Writers Who Inspire Me (Katherine Pritchett)

  

      First of all, let me, apologize for completely forgetting last month’s blog. I was in Tennessee with all my children and grandchildren, including the one just born in July; for some reason, blogs were not on my mind. And now it is really hard to focus on much of anything, because my novel, What the River Knows, will be released by The Wild Rose Press on October 14. (You can preorder now, but the e-book won't download until the 14th and the paperback won't ship until then.) 

The E-book link http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=195&products_id=6413 

The Paperback link

http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=191&products_id=6459 

       This is the culmination of a dream I’ve cherished since I was 14. Or maybe I should say, the beginning of the dream. My dream included me being the author of many books. So, when we celebrate at WARA’s retreat in a couple of weeks, we will drink to the next book.

          

      Now, on to writers who inspire me. I could say Stephen King, who persevered despite reams of rejections, or Frank Herbert, whose Dune made me despair of ever writing that well, or Ray Bradbury, whose Martian Chronicles is a lyrical allegory I enjoy still. Or Hemingway, toiling through despair, alcoholism and great mistakes in love—he wrote better miserable. But the writers who truly inspire me are none of the so-called greats. Those writers who keep me going are the writers I know personally.

            

    Many of these are the ladies of WARA. Like me, most of you hold down a full time job, many of you parent children still at home. You deal with many tasks that demand your attention and it is easy to put off the writing “till there is more time.” But we all know that time is never guaranteed. So, on we write. We usually don’t finish a novel in a month, even pushed by NaNoWriMo or WARA’s version of it. We are lucky to grab 15 minutes to add a paragraph or two to our work in progress. Yet, we critique each other’s work, brainstorm with our friends to help break through blockages in the plot flow, research one more idea. We keep on going, no matter what tries to keep us from writing. We can’t “not write.”

    

   I’m sure the greats we would hope to emulate had these same issues. They kept on keeping on and we can, too. Maybe someday, we’ll be the writers another generation will look to as examples. Let’s give them good ones.

   Write on!

My Writing Thoughts I Would Like To Share With you !!! (Z Minor)

Write every day or at least most days. You set your own schedule to how many days you will write and for how long. The most important point to remember is DO IT. I know you think you don’t have time every day because writing a story takes a considerable amount of time – 2-3 minimum hours or more per session. Not true! If all you have is fifteen (15) minutes a day, you can train your mind to cooperate after about a week of writing for the length of time you choose. And when you set down in your chair to write your creative mind just takes over and for the allotted time you write. It is amazing how much writing, plotting, or character work you can get done in a small or large amount of time if you are committed to your writing. I don’t know why it works but take it from me – it does. Give it a try, you will be surprised, and then I can tell you “I told you so.”

I can’t write all day every day. Daily chores like cooking, cleaning, laundry, my flower garden, other creative enjoyments, and my favorite - lunch with friends – take me away from my current writing projects. Yet, in reality doing other things, see above, helps my creativity. I find if I write too long, my writing doesn’t improve. So I write for a couple of hours most days, take a break. This gives me time to plot in my head while I’m doing tasks which are mindless, see above. Then when I come back to my project, my mind is refreshed, and ready to be creative. Remember to have fun!

BICHOK WARA Mantra – Butt In Chair Hands On Keyboard. Your story will not get written if you don’t work on it. The world is full of people who say – someday I will write a novel. Become one of those people who doesn’t just talk about writing a book. Just Do it!!!

Research - If you are going to write a story using researched material find enough to get started writing your story. Determine which facts are needed to enhance your plot and characters. Remember too many events become an unwanted information dump and/or a history lesson. Sprinkle the information carefully throughout your novel. Don’t forget your characters – weave them into the researched action. Once you determine what facts you will use you can always do more research if need be to give your story more detail.

You can research as you write. Be careful you don’t spend months/years researching instead of writing your story. Many successful writers use only a small percent of the material they have research for their novels.

Finish Your Novel – Believe it or not there are many people who start writing a story – be it a novel or a short story and never get beyond a few pages or chapters. In fact, many people have many books started but none finished. Don’t be one of them. Complete your novel, short story, novella, etc. I have enjoyed watching my characters come alive before my eyes even when they talk back to me or are just plain stubborn. Join a writer’s group, there are many in our area to choose from. They offer encouragement to a new writer and suggestions for improvement to seasoned writers.

