STORY.  The more emotionally intense the stakes, the more emotionally involved the reader, and the more likely you will craft a story that compels a reader to turn the page.
3. In EVERY scene, what is the inner tension of the moment?  And how does this relate to the dramatic arc of the story itself?  For me, this is the one I really focus on with the rewrites I am involved in. I am going through each and every scene to determine whether it follows its own dramatic arc – and whether or not that is in line with the overall storyline.  Inner tension, the stuff we talked about last time when we talked about fear, creates strong characters and a compelling emotional context.  Those thing add significantly to the overall story line and dramatic impact.

So there you go, my formula, if you will, for a strong story with a gripping dramatic storyline.  What are your secrets for creating this?  Do you even think about it?

Check out Sarah’s post  for her take on this subject.  Happy NaNo everyone.  Check in often for updated progress reports.

 

 

Taking a Much Needed Break…

I am only writing one post this week.  This one.  I finished Lacrimosa last night.  And now it is time for a little break.  I am behind on RL stuff, behind on work stuff, and behind on crits.  So I will take a break this week and get caught up on life!!!

I’ll be back on November 1 – with NaNo news, a new Blog Chain topic (which I am hosting- so feel free to throw out any ideas for topics!!!) and hopefully updates on my fiction and nonfiction projects.

See you guys on the other side!!!