May 31, 2010

When it comes to a writer’s work space, one size does NOT fit all.

Some writers are like Anita Brookner: “I need noise and interruptions…The loneliness of doing it any other way would kill me.” On the other hand, William Styron says, “The actual process of writing…demands complete, noiseless privacy, without even music.”

What makes the subject even more confusing is that often the same writer needs a variety of writing spaces. Being secluded in your tiny closet-turned-office might be a requirement in order to focus inwardly and produce a rough draft out of thin air. Then, for revising, you may feel claustrophobic in your closet and need the background noise and food of a local Starbucks.

Not only do personalities differ, but our own personal preferences change, depending on many things. Sometimes a cure for writer’s block requires nothing more than a change of scenery. “We need to have the luxury of having more than one writing setting, depending on our mood and the type of writing to be done that particular day,” says Karen E. Peterson, PH.D. in Write: 10 Days to Overcome Writer’s Block. Period.

Everyone’s Different

My first “office” was in a tiny walk-in closet that I painted orange. That has been my all-time favorite office, though it was barely big enough to hold my desk and chair. But it gave me the same feeling I had as a child, when I found privacy from my siblings by hiding in the bedroom closet to read and write my stories.

Back then it was my special private treat (and retreat), so my similar adult writing “closet” gave me a sense of stolen pleasure and fun too–despite being very cramped. I loved it anyway! Sometimes our preferences aren’t logical–but when trying to break a writing block, logic rarely wins.

Chaos and Clutter

Some love chaos, and some hate it. For most of us, clutter in our environment creates clutter in our minds, which makes creativity twice as difficult.  Apparently our highly visual right brain is distracted by all the papers, notes, books, etc. cluttering our work environment. “Our ability to focus on a given writing task literally gets lost in the shuffle,”says Karen Peterson.

I would have to agree. And yet, when writing, I need a lot of the “stuff” at my fingertips–not filed away in a cabinet. Peterson gives a great solution–and I’ve found it very helpful myself. She suggests vertical files to replace your piles and reduce clutter.

There are stepwise mesh vertical files and plastic-tray vertical files–both work great. You can still see what you’ve placed there, even though it has technically been “filed.”  (Yes, they’re just vertical piles now, instead of horizontal piles, but it’s both organized and at your fingertips.)

Writing Zones: Private and Public

You may need different sites for writing on different days, depending on your mood, the type of writing to do, your mental state, how much sleep you’ve had, and other things. Sometimes you need total privacy, quiet, no food or drink, and a laptop. However, sometimes that combination will make you want to run away and hide.

Other days your mood may require fresh air, bright lights, the buzz of people in the background, coffee and a bagel, and a purple gel pen on a yellow legal pad. We are different writers with different needs on different days.

Don’t ignore or fight it. Forcing yourself to write in isolation when you’re desperately lonely and bored won’t help. Instead, brainstorm with yourself about a place in which you could imagine writing with ease. Then duplicate the characterists of such a place.

I Have No Choice!

Some of you–especially those of you with small children or retired husbands at home–may feel like you have little choice about where to write. To some extent, that’s probably true. When I started writing, I had a baby and two toddlers, and there was no “going to write at Starbucks” option!

However, I learned to write in a closet during naps, in a spiral notebook at the lake, and on a clipboard at the picnic table while they played. I did the best I could within my constraints to create several writing environments. You can too.

The Key: Be Flexible

You may start out your writing stint happily typing alone in your spartan office. After two hours, you may be itching to get away from your office–yet have writing left to do. Be flexible. Try going outside, or to a local diner, and write by hand for another hour or two. You might be surprised what a change in scenery will do to jumpstart your creative block.

As Karen Peterson says, “The trick is to make a decision on what you need for that particular day, and then go for it, rather than sitting immobilized.” I would agree.

What are some of YOUR favorite writing spots? Has a change of scenery ever solved writer’s block for you?

May 28, 2010

Judging from responses to “Mindful Writing” a couple days ago, the Internet is both a hindrance and a blessing.

I’ve often discussed the ways it eats up your writing time, but today I’m going to give you some “word” resources online that can really help your writing. Most of them are fun too!

