Even Siri Doesn't Know

As we're looking ahead to 2012 and a clean slate--a brand new set of goals, the question du jour posed to my Accountability group is:  Where are you now? Where is that, in comparison to where you were six months ago? A year? Five years, ten? How have your goals changed? What would you do differently?

I asked Siri (on my new iPhone) where I was, and she didn't know either.  Of course, it might have been during one of her periods of unavailability.

Or it could be that I don't know either.

2011 has been a rough and emotionally devastating year for me, one that began with a newborn little baby fighting for her life. My heart and mind were far, far away from Regency England, and getting words down on paper didn't seem all that important to me.  

And just as this little one faces her challenges each and every day, I am struggling to get back to where I was, writing-wise.  Writer's inertia (I won't call it block) is difficult to overcome, lost momentum, equally hard to gain back. 

So, to answer the question of where I am, the answer is not where I would like to be.  I've made only modest gains on my manuscript this year.  But it is nearly complete and I am hoping to cross that finish line early in 2012.

When activated, the iPhone's Siri asks, "What can I help you with?"    My question is "How can I help myself?"

For that answer, I'll take inspiration from that strong little girl and her loving parents by:
       1.  Focusing on what I can do, rather than on what I can't or didn't do.  
                                              and
       2.  Celebrating every achievement and hard-fought milestone, no matter how small  or seemingly insignificant.
   
To find out where my Accountability Group members are in their individual journeys, check out these links:

Alexia Reed Angeleque Ford  Kristen Koster  Kimberly Farris

No Means No...Except When It Means Maybe?

...or, in other words, do you know where your Crazymaker is? 

The Artist's Way's author, Julia Cameron identifies Crazymakers as  "those personalities that create storm centers. They are often charismatic, frequently charming, highly inventive, and powerfully persuasive. And for the creative person in their vicinity, they are enormously destructive. You know the type: charismatic but out of control, long on problems and short on solutions."

And--I speak from  personal experience--every family has at least one Crazymaker.  (Or rather only one, if you're lucky.)  Some of you must have misplaced yours because I seem to have more than my share! Please retrieve them!

My DD is my Crazymaker.  She has grown into a wonderful woman, but her organizational skills (or lack thereof) and tendency to overcommit lends itself to chaos.  Chaos that spills over into my life, and all too often, my writing time.  

Because I allow it to.  Julia Cameron is right.  And oh-so-smart.

Why do I allow it?  Why does no turn into maybe, and eventually--inevitably, yes?  

Ms. Cameron's theory is that we use our Crazymaker as an excuse not to create. To be honest, this is not something I do every time, at least not consciously, but, looking back, there are instances I've done just that.   

So now I've identified the enemy--myself (for the most part) and diagnosed the problem, what can I do about it? 

• Learn when to say yes, and when (and how) to say no.  Repeat the mantra above.  (A tincture of tough love may be needed here.)
• Examine my reason for saying yes.  Is it something I really want or need to do, or am I avoiding the blank page?
• Find someone to help me be accountable to myself. 
• Respect myself and honor my writing time.

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

Right up there with the first day of school, and, oh,...yeah, Christmas.

NaNoWriMo is upon us.  That very special time when masochistic writers everywhere embrace 30 days of literary abandon in the pursuit of 50,000 words.  To the exclusion of all else, including friends, family, and, all too often, personal hygiene.

I am not among the faithful flock this year due to various factors.  The kidlets need fed, the Thanksgiving fare prepared (whose idea was it anyway to schedule Turkey Day during NaNoWriMo month?), and, last but not least, the Federal jury system has concluded that I have nothing better to do with my time.

But I plan to unofficially join my ACers and other crazy,...um, committed writers and write more this month than I ever deemed possible.

How do I like to reach for my daily word count?  After hubby leaves for work, I like to have my morning cup of coffee, check my email, then open Scrivener and get settled in.  I prefer to work in quiet solitude,  Or while listening to High Focus through my noise-cancelling headphones.

These ideal conditions rarely happen.  My days are often fragmented by interruptions and family obligations, otherwise known as Real Life.

So I've learned to (cliche alert) roll with the punches.  I'm fortunate to have several options.  I may write on my laptop in the evenings while hubby is watching television.  Or I may grab my Alphasmart Neo (as I'm doing now) and make use of snippets of time.  Flexibility is the key.

Most importantly, you have to find out what works for you.

Take a moment and check out how my Accountability Group likes to work.  Here are the links:

Alexia Reed Angeleque Ford  Kristen Koster  Kimberly Farris

Research

As with many writers of Regency-era historicals, I love to research.  I find the time, its mores, and double standards fascinating.  So much so that I can often procrastinate,...um, waste time, searching for obscure facts I'll never use.

Which may lead you to ask, is all that extensive research necessary?

Well, yes and no.  Readers of Regency are extremely knowledgable about the period, and they expect a well-written, well-researched book.  And they have every right to do so.

But, at some point it time, an author actually has to begin putting words on the page.

The method I've found to work best for me is to:

1)  Read enough about the time period and location you're writing about to get a general feel for it.  If you're well read in the sub-genre, such as Regency, you've probably gleaned a wealth of knowledge already.

2)  If you're lacking a specific fact that is is pivotal to your work-in-progress, then you should probably take the time to find it before you go on.  Otherwise, mark it and keep writing.  You don't want to lose hours or days searching the internet for some obscure piece of information that really isn't all that important to the development of your plot, or worse yet, ends up getting edited out.