Z. Minor

Author of Historical Romantic & Contemporary Suspense Novels.

So you want to write a book? (Kathy Pritchett)

Are you sure? Do you want to dedicate hours, days, weeks, months and even years to make what is in your imagination come alive for others? Do you want to hear criticism, both constructive and just plain mean, about what you have poured your soul into? Okay, if your answer is yes, plow ahead for some advice from someone who has been there.

First of all, write. Every day. Make it a habit. The more you do this, the easier it will become for the words to tiptoe out from hiding and show themselves. Sadly, this is a piece of advice I seldom heed. I guess, though I have considered myself a writer from the age of 14 (that’s a lotta years; don’t bother with the math; we deal in words!), I also suffer from the fear that this gift that has been entrusted to me will be taken away, and the words won’t come. Even the main character in More Than a Point of Honor and The Judas Seat (and more books, if I can just let them out), successful novelist Richard Matthews, fears the words not flowing.

Second, do your research. I just read another book in Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series. Like all of her books, it teams with minute historical, medical, psychological detail. You smell the unwashed people, feel the sweat run down your back, tremble in fear of hanging, and want to run from the white sow. I don’t know how she knows so much medical information or the minute details of Colonial dress and toilet, but it sure adds to the story. Her detail, rather than slowing down the flow, adds to and is an integral part of the plot. Tom Clancy’s and even J.R.R. Tolkien’s detail bogs me down at time, but not Diana’s or Frank Herbert’s. Good writers are like good painters. Every brushstroke takes you closer to the picture they want you to see.

Third, edit, rewrite, then edit and rewrite again. Listen to beta readers and critics. Comments that are from left field might safely be ignored, but if several readers have the same complaint, look closely at the issue. See what you can do to fix it. Though writing is considered a solitary task, it really isn’t. A writer, except perhaps for Emily Dickinson, doesn’t write for her or himself. A writer writes to communicate with readers. Richard mentions this in his address to a writing conference in Honor. If readers don’t understand what you have tried to tell them, don’t blame the readers. Try again.

In short, if you want to write a book, do it. Be prepared to give up time with friends, other hobbies and often, your sanity. But do it. Write, research, and edit. Over and over. You may write several books that never see publication—author Jodi Thomas call it your “under the bed” book—but you will learn more than a Master’s program in the writing of it. As a critic told me once, “keep at it and you’ll get there.” Even though that was back in the days of typewriters, it’s still good advice.

It's a New Year. Yay? (Penny Rader)

Joël, Evelyñ, François
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I have a secret, one I've never admitted to anyone.  Not even myself.

I dread the new year.

Sounds silly, doesn't it?  A new year should be, well, all fresh and shiny…and new, filled with anticipation and all sorts of possibilities.

I do wish I felt that way.  Instead, a new year brings new expectations.  It means I have to set goals for the year.  Goals I know I won’t reach – I haven’t met many goals I've set for several years.   I keep telling myself “baby steps.”  And I’ll occasionally make one or two of those baby steps, but they’re very few and far between.

Since negative people are such a drag to be around and I don’t want to be one of those people no one wants to be around, I work hard to keep a smile on my face and have a positive attitude, to be kind and non-whiny (yeah, big fail on that today), yet here I am in the new year:

• Still not organized.  

• Still not healthy or slender.  Mostly sick and tired of being sick and tired.  Have lost a few pounds, but still have quite a few to go. Blood tests always come back as normal.  Migraines and tummy issues flare up at really inconvenient times.  Sometimes medication helps, sometimes not.   Would love to have steady amounts of energy instead of almost constant fatigue, instead of looking at upcoming events and wondering if I’ll even have the energy required to participate in whatever family event, etc, is approaching.  I’m embarrassed by how relieved I am when there’s nowhere I have to be on the weekends or after work.  Too bad energy can’t be conserved and stored for withdrawals later.

• Still haven’t finished another writing project.  Have barely made any progress on writing at all.  I've had one book published…over four years ago.  If I were a Harlequin author I would've been expected to have written 8 -12 books by now.  If I were a single title author with one of the big NY publishers that number would mostly like be 4 – 8 books.  At the minimum I figured I’d have at least another novel drafted by now (I am a slow writer) and working on polishing it (which is my favorite part of writing).  Writers write and I haven’t been.  

• Still haven’t defeated my nemesis: fear.

