December 8, 2008

Today is my birthday. Before I open any of my gifts from family and friends, I already know what my favorite gift is going to be. It’s one I decided to give to myself.

Always Running, Faster, FASTER!

I’ve been writing and publishing since my kids were babies. They’re in their twenties and thirties now, having babies of their own. Many of those growing-up years were either single parenting years or times when the family relied heavily on my income. Slowing down to read more or study my craft was not an option. The 50+ hours of work per week needed to generate income: writing books, teaching, speaking, writing test questions, doing private critiques, etc.

Whenever I thought about studying more, reading more, taking more time to grow as a writer (versus making every hour a billable hour), I would promise myself, Later, when things slow down and the cash flow eases up. Even when that day came where I could cut back, I found that the very idea panicked me. I had drummed into my head for so many years that freelancer warning, “If you don’t work, you don’t eat.” You learn to go without paid sick days or paid vacations–much less time to study one’s craft.

If Not NOW, When?

For several years, I’ve been having a discussion with a dear writing friend who would also love to slow down and study and spend time to improve her writing. It’s a dream we’ve both had for a long time. We’ve done motivational workshops, learned how to “work smarter, not harder,” streamlined our work habits, multi-tasked until we met ourselves coming and going. And what did we do with the time freed up by all this smarter working? We worked more, took on more projects, learned how to do website design/blog/Twitter, and lamented ever finding more time.

The Tipping Point

What pushed me over the edge into making the decision to give myself the gift of time? I went to a writer’s workshop Saturday in Austin, a “first pages” workshop hosted by Cynthia Leitich Smith where Cynthia and HarperCollins editor Jill Santopolo critiqued three opening pages from every workshop participant. One of the many things that struck me Saturday was Cynthia’s broad knowledge of what’s being published. I asked her on break about her reading schedule. She reads a juvenile/YA novel or a stack of picture books DAILY. Most times, I’m embarrassed to say, I do well to read a children’s book a month (usually something a friend has had published.) We learn so much about good writing from reading. I’ve always known that. But at some point–while trying to keep food on the table–I had let that part of my writing life lapse.

Cynthia is an instructor for the famous Vermont MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults. Jill had been one of her students. Several writers in the audience had completed their MFA program as well. While I don’t have the $$$ to do the two-year program, I can make the time (if I really want to) to read widely what is currently being published. I can study the excellent writing books on my shelves that have gathered dust after I only read the first chapter or two. I always intended to finish the books later–but later had not yet come.

Now is later.

Starting today, I am giving myself the gift of time to study and read. I think if I do my writing/teaching/moneymaking activities in the morning that I can read/study my craft in the afternoons. I’ve wanted to do this for years, and given the economic times, it’s a smart career move too, I expect. We will all need to become better writers. And if not now, when?

Maybe you can’t afford to work part-time yet. I know that situation is a reality for many of us. But if you can squeeze out even a daily hour to read current books in your field and study a writing craft book, I encourage you to do it. I can’t wait! It’s going to be a very good year.

October 29, 2008

Reading like a writer, I mentioned on Monday, is important because it’s another excellent way to learn writing techniques. It’s harder work than reading a book on writing or attending a how-to workshop, though, because you must do the analyzing yourself.

But if you want to grow in your craft—and shorten your learning curve with some excellent self-study—learn to read like a writer. Sounds good, but don’t know where to start?

I really didn’t either—until one writer friend said I needed to learn the skill of “close reading,” and another writer friend gave me a how-to book on close reading called Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and For Those Who Want to Write Them by Francine Prose.

Tools and Tricks of the Masters

Long before there were creative writing workshops and MFA programs in children’s literature, how did aspiring writers learn to write? By reading the work of their predecessors and contemporaries, says Francine Prose.

In Reading Like a Writer, Prose invites you to sit by her side and take a guided tour of the tools and the tricks of the masters. She cautions readers to slow down and pay attention to words, the raw material out of which literature is crafted. You’ll study words, sentences, paragraphs, character, dialogue, details, gestures and more.

You learn to take things apart so you can actually see how it was all put together. You won’t have to “wonder how they did that” anymore when finishing a book that impacted you.

After you’ve read Prose’s book, you’ll never look at books the same again. You will read old favorites with a new appreciation. And you’ll read current books with an eye toward learning techniques that you can apply to your own work.

October 27, 2008

I love book clubs. If I had all the time in the world, I’d belong to several hosted in our public libraries: the general book club, the mystery book club, the women’s book club…

I’ve started several times, but then had to drop out because (1) I couldn’t keep up with the books on the list because I had other books and magazines I needed to read first, or (2) the books chosen either didn’t interest me or I actively disliked them. Life is too short to spend it reading boring or repulsive books.

Still, I love the book club atmosphere. For a writer, it’s stimulating to be in a room full of people who love books as much as you do. It’s fun to hear the differing opinions. A book I love might be detested by someone else, and vice versa. It is a good lesson for writers that you can’t please everyone with your writing, and that if one reader (editor) doesn’t like it, you have a good chance that the next one will.

This will sound like a digression at this point, but it’s not. Bear with me…it ties up in the end…

For nearly thirty years—since I was a beginning writer—I’ve known that I needed to keep up with what is being published in my genre (juvenile fiction, specifically middle grade). I have always had a terrible time doing it. When I was a brand new writer, I found it demoralizing to read the popular middle grade fiction of the day. I knew I could never measure up.

When I first started getting my books published, I just didn’t have time to read. My children were still small, I was doing so many school talks and workshops, and there was simply no extra time to read what others were publishing. I barely had time to read what I was publishing myself.

And now, when my kids are grown, there’s time to read what my peers are writing. But am I doing it? Rarely, although I want to and need to. By the time I’ve written or edited my work for the day, perhaps done a critique for someone else or written my blog entry, I want to collapse with an adult book in the evening. I want soothing Jane Austen or a gripping adult mystery.

But (and I digress back now) I do love book clubs. So…why not a marriage of the two desires?

That’s what my weekly critique group is going to start soon: a book club where we meet to discuss current children’s books being published. We’re only going to meet once a month, and we’ll probably discuss more than one children’s book each time. It will be both pleasure and work. We love talking about books we’ve enjoyed, and it will help us all keep current on what’s being published.

We’re in the process of drawing up reading lists now. Plus I’m studying a book on how to actually read “like a writer.” There’s a skill to analyzing and dissecting how an author accomplishes telling his story. But more about that Wednesday…