Blogger KRISTI HOLL is the author of 35 books, including WRITER'S FIRST AID.

Pages

Blogroll

Archives

Categories

RSS Writers First Aid

Facing Your Creative Fears

June 30, 2008

“Every tomorrow has two handles,” Henry Ward Beecher once said. “We can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith.” All our writing tomorrows give us that very same choice. Do we face our blank computer screens or empty tablets with fear or with faith? Faith encourages us and spurs us on. Fears paralyze—and need to be dealt with. Writing anxiety comes in many forms and develops for a variety of reasons. If we harbor writing fears, how can we identify them, eliminate them, then regain faith in our writing tomorrows?

Dealing with creative fears generally involves a three-part process.
1. First, identify the fears. Otherwise you’re only shadow boxing. What are you afraid of? That your ideas are stupid or overdone? That you don’t have the talent to be a published writer? That your friends or family will ridicule you when they find out what you’re trying to do? That you’ll be rejected? That you’ll be wasting your time, that being a writer is just a dream that will dissolve in the face of reality? That you’ll never be more than a mid-list author on the brink of oblivion?

Writers have many fears, and this takes many new authors by surprise. “It’s a vital thing to remember both as creative people and those who have the opportunity to nurture the creativity in others: Creativity requires courage!” says Thomas Kinkade in Lightposts for Living. “It takes courage to push ourselves off center, to think in nonstandard ways, to journey outside the ruts. It also takes courage to resist the pressure of those who very much prefer to walk in those ruts.”

2. Second, if your fears are just myths, debunk them. Write down and study your list of fears. Will your husband/wife really laugh at you for wanting to write? Do you really not have any talent? (What about your writing teacher or critique partner who loves your stories?) Will you really go insane like all the famous writers you’ve read about? (Well, actually, you might. . . just kidding!) In The Courage to Write, Ralph Keyes says, “All writers must confront their fears eventually. The sooner they do this, the better their work will be.”

Besides, if you don’t, you’ll go from blocked to frozen, then give up. Quitting is failing. While none of us may ever totally conquer our writing fears—and some experts say that this writing “anxiety” is actually indispensable writing energy—we can rise above the fears sufficiently so that we can work. And in doing the work, day in and day out, the fears begin to dissolve. They become like the monster we were so sure, as children, that lurked under our bed. After enough years of NOT being eaten alive at night or being grabbed by the ankles when we jumped out of bed, we finally concluded the monster was in our imagination and forgot about it. Most of your writing fears will do the same thing IF you face them and feel them—and write anyway.

(Come back Wednesday for practical ways to deal with the fears.)
Post tags:

Joining a Work in Progress (Part 2)

June 27, 2008

(First read “Joining a Work in Progress” Part 1.)

How to Critique
Encourage as well as offer criticism. It means walking a fine line, but you must have this crucial balance if you’re going to join and remain in a critique group. Encouragement is so important in a career that is, at least initially, filled with rejection. So when you join a critique group, remember that you are part of a support group, and some members will require more support than others. Unless you already know everyone in the group on an intimate level, hold back from talking too much at first. Some members will want tough, “no nonsense” critiques and “skip the fluff.” Others need their constructive criticism wrapped in extra layers of cotton to dull the effect. Don’t assume that people in the critique group will all respond to criticism the way you would.

On the other hand, when you are critiqued, don’t be touchy. Defensiveness is a HUGE waste of time. If you don’t agree with someone’s critique of your work, don’t spend time defending it. If it didn’t work for that reader, it didn’t. That doesn’t mean you have to change a word, but don’t argue about it.

Works in Progress
Secondly, the manuscripts you will be critiquing are also works in progress. If you are critiquing book manuscripts, that can be especially confusing. For example, when I joined one group, I was sent the middle chapters of several novels-in-progress, I had no idea what came before, so it was hard to critique. Was the plot building naturally? Were the characters behaving believably? I had no idea.

I would suggest, when joining a critique group, that you ask each writer for a one or two paragraph summary of what’s already happened in their book so you’re up to speed. Otherwise your critique can be less than helpful, and possibly irritating. (For example, you may think a minor character is described in too much detail, when in fact, it was revealed earlier to be the story’s villain who plays a key role. Every time something like this has to be explained to you during the meeting, it eats up valuable time.)

Do’s and Don’ts
Be sure that your attitude is really one of caring, even when you don’t like the manuscript. Point out the good spots and strengths you found first. Then give criticism so that it’s constructive. Get your points across without being overly harsh or critical though. Find the balance! Be more quiet than normal the first critique session as you watch how other members handle this sensitive issue. However, you do need to learn how to express constructive criticism in a way that it can be received. Be kind in your criticism. At the same time it is important to the writer to hear everything, not just the praise. Otherwise how can they improve? Give them something to go home and work on so the critique time is productive.

