Wildwood Writers Are Going Weekly!

Last night's WWG meeting was good, as it always is. Unfortunately, Lisa couldn't make it, so it was just me, Rich and Michelle.

Michelle read part of a Victorian horror short story she had first written several years ago - I remembered it well. She recently decided to re-write it, since she's in between book projects, and she said she's having fun with it. She's always loved history, especially researching and writing it, and she has a talent for recreating historical settings and customs. I'm looking forward to hearing the rest - I hope she reads it next time. She also read the beginning of a poem that she's working on, to submit to an online poetry contest. Writing expressive, descriptive poetry comes naturally to her, and I can tell that this is going to be another of her great poems.

Rich read more of his book in progress, that's an expansion of his most recent short story. It's an uncommon, coming-of-age-in-suburbia story with intriguing characters, unusual events and his always beautiful prose. His sensory language brings his characters and scenes completely to life - I can close my eyes and see it all in my mind. Last night's scenes really deepened his characters' complexity and their motives, and one scene especially was an important bridge to incidents that happen later. It's so great to hear this story as it's growing, and I can't wait to hear what happens next.

I read the second half of Chapter 1 of What Luck, and Michelle and Rich both gave me good feedback. Michelle said it's very authentic - the main character's awkwardness is so true to life, and the pacing is just right for teens. Rich said the school situation is realistic, and the characters are well-drawn. He did notice that one of the secondary friend characters isn't as developed as the others, so that's something I want to work on in another re-write. But they both want to know what happens next, so I'm going to try to curb my urge to keep re-writing that chapter, and work on getting the next chapter ready for the next meeting.

And now the next meeting is going to be next week! We decided to try to meet weekly instead of every other week, so we can keep up the momentum of our writing. We all agreed that we write more whenever we have a meeting coming up - it's like a deadline. And if we have to miss a meeting, we'll only be away for a week, instead of a whole month. I really enjoy our meetings, and I think weekly meetings will be good for me, because they will drive me to keep writing and pushing forward, so I will always have something new to read. So I hope it works out, for all of us.

"Mischief Managed"

It's been a week since Harry Potter Night, and it seems like things are getting back to the usual - before the release of the biggest book in modern publishing history - state of being.
Friday night's "Midnight Magic" release party at the b.s. was stressful, but fun too. My co-worker Michelle and I worked at a station where we gave children, teens and some adults temporary lightning bolt tattoos, and then took Polaroid pictures of them with a Harry Potter cardboard figure sign. We met a lot of adorable kids and giddy teens, and many parents who were also Harry Potter fans. Some of my favorite kids and teens were featured in newspaper photos in Saturday's news article. Just before midnight, I was behind one of the cash registers, looking out at a near-capacity crowd that was in a frenzy as the local radio station d.j. did the countdown, and I felt like I was at the peak of a roller coaster, just before it makes the long, fast vertical drop. Midnight hit, amid a roar of cheers, squeals and laughter, and my fellow cashiers and I were swept up in the momentum of ringing everyone up as fast as we could. I've never rung up so many joyful people in my life! It was a nice thing to see. We sold every customer their copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in about 1 hour and 15 minutes (what a great team we are!) and then did our best to clean up the store (it looked like the aftermath of a natural disaster) until 3am. We were all exhausted, but the good thing is that we'll never have to go through that ever again!
I have mixed feelings about the hype surrounding Harry Potter. Throughout the night, some of my co-workers and I were saying to each other in amazement, "All this for one book!" And just knowing the magnitude of the event - bookstores all over the U.S., the U.K., and worldwide were having midnight release parties too - was astounding. I'm sure the massive sales figures for the weekend made everyone in publishing and book retailing extremely happy. Plus, the movie of the fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, had been released the week before to huge boxoffice sales. Add in sales of the soundtrack CD, and the computer/video game, plus the countless newspaper and magazine features, and the TV appearances of the movie's actors, and it's clear that the Harry Potter phenomenon ruled the month of July, and will become a big major event in cultural history.
All this for one book, one series - created by one writer.
The entertainment world loves its blockbusters. Publishing has its best-seller lists. Movies have their record-setting and -breaking opening weekends. Music has its gold and platinum records, and sellout concert tours. Television has its major hit shows. The entertainment and advertising industries are making millions and millions of dollars, and they're constantly looking for the "Next Big Thing."
Harry Potter is guaranteed to have continued success, for a long time. The sixth and seventh movies are projected for release in 2008 and 2010, and each year, new readers will become old enough to begin the series. The books and movies are true classics.
But what's next, after Harry Potter? The publishing and movie industries will surely be looking for stories that they can promote as post-Potter reading and viewing. They've already had some success: with Lemony Snickett's Unfortunate Events books - the first was made into a movie starring Jim Carrey. And Christopher Paolini's Eragon series is hugely popular - the movie of the first book was released last year, and there's a lot of anticipation for the upcoming third book. And Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy has a big following - the movie of the first book stars Nicole Kidman and is coming out this fall. And there's no doubt that they will continue to search for more potential blockbusters to fill the gap left in the wake of Harry Potter. Because that's what drives the modern entertainment industry.
I hope that this search for the "Next Big Thing" will give many new writers and filmmakers a chance for success. And I hope that, instead of funnelling all their money and energy into one potential blockbuster project, the publishers and movie studios would spread their resources around to many new books and films, by unknown writers and filmmakers, and would give them all the opportunity to make their own mark on the entertainment world.
Because, it wasn't long ago that J.K. Rowling was an unknown, aspiring writer, too.
With that said, I must acknowledge that I am a Harry Potter fan, although not as fanatical as some readers and viewers are. But I did start reading Deathly Hallows as soon as I got home from working the release party. And I fell asleep reading it. I was grateful to be off the next day, so I could sleep late and recover from the long night, but also so I could keep reading. And I kept reading as much as I could, even though Ian and I went out with friends on Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights, and I worked from Sunday through Tuesday. I finished it on Tuesday night, and passed it along to Ian. And it was definitely worth the wait, and maybe even the hype. I admit that I couldn't put it down, and that I felt frustrated when I had to. I read it on breaks at work, before sleep, while eating - I was even brushing my teeth with one hand and holding the book up with the other each morning and night. I won't give away any spoilers - I'll just say that it was a satisfying end to the series. And I think J.K. Rowling is brilliant - I really admire her talents for plotting, characters, and creating a believable and imaginative world. I can only imagine how great it must be for the kids who started the series 10 years ago when they were around the same age as Harry and his friends - they literally got to grow up with Harry Potter. But as an adult and a writer, I completely enjoyed them. I want to re-read the whole series, (maybe before the next movie comes out) to see how she developed the story over time, and how she wove all the books together. There are echoes of all the previous books in Book 7. I've read articles that said she first thought of Harry Potter on a long train trip, and imagined the story in her head, because she didn't have paper or a pen. Then she spent five years making notes and outlines, developing characters and doing research - before she started writing the first book. All the planning and preparation, as well as her knowledge of history, literature and mythology, is evident throughout the whole series. It's an amazing accomplishment.
And last night, Ian and I finally got to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix at the drive-in. It was a very good, and entertaining movie. But it was also a bit frustrating - it's the shortest of all the movies, and a lot was left out. Or as Nick, the music manager of the b.s. (and a fanboy and comic book writer), dubbed it: "the Greatest Hits of Harry Potter Book 5." Director David Yates and screenwriter Michael Goldenburg had a tough task, I'm sure - turning the 870-page book into a film that's about 2 1/4 hours. The result is fast-paced and does well at moving the story forward - it focuses on the students of Hogwarts banding together to learn to fight against two evils: the oppression of bureaucracy, and the return of the dark Lord Voldemort. The best part of the movie is the casting - it's spot-on, with some of the most acclaimed actors in Britain perfectly personifying their characters: Michael Gambon as Headmaster Dumbledore; Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall; Robbie Coltrane as the half-giant Hagrid; Gary Oldman as Harry's godfather Sirius Black; Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort; Helena Bonham Carter as the evil Bellatrix Lestrange; and Imelda Staunton, as the wicked bureaucrat who takes over the school. And the young stars Daniel Radcliffe (Harry, of course), Emma Watson (Hermione), and Rupert Grint (Ron), are all getting better and better with each film. They prove they can carry the heart of the story, which is the bravery and strength of their characters, and their bonds of friendship. All of the actors embody their characters so well that it would be hard to read the books now and not see the actors. I'm really looking forward to the last two films - only one year, and then two more after that, to wait!
And now that Harry Potter's story is finished, the world will be waiting to see what J.K. Rowling does next. She stated in a USA Today interview that she's started two projects - one for children, and one for adults. I wouldn't want to be her - it must be hard to have so much anticipation and pressure and expectation surrounding writing. She said she knows nothing will match the popularity of Harry Potter, but she's sure to have success with any writing venture. And even if she never wrote another word, she has a place in literary history - of writing a wonderful story that brings generations of all kinds of readers worldwide together, and that has already become a classic.
And now that I'm finished - with working the Harry Potter night, and reading the book, and watching again all the DVDs of the previous movies, and seeing the new movie - I'd better start writing again myself. It was inevitable that the past few weeks have been filled with everything Harry Potter, and it was a great and entertaining diversion. But now I have to pull myself away from Harry's world, and go back into the world of my own book. As the Marauder's Map from Prisoner of Azkaban announces, "Mischief Managed."
And now, back to work.