So now that I've thoroughly depressed myself (and probably you, if you're still reading), I went hunting for some quotes to lift me out of my funk.  I figure if they inspire me or make me smile, then maybe they’ll be helpful to someone else.

Conor Thaxton
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“I write to give myself strength. I write to be the characters that I am not. I write to explore all the things I'm afraid of. ”  ― Joss Whedon

“One thing that helps is to give myself permission to write badly. I tell myself that I’m going to do my five or 10 pages no matter what, and that I can always tear them up the following morning if I want. I’ll have lost nothing—writing and tearing up five pages would leave me no further behind than if I took the day off.”
— Lawrence Block

“Remember: Plot is no more than footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations.”  —Ray Bradbury

“Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don't try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It's the one and only thing you have to offer.”
―  Barbara Kingsolver

Jennifer
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“Exercise the writing muscle every day, even if it is only a letter, notes, a title list, a character sketch, a journal entry. Writers are like dancers, like athletes. Without that exercise, the muscles seize up.”
―  Jane Yolen

“I learned that you should feel when writing, not like Lord Byron on a mountain top, but like a child stringing beads in kindergarten, --happy, absorbed and quietly putting one bead on after another.”
―  Brenda Ueland

“This is for writers yet to be published who think the uphill climb will never end.  Keep believing. This is also for published writers grown jaded by the process.  Remember how lucky you are.”   ― Terry Brooks

"Believe in love. Believe in magic. Hell, believe in Santa Claus. Believe in others. Believe in yourself. Believe in your dreams. If you don't, who will?" ―  Jon Bon Jov

avrdreamer
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“A writer is like a bag lady going through life with a sack and a pointed stick collecting stuff.”
―  Tony Hillerman

“Don’t forget – no one else sees the world as you do, so no one else can tell the stories that you have to tell.”  ―  Charles de Lint

"Don't look back. Write a page, turn it over, and move on. It's easier to make changes to a book that's finished."  ―  Mario Puzo

“The greatest mistake you can make in life is continually fearing that you'll make one.” ― Elbert Hubbard

Teresa Robinson
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“One of the things I know about writing is this: spend it all, shoot it, play it, lose it, all, right away, every time. Do not hoard what seems good for a later place in the book or for another book; give it, give it all, give it now. Something more will arise for later, something better.”  ― Annie Dillard

“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes and having fun”
― Mary Lou Cook

“No one can tell the story you can tell. No one knows it. No other human can feel the emotions swirling around your characters or feel emotion on behalf of those characters unless you put those characters on the page…. Have I convinced you that if you’re a storyteller who’s not telling stories, then the rest of us are deprived?”  ―  Beth Hill

BK
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~~

What do you do to get yourself out of a funk and rediscover the joy of life, of creating?

Trying not to murder all the characters in my mystery (Melissa Robbins)

What is the hardest part about writing?  Not the actual writing.  That’s easy.  I love to write about my characters to see what wonderful adventures they get themselves into.  I have done that since I was a kid. 

The hard part comes in when I have to create the stories the rest of the planet wants to read.  I dread the editing part, but if I want to be published, it has to be done.  Writing is no longer fun and becomes work.  Imagine that, huh?  My characters start to annoy and pester me to the point I want to murder my entire ensemble just to be done with the process. 

During editing, the doubts and fears emerge.  “This story stinks.”  “No one would read this ridiculous story.”  If you are able to chase away those demons (good for you), hopefully you have a piece of work you can share with critique partners and submit to contests.  Then it gets even uglier when your fellow writers come back with feedback you would rather not hear.  For the most part, the feedback is helpful and makes your story even better.  

What is your hardest part of writing?

For Her (Melissa Robbins)

At the beginning of this month, I was unsure what to blog about.  The other WARA ladies posted about their value, passions, etc.  I thought about discussing my goals for the year.  Then, on January 11^th, my entire world turned upside down.  My youngest, who would have turned three this week, died suddenly.  As I write this, we still don’t know what happened or why.  It’s one thing to write about mysteries.  It’s another thing entirely to live it. 

I can’t bring myself to get up at 5 am and write, but here’s the deal.  There were times when I wrote on my computer instead of snuggling with my little girl while she watched her favorite show, Team Umizoomi or played ponies.  Times I will never get back. 

I know I can’t wave a magic wand over my story and get it published, but fear of sending out queries always held me back.  No more fears.  I owe it to my little girl to get my book published or go down fighting.  Then those missed opportunities won’t be wasted. 