Critique groups are valuable, and finding a good one already “in progress” is a joy. With a few common sense tips and attitudes, you’ll slip in without making a ripple (instead of creating tidal waves.) In a few short weeks, it’ll be as if you’d always belonged.

Post tags:

Joining a Work in Progress

June 25, 2008

One piece of advice new writers hear is “join a critique group!” They’re immensely valuable in today’s publishing climate where editors have so little time to edit and shape manuscripts. You may be fortunate to find a group with an opening and be invited to join. Unless you’re prepared, however, your critique group experience can be useless or even painful. If you step on enough toes, you could be asked to leave the group. To avoid that, follow these tips so you can join a critique group and make it work for you.

Group in Progress
When you join a critique group in progress, you’re joining an established “family.” The group itself is a growing thing, and adding you to the group changes the dynamics. You, the new kid on the block, need to fit in without creating unnecessary disruption for the group. Remember: the group has been functioning very well without you, and you’re not there to revamp it.

First, don’t assume anything. Ask what length your manuscript should be for the sessions. In one new group I joined, I assumed (for some reason) that about 2,000 words (or a book chapter) would be a good length. I emailed the manuscript to each member a week before the scheduled meeting. Within a few days, I was surprisedto receive from the other members manuscripts closer to 500-600 words. I had unknowingly asked them to spend four times as long critiquing my work as everyone else’s. I was embarrassed, and some of the members were put out.

Also, don’t assume you should (or should not) bring a manuscript for critiquing at the first meeting. At one group I did not bring a manuscript the first time, thinking I hadn’t yet “earned the right,” and was told in no uncertain terms that I wasn’t allowed to critique anyone that day since I hadn’t put my own writing (and ego) on the line. So, after moving to another town and joining another critique group, I dutifully took a manuscript with me, only to discover that I was expected to just listen the first time. (I didn’t last long there!) So don’t assume anything. Ask the group ahead of time for any rules they have about how the meeting is run. It will save awkwardness and hurt feelings.

Attendance
Don’t join unless you can be at all the meetings (except for true emergencies.) A good group member is dedicated. If you expect to give thoughtful criticism to someone’s novel, then you must be there to hear it all.

(On Friday I’ll talk about the nuts and bolts of joining a group in progress and getting up to speed with their work.)
Post tags:

Career Planning: Who, Me?

June 23, 2008

Most of us are too busy trying to juggle our writing, day jobs and families to think much about a career planning strategy. We’re focused on trying to either break in or keep up with contract deadlines. I got a jolt today by a lengthy (and excellent) post by agent Chip MacGregor that made me realize how important it was to have a career plan–and review it often. If you’re fortunate enough to have Chip for an agent, he goes through these career planning steps with you. He was kind enough to outline his method, though, for anyone who wants to see it. Even without an agent, I’d suggest tackling these questions and strategies on your own.

In Chip’s own words: My contention is that some agents pay lip service to “helping authors with career planning,” but many don’t really have a method for doing that. (From the look of it, “career planning” to many agents is defined as “having a book contract.”) I have a background in organizational development — the study of how organizations grow and change over time. And during my doctoral program at the University of Oregon (Go Ducks!), I served as a Graduate Teaching Fellow at the Career Planning and Placement Office. That experience allowed me the opportunity to apply the principles of organizational theory to the real-world setting of those in the arts who are trying to make a living.

Chip talks with his clients to discover answers to the following points–and many others: Who is the author–what’s her message, her platform, and her experience with the media? What are the author’s significant life events and accomplishments, strengths, gifts, and burdens? What’s important to the author? How does he define success? What does she need to change? What do they want t0 accomplish? Chip talks with his clients about personal organization. Every author needs a TIME to write, a PLACE to write, and a GOAL that he or she is writing toward. Do they have a plan in place? Do they have a writing calendar, so they know what and when they are working on each project? He encourages authors to create a budgeting calendar. (See his blog for the steps on how to create one.) Then Chip and his client make an actual writing plan for the next two years and the next five years that matches up with their life purpose. Does it maximize their strengths? Is their spouse in agreement with it all?
What’s the point of all this discussion with a client? According to Chip: These things all work together to create a career map for an author. Various documents are derived from this information — a writing calendar, a budget, a wish list, maybe a statement of purpose. But my goal isn’t to get an author to write some grand purpose statement — my goal is to help an author create a workable plan he or she can use to move forward in the career. I aim to keep writers results-focused.

The second half of Chip’s blog talked about making a writing budget–the nuts and bolts of figuring out how much income you need, where it’s going to come from (all possible sources,) and what to do to get it. You’ll want to study this too.