Harry Potter Day

Well, the time has finally come - the release of the long-awaited Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will happen as tonight changes into tomorrow, at midnight. This is the seventh and last book of J.K. Rowling's universally popular series, so the anticipation is at a peak level.
Most bookstores in the U.S. and the U.K. are having big event release parties tonight, to entertain readers and fans prior to midnight, when the book will be officially on sale. Many stores will remain open well after hours, so every customer will be able to buy their copy (or, in some cases, copies). The event has been dubbed "Midnight Magic" at many stores, but more appropriate names could be "Midnight Madness," "Midnight Mania," and "Midnight Mayhem." I have worked the past release parties at the b.s., and I'll be working again tonight. So I can say from experience that it's like being on a runaway train (the Hogwart's Express?) - everyone gets caught up in the escalating excitement of the build-up to midnight. There are activities to entertain the kids, and the inevitable long line - I know most people will cheerfully talk with each other and speculate about the outcome of the series; many will drink cups and cups of coffee; and many parents will reassure their kids that no, it's not midnight yet but it will be soon. Then there's a "10 - 9 - 8" countdown (much like New Year's Eve) and then the store bursts into a frenzy of book-buying. My co-workers and I will rise to the challenge of unpacking books and selling them as fast as possible, and, I admit, it's always fun to see the joyful faces of the readers - especially the kids - as they finally get this treasure they've all been waiting for. Some kids start reading right away, as their parents lead them out of the store. And I know most readers will fall asleep with the book open next to them, only to return to it as soon as the wake up the next day.
I've done just that, with each previous book. I've come home exhausted, yet wired, and so I've read as much as I could before finally falling asleep. And then it's nearly impossible to put down. So I'm very grateful that I have tomorrow off!
And, with every Harry Potter release, I've thought the same thing -- all this for just one book? How amazing! The series is the biggest phenomenon in modern-day publishing, and it does deserve its place alongside other classic series like J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia.
As I writer, I've thought a lot about J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter and their impact on readers and publishing. I'll write more about this as soon as I've recovered from working tonight, as long as I can tear myself away from reading.
And I promise - no spoilers!