I’m holding my writer friends accountable to nag me to edit my story, to enter contests, and get out those queries. 

Discovering Inspiration Along the Way

What's the most unusual thing in your writing space that inspires, entertains or humors you?

I've been thinking a lot the last fourteen days about what I'd write about today and been coming up with very few inspiring ideas. After ten plus years of writing, I finally have my own writing space and what have I done to make that space inspiring? Not much.

After two moves in the last three years I've been living out of boxes with a few stacks of books making their home near my desk. I have come to a point in my life of starting over. My third child has left the nest and I've taken over her bedroom as my office area. After a year, I still feel like I'm trespassing in her room and while it thrills me to finally have space that is my own I've been struggling with truly making it mine.

I do have plans and ideas for this space of mine but I think it will be built a little at a time as I rediscover myself and refocus on becoming the writer I dream of being. I hope to someday have pictures of heroes and heroines on my walls, screaming out at me to write their stories. I've always wanted to develop a better plotting style as well and have writing and plotting boards to help my stories past that first blank page. It's a fun journey thinking about what really inspires me. Who am I and what would I like to have around this space that will motivate me to move further along my writing path.

But for right now in this moment in time, on my desk I have a teddy bear and a small pink convertible. The teddy bear was a gift from a very special person who has shown me that romance truly does exist in the world. My fluffy bear inspires me every day to write about that love that for a very long time I didn't really believe in. The pink convertible was a gift from a friend after the 2007 RWA conference in Dallas. It brings back memories of friends and fun and gives me hope that some day I'll have a car and drive again and go to other conferences and meetings.

As I continue my life and writing journey, I have my teddy bear, my pink convertible and my secret stash of peanut butter M&M's. I am inspired, humored and entertained, but I am never finished growing and learning.

What about you? I want to hear some of the things other writers have in their space that inspires them to give me some ideas of what to do with mine.

Nose Art: Research or a Distraction? (Melissa Robbins)

This is a timely post to say the least. All four of my kids (8,6,4,2) are home from school for Spring Break and as I write this on Thursday, I haven’t seen the sunshine since Sunday. That’s four days of straight rain, people. This ain’t Seattle. Rain and four kids stuck inside equals a BAD spring break. Anyway, knowing all four would be under foot, I’ve made a point get up at my usual 5 am writing time and really focus on writing, not email or Facebook. It worked. I managed to meet and surpass my writing goals without taking time away from my children.

Those same four crazy kids certainly help my imagination. My eldest struggles with reading and writing so we have focused on that this week. Emma has such a vivid imagination and we worked on characters, a setting, and a plot for her story about a pink otter, a mermaid, and a princess who floats on a large leaf boat, traveling the high seas. Although, I discovered she would rather be a director and act and leave the script writing to the professionals.

On Wednesday, my kids and I visited our Museum of World Treasures. Growing up in DC, I’m a wee bit spoiled on the whole museum thing, but my kids loved it and being that my story takes place during WW2, that section of the museum is my personal favorite. However, my American and English characters cringed when my four year old daughter informed me the German naval officer’s uniform was her favorite. A German? And a sailor at that. My RAF flyboy, Connor stomped off to pout. There is also a display of a dispersal hut with two airmen mannequins. One of them wears the Army Air Corps patch on his shoulder. My son has the same patch on his leather jacket, a gift from my father, who is as big of a WW2 nut as I am. Duncan must have forgotten or didn’t realize his patch used to belong to a pilot. His blue eyes lit up and I was like, ‘That’s it!’ That is the look I want to give to my flyboys in my story, because they love flying so much.

I have said it before on this blog that drawing affects my writing. My sketches inspire my creativity, but they can also be a distraction. When I should be writing or critiquing a fellow writer’s work, I’m sketching. My latest deviations have been nose art for my pilots. I got a new set of illustration markers and coloring with my kids makes for a great activity. Did I mention it has been raining all week?

Anyway, researching nose art has been uber fun. Those flyboys were so creative and naughty and the artists really were considered the most essential members of a squadron. Did you know that Walt Disney himself created the Flying Tigers emblem? The Royal Air Force didn't showcase nose art as much as the Yanks did, but as Connor would say, “If that ruddy Jerry can have Mickey Mouse on his plane, I can have a raven.” He is referring to Adolf Galland, one of Germany’s top aces. I’m sure the two have dogfighted on occasion.

