Wednesday, January 5, 2022

ISWG: When I thought Writing was a Contest

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times attending my first conference. My second son was only 6 months old and not used to me being gone. Let’s just say my mom and husband deserve a medal keeping him occupied for that day.

I wore my “Writer” conference badge like a medal. I even walked taller when I went to get gas.

And then there were the pitch sessions. Every single agent/editor made a request. I got to meet the illustrious Andrea Brown in person.

I felt like I was at an American Idol audition and got the golden ticket!

But the bad news was I only had a really polished first chapter, although the rest of the manuscript was complete. I only had to show a first chapter in my pitch sessions. They didn’t see the rest of it. The saggy middle, the ending that needed tons of work, my thousands upon thousands of newbie mistakes.

I had a writing mentor at the time. She’d read the full and was working with me on revisions. She graciously read it more than once. And after the third time told me that it still wasn’t ready.

But. I. Had. Been. Chosen.

No one could've talk me back from the ledge of my dream as I was just about to take flight.

So I sent it out anyway.

It was a few months before the first rejection came in. Still, surprisingly that editor had a few good things to say.

I got very little feedback from anyone else. And by that time, I’d had enough distance from the whole thing to see that I'd rushed.

It took me some time to recover. It wasn’t my last writing mistake. But it certainly was the one I learned the most from.

Just because someone shows interest, doesn’t guarantee publication. It’s always better to wait and revise and wait some more before sending something out. Check your pride at the door. By the time you finally get something published, you’ll be so surprised, you won’t believe it.

That first conference was a hard lesson, but a good lesson.

I don’t regret it. And I don’t regret my other writing mistakes. I keep learning as I go.

I've had some successes since, but right now, I'm trying to smell the roses , enjoy the journey, and remember that writing is not an American Idol contest.

What is the one thing you regret the most about your writing career? Were you able to overcome it?

What is Insecure Writer's Support Group?

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting!

To see more IWSG posts, go here.

Wednesday, December 1, 2021

ISWG: Writing's Peaks and Valleys

Photo by Rohit D'Silva on Unsplash

Writing isn't any easy path. I keep writing because I can’t stop. Like a challenging hike that ends with a phenomenal view, sometimes you have to wade through the brambles to get to the beautiful bits.

The valleys:

1.   Comparing myself to others. I’m not on social media much anymore, but people posting their daily word counts (always higher than mine) used to stress me out.

2.   The marketing part of writing. While I’ve learned to write a decent query letter, I've never gotten used to the ups and downs of querying. Can someone else sell my writing, please?

3.   Worrying about what other people think. When I let that “what will x think of this?” get inside my head in the middle of drafting, I don't do my best writing. Writing must always be truthful, which will probably offend someone.

The peaks with their mountain views:

1.   The surprise aspect of writing. I've never written a scene or a piece of dialogue that came out exactly as I expected. I love it when the characters and plot surprise me.

2.    When the seemingly random threads of the plot come together. In my current WIP, I thought a secondary character's medical condition wasn't that important. But then—boom—I wrote a scene where it became everything and the driving motive for my main character. Those types of connections make writing fun.

3.    When I get a life-changing critique. It’s always hard to hear criticism of your work, and sometimes I need to wait a few days till I can see my way to solving any problems. But a good critique always helps you see your work in new ways, a true gift.

4. Writing has taught me that criticism helps you grow as a person. Writing has given me a thick skin. It's not easy separating yourself from what you write and be willing to hear the hard stuff. But being open to feedback is an invaluable skill in life. And there have been many non-writing times when I've been glad I've learned not to take criticism personally.

5.    Getting words on paper. It’s often hard to stare at that blank page, but after you’ve written a bulk of your novel, it’s amazing to realize you created something out of nothing. It is a great privilege to use the gifts I’ve been given in this way.

What delights you and what stresses you out about writing?

Wednesday, November 3, 2021

ISWG: Only So Many Words

Photo by Florian Klauer on Unsplash

When I was in high school, my English teacher asked me to be on the high school yearbook. She knew I liked writing, so why not write for a school publication? Much to her surprise, I said no. I wanted to save my words for my fiction writing. I thought if I worked on the yearbook, I'd use all my words up on that. I wouldn’t have any words left over for my own writing.