Making Some Headway

I just finished yet another re-write of Chapter 1 of What Luck, and I finally feel pretty satisfied with it. Of course, I will probably re-write it again, depending on the feedback I get from Michelle, Lisa and Rich at our WWG meeting tonight.
At our last meeting, two weeks ago, I read my re-write of the first part of Chapter 1 to Michelle and Rich, and they thought it was good. Even though I said I think I need to work more on description and setting, so my scenes feel more grounded. I think I write my characters and their dialogue pretty well, but sometimes it seems like my characters are just talking heads floating around. I can see this when I re-write, so I make sure I add some details and actions, so the characters are better oriented within a scene.
Michelle and Rich both encouraged me to keep working on it as much as I can, and Rich said if I can keep up a steady pace, he thinks I could be finished in three months. I hope I can do that!
WWG is a great help - we meet every two weeks, and it gives me a great incentive to have something new to read each time. I never want to just read the same re-written scenes over and over, so I make sure I keep moving my writing forward. Somehow, that seems to be the way I work best. It's slow going, because I never seem to have enough time to just devote to writing, but I do feel like I'm making some headway.
I'm looking forward to hearing everyone's writing again tonight. It's always stimulating and inspiring - our WWG meetings are definitely a highlight of each month. I'll make sure to write about tonight in my next post.

A Kindred Writer

Yesterday's SCBWI meeting focused on the recent conference. Many of us had attended, and several had critiques. Each of us reported that the critiques were constructive and encouraging. I think a critique is an invaluable opportunity to get feedback and direction from a professional, and I appreciate the writers and editors who speak at the conference each year and also give their time and knowledge and experience to these evaluations.
I've had three different projects critiqued at three conferences, and have learned so much from each one. But the previous two critiques were for writing projects that I put aside, unfinished. I said I have a problem with finishing my projects, and I have too many manuscripts in various stages of development - the stories still in my head, waiting for me to finish writing them. I tend to rewrite chapters and passages over and over until I think they're good enough, but then it's hard to move on from there. But I'm determined to finish this book, so I can have a quality final draft to send out. The group leader, Val, said that most writers who have trouble finishing projects have fear - of either failure or success. I said that's something I'm trying to figure out and work out. And any advice, support and encouragement is appreciated.
Afterwards, Roxanne, a woman who's working on an imaginative YA fantasy novel, came over to me and said she knows just how I feel, because she, too, tends to rewrite a lot, and has had difficulty finishing her projects. She told me that when she was in college, she wrote the beginning of a Tolkienesque fantasy story, and then put it aside. Then, several years later, she was looking around for something new to read to her young son at bedtime, and came across her story. Each night, she read him a chapter, until she ran out of story. And he was so disappointed that there wasn't more - he wanted to know how it turned out!
I could relate to that - there are so many times when I've shared my writing with Ian, or with my WWG friends, and then left them hanging because I didn't finish anything! I told Roxanne it was great to know someone with a similar way of writing - I feel I'm not the only one out there anymore! We promised to encourage each other to keep working on our projects until they're finished. So thanks, Roxanne, for your inspiring words - and I hope you don't mind that I used your story in this post!
Michelle also told the group that she's going to make sure I keep working on What Luck, and that I keep moving forward with it, rather than stay in a cycle of rewriting. I appreciate her, as well as Rich and Lisa, and Ian, for their belief in me and support. Writing is definitely NOT a solitary endeavor. The more I have people pulling for me, the more I want to get to the finish line, to show them it was worth it. When I reach this milestone in my writing, it will be for all of them, as well as for myself.
And yesterday, Michelle and I sent out her manuscript for Blackboard to a contest for a first middle-grade novel. Congratulations, Michelle, on this accomplishment! I've got my fingers crossed for you -- good luck! And now I'm looking forward to the sequel!

Adventures With Dragon

Last night, I finished typing Michelle's re-write manuscript of her book, Blackboard. I've been working on it on and off for the past couple of weeks, and it's a favor I was glad to do for Michelle.
She has fibromyalgia, which is a chronic illness characterized by nearly-constant pain and fatigue, so she's unable to sit at her computer and write for an extended length of time. Despite this physical challenge, she is still one of the most creative people I know. She's even more inspired and productive than she was when she was healthier.
She not only has many books and stories in various stages of completion (like me) but she's finished her first re-write of Blackboard, and she's done a great job shaping it into a unique and appealing book for middle-grade kids. She's a very prolific poet, too, of dozens and dozens of poems. Some are featured on the website, Deviant Art (www.deviantart.com/saintslove) She also co-edits an online/print childrens' magazine, Whimsy, with Kathy, who she had worked with in the childrens' department at the b.s. Their years of experience working with children and childrens' books is reflected in a fun and informative publication for kids and parents - it features reviews, articles, games and artwork by Michelle and Kathy, as well as stories and illustrations from many talented contributors (adults and kids) from all over. (www.writewhimsy.com)
Michelle's multi-talented as well - she does illustrative drawing, and she's an ardent cross-stitcher. She's created many unique and thoughtful gifts of artwork, and I'm lucky to have several of them.
Her newest creative outlet is a blog, (www.catholicgirl36.blogspot.com) "Fibro, Faith and Creativity." I'm looking forward to reading about her thoughts, ideas and inspirations.
So I guess it's pretty clear that I'm a fan as well as a friend. But I think her book is worthy, so I was happy to help her work on it.
And, it gave me more experience writing with the Dragon Naturally Speaking program. It was quite an adventure, to say the least!
In a previous post, (Back on Track) I wrote about my frustrations with trying to "train" the program to recognize and interpret my voice. Because of my nasally voice and less-than-perfect diction, what I was reading and what the program was "hearing" turned out to be completely different, in many instances. But it got to the point where it was beyond frustrating and was just simply funny!
Sometimes I got laughing so hard I had to turn off the mic and call to Ian, "You've got to come in and read this!" And I called Michelle and read her passages, and we were in fits of laughter.
For example, her main character is a kind-hearted little boy named "Damon." It's not a typical name, like "John," so I tried to be very careful in pronouncing it. Of course, the name is written over and over throughout the book, but most of the times I read it, the program heard something else instead of "Damon." Like "payment." What? I figured Dragon is used frequently for business writing, so maybe it's programmed to understand and interpret mostly business language. OK, I guess that makes some sense. But then, it wrote, "game on." That's not a very common phrase, but somehow, Dragon kept writing it again and again. It was really becoming a challenge to get the program to understand me, but I was determined to make it work. Game on!
But there were two interpretations of "Damon" that were so funny that I'm still cracking up. One was "Demon" - that's just so wrong, considering that this character is a good little Catholic boy! It's not like Michelle wrote The Exorcist, so why "demon," "demon," demon," over and over? Maybe it's the program that's possessed! And the other interpretation of "Damon" was "gay man!" When I told Michelle, she said, "Maybe that's Damon when he grows up!" She gave Damon the last name "Whitberry," which was a problem, too. The program wrote, "gay men and Barry!" So, an innocent childrens' scene, where Damon grabs his best friend Pinky's arm on the playground and she says, "Let me go, Damon Whitberry!" sounds like something very different when it reads instead, "Let me go, gay men and Barry!" What kind of book does this program think it is?! It got to the point where I just had to laugh. Then I turned off the mic and typed the rest of the pages!
I imagine this demented little Dragon creature inside the computer, gleefully mangling my words and confounding me, as I try to figure out how it "hears" and "thinks" the way it does. It looks like I'll have to do battle with it, before I can tame it, and train it to work with me and for me. As long as it doesn't breathe fire and cause the computer to melt down! But I'll just have to keep rising to the challenge, until I have it under my power, at last!