• Mondo Facto: At this fun site you’ll find tools to solve anagrams, crosswords and Scrabble, as well as a word visualizer, dictionary and word finder.
• Word Games: Check out this site for dozens of word games! Scroll down to see them all. If you need to take a break, one of these games should wake you up while you improve your word skills. They’re also great to play with your kids.
• Online Etymology Dictionary: Check here to find the origins of your favorite words. You’ll be amazed where some of our current vocabulary came from!
• HowjSay: This cool tool will talk to you, telling you how to pronounce the word you want to say. Need pronunciation in a foreign language? Go to Forvo for this–just choose your language!
• RhymeZone: This tool will show you words that rhyme with any word you choose.
• Slang Dictionary: This can help you with a character’s dialogue. Some fascinating terms here!
• [See "50 Coolest Online Tools for Word Nerds" for an extensive list of "word" websites. The list is broken down into these categories: General, Word Fun, Etymology, Pronunciation, Reference, Slang and Shortened Words, Grammar and Writing Help, and Foreign Language.]

May 26, 2010

I’ve only been up and working for an hour this morning.

Already I’ve counted eleven different distractions or temptations that I’ve had to resist in order to keep working.

Here’s my one-hour list:

• new movie that came from Netflix
• new library book, a mystery by a favorite author
• email from friends
• Snapfish photos sent by a friend
• wanted to call my best friend to tell her something IMPORTANT
• magazine on the kitchen table in the pile of mail
• new SCBWI bulletin on my desk
• do the dishes (they bug me)
• run necessary errand to “get it out of the way”
• respond to Facebook messages from friends
• a helicopter flying in circles over my neighborhood

Some I gave into. (I ran to the window to see if the helicopter was the police in case there was a criminal in my front yard. It wasn’t and there wasn’t.) I read two emails from friends but resisted answering them yet. But it amazed me in just one hour how many distractions there were to deal with!

Similarities

My best friend (who lost 100 pounds several years ago) leads a support group for weight loss. She faces temptations daily to slip back into old habits. Food is pressed on her from TV, magazines, gifts from students, family gatherings, parties, graduation receptions, her husband, and more.

But she’s kept off the 100 pounds because she has a plan. She has plans for social situations, plans for quiet evenings, plans to avoid temptation in restaurants and grocery stores, and nice ways to say “no, thanks” when well-meaning people offer her food. She calls it “mindful eating.”

Writers would do well to have “mindful writing” as well. Your distractions are probably like mine in some ways, different in some ways. But writers, too, need a plan to avoid temptation to get off schedule. Choosing to write from nine to ten this morning is only a small part of the job. Having a plan for dealing with distractions is the crucial other part.

Needing a Break?

Maybe you’ve been writing and editing and researching for an hour or two, and you’re distracted by everything. If so, maybe you need a break. But I would advise copying my friend here too. When she wants to snack, she asks herself, “Am I really hungry?” If she’s not, she might take a short walk or read a book to rejuvenate herself.

Likewise, writers need to ask themselves, “Am I really tired now?” Have you worked long enough to justify being tired? Or are you frustrated or intimidated by your writing and looking for a distraction? If you’re not truly tired, maybe you need to make a better choice too. For example, you might read an article on dynamic dialogue if you’re having trouble in that area.

Mindful Choices

It’s true that you might be really tired and need a break. Take a tip from my friend. Before she makes a food choice, she pays attention to what she’s doing. She chooses something that will benefit her body, like a banana or yogurt (instead my #1 choice: chocolate candy!)

As writers, when we really do need a break, we also need to be mindful. Choose a small break that will benefit your writing. (I’ve listed seven such choices in “Need a Break? Make It Productive!”) Give it a time limit, and at the end of your ten or fifteen minutes, get back to work refreshed.

What are YOUR major distractions? Can you share a tip (or two) on how to handle them? Let’s pool our resources for our fellow writers!

May 24, 2010

Writers require “head space” in which nothing else is happening. You must have some mental space that is yours and yours alone in order to create and write.

“It takes quite a bit of energy on your part–a real effort–to maintain that space,” says Heather Sellers in Chapter after Chapter: Discover the dedication & focus you need to write the book of your dreams. “You have to put a wall around a part of yourself and protect it from the world of Needs and Stuff and Functions.”

Where’s the Energy Go?

If you still suffer from the common Being Everything to Everybody Syndrome, you very likely have little head space to call your own. Writers can’t do that all day, every day, and still have enough energy left for writing. Your head space is too full of other people.

One big energy drain comes from greasing the wheels of social interactions. Many of us have this habit, and it is a hard one to break. Some of us “grease the wheels” all day–at home or at work, with our family or friends, even with total strangers.