As an adult, it’s much harder to save my words, and prioritize my own writing.

But that’s what I’ve been doing lately. I’m not blogging as much—sorry faithful readers—but I am writing.

I am now almost half way with a draft of a new YA novel. I’m happier and more excited about writing than I’ve been in a long time. So, perhaps this saving my words thing is working.

Never fear, I do plan to get back into writing on this blog more frequently and doing book reviews again. As soon as I can manage to juggle both.

This month’s question: do you find the title or the back copy harder to write?

Back copy hands down. My husband is really good at titles. He’s come up with 80% of my titles. But struggling through a query synopsis is very hard. I’ve gotten better at it over the years, but it’s still not my favorite thing.

How about you? Do you find that if you do a lot of writing for other purposes, you don't have words left for your own writing? And which do you find harder: back copy or titles?

Wednesday, October 6, 2021

ISWG: Why I’ll Never Write a Memoir

Photo by Kourosh Qaffari on Unsplash

Many years ago, a friend wrote a semi-autobiographical novel. She turned this in for a creative writing assignment. Although almost everything in the story really happened, the professor said her story was unbelievable. She was incensed. And I thought it strange. Why wouldn’t the truth be believable?

Recently another writing friend told me she has met a lot of new writers who want to write their own life story, thinly veiled as fiction. Some great or terrible thing happened to them, and they feel called to share it with the world. My friend keeps telling them they need to learn story craft first. But she isn’t sure they are convinced.

All of this led me to think about what I will not write about. There is one line I will not cross: I won’t write about myself. Not directly.

A few reasons why:

1. Criticism: To be honest, criticism, which is an inevitable in writing, would hit too close to home if I wrote about myself. It’s one thing to have people dislike a world or characters I made up, but quite another to have people hate me. (Although I know that might be inevitable with fiction as well.)

2. Reliving difficult or even happy circumstances. In Emma, Mr. Knightley says, "If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more." That’s how I feel about certain parts of my life, especially the dramatic moments. I’d rather treasure my memories in private.

from http://rachelberman.merytonpress.com/

3. I see my past experiences as boring. I grew up in a small town. My life has been pretty ordinary. Maybe everyone’s feels like that. But if I’m not that interested in my childhood or past experiences, I wouldn’t bring a passion to my story that would make other people care.

4. I don’t like seeing myself in fiction. I purposely avoid books or movies that are too close to my lived experiences. I’d rather use my experiences to deepen my understanding a character rather than to tell my own story exactly as it happened.

5. When I get the urge to “tell people my story,” it’s often for the wrong reasons. Having an epiphany in my life often makes me want to enlighten others. But, people, not surprisingly, are not that interested in my epiphanies. Good stories, the ones everyone loves, always have a theme. But it’s so cleverly woven into the story that you hardly notice it.

That’s what I aim for when I’m writing. To write a story so captivating that you forget it’s not real.

As for other lines, I am a PG writer, because I write for kids and teens and because of my own Christian convictions.

How about you? Is there anything you would not write about?

Photo Credit

Wednesday, September 1, 2021

ISWG: Not Losing Your Enthusiasm

That is one of my favorite quotes. It’s got me through the long, sometimes discouraging days, of writing. Initially, I expected, like a lot of newbies, to sell my first novel—and in record time. Perhaps it was because my first writing teacher often told stories of students who’d followed her advice and sold their books quickly.

I would be one of them.

But my writing journey has been slow and meandering instead. It was often interrupted by life, like children, family health issues, and jobs. Those things might have sidetracked me for awhile, but they always ended up enriching my writing.

Yet, I’ve had some success. I’ve had my work published in well respected children’s magazines and anthologies. When I finally had a piece of fiction published that felt like a major milestone.

I still don’t have a book published, but that is okay. I am still working that.

Perhaps this is just a way to soothe my ego, but I no longer gauge my success by whether or not I’m published. I look at whether I’m improving at my craft.