The Gift of Time

Finally, I have a chance to write about last Saturday's SCBWI conference. And I'm so annoyed that I haven't been able to find the time to write a post sooner.
Vacation has been over for a week and I'm back in the daily grind of work and other obligations. And the daily frustration of having each day slip away before I had a chance to sit down and do some serious writing.
I need to keep in mind the messages of Laurie Halse Anderson's inspiring keynote address at the conference. One thing she advised us writers in the audience to do is give ourselves "the gift of time" - at least fifteen minutes a day (an hour a day is even better) - for writing. It creates a sense of commitment, and will eventually become a habit.
Finding enough time for writing has always been a problem for me. Life tends to get in the way of writing. And time goes by too fast. And too many writing projects have languished, unfinished.
I need to work on this, and try to figure out a way to carve out enough time, in each busy day, for some productive writing. I don't have the luxury of unlimited free time, like I had during my vacation. And I know this life isn't going to change anytime soon. I will still need to work, sleep, and deal with the issues of everyday life. Time isn't going to stop so I can finish my book. So I have to will some blocks of time to open up for me and I need to do as much writing as I can during those spaces of time.
I have a new incentive to finish my book - at the conference, I got favorable and encouraging critiques on both my manuscript sample and my sample query letter. So now I'm really motivated to work on What Luck until it's done, and it's good enough to submit.
Right now, it's 10:45pm, and I have to work at 7am tomorrow. But I can take fifteen minutes to write before I go to sleep. And the fifteen minutes of writing time starts - now.

The Perks of Being on Vacation

This week I'm on vacation from work. I couldn't afford to go away, but it's great to be at home and write whenever I want, instead of writing around my work schedule. I've been able to work on my writing every day so far, and I have 3 days of vacation left.
On Sunday night, I wrote until 2:30 am, and slept in on Monday, until around 10:30. That's a perk of being on vacation - I could never do that during a regular work week!
I re-wrote (yet again) all the pages of What Luck that I've written so far. I gave my manuscript to my sister to read on Sunday, and she said the prologue seemed too long and drawn out for a pre-teen's attention span. She might be right. So that night, I re-read the prologue, and I noticed it did seem longer than I thought. I also noticed places where I could cut out words, phrases and sentences and tighten it up. I cut it from 15 pages down to 13 1/2 pages, and I think it's better. I re-wrote the first chapter, too.
I know I'll want to re-write the prologue again, after I have it critiqued at the SCBWI conference on Saturday. I'll see how that goes, and after I follow the advice from the critique, I'm going to put it aside and let it be!
I have been working on new scenes, but right now they're very rough, and I'm not too satisfied with them yet. I didn't bring anything to read to our WWG meeting tonight - I didn't feel that anything was ready to read. I usually re-write something at least once or twice before I feel that it's ready. I need to get over my re-writing compulsion and keep moving on.
I want to make the most of my last 3 days of writing freedom before going back to work, so tomorrow I plan to write several pages of new stuff.
It's getting late, and I'm getting tired, so I'll stop now, to sleep and dream of the perks of being a full-time writer someday...

SCBWI meeting

Yesterday, Michelle and I went to the SCBWI meeting at the b.s. They meet on the last Saturday of each month, in the morning. This is the 3rd meeting we've attended, so I thought it's time to write a post about it.

SCBWI has a substantial regional chapter, with many local members. At the first meeting we attended, and yesterday, there were about a dozen writers. And last month, there were about 20 writers and illustrators - the store had to bring up extra folding chairs so everyone could have a seat. There are several levels of experience - some are beginners; some have been writing for years but are yet unpublished (like me); some have articles and stories published; some have their work pending at publishers; and some are authors of successful books, stories and articles. It's great to see so many writers who are committed to writing for children and teens. And I'm glad Michelle and I have a chance to be a part of it.

Some people pass on industry news, from SCBWI and about publishers, agents, and conferences they've attended. We discussed the upcoming June conference - it's expected to be the biggest one yet - 106 people are signed up, and there's a notable faculty roster of authors, illustrators, publishers, and agents. This is the 11th regional conference, (the fourth for Michelle and I) and everyone's looking forward to it.

