Energy Boost

Once a week, my writing buddy Laura and I get together to parallel write. It's like our own writer's workshop. We talk a lot about the pieces we are working on, problems we are having, and segments that we are proud of. If one of us gets stuck, we take the time to help the other person out. And with very busy personal schedules, we are guaranteed at least one morning of serious writing time. Often, that time reinvigorates us and we either keep writing when we get home or follow through with more writing the next day. It's like a writing energy boost!

But during that morning writing session, we also have developed another tradition. A breakfast of yogurt parfaits and warm, buttered scones with tea! We figure the yogurt and fruit is healthy and the scones are decadent. We have our favorites: chocolate chunk and cranberry. That serves as another kind of energy boost!

What do you eat or drink while you are writing to keep your energy up?

First Step Done

This past week, I was on vacation with my family visiting friends in Virginia. On
one beautiful 80-degree morning, I was sitting on their back deck surrounded by the chatter of beautiful bird song, and -- big news -- dah-da-da-daaaah... I finished the first draft of Periphery.

That sounds like such a huge accomplishment, and it is, but remember, a first draft is just you telling yourself the story. And even though I was just trying to tell the story, the last few chapters were a struggle. I had to craft battle scenes, which I had never written before. There are a ton of characters, and as a writer, I had to make sure they were all accounted for. Then there is the denouement, which has to tie up all the loose ends. 

And so I finally reached an end with which I am satisfied.

Tomorrow, I start revising: making sure there are no contradictions, making sure travel times between settings are accurate, making sure I let my readers experience my character's emotions. This is my first fantasy novel, and I want it to feel epic.

Now the real work begins.

Ah, the Perfect Spot

Here is my new writing place!

I write in many different locations, depending on my mood and work load, but my favorite creative spot for most of the year is the leather recliner in my living room. The problem is that often I need to wait for a quiet time in that room.

But as I sat there the other day, I looked over to where we had moved a library table. You see, several rooms in our house are under construction, and we moved the library table, which normally sits in a rather wide hall, and jammed it into a corner of our living room.

There it sat, empty of its normal decorations and doo-dads. A vast space on which to write! I moved in a stool, and set up shop!

In two days, I have gotten a ton of work done!

So many would-be writers wait for that perfect place, or that perfect time to create. They are sure, that when they finally build that log cabin in the woods, they will write the great American novel. That’s never going to happen, folks.

Find a writing nook, any flat space, and start writing! The perfect space might be right in front of you!

Must Read!

I really don’t like self-help books.

The last one I read in its entirety was What Color is Your Parachute? back in the, I don’t know, 1980s?

But, recently, a friend loaned me a copy of Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert – the same author who wrote Eat, Pray, Love. I was skeptical of another self-help book and managed to put off reading it until I had nothing left on my “read now” pile.

I am about half-way through and highly recommend it as a must read for you writers out there who say you will eventually write that book. One of her many messages in the book is, cut it out. Start now!

So many of us complain about a lack of time to do what we love – that life gets in the way. But she points out, “Most individuals have never had enough time, and they’ve never had enough resources, and they’ve never had enough support or patronage or reward…and yet still they persist in creating. They persist because they care. They persist because they are called to be makers, by any means necessary.”

So many inspirational passages in this book. I love it!

Happy New Year!

I love a clean slate. My resolutions for 2017?

1.    To blog on a more regular basis, and therefore catch you up on all the things that have been happening

2.    To stick to my 20 minutes of writing a day, which will undoubtedly lead to my next resolution

3.    To finish Eye of the Peacock, so that I can begin drafting the third book that is plaguing my brain

4.    To unclutter my life, which I hope still allows me time for resolutions 2 and 3!

I wish you all health and happiness in the new year along with, of course, great ideas for writing!

Talkin' Writin'

I love talking with young writers about the craft.

My daughter had some friends over yesterday, and I got to have a short conversation with one girl who has a draft of a book she wants to publish. We chatted about agents versus independent publishing.

Before the holidays, one of my students stopped by after school looking for advice about how she was drafting her story. I took a look at her notebooks, and she’s doing everything right – outlining the story, writing bios for the characters.

This is what it is all about.

Spreading the love of literature, whether it be through reading it or writing it.

As 2015 wanes, think about how you are going to start spending 2016. Find a way to chisel out some time to spend in a creative – or created – world.

 

Merry Christmas!

I got almost everything I wanted this holiday…a wonderful husband; two beautiful, sweet daughters; a comfortable home.

Peace on Earth was still missing, but at least it’s here in my corner of the world. And if we each achieved that, think of the overall effect!

Take some time to revel in your gifts, and of course, get in some writing time while the kiddos sleep in. I know I will be.

I hope you got everything you wanted for the holidays.

Favorite Time to Write

Do you have a favorite time to write?

I love writing first thing in the morning with a steaming cup of Red Rose tea nearby. I can tell if it’s a productive writing session if the cup of tea goes cold. This happens most often during summer months on my back porch. There's something about nature all around me, the world waking up, that inspires me. I love the quiet before everyone else in the house is awake.

As a wife and the mother of two, however, this rarely happens! So, I grab time when I can. Lately, a lot of my writing has been happening on weekends, particuarly Sundays when errands are at a minimum. Or in the evenings when the oldest is getting ready for bed and I am waiting to crash. I must say that fighting sleep and fighting a story line is not always as productive as I'd like it to be.

I made the most progress on Relic when I devoted just 20 minutes a day to writing. I find often, that 20 minutes will turn into a half hour or even an hour or more. Sometimes, that time is spent re-reading what I have already written, or revising what is on the page. Sometimes it is enough to refresh my brain, which after the computer has been shut down, keeps working on the plot. By the time I sit back down the next day, the story has continued in my mind and is waiting to be put down on paper.

No matter when you like to write, make a commitment to that time. Even a little time each day adds up.