Even though I went through a branding course and made a budget and wrote down goals eighteen months ago, I need to go through Chip’s questions in writing again and see where I am–and if I’m still headed in the right direction. We can take career detours without meaning to–and at such a pace that we barely notice. Answering the career planning questions can help you get back on track if you’ve veered off. I was accustomed to my budget needing constant revision, but I hadn’t realized my career plan probably needed updating too.

Does your plan need revision too (meaning anything from tweaking it up a notch to a major overhaul in time and attitude)? What parts do you find most challenging in creating such a plan? Are you able to follow through on your plans? That’s where the rubber meets the road!
Post tags:

Ageless Wisdom (Part 2)

June 20, 2008

(First read Ageless Wisdom–Part 1)

We hear endlessly about how much easier it was to get published and make a living as a writer years ago. Is that a misconception too? Jim wrote, “Were I starting over, I’d know that, before I could hope to earn a living writing, I’d have to serve a long apprenticeship.” Even so, it was simpler then, right? There were quiet, well behaved “Leave It to Beaver” families that made writing so much easier. Maybe. Maybe not. Jim’s experience sounded very familiar: “I would set aside some time each day for writing and adhere rigorously to my schedule,” he said. “I’d make sure of privacy; I’d go into the garage, a shed, or out under a tree. When I decided that writing was the only career that would ever satisfy me, I was working full time in a factory. But I allotted two hours every night for writing.”

Hmmm. Those “good old days” don’t sound much different than the present days. Of course, the “odds of making it as a writer” were certainly much better back then. Writers in the ‘50’s weren’t discouraged (like we are today) by being warned that only 5% of the authors in America make a living at writing. Or were they? Kjelgaard wrote that if he had it to do all over again, “I would not fear competition as such. The very loose statement that there are millions of aspiring writers in the United States means merely that there are millions who write an hour a week, an hour a month, or even an hour a year. But only a very few work hard enough to become professionals.” I would venture to say that it’s just as true today.

One Shocking Difference
By and large, the advice in that 1956 Writer’ Digest is just as applicable today as it was then. I think we can stop harking back to the good old days.

Not everything was the same in 1956 however. In “letters to the editor,” I found a lengthy apology. A magazine had folded without paying for all the articles it had accepted. The editor (who had quit) apologized profusely to writers who were cheated out of their money and offered to do whatever he could to help them collect! Oh, and the name of the magazine that cheated the writers? Honest to Pete, it was called Frauds & Rackets!

Post tags:

Book Buyer’s Paradise

June 16, 2008

If you buy as many books as I do (for yourself, your kids, or your grandkids), you’ll want to know about this FREE online source. It has a lot of great features, including a wish list you can create so they can let you know when a good deal pops up on any particular book. (I just may buy up a few of my out-of-print hardcovers for the grandkids while I’m at it.) Here’s the info:

BookFinder4U is a FREE service that searches 130 bookstores, 80,000 booksellers and 90 million new & used books worldwide to find the lowest book price in A click! At Bookfinder4U, our goal is simple: to provide you with a book search and price comparison service that is Comprehensive, Objective and Easy to use. We also have an out-of-print book search system to help you find rare & out-of-print books.

By becoming a valued member, you can also enjoy the following additional features:1. Create and share your Wish List, keeping track of the books you’re interested in. Set Price Alert and you won’t miss any more deals. Also create Tags to organize all your favorite books.2. Write store reviews and book reviews and join our ever-growing community. 3. Enjoy your personalized Search History and get better searching experience. 4. Best of all, everything is absolutely FREE.

Post tags:

Final Words of Wisdom

June 13, 2008

I’ve enjoyed reviewing my own computer monitor sayings this week, as well as reading those you’ve shared. Here are the last ones for a while:

Suzuki: “Our mind always follows our breathing.” If you’re tense during writing and either hold your breath or hyperventilate, your writing will show it. Your mind will freeze while you hold your breath, or bounce around aimlessly while you hyperventilate. So breathe. Deeply. If you’re a rapid breather when stressed, deliberately slow down your breathing. Your mind will follow your breathing, becoming regular and functional and calm, a helpful mental state for productive writing.

Keep on starting, and the finishing will take care of itself. This is especially helpful to repeat over and over when writing a book. Looking ahead at all the research to do, or all the chapters to write, can be daunting. So daunting, in fact, that you’re blocked and can’t get started. So don’t worry about finishing. Don’t even think about how much you have left to write. Just start. Today. Tomorrow. The next day. Keep on starting, and the finishing will take care of itself.

This too shall pass. Cast your burden upon the Lord, and He will sustain you. Psalm 55:22 This is good for dealing with rejections, bad reviews, writer’s block, and hearing that your friend (the one who doesn’t write as well as you do) just had her book optioned for a movie and she’s being flown out to Hollywood to oversee the script writing. These are all burdens that will weigh down your writing if you try to carry them yourself. Get rid of them.