Everyone has a chance to talk about their experience and the project(s) they're currently working on. People are also encouraged to share their work for critique. In the past few months, we've heard a novel-in-progress for middle-grade/young adult readers; several picture book stories and poems; and we've seen some story illustrations. Neither Michelle nor I feel comfortable reading any of our work yet (I don't feel too comfortable reading my work to my long-time friends at our WWG meetings yet) but maybe we will after we've been to more meetings, and after we've rewritten more advanced drafts of our work. At our first time there, we both just listened and took everything in - we didn't feel comfortable making any comments, since we were both new to the group. But we did join in the critique discussions yesterday. Although I think I would tend to give positive or encouraging comments - I don't feel that I have the experience or background in critiquing to say much right now. But it's been great to hear the different ideas, styles and levels of writing.

I'm glad that Michelle and I have been able to attend these meetings. I think it's great to be able to be a part of this community. And for me, it's another way to strengthen my commitment to my writing.

Slacker No More

I know I've been a slacker lately - it's been weeks since I've written a post. And I haven't done a lot of work on my book either. But I'm making a promise to myself to stop slacking off & start writing more.
I have been working on a sample query letter for "What Luck," to be critiqued at the SCBWI conference. I don't have a lot of experience with writing queries, although one of my journalism classes at NYU covered queries briefly. So, of course, I've been a perfectionist again, and have written & re-written the same query letter 6 times. But yesterday, I finally decided that it's OK. And I'm sending it out today.
The conference is less than 3 weeks away now. I'm a little anxious about the query & manuscript critiques, but I'm looking forward to them. Hopefully, I'll get some good professional feedback, that will help me build the momentum I need to finish this book.
But I know I need to have my own momentum, too. I need to write more of my book, and post more on this blog. That was my goal at the beginning of this year, and I want to keep it. So, as of now, I'm a slacker no more!

Worry Stone, Worry Story

Today I finally decided my 15-page prologue for What Luck is good enough to send in for the manuscript critique at June's SCBWI conference. I rewrote it for the last time, and read the changes to Ian. He said it's good, but he warned me that if I keep rewriting it, I might kill it.
He's got a point. I'm such a perfectionist, and it can be a problem sometimes. I tend to write something and then keep working at it, over and over, polishing it like a worry stone. Except it's more like a worry story.
I've put aside writing projects in the past, because they weren't turning out as great as I wanted them to be. So I have a lot of great 40 - 60 page beginnings of novels, but nothing really finished, as of yet. But I promised myself that this book will be different - I've got to prove to myself that I actually can finish a book.
I need to keep in mind Anne Lamott's advice in Bird by Bird, her book on writing. She says it's OK to write a "shitty first draft," as long as you keep on writing, page by page. Because you will always revise it later. So I've got to resist the temptation to keep rewriting, and focus more on writing something new that moves the story forward, each time I sit down to write.
Besides, I know that at the conference critique session, I'll get advice and feedback that will give me direction for a productive rewrite - all books go through several drafts before they're ready for publication. But it would be better if I had more of the book finished, so I can apply the feedback to the whole story, rather than just this small, 15-page part of it.
The prologue is done now, and is in the mail, on its way to the conference. No looking back at it - not for awhile. I've got the rest of the story to think about.
So far, I've also written two drafts of half of the first chapter. So now the challenge is to keep on writing, until I've finished chapter one, and then the next chapter, and then the next, page by page, until it's done.
And stop worrying about being perfect.

Learning at the Library

Today Michelle and I went to the Arlington Library for a program on publishing, "From Manuscript to Published Book." The speaker was Nichole Argyres, an editor at St. Martin's Press. Her talk was informative - she clarified some things I already knew, and I learned some new things, too.
She started by asking all of us to introduce ourselves and mention the book we've just finished reading or are reading now. There were about 25 people, and it was interesting to hear the varied tastes in reading. Some were reading fiction; many were reading health or psychology/self-improvement books; others were reading history or memoirs. She said a large part of her job is to think about what people are reading, and how the books she acquires will fit in with the reading tastes and trends.
She said her biggest challenge is marketing, and determining how to get the book to sell. There are many factors - the cover design, placement of the book in stores, publicity - but she admitted "it's a crapshoot" as to what actually sells. People will read what they want.
She talked about agents, and said that in general, big publishers don't buy unagented manuscripts. She said agents work out the business - especially the financial - side of book deals, so the writers can concentrate on what they do best: writing, and working on a book to get it ready for publication. She talked about advances and royalties, and the publisher's decision whether to release a book in hardcover or paperback original.
She backed up each point she made with anecdotes and examples of published books and their authors. She said that writing and editing are two completely separate talents - she respects writers for their creativity, and admitted that she could never write a book, even with a gun to her head!
Many people had questions, and she gave knowledgeable answers and helpful advice. Afterwards, Michelle and I (and others) talked to her for a bit. I said it was great to see and learn more about the publishing side of the business - as a writer and a bookseller, it helps me to clearly see the all the sides of publishing and how they link up in the life of a book. She said it's good to get feedback from the book retailers. She seemed very comfortable with speaking and it was easy to relate to her - she helped give a human face to publishers. So now they're not so intimidating! She said she might return next year - if she does, Michelle and I would definitely attend again.
This was a free program at the library, and the first one Michelle and I have attended. My parents actually told me about it - they read about it in the library's newsletter they got in the mail. I got a newsletter too, but I just glanced at it and put it aside, thinking that I don't have much time to spend at the library, because I spend so much time working at the b.s. I'm really glad they told me about it (thanks for your support, Mom & Dad) and next time, I'll pay more attention to the library and its events. I've always thought of libraries as important, valuable resources of literacy and community. School and public libraries helped my growth and development as a reader and a writer. I'm sure many other readers and writers would agree. I can't imagine the world of books without libraries in it.