Drawing the nose art has been a creative experience for me since it was considered an expression of the pilot’s personality. I tried to reflect the cartoonish style of the 40's. So here is my latest deviation from writing. I have several sketched out, but these are the ones colored.

“Bacon” – 1^st Lieutenant Jackson Spencer, P-40. Bacon is Jack’s beagle. It’s my favorite of the lot. Snoopy wearing his pilot helmet and goggles was a popular nose art figure, but I wanted to be original with Jack’s.

“Raven: Harbinger of Destruction” – Flight Lieutenant Connor Buchanan, Spitfire. A fellow writer friend came up with the raven for Connor since he hails from Maryland (half English), but also because of all the war mythology and the Tower of London attached to the raven. The ‘harbinger of destruction’ is funny to me because not only does Connor destroy German planes, but he’s very rough on his own.

“For King and Country”- Squadron Leader Basil Godfrey, Hurricane. I like this one on so many levels. Plus the Grim Reaper appears less creepy wearing a Union Jack cloak versus a black one.

“Spyder” – Pilot Officer Johann “Spyder” Snyder, Hurricane. There are conflicting reports as to how Spyder earned his nickname. Did his squadron leader not want to use Spyder’s German name or it is because Spyder is so handsy with the ladies, it’s like he has more than two hands???

“Rosie” – Flying Officer George Rosegate, Spitfire. The fox was Connor’s idea. George is too modest and shy to put a fox on his plane, but Connor knows how sly George is on the inside. The rose in the fox's mouth represents his hidden romantic side.

What Affects Writers and Their Writing? (Penny Rader)

http://pinterest.com/pin/235594624226690802/

I poked around the Internet to see what I could find about what affects writers and their writing.  Found some interesting pieces and posted snippets below.  I do hope you’ll click the links and read the entire article by each author and perhaps find something of benefit to you.

Book Writing Tips: How Does Where You Write Affect Your Writing? (Lisa Tener)

 … where you write can affect your creativity and productivity, as well as your tone, how well the writing flows and the quality of the writing itself.

Try writing in:

• A café 
• Your office
• By a warm fire with a cup of tea
• Outdoors (if you’re not in New England in January)
• Bed
• Curled up with your cat or dog on the couch
• On a plane, train or ferry

Compare the writing and see how the venue affects it. What works?

http://bit.ly/xeQiCH  

Breaking Out of Writer’s Block (Apryl Duncan)

Common Causes
Unrealistic Goals
Stress
Neglecting Our Writing
Perfectionism
Research-related

The Cure
Revisit
Change of Scenery
Rewrite Another’s Work
Use Real Pictures
Doodle
Object Focus
Building Blocks
Life Events
Network

http://bit.ly/xQ7OcM 

Butt OUT of Chair (L.S. Taylor)

Yes, L.S discusses something I’m in dire need of: exercise.

• Resistance Training
• Sports
• Water
• Sleep
• Stretching

Fear – And How It Affects Writers (Laura E. Bradford)

http://bit.ly/whYzUS 

Fear leads to stagnation.

Stagnation leads nowhere.

… fear also leads to writers closing Word documents and saying "Maybe tomorrow. Maybe next week."

… take that fear and put it into your work. Don't let it paralyze you. View it as something positive--something to help you improve.

Healthy Eyes: Tips for Reducing Eye Strain (Robyn Chausse)

http://bit.ly/yutaOZ 

In this article, Robyn discusses:

• Office Ergonomics
• Rest and Exercise
• The Stretch
• Zen Vision
• The Painter
• Lubricate

Knowing Your Personality Type Can Make You A Better Writer--Here's How

The Keirsey Temperament Test is a well known psychological test derived from Jungian psychological theory.  Through a series of short questions, the test will assign you a basic personality type--there are 16 possible types. Finding out your personality type can provide insights into your writing style, its strengths and its weaknesses.  If you are having problems with deadlines, writer’s block, or other wiring related difficulties, this test might lead to a solution.

Note from Penny:  This is pretty cool.  There’s a link to the test, which takes 10 minutes or so.  After you take the test, click the link called Your Personality Type and Writing.  And then, if you want more info about personality types, there are several more links to check out.


After you take the Kiersey Temperament Test, you might be interested in Andrea Wenger’s posts about the 16 Writing Personalities.

Music Affects My Writing (Steven Symes)

Part of my writing methodology involves music, since I have found music to be one of my writing muses.