How do we do this? We see unhappy or uncomfortable people, and we rush in to fix their feelings and smooth their ruffled feathers and raise their self-esteem. We see troubled people and offer all the self-help therapy we can think of, then take them out for lunch. At social gatherings where no one is making any effort to converse, we turn somersaults trying to make people open up and connect.

The Solution

We mean well. We can’t stand the discomfort of other people, and we rush in to fix it. Or we hate to have someone mad at us, so we rush in to fix it–even when the other person brought on the problem or bad mood him/herself. 

Let’s face it. Most of our unasked-for advice isn’t appreciated. Sometimes it’s resented. And I don’t know about your track record, but 90% of the advice I so helpfully “offer” to others is never followed. It frustrates me, but it’s my own fault since they didn’t ask for my input in the first place.

It’s also a colossal waste of time and energy. And that’s what we’re trying to conserve here. All this fixing takes place in the psychic head space we need for our writing.

Break Free!

Being able to focus on your writing means learning first to take your eyes off everyone else–and letting other perfectly capable adults figure out their own lives. Only then will you have the quiet space inside your head in which to mull over your writing and let it take shape.

Experiment with this idea over the course of the next several weeks. Each time you are listening to someone’s problems, just be a caring listener and bite your tongue unless you are specifically asked for advice. In a dead-end conversation, be polite and pleasant and say a few things, but don’t invest all your energy in this nonverbal bump on a log.

One more warning from Heather Sellers : “We spend so much of our time Being Everything to Everyone, why on earth are we surprised when we have nothing left but the swamp of procrastination to stew in?” You’re probably not procrastinating–she says–you’re exhausted. “Save part of yourself. You must hold yourself back. For the book. Practice giving a little less of yourself to Everyone and Everything (yes, you can!).”

May 21, 2010

My favorite writing magazine for many years has been The Writer. They also have a website, where you’ll find hundreds of articles and columns on the writing craft. There’s information on markets, agents, contests and conferences as well. Add forums and a staff blog, and you’ve got so much learning right at your fingertips.

Even if you aren’t a subscriber, WriterMag.com has a lot to offer. They’ve recently opened up all of their forums–including the critique forums–to registered users. (It’s free to register–see the right side at the top.) Here’s a sampling of what you’ll find at their website.

Extra goodies includes material they didn’t have room for in the monthly magazine.

A link on the home page takes you to this extensive library of articles on the life of a writer as well as the craft of writing. Browse through these topics and click away! There were ten articles on writing for children alone.

Scroll down the home page and you’ll find “columns,” including a column for children’s writers. A list of all the columns also includes past articles.

Under the gold “Community” button at the top, you’ll find links to the staff blog and the forum discussions on a variety of topics.

The drop down choices under the gold “Writing Resources” button at the top shows you where to go for information on upcoming contests and conferences. It also gives links to writing groups and organizations.

If you subscribe to their print magazine, you will have access to their more than 3,000 book publishers, magazines, agents etc.  You can browse the market listings by category or search by keyword.

Trying to find something in particular? Note the search engine in the upper right corner of the website. You can even browse through and order back issues you might have missed.

Visit the WriterMag.com website frequently. You can get a real education there!

May 19, 2010

A few weeks ago in “Find a Need and Fill It” I asked for your input concerning the topics you find most helpful in this blog.

Thank you all for the responses! It’s been very helpful. The requests fell into three main categories. Since I blog on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, that made it easy for me. From now on, this will be my general blogging schedule so that I can cover each topic area regularly.

What You Can Expect

Monday = Inner Motivation (includes:)

• fears–all kinds!
• discipline
• focus
• goals
• rejection
• lack of motivation
• encouragement
• a writer’s dream life
• procrastination
• working with our “inner editor”
• enjoying writing more
• perseverance
• creative inspiration
• writer’s block

Wednesday = Outer Challenges (includes:)

• setting boundaries
• time management
• distractions
• discipline
• writing schedules
• goal setting
• balancing writing with chaos in life
• balancing day jobs with writing
• our writing needs (vs. “their” needs)
• self-defeating behaviors

Friday = Tips ‘n’ Tricks of the Trade (includes:)

• specific genre help
• writing books I’ve found helpful
• blogs I find useful
• classes I’ve taken
• voice (writer’s and character’s)
• critique groups
• conferences
• working with publishers
• marketing–all kinds
• considering the audience when writing
• dealing with publishers who don’t respond
• finding good markets
• developing depth in writing
• selling “unique” pieces instead of jumping on the bandwagon

Thanks for Your Input

All your feedback has been immensely helpful in organizing future blog posts and making sure I cover topics you want to hear about and find useful. If I missed anything on these lists, feel free to let me know!