Closer To Fine

I spent this morning rewriting my prologue for What Luck. I think it's better now - I'll probably fine-tune it some more, but it's getting closer to the way I want it. Closer to fine, to borrow a phrase from the Indigo Girls.
I read the whole 15-page prologue at our WWG meeting last night. I don't really like reading aloud - it makes me feel breathless - but I'm getting used to it. I never realize how long a piece I've written is until I've read it out loud. Last night, my 15 pages seemed to take forever to read! But everyone liked it, and they all gave me great criticism and suggestions.
I have a flashback scene in the beginning of the prologue, and I was concerned about it being too long. It was almost 3 1/2 pages long, and seemed to break up the actual prologue scene too much. Everyone agreed that I could cut it, especially two long paragraphs of exposition. Too much telling, and not enough showing. So today, I cut out those two flashback paragraphs, and wrote the information into a dialogue between the two characters in the prologue, as Michelle suggested. It works much better.
Also, Lisa mentioned that some of the subject matter in the flashback might not be something that would interest 'tweens and young teens. I think some of it is important to the story, so now I've skimmed over it, rather than put the focus on it.
Rich said I should be careful with the vocabulary, and make sure it's age-appropriate, so I changed some of the longer, bigger words to words that are more simple and direct. He also suggested that I keep in mind the things that kids are most interested in. So I'm really trying to channel my inner 13-year-old as I'm writing this story.
There were several things they liked. Lisa said the beginning sentences drew her in, and she liked the vivid details. Rich said he loved the metaphors, and thought parts of it were funny. He said the writing was very natural. Michelle really liked where I placed the space breaks between scenes - she loves to leave readers hanging so they'll keep going. They all said my characters seemed real, and they liked the premise of the story. And they encouraged me to keep it up.
So I'm going to e-mail them the newest version, to see how they like the changes. I really like getting feedback from my peers - it helps me to be a better writer. Thanks, guys - I really appreciate your comments!
Everyone else is making progress, too. Rich finished his short story, and read it from the middle scenes to the end. Wow - some powerful stuff. He wants to rewrite it, and then submit it to the literary magazine market. I really think it's got a good shot at being published. Lisa has gone back to the novel she wrote and finished last November, for the National Novel Writer's Month (NaNoWriMo) project. She said the book is about 99,000 words - it amazes me that she can write so much in just one month, and this is the third NaNoWriMo novel she's written! And now she's going to rewrite it. She read the prologue to us - it's great. Very intriguing. Michelle said she's up to page 83 of her rewrite of her middle-grade children's book. She's determined to finish it in time for the SCBWI conference, and I know she'll do it. This book has so much potential, and I hope she can meet the right people who will read it, and give it a chance.
Tomorrow, Michelle and I are going to attend the monthly SCBWI meeting at the b.s. Every time they've met, I've haven't been able to sit in on the meetings, because I've had to work. But I'm still on vacation, so now I'll be able to go. I'm really looking forward to it. I'll write about the meeting in my next post.

Progress, At Last!

I just finished rewriting the 14-page prologue of What Luck. I've been working on it for the past three days, and I'm finally satisfied with it. I feel like I'm making some progress on this book, at last!
I'm going to bring it to the WWG meeting tomorrow night at Michelle's, and read it to her, Lisa, and Rich. I hope they'll like it and will give me some constructive feedback. If they have some good suggestions, I'll rewrite it to make it even better. I'm good at rewriting - too good. I always seem to get stuck in the rewriting phase of a project, and never get around to finishing it. But I feel like I'm on a roll with What Luck, and I'm motivated to finish it.
I plan on sending the prologue in for the SCBWI conference critique. I've had very helpful critiques before (of other projects) at the last two conferences, so I'm really looking forward to this one. It's such an honor to have a professional novelist look at my work, and give advice on how to write it better. I've learned some important things each time. There are several writers and editors on the faculty this year, who have experience and expertise in teen and young adult books. So I hope I'll get a chance to have one of them look at my work.
The main reason I've been so productive with writing over the past three days is that I'm on vacation this week from the b.s. It's such a luxury to have all this time to myself, to focus on writing, and not have to worry about other obligations. I have four days left, so I also plan to finish Chapter 1. But even after I'm back to work, I need to keep this momentum going, and find enough free time to devote to writing, so I can keep making progress. I'm committed to this, so I'll find a way. I want to see the finished pages piling up, until I've reached the finish line.

A Writing Quandary / Solution

It's been another long time between posts, but I reached another sticking point in my current writing project, What Luck. And I tried to work it all out in my head, instead of on paper or in this blog. I always seem to do this to my writing - things are going along pretty well, and then I get to a potential problem, and I feel stuck. It's like some kind of self-sabatoge - there always seems to be something that keeps me from finishing a project. But I'm determined to finish What Luck, so I tried to tackle this problem head-on, and get past it, so I can keep writing. And I think I found a solution.
The problem is the age of my main character. I wanted to write the story for older teens, so I thought the girl's age would be around 16. But as I've been trying to write What Luck, it just wasn't working. As the character developed, she just didn't seem to be a realistic 16-year-old, in the context of the story. It became clearer to me that the main character's interests and concerns are more like those of a younger adolescent, around 13 or 14. Then the story makes much more sense. But I realized if I change her age, it changes the entire book, as well as the target audience - the readership would be much younger than older teens. I really want to write edgy, mature-themed books for older teens and college-age readers, but I can see now that
What Luck isn't going to be one of them. I need to just write the story out, and let it and the characters emerge naturally. And it will be the story that it's meant to be.
So I re-wrote the beginning of the Prologue, and read it at the WWG meeting last night. They hadn't heard the earlier version, because I've been grappling with it since our last meeting, but I told them about my writing quandary. But after I read, Michelle, Lisa and Rich all agreed that it seems realistic that it's a 13-year-old girl telling the story. And Rich said it's the most relaxed writing he's heard from me. I guess that's because I decided to get myself out of the way of the story, and just write it as I feel it's meant to be. And reading it aloud and getting positive feedback confirmed that changing the character's age is right for this story. Thanks for your help with this problem, guys, and for helping me get back on track!
I enjoyed hearing everyone's writing last night, as always. Lisa finished reading a long speculative fiction short story - I love her imagination and her ability to ground her preternatural ideas in realistic characters, settings, and details. She said it breaks all the rules for the speculative short story market - it's too long, and in first-person present tense - but it's so good, and I hope some editor is astute enough to take a chance on it. Rich read part of a new short story - more beautiful, spare language, realistic characters and a topical subject. It's excellent - I can't wait to hear the rest of it next time. I've really missed hearing his writing, and I'm so glad he's back. We all are. Michelle read a fun story she wrote for one of the "Write-Brain Workbook" exercises. It was good, with a great sense of humor and observation - I think she could expand it into a longer work, if she wants to. She's been focused on re-writing her middle-grade novel, Blackboard, for the SCBWI conference that we're attending in June. I sent in my registration yesterday afternoon - I'm really looking forward to it. I also printed out the registration form and information and gave it to Michelle last night. I hope that the conference will work out well for both of us. I have a feeling it will. Now I just have to keep up with writing What Luck, until I reach its finish line.