I actually create a soundtrack or a playlist of songs. … I listen to different parts of the soundtrack or score as I write different parts of the story, since the music has the general feel I want to create for the story.”


Plotters vs Pantsers: How to Make Sure Writers Block Doesn’t Kill Your Dream (Glen C. Strathy)

Novel writers fall into two basic camps. On the one hand, plotters are those writers who like to plan their novels from beginning to end before they start writing. Pantsers (or pantsters), on the other hand, simply sit down and start writing, trusting that they will figure everything out as they go along. (The name comes from the fact that they write by the seat of their pants.) Both approaches have their advantages at certain times, but both can fall prey to different forms of writer’s block, which can prevent them from finishing their novel.

Fortunately, whether you are a plotter or a pantser, you can avoid this problem by knowing when to adopt a little bit of the opposite approach.

http://bit.ly/zhottI 

Sensory Tips for the Distractible Writer (Therese Walsh)

I am so distractible. Dealing with that aspect of myself is one of my greatest challenges as a writer. Though my doc has assured me that I do not have an adult version of ADD, I’ve wondered a time a two.

Being distractible can be caused by a whole slew of things—like genetics, parenthood, stress, and anxiety—but that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything about it.

Check out Therese’s article for more tips:

• Minimize visual distractions
• Maximize visual helpers
• Minimize auditory distractions
• Maximize auditory helpers
• Maximize olfactory helpers
• Maximize gustatory helpers

That Only Happens to Other People! - When Tragedy Affects a Writer's Livelihood (Karen Carver)

"What if" you were in an accident or came home from the military missing one or both hands? "What if" you were diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Parkinson's Disease, Diabetes, or Multiple Sclerosis? And what if you were a worker who made his or her living solely from writing or data entry? What if an accident or disease were to dramatically affect or possibly cut you off from doing what you love - writing? And what about that loss of income?

http://inkwellsplatters.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/dreams23.jpg

Writers' Dreams – How Do Dreams Affect the Writing Process (Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen)

Stephen King – Part of my function as a writer is to dream awake

James Hall – The more you pay attention to your dreams, the more you seem to dream or the more you recall what you’ve dreamed

http://bit.ly/yQ3Uoa  

Writing Ergonomics: Top Tips for Proper Posture, Alignment, and Movement (John Soares)

Freelance writers and everyone who writes or works at a computer needs to pay attention to proper body posture/position, alignment, and movement — if you want to be a faster writer and be a happier writer, you must learn about ergonomics.