If any of these bits of wisdom struck a chord with you, copy them down and tape them to your computer. Find additional reminders that fit your own personal needs, tape them to your monitor, and repeat them to yourself when stuck. It’s simple, but it works!

Post tags:

More Words of Wisdom

June 11, 2008


On Monday, I posted a few sayings that are taped to the edges of my monitor. Here are a few more…

THE SENILITY PRAYER: “God, grant me the Senility to forget the people I never liked anyway, the good fortune to run into the ones that I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference.” Perhaps you have to be over 40something to appreciate this one, but it’s so true. Forget the fight you had with your spouse or child that morning. Forget the hard feelings you have for that writer who sold her first novel that you know isn’t half as good as your novel that just got rejected the fourth time. Spending much time and energy on people who upset you emotionally will drain the energy needed for your writing. (Take it from someone whose pen name is N. Abler.) Forget them and move on!

Transformation comes from the inside out. Pasting wings on a worm does not make a butterfly. We want our writing to fly, but sometimes it crawls around on the ground, or at best, limps along. Pasting wings on it—using more colorful verbs, using cliff-hanger endings—won’t change that story into a butterfly if the basic idea is—well—wormy. Transformation comes from the inside out. We may have to sit with an idea, get inside it, get to its core, discover its real theme, before the transformation can take place. But pasting wings on a flawed story (like a flawed relationship) will NOT make a butterfly.

A Snoopy cartoon shows him typing on top of his dog house. The thought balloon over his head says, “It’s exciting when you’ve written something that you know is good!” Occasionally, we write something that truly sings. We re-read our stories, when suddenly phrases (sometimes whole paragraphs!) jump off the page and we’re stunned. Did I really write that? we think. Yes, it’s exciting when you’ve written something that you know is good. Enjoy the excitement. Know that there’s more good writing where that came from.

Please continue to share your computer monitor wisdom with me–either here or in an email. I love it! I’ll post the last tidbits on Friday.

Post tags:

Words of Wisdom

June 9, 2008

You can tell a lot about people by how their homes are decorated. I’ve discovered you can tell just as much about writers by how their computers are decorated. Until I recently replaced my monitor, I hadn’t noticed how covered it was with bits of writing wisdom. But as I removed the little sayings to tape to my new monitor, I re-read and re-learned the writing wisdom there. So, from my computer to yours, some writing words to live by …
I haven’t lost my mind; it’s backed up on disk somewhere. This bit of wisdom is for the days when my computer, which I love second only to God and family, is acting up. When your computer crashes while you’re sending e-mail or conducting online research, you feel like you’ve lost your mind. When you’ve stared too many hours at your blinking cursor, you can feel as if you’ve lost your mind. When you’ve had to re-start your story after sixteen interruptions, you’re sure you’ve lost your mind. But never fear: it’s backed up on disk somewhere!
Be tough at the core, easy at the edges. This wise saying is for negotiating with editors. You must know your bottom line. What’s most important to you? What is non-negotiable, and where can you be flexible? In dealings with editors, be firm about critical issues, but very easy to get along with where your edges touch theirs. My daughter is the epitome of this wise saying, being sweet and soft spoken and adjustable in many things—but she has a backbone made out of pure steel.
When I begin to think, I begin to sink. Sometimes we writers think too much. Obviously, we need to think, but sometimes we do ourselves more harm than good. I know. I speak from years of experience. Whether it’s second guessing yourself about a writing project, or trying too hard to read between the lines (”What did that editor really mean by ‘it doesn’t meet our present needs’?”), thinking too much can sink our writing ship. We can be fired up about an idea, have the story half finished, then begin to take our stupid thoughts too seriously. (You know the ones. They say things like, “Why are you wasting your time on this piece of drivel?”) Stay afloat in your writing by refusing to over-analyze everything.
That’s just a bit of my computer wisdom. I’ll post more later. What do YOU have taped to the edge of your computer?
Post tags:

Twenty Reasons to Go on a Writing Retreat

June 6, 2008

The last few posts I’ve talked about writing retreats and recovering our creative spirit. There are many fine books on organizing retreats, but I’ve been enjoying Judy Reeves’ book The Writer’s Retreat Kit because it is so practical. It can be used by someone with oodles of time and money–or a writer with no money and little time at her disposal. The kit has “themed” retreat ideas on most of the big cards, but the first card simply lists “Twenty Reasons to Go on a Writing Retreat.” I won’t give them all, but here are a few to get you started…

*To renew your creative spirit

*To change your perspective

*To unkink the coils of your brain

*To fill your empty cup

*To rest

*To read

*To write

Do you want to go on a writing retreat? What are your reasons?

Post tags:
Newer Posts »