And that isn’t measured by whether I’ve gotten a bunch of books in the mail. Although I look forward to that day…

I feel successful because:

1.      People (critique partners and others) enjoy reading what I write.

2.      I have been published—even if it’s only a few times.

3 .    I enjoy writing, and I’m taking steps towards my ultimate goal: seeing a novel-length project in print. Many people say they want to write, but never even start.

4.     I usually get “good” (a.k.a. encouraging) rejections when I send my work out there. I used to keep a file of all the good feedback I got from editors/agents. It keeps my spirits up.

5.     I use what I’ve learned from writing in my teaching (a.k.a. my day job). I’ve shared my rough drafts with students and encouraged creative students to pursue writing. It’s my way of paying it forward to the teacher who encouraged me in fourth grade.

How about you? What makes you feel like you’ve arrived as a writer?

Monday, August 9, 2021

#IMWAYR/MMGM: Two Middle Grades to Make You Laugh

I was a fairly serious kid and an intense and brooding adolescent. It’s taken me a long time to learn how to laugh at myself and not take life so seriously. And interestingly enough, it wasn’t till I could laugh at myself that I was able to create humorous scenes in my own writing.

Maybe because I’ve had to work so hard to learn to write humor that I’m an awe of writers who seemingly do so naturally. Although maybe they have had to work as hard as me too—but hide it well.

Today I’m sharing two humorous and fun MG books. Both of these are sequels, and often sequels are not an improvement on the first book. But this is not true here. I hope you enjoy these picks!

The first is Lord and Lady Bunny—Almost Royalty! by Polly Horvath

Synopsis from Amazon:

This hilarious sequel to Mr. and Mrs. Bunny-Detectives Extraordinaire! is a bunny-rific "tail" that even includes a guest appearance by J. K. Rowling a.k.a. "Oldwhatshername".

Madeleine wants nothing more than to save money for college, but her impractical, ex-hippie parents are broke. When the family unexpectedly inherits a sweet shoppe in England that has the potential to earn serious profit, they see an answer to all their problems. . . . Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Bunny—formerly of the detecting persuasion—are looking for new professions, and Mrs. Bunny decides she would like to be Queen. Soon they, too, are headed across the pond. Brought to you by National Book Award-winning author Polly Horvath and Caldecott Medal–winning illustrator Sophie Blackall, the adventures of Madeleine and the Bunnys are zanier than ever.

My thoughts:

I reviewed the first of Horvath’s Mr. and Mrs. Bunny books two months ago. I liked this one even better, but then I have a soft spot for anything set across the pond. Not only does “Oldwhatshername” make an appearance and give the bunnies some interesting advice, but Horvath has a cameo as well. The puns and silliness are even better than the first book. Madeleine’s parents discover sugar—and her mom temporarily becomes Cruise Mildred, who likes to shop. The bunnies rub noses with snobby hedgehogs and a rabbit Shakespeare group. Horvath, as always, takes lots of pokes at modern life. I especially enjoyed the English royalty and suburban mom jokes!

And then there's The Willoughbys Return by Lois Lowry:

Synopsis from Amazon:

It's been 30 years and with rising temperatures melting icy mountain tops the previously frozen Willoughbys have thawed out and are about to return! From living legend and Newbery medalist Lois Lowry comes a hilarious sequel to New York Times bestseller The Willoughbys—soon to be an animated film starring Ricky Gervais, Maya Rudolph, Terry Crews, Martin Short, Jane Krakowski, and Sean Cullen on Netflix!

Although they grew up as wretched orphans, the Willoughby siblings also became heirs to the the Melanoff candy company fortune. Everything has turned out just splendidly, except for one problem: Richie Willoughby, son of Timothy Willoughby, is an only child and is quite lonely.
Winifred and Winston Poore have long admired the toys of their neighbor Richie Willoughby and finally befriend the mysterious boy next door. But just as Richie finally begins to make friends, selling sweets is made illegal, and the family's fortune is put in jeopardy. To make matters worse, Richie's horrible Willoughby grandparents—frozen atop a Swiss mountain thirty years ago—have thawed, remain in perfect health, and are making their way home again.