• Your Writing Chair
• Your Writing Posture
• Your Typing Hands
• Movement at the Computer
• Using a Laptop

~~~

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Ninety Thousand - My Magic Number (Melissa Robbins)

This year, WARA has challenged their members to a word writing contest. The winner will be based on percentage completed, so the writer who struggles writing 25,000 words can compete with the published authors who have several book contracts.

Ninety-thousand words. That's my writing goal for the year. Seems pretty daunting, doesn't it? How did I come up with this magic number? Most of the stories I write have 85,000 words, but I have 70,000 words for a story I should finish and 20,000 for one I started last November for Nanowrimo. Ninety-thousand might just finish both stories or at least one!

But 90,000 is still a big number, so I broke it down. Being able to break a goal down in manageable mini-goals is key or you'll go stark-raving mad. I created a spreadsheet with equations. My engineering husband is so proud. For a yearly goal of 90,000, that's 7,500 words per month, 1731 words a week, 246 words a day (Hey, it's a leap year! We get an extra day!). Two hundred forty-six words is less than a page a day. That's doable, right? Okay maybe not for me last week, but editing can really slow a writer down and that's what I was doing. I rocked the word count earlier in the month, so I should still meet my monthly goal. Correction, I will meet my monthly goal.

Since the group is tracking their percentages, I added an equation on my handy-dandy spreadsheet that tracks my monthly and yearly percentage goals. I have reached 78.29% of my goal for January and 6.52% for yearly goal. Another trick I found helpful for tracking are the number rows. One for January 1^st and down the column.

We'll have to see how I do. I'm not one to keep New Year's resolutions, but I prefer to write than exercise, so I may just keep this goal.

(Not) In the Mood

This month we've been blogging about the writing problems we struggle with and how we solve them.  Some problems are solved permanently, some are solved temporarily, and some are never solved.  The reasons can be anything from a change in our lives that happens because of outside circumstances or it can be from something inside ourselves.  Sometimes we have control, and sometimes we don't.  The trick is discovering whether we fool ourselves into blaming things out of our control, when we really can do something about then, if we make a change, either in ourselves or the world and people around us.

Every one of us has been through those not-in-the-mood-to-write times, whether it's  a good time or a bad time.  I've been going through that since early this year, and I've found that I have had to sit down and make myself write.  That means literally sitting myself in my chair at my desk, putting my hands on the keyboard, and bringing up the Word file I need to work with.  And even then I have to trick myself into doing what needs to be done.  I'll be honest.  Even that doesn't always work.

Sometimes even trying to trick myself doesn't work. I just don't feel like writing.  Today is one of those days.  I know I should.  In additional to this blog post, I'm working on some old manuscripts, trying to decide if any are worth reworking and revising or if they should be put back under the proverbial bed and forgotten.  I'm not making much progress.  I'm just not in the mood.

Not wanting to write can be linked to not feeling our writing is worthwhile.  Do we feel guilty for taking time away from family to do something for ourselves?  Has someone said or done something that tells us they think writing is a waste of our time?  Have we recently received a rejection or entered a contest where a judge's comments have made us doubt ourselves?  There are thousands of things that can open the door to doubt, but the only one who can close that door is ourselves.

If, like me, you're struggling with not being in the mood to write, take a look at what's going on in your life.  If you find whatever it might be that is causing the non-writing mood isn't something that can be changed, then wait as patiently as possible, without beating yourself up, until an opportunity, no matter how small, presents itself.  And if that non-writing mood is caused by something within, it's time to take a close look, be honest, and do whatever is necessary to change it.

Good luck!  (I know I need it!)

IMAGINATION      INSPIRATION      ENCOURAGEMENT      MOTIVATION

"If Music Be the Food of Love, Play On." - William Shakespeare (Melissa Robbins)

This month, we have been discussing problems writers face. I'm going to discuss inspiration. If we want to write, we find the time and push away those fear demons.

What inspires me to sit at a computer for hours on end (besides my characters wanting to get out and me going crazy until they do)? Music. I have a playlist on my computer that plays along while I write. My husband mocks my “soundtrack” for my stories, but listening to certain songs when I'm writing helps with the emotions that go into a scene.

So here is my playlist made up of songs from movie soundtracks and swing music since my story takes place in 1940.

Page 47 – National Treasure 2, Book of Secrets - This song has that epic quality to it. I picture fighter planes flying over my heroine's head or Wren standing on that beautiful spot on the cliffs overlooking the Channel.

Sing, Sing, Sing – Benny Goodman - I can't have a playlist for a story set in 1940 without including this classic. Sure makes it easy to write a dance scene in a village hall filled with fun and forgotten cares. It starts as soon as my heroine and her friends walk through the door.

Jumpin' Jack – Big Bad Voodoo Daddy – This is my hero, Jack's swing theme song. The boy loves to dance. My kids love this song and request it when we are driving in the car.

First Class – X-men: First Class – There are some amazing songs on this soundtrack. Similar tunes run through all the songs, but to me they convey so much emotion and it is sure fun to picture Jack sauntering sexily to this song.

503 – Angels and Demons – A sorrowful song; there is a war going on.

(I Would Do) Anything for You – Benny Goodman – as a former clarinet player, I'm a big fan of Benny (not that my band director let us clarinet players play any of his stuff). This song is Wren and Jack's fast theme swing song. I always found the title appropriate.