Welcome Back, Rich!

Tonight Rich came over to our Wildwood Writing Group (W.W.G.) meeting. He had been one of the original "members" of our group, but hasn't been able to make it for several months. It was soooo good to see him!
Rich is one of my favorite people. I met him about 7 years ago, when he worked at the b.s. during his summer and winter breaks from college. He's now got a degree in creative writing, and works for the b.s. as a community relations manager, at a different, but still local, location. He's a vastly talented writer - he writes beautifully minimalistic stories, similar to the short story writer Amy Hempel. Whenever I've read one of his stories, I've been struck by the skillful way he handles complex characters and often difficult topics, in a short amount of space - sometimes just a few pages. I still think about details and phrases from his stories that I read years ago. Reading or hearing his work inspires me to be a better writer.
He also writes and plays music, and does artwork - I admire (and sometimes envy) his widespread talents!
He's been a good friend, and has always encouraged me in my writing. He gives constructive, thoughtful criticism and caring support to all of us in W.W.G. We've missed him, and so we welcomed him back with much excitement!
Tonight was fun, rather than productive. We spent a lot of time talking and catching up with Rich, and discussing where we're at with our various writing projects, and what books we've read that have inspired us lately. We also celebrated Lisa's upcoming birthday with cake and gifts.
Rich plans to come to our next meeting in two weeks, so we gave him our current writing prompt, derived from the Story Spinner. Our challenge is to use the words: horoscope, echo, and password; the setting: in a bedroom; and the beginning phrase: Birthdays are... in a story. I've been thinking about it a lot, and realized I can use this prompt to write a scene from "What Luck." I've started working on it, and hope to have it polished enough to read in two weeks. I hope to get some good feedback from everyone, especially Rich. He hasn't heard anything from this new book project, so I'm interested to hear what he thinks about it.
Rich's presence tonight made W.W.G. feel complete again. Welcome back, Rich!!

Back on Track

Wow - I haven't posted in a long time. But I feel like I'm back on track now. I've decided not to let all the stress I've been feeling lately affect my writing. So I've been writing my morning pages, and making notes and working on the beginning of "What Luck." I feel productive again.
Today, I started to train the Dragon Naturally Speaking program. I'm still not sure if the computer has enough memory for it to work right, but I'm taking my chances. I didn't want to wait any longer. Ian helped me get started. I did a 14-step on-screen tutorial, and I got through it OK. The program is cool, but it's not easy. I can see that it might take awhile for me to get comfortable with using the program, and to "train" it to recognize my voice. I've already learned that I have to be very careful with my diction and pronunciation. I used to be more articulate, when I was in drama and chorus in high school, and when I took radio communications classes years ago in college. But I'm not as used to reading things aloud, as I used to be. Also, my sinuses have gotten worse over the years, so my voice has a nasal quality. So when I read the tutorial sentences aloud, the program didn't type out the text as accurately as I hoped it would. For example, one sentence I had to read was, "Harriet, I hear you got a new job." I thought I read it pretty clearly, but the program "heard" it as "Harry and I hear you got a new job." So it's kind of frustrating. I'll just have to be more careful when reading aloud, and I need to practice working with the program as often as I can. But it's worth it. It's really amazing what this program can do. This is the first time I've used it, and I know that the more I work with it, the more I'll improve. I know it will save a lot of wear and tear on my neck, shoulder, and arm. And hopefully, I'll be more productive. I'll post ongoing reports on my progress. And I'll post more reports on my progress with writing "What Luck." I'll do my best to stay on track from now on.

Frustrations/Challenges

I haven't posted in over a week. There's been something wrong with our computer and it's been hard for me to get online without the computer being extremely s-l-o-w or freezing up. Ian's been working on it, trying to fix whatever the problem is, and I guess whatever he's been doing has worked - tonight is the first time I've been able to be online without any problems so far.
Because I'm not computer-savvy, I can get very annoyed and frustrated whenever there's some kind of problem. I only know how to do basic stuff - go online, send and receive e-mails, and use a word processing program. That's about it. As long as it's all going well, I'm fine. But I admit I don't have much patience whenever I encounter something I don't know how to do, or whenever there's a problem with the computer that I don't understand.
The current problem seems to have started when we installed the new Dragon Naturally Speaking program. It's possible that this computer doesn't have enough memory to run the program along with everything else, so we might have to get more memory. Ian has installed more memory in the past, and it has made the computer run faster and better, so more memory might be the solution.
Right now, I'm reluctant to start using the Dragon program, because I'm not sure if or how it will affect the computer. I'm afraid the computer could crash, and it could be a costly hassle to repair it. I've still been writing, in my morning pages journal, my writing prompt notebook, and my notebook for my current project, What Luck. But I haven't been writing as often as I want to, and I know that I could write better and faster by learning to use the Dragon program and becoming adept at it. I know I should just try it, and see what happens. If the computer goes down, hopefully Ian will be able to fix it. I wouldn't be writing anything important with the program while I'm learning how to use it anyway. So I've just got to try it.
I need to see these frustrations as challenges instead, and not let them get to me, or get in the way of my writing. I know that every writer has frustrations and challenges to face. And I know that overcoming them will make me a better writer, and will make my accomplishments seem even greater.
So this is just a minor hurdle, that I will get over, on my way to the finish line.
(And I've finished this post with no computer problems - yay!)