May 14, 2010

Don’t you wish you could be a spy at a publishing house? You could eavesdrop as the “powers that be” make publishing decisions, accepting this manuscript but rejecting another one.

Wouldn’t you love an inside track so you can understand the process behind acquisitions at traditional publishing houses?

Now’s Your Chance

You can do that today! Several publishing houses have given us a glimpse of what goes on during their publication board meetings. I hope you’ll take time to read these “behind the scenes” descriptions.

Here’s what happens at Peachtree Publishers.

And a Little, Brown editor shares her view.

Author and editor Harold Underdown explains the acquisitions process so well!

Taking the Fear Out

Sometimes the best thing you can do as a new writer is to educate yourself about the publishing process. So get yourself a cup of coffee or bowl of popcorn, settle back, and devour these articles.

The process may sound complicated–even daunting–the first time you read about it. But knowledge is power–and knowing what goes on behind closed doors at publishing houses can only help you in your quest for a traditional publisher.

May 12, 2010

Last week I took a clear look at my 2010 goals and my office–and was appalled. I started off so great in January! What had sidetracked me to the point that my office was buried under paper–truly couldn’t even see my desk top–and only one of four self-assigned deadlines had been met?

Actually, I’d suspected I was off track about six weeks ago. Knowing I was behind schedule, I worked longer hours, telling myself “it would all work out somehow.” Nose to the grindstone, I just kept pushing.

Did that get me back on track? No! I’m even further away from my goals than before.

I had to stop and admit that I had taken a wrong turn somewhere. I was no longer on the “road to success” that I started down in January. And all the prayer and positive thinking wasn’t going to change that.

What Happened?

I backtracked several months, trying to find out where my train had derailed. Luckily, I journal, so it wasn’t too difficult to find those triggering events. Some of the events were negative, and some positive (which surprised me).

For example, one of my New Year’s Resolutions (goals) was to stay off the Internet until after lunch and write in the mornings. I’d done it for a couple of months, and had a lot of writing to show for it. But one early morning when I had to post something before leaving on a trip, I was on Facebook and up popped an instant message from my deployed daughter in Iraq! Due to the time difference, she was online during my early morning hours. My journal that day reflected the joy I’d felt after instant messaging with her for nearly 45 minutes. After that, I started getting online early in the morning “just in case.” My plan was to see if she was online, and if not, get right off. That lasted less than a week. Soon I was back to checking and answering unimportant email, reading newsletters, and paying bills online–instead of writing.

Messy, Messy

I don’t know about you, but I can’t work in a mess. My office had had piles of paper stacked on the floor and both desks for weeks. It drove me nuts, but since I felt pushed for time, I worked on the kitchen table instead. Why so much mess? All because I dropped a five-minute habit two months ago.

One thing I learned in Margie Lawson’s “Defeating Self-Defeating Behaviors” class was to take 5-10 minutes at the end of the work day and clean your desk. File things away. Get out the first thing you’re going to work on in the morning–but just that one thing sitting on your clean desk. I used to do that–and feel energized just walking into my office.

I spent two days last weekend cleaning it. You can now actually walk INTO my walk-in closet. (Previously it was a lean-in closet, and you had to stand outside and reach for things.) Two big bags full of papers went to be recycled. Everything is now filed in clearly labeled WalMart storage boxes. And I’ve doubled my work output this week just by having the office clean!

Lay New Track

When we make our goals, we plan to follow a straight line to success.  However, if you’re moving away from your goals instead of closer, don’t just reassure yourself with (false) positive statements and keep going down the same path.

Stop! Backtrack. Pinpoint where you made a wrong turn so that you can now make a course correction. Lay some new track–track that’s headed again in the direction you intend.

I’m back to cleaning my office every evening before I quit work. And until my daughter comes home from Iraq, I’ll still check Facebook first thing in the morning–but then get off instead of checking email. I’m writing again in the morning when I’m more alert, leaving the Internet and marketing for later in the day.

What about you? Have you taken a wrong turn sometime this year that needs a course correction? If so, the sooner, the better!

May 10, 2010

When I’m frustrated, it’s usually a sign that I’m trying to control something I can’t control. This can be a person or a situation or an event. The process can churn your mind into mush until you can’t think.

On the other hand, making a 180-degree switch and focusing on the things I can control (self-control) is the fastest way out of frustration. This concept certainly applies to your writing life.