What is the point of being the reclusive son of a billionaire when your father is no longer a billionaire? What is the future without candy in it? And is there any escaping the odiousness of the Willoughbys? These are the profound questions with which Newbery medalist and ignominious author Lois Lowry grapples in The Willoughbys Return.

Lowry has an amazing range. The first book I read by her was A Summer to Die when I was in elementary school. Then there’s The Giver, a dystopian classic.

But Lois is not just a serious writer, she knows how to make fun of herself and classic children lit. The first Willoughby book roasted kidlit’s love affair with orphans and babies being left on doorsteps. In The Willoughbys Return, she has the running joke about how poverty is glorified in kid lit, like in Little Women. The Poore mother is always “Marming”—offering Marme-like advice, which no one takes seriously. The joke continues with plays on words in the character names: Richie is rich and the Poores are poor. The Willoughby parents are still persnickety despite being frozen for 30 years, and their lack of understanding of modern life (What’s Google?) made me chuckle throughout.

What books have made you laugh lately?

If you'd like to read more middle grade reviews or join in the MMGM fun, go to Greg Pattridge's Always in the Middle blog.

Wednesday, August 4, 2021

ISWG: Writing Backwards

I’ve had a lot of craft books that have inspired me over the years. I’ve read great things about characters, plots, scenes. But I'd never found a book on creating a character arc/internal plot.

Oh, is this something I need help with. I have the tendency to create Mary Sues for my protagonist, and the few times I’ve tried to create a character that needed to grow more—no one liked them!

I’ve heard lots of advice online on how to create a character arc. I read that I just needed to focus on the main plot and add the internal plot in later or not to really worry about it. If you write the book, the internal arc will come.

But that wasn’t working for me.

Then a friend loaned me Story Genuis by Lisa Cron. It’s the first book that spelled out how to create a character arc in a way that made sense to me.

The story is what creates beautiful writing...not the other way around. Lisa Cron

What I learned from Story Genuis:

1. The main story is the character arc. Lisa Cron goes into a lot of brain science to back up this claim in the book, but basically we read stories to vicariously experience someone’s life struggle. The character arc is the plot.

2. Write an “origin scene” for your character’s misbelief. I knew the importance of creating a misbelief, but I didn’t know how to make it organic to the story. Once I wrote my character's origin story, her struggle became so much more real to me.

3. Details begat details. After writing your character’s origin story, you write the scenes from that scene to the start of your present story. I ended up with at least 4-5 scenes that happened before the book starts. And even though not all of them will make it into the novel, what I learned about my main character will.

4. If a scene is not working, ask yourself whether the events challenge your character’s misbelief. This was an issue for me before. I’d often create lots of action-packed scenes, but they often had nothing to do with the character’s misbelief and weren’t very compelling.

5. Interiority comes easier when you filter everything through the lens of the character’s misbelief. As I kept asking myself Lisa’s scene questions as I wrote, tension and internal conflict seemed to come automatically.

6. If you get stuck, go back to the backstory. I use Cron’s technique of writing backstory scenes whenever I get stuck. I’ve written some scenes for my other characters just to get to know them. I don’t like writing character history or charts, but writing scenes helps me understand them on a deeper level.

A couple caveats: I don’t think Cron’s book is the best book for new writers. It doesn’t go over the basics. For me, this was okay, because I really needed to work on character arc. Also, her examples are from chick lit, so if you write something else (like me), you’ll have to apply these ideas to your genre. But I think her principles work for every genre.

What craft books have inspired you lately?

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting! Be sure to link to this page and display the badge in your post. And please be sure your avatar links back to your blog! Otherwise, when you leave a comment, people can't find you to comment back.

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.

Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.

Remember, the question is optional!

August 4 question - What is your favorite writing craft book? Think of a book that every time you read it you learn something or you are inspired to write or try the new technique. And why?

The awesome co-hosts for the August 4 posting of the IWSG are PK Hrezo, Cathrina Constantine, PJ Colando, Kim Lajevardi, and Sandra Cox!

Pages

Wednesday, January 5, 2022

ISWG: When I thought Writing was a Contest

What is the one thing you regret the most about your writing career? Were you able to overcome it?