Filling the Creative Well

Last night was fun and inspiring. Ian and I went to the grand opening of Arlington Art Gallery - a beautiful new art space featuring Hudson Valley artists. The place was packed - we saw many of the well-known local artists, and several people from the neighborhood. It's a sort of odd coincidence that the people who own the gallery also bought the house next door - that we used to rent, until last year. We spoke to them and mentioned it to them (they thought it was an interesting coincidence too) and wished them much luck. We also mentioned that Ian is a photographer and gave them his business card. They said he should bring in his portfolio, so hopefully Ian will get a chance to show there. They have a brand new website, www.arlingtonartgallery.com. Welcome and good luck, Arlington Art Gallery!
Then we stopped at the Cubbyhole Coffeehouse, where our friends Todd and Lee were playing. Lee has owned the coffeehouse for over five years, and it's a cozy, funky gathering place that has great music, interesting art and a welcoming atmosphere. Check out www.myspace.com/cubbyholecoffeehouse for more information. Lee is one of the best musicians I've ever heard, and I always try to see him whenever he plays. His music is genre-defying, but I'll try to describe it - he plays acoustic alternative/bluesy/avant-folk songs. His lyrics are mostly about political and social issues, and challenge the listener to take notice and think, rather than just enjoy the music. He wrote one of his early songs around the time of the Gulf War - it's called "Utopia," and it's still so relevant today. Some people have heard the song and were surprised that he didn't write it in the past couple of years. Lee has been working on a new CD, which will hopefully be completed and released soon. I will write about it here, as soon as it's out. (I should also mention that the first piece of writing I ever got published was a review, in a local entertainment paper, of Lee's first CD, which he recorded with his old band Patterns of Grace several years ago. I had always talked about wanting to do entertainment writing, until one day he said that I should just do it, so I wrote a review of his CD, and went on to have several music and book reviews printed in the paper. Unfortunately, the publication is defunct now, but it was fun while it lasted, and I have some pretty good clips in my portfolio. Thanks, Lee for helping me get my writing started!)
Lee and Todd have played music together on and off for several years. Todd has been a big part of the local music scene for many years - he has a rootsy yet modern folk style of playing and songwriting, and has just released his second CD, Little Known Secret. Some of his songs are politically aware too - one of the tracks on the CD, "Talking to Maryann," was written in reaction to the Gulf War, and like Lee's song, seems prescient when hearing it today . Check out www.myspace.com/toddgiudice for more information about Todd's CDs and upcoming dates.
Lee opened the night, and then Todd joined him on some songs. Lee's voice is resonant and as rich as the coffee he serves (even on a night like last night, when his throat was sore and his voice was strained, he still sounds great). Todd's expressive tenor adds a great harmony to Lee's songs. He also adds great guitar lines to counter and fill in with Lee's melodic, rhythmic music. Todd then played a long solo set - we haven't seen him play in several months, and it was great to hear some new songs along with old favorites. We bought his new CD, to add to his first CD that we have.
Ian and I have collected a number of CDs from a lot of great local bands and musicians over the years. I feel fortunate to live in this area, that's full of amazing artists, musicians, writers and theatre. The Hudson Valley is a great cultural center, and it's so inspiring to take part in it. One of the main tenets of Julia Cameron's book The Artist's Way is "filling the well." She likens creativity to a well that we dip into whenever we work on our projects. But to replenish and nourish the well, we need to seek out and immerse ourselves in things that inspire us. I'm constantly inspired by the creative atmosphere here, and after a great weekend like this one, my creative well is filled up with ideas, images and feelings. I can't wait to let it all flow out into my writing.

What Luck

Wow, I'm writing posts two days in a row! But there's a lot to write about lately...
I've been mulling over which book project I should commit to writing, for the past couple of weeks now. (Maybe I should be committed!) The teen novel I'd put aside but resumed writing on Jan. 1st has now grown and grown into a multi-book project. At this point, I can't see the finish line - it seems far off in the distance.
So lately I've been thinking about the teen novel I started last fall but put aside because the holiday season at the b.s. was taking up a lot of my time. (The working title is What Luck.) I realize there was no other reason I stopped working on it except the time constraint - other than that I thought it was going pretty well. I'd done some research for it, and started an outline. I looked over my notes the other day - I think it has potential. And this morning, while I was showering and getting ready for work, the beginning just popped into my head. This tends to happen a lot - inspiration strikes at the most inopportune times. While I'm in the shower, or just about to fall asleep, or busy working, or any time I don't have a pen and paper at hand. But I didn't want to lose this beginning idea, so I grabbed a notebook, and scribbled two pages of the opening scene, and some notes so I can expand it later. I was eating breakfast and writing; brushing my teeth with my right hand and writing with my left hand; writing while drying my hair. Then I had to leave, and I wished I could keep on writing the rest of the day. But I think it was a good start. I'll work on it more tomorrow.
Tonight Ian and I went to see our friend Pete play at the Cubbyhole Coffeehouse. This awesome coffeehouse is owned by Lee, who I've known for many years - he's an excellent musician and is well-connected to many great musicians and artists in our area. (More on Lee and the Cubbyhole in my next post.) Pete is one of them - a singer/songwriter/guitarist who has an acoustic alternative/emo type sound. He sings his quirky, smart lyrics in a plaintive, expressive voice. One of my favorite songs is an irreverent, clever tune featuring Jesus and some truthful perceptions about life. To hear and find out more, check out www.myspace.com/petelaffin.
It's always inspiring to hear great music, especially songwriting. And tonight added to my creative surge. I can't wait to continue writing the beginning of What Luck. And my voice-activated software arrived today, so that's even more exciting and inspiring! Hopefully Ian and I will get the chance to install it on Sunday. I'll report on how it's going as soon as it's up and running.