Words of Wisdom

Remember the Serenity Prayer? It goes like this: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

How about reducing frustration with your writing life by applying that wisdom to your career? Here are some things to accept that you cannot change:

• How long it takes to get a response from editors and agents
• Rejections
• Editors moving before buying the manuscript they asked to see
• Size of print runs
• Reviews
• Publisher’s budget for your book’s publicity and promotion

Trying to change anything on the above list is a sure-fire route to frustration and wanting to quit.

However, do you have courage to change the things you can? Here are some:

• Giving yourself positive feedback and affirmations
• Reading positive books on the writing life
• Studying writing craft books
• Writing more hours
• Reading more books in the genre where you want to publish
• Attending local, state, regional and national conferences you can afford
• Joining or forming a critique group

Wisdom to Know the Difference

If you’re battling frustration and discouragement with the writing life, chances are good that you’re trying to control something beyond your control. It will make you crazy! The fastest way back to sanity is to concentrate on what you can control about the writing life.

Choose anything from that second list–or share an additional idea in the comments below–and get on with becoming a better writer. In the end, that’s all you can do–and it will be enough.

May 7, 2010

A question from a blog reader asked, “Would you consider using a newly formed publishing company? What questions should a writer ask a new publisher to ensure they are getting appropriate care for their book?”

I’ve had one experience with a newly formed publisher–which I’ll write about below–but first let me mention a blog post on this subject on Writer Beware! The post is two years old, and due to the economy, it is even MORE true today than it was when posted. I hope you’ll read the entire post, but this is the bottom line summary:

“So unless you are absolutely, 100% positive that the publisher is staffed by people with substantial publishing experience–and maybe even then–it’s a good idea to wait until a new publisher has been in business for at least a year, and has published a number of books, before submitting. Not only does this assure you that the publisher can take books all the way through the production process, it lets you evaluate important things like physical and editorial quality, how the books are distributed, and how they are marketed. It also allows time for complaints, if there are any, to accumulate.

Tempting as it may be to join the rush to get in on the ground floor when a new publisher opens its doors, watching and waiting is a much better strategy.”

My Own Experience

My first mystery series fifteen years ago was my only experience with a brand new publisher. The man who started it had great credentials, and we met when speaking on a panel at a writer’s conference. It was professional from beginning to end, although his advance was a lot smaller than I was used to.

The first two books came out on time, but the sales were pretty low. (Thankfully I had had several mysteries published by that time because the “editor” I got knew nothing about mysteries and was an unpublished aspiring writer.) The third mystery ran into one snag after another, but since that happens sometimes, I wasn’t worried. I knew he was working on other books too and accepted the explanations for delays.

One Eye-Opening Day

I had several school visits approaching and needed copies of the third book, so when I had to be in his city for something else, I decided to just stop by the publishing house and pick up the books, as he’d said they were finished and boxed up.

When I finally located the address, I felt surely it must be wrong. It wasn’t in the business area of town–it was a residence. His home. No one answered the door, so I walked around the back and peeked in the window of the basement.

There were stacks of books and piles of papers everywhere. Evidently this was the publishing “house.” Literally! And it turned out that this man was the entire “staff” and he was out of money. Any books sold would be up to me. (This was prior Internet marketing, so I was stuck with the books and no way other than school visits to sell them.)

Needless to say, I wished I had asked a lot more questions early in the process. The books weren’t reviewed and fell through the cracks.

(Reminder: do read the full article on Writer Beware!) And please become a regular reader of their blog. It will save you years of headaches and heartaches!

Questions to Ask

If you are still considering submitting to a newly formed company, ask them:

1. How many titles are you publishing this year?
2. If there are published titles already, buy one or two and read them. (Look for quality of editing, typos, quality of art work, etc.)
3. Contact other authors who have published with them. Ask about editing, sales, art work, whether the publisher answers their emails, etc. Thanks to the Internet and Facebook and Twitter, you can find almost anyone online.
4. What constitutes your staff? (You may find that the publisher is also the editor, layout designer, promoter, sales rep, publicist, and delivery man.) If these jobs are “hired out,” who does these jobs? Are they qualified?

Google the new company too and check for complaints in blogs and message boards.

Forewarned

I know several writers who have signed with new publishers over the last few years. Every time, it’s been a dismal, frustrating experience–and resulting in so few sales.

If you don’t ask these questions before you query, at least get answers you’re happy with before you sign ANYTHING. As the blog title says, writer beware!

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