3) Obviously you'll want to sprinkle in bits of research to flavor your novel.  But, as with any seasoning, too much of a good thing doesn't make it better.  As tempting as it might be, avoid the urge to use a fascinating fact/description/whatever if it doesn't fit.  Like a subtle perfume, research shouldn't overwhelm the reader.

Thanks to the books I've purchased and the wealth of information available on the internet, I do most of my research at home these days.

Which is probably a good thing since it would take forever to cross the Atlantic on an ocean liner (I don't like to fly) and my library really frowns on my work attire of jammie pants and fuzzy socks!

For more research advice, check out the links below:

Alexia Reed Angeleque Ford  Kristen Koster  Kimberly Farris

Books-A-Million

No, not the store, but rather what's on my bookshelves.

Well, maybe there aren't quite that many.

I keep a bookshelf in my office, filled with my reference materials and books on the craft of writing itself.  Not to mention the usual writerly fare of dictionaries and thesauruses.  Downstairs I have another bookshelf filled with even more research books.

Now for my confession.

I have stashes of fiction, much like a guilt-ridden dieter with a secret reserve of snack food.  In the end tables in my living room.  Under the couch.  In the basement,

And, yes, even in the bathroom.

Don't laugh!  One never knows when the opportunity for a Calgon-take-me-away moment will present itself.

And there are the ebooks on my Nook.

I resisted--even fought--the e-reader evolution.  Argued to anyone who recommended one that I like the feel of a "real" book in my hands. (I still do.)

But it only took a couple of page-turning swipes before I was hooked.  A great read is a great read, no matter what format it comes in.

And that's a good thing.

Since I'm running out of stashes!

Take a moment and check out these links:

Alexia Reed Angeleque Ford  Kristen Koster  Kimberly Farris

It Keeps Me in Stitches

This week my Accountability Groups is blogging about our hobbies. It goes without saying that reading is one of my hobbies. That's pretty much a given with any writer.

I blogged earlier about genealogy being one of my hobbies--one I have to be very careful of.  I find old records, newspapers, and the like fascinating.  It's like digging for clues to solve a mystery.  A little bit like plotting.

Another one of my hobbies is sewing.  I just finished a few baby quilts.

My latest project

Again, I can find the similarities to plotting a novel.  Putting scraps together to make a (hopefully!) cohesive finished product.  And, more often that not, these projects are deadline-driven.  Usually someone else's deadline.

Both of these creative outlets can be time sucks, if you allow them.  And, unfortunately, I all-too-often do!

Last--but not least--is my love of football.  I rush home from church, grab a bite to eat, and veg out on the couch for three hours, getting my weekly infusion.

Yes, I am a lifelong Steeler fan.

You're probably thinking my hubby is one lucky guy, finding a woman who loves to watch football with him.  Except that I've probably married to the one man in all of Steeler Country who doesn't watch football!

Take a minute and check out the hobbies of my Accountability Group.  The links are:

Alexia Reed Angeleque Ford  Kristen Koster  Kimberly Farris

Yes. No. Maybe so?

Does writer's block exist?  If so, how do you beat it?

This week I posed the questions to my Accountability Group.

Easy topic, right?  Ask any writer, and they'll give an immediate reply.

Writer's block exists for me.  Not in the literal sense where I can't find the words.  I can type fairly quickly or scribble down a jolt of inspiration (can't promise that it will be legible, though). 

I just can't find the right words.  

And if I do, per chance, find the right ones or ones I deem close enough, I'm hesitant to add more words--potentially wrong ones-- and ruin the near-perfection. 

Yes, I am the poster girl for only child perfectionism.  Not that I often achieve it, but I still insist upon it.

And effectively shackle my creativity in the process in doing so.

Now that I have that all figured out, you would assume there'd be a quick fix.

If there is, I haven't found it.  But I've come up with subterfuge--I mean a few strategies--that work for me.

• Switch it up! I have the luxury of having a desktop and a laptop computer.  Sometimes I'll switch to my laptop.  I know it sounds crazy, but I trick myself into thinking that I can't mess up the "good" version of my manuscript.  You can find a variation of this might work for you.  Use your word processor's track changes feature or change your font color.
• Chat challenges.   There's just something about the camaradarie of another writer who is banging her head against the wall, too.   Find a writing pal to check in with.  You'll be amazed how those words add up!
• BICHOK.  Butt In Chair Hands On Keyboard.  Sometimes I find it's just a matter of finding my rhythm.  Of priming the pump.  Of keeping my butt in the chair long enough for the words to start flowing.  (It doesn't help that , in addition to being a perfectionist, I'm an impatient one!)
• Read.  This almost always works for me!  My subconscious is working in the background to find a way over, under, around or through the block.  Sometimes it's just a phrase, a description, an unexpected plot twist that sends me back to the computer.
• When all else fails, do the dishes (or another equally mindless task).  Does this mean that my hubby is actually trying to help me when he snacks all evening and loads up the kitchen sink?  Who knew?

The bottom line is that whether writer's block truly does exist or it's mere myth doesn't really matter.  A writer has two choice:  press on or give up.

And, in addition to being a perfectionist and being impatient, I am also too stubborn to quit.

Which is a good thing!

Check out how my writing pals deal with writer's block.  ·       

Alexia Reed Angeleque Ford  Kristen Koster  Kimberly Farris