Goodnight, My Love – Benny Goodman – Wren and Jack's slow theme swing song; Jack sings it to her. My kids love this song, too. They all sing it in the car. I caught Becca (my three year old) belting the song out in the living room one day without the music playing. She could only remember two lines, but it was cute.

Kingdom Dance – Tangled – I LOVE this movie. It is my favorite Disney one. How does this song figure into my story? It has an Irish dance flair to it and I have a scene where one of my character's dad is playing his fiddle during an air raid.

Sky Battle – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 – What can I say? I have Royal Air Force pilots in my story. There are one or two 'sky battles'.

X-Training – X-men: First Class – I wrote this romantic scene that Fran loves. When she asked me how I did it, I told her this song inspired me. Fran doesn't believe me. She thinks this song is more action than romantic, but to me it is one sexy song. My favorite on the list.

Rage and Serenity – X-men: First Class – Did I mention how much I like this soundtrack? This song is short, but I LOVE how it starts off quiet and gets louder and more powerful. Perfect for a kissing scene when it is so not the time for my characters to be kissing.

Forest Battle and I Claim Your Sun – Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen – I love the Transformers soundtracks. When I hear these songs, (they are pretty similar) I picture a scene from my story where my characters are first riding on motorcycles through bombed out London and then they have to run when the debris gets too bad. I haven't written that scene yet, but it's in my head.

Arrival to Earth – Transformers - Did I mention I like these soundtracks? This song is perfect for the final air raid at the end of my story. Planes, bombs, explosions, etc.

Optimus vs. Megatron – Transformers – This is beyond sad. Since I associate this song with a scene from my first story, when I see the part in the Transformers movie where this song is, I start crying.

Now We Are Free – Gladiator – This song makes me happy and sad.

Mutant and Proud – X-men: First Class – This is a kissing song. What? The title doesn't sound like it, but to me it is. This is the longer version of Rage and Serenity, when my characters have more time to kiss.

Obliviate – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1– When I hear this song, I picture several of my characters reacting individually after the previous scene. Since my story is first person, most of these scenes aren't actually in the story, but it helps me with their feelings for later. I can just feel the coldness of that train window through my skin.

I See the Light – Tangled – Such a romantic song and this is Jack's singing voice. Sigh. Wren won't be singing with him. She couldn't sing to save her life.

Something That I Want – Tangled – Just a fun song. Flynn is my favorite Disney hero and he just happens to share his name with Jack's middle name.

Silver Wings March - There is one song that hasn't made it on my actual playlist yet because my dad is still trying to figure out how to get the music onto a CD. I asked my dad to compose an Army Air Corps song reminiscence of Bell Bottom Trousers (the sweet, nice version) and he did. I have the lyrics, Shiny Silver Wings. They made it into the stories. Dad promises to sing it too.

There you have it. My Wren and Company Playlist. Maybe one of these songs will inspire you. Does music inspire you to write? Do you have songs that you like to listen to when you write? Perhaps we should say instead, "If writing be the food of love, write on!"

Writing Amid Chaos (Penny Rader)

This month we’ve been talking about what gets in the way of our writing. Fear? Check. Procrastination? Check. Time Management? Check. Distractions? Check. Myself? Ch—no one wrote that post, but I’m the one who gets in my own way.

In addition to the fear that the words just won’t come and frittering away my time by procrastinating and indulging myself in all sorts of distractions, my other obstacle is writing when all around me is chaos. Or rather, not writing.

There've been several health issues in my family this year. Nearly lost my mom in May. My dh has another surgery scheduled this week. A separate, highly emotional issue is also pulling us in all directions and might go on for another month, maybe indefinitely.

During times like these my brain freezes. I’ll jot down things the doctors, etc. say so I won’t forget…but creative writing? Doesn’t happen. My brain is just mush. I can read (to momentarily escape), but I’m unable to create, unable to lose myself within my own writing. I remember hearing a story as a kid about tigers chasing each other around a tree. Around and around they went. Faster and faster and faster until they turned into butter. That’s my brain. Butter. A messy blur.

I’ve read that many, if not most, writers write through emotional chaos. That writing helps them through trying times. Are you one of those people? How do you do it? Or are you like me and unable to write when your life is a stressful mess, especially emotional stress?

(Title)

No, the title of this blog post is not a mistake.  Titles are one of many things I struggle with in my writing.  How do I solve it?  Uh...  Obviously it isn't solved today and is one of the reasons my post is late.  (Tardiness being another problem I haven't come to terms with, not only in writing but in life.  Let's save that for another time.)

It's the title of a piece of fiction or non-fiction that invites and entices a person to read what's been written.  A perfect example is Reese's title on Thursday.  Or Pat's.  Or Joan's.  Each of those had an element that pique a reader's interest. 

While my title above has no enticement, except to wonder why I didn't title my post, it pretty much conveys my struggle.  I hate trying to think of titles.

Of my twelve published books, only two have kept my original titles.  His Queen of Hearts (Sil. Romance 4/2006 and Family by Design (Harlequin American Romance 1/2008) miraculously made it through the editorial process.  Which is not to say the original titles of the others were bad.  Personally, I think Darlin' in Disguise has a better ring to it than The Truth About Plain Jane, but someone with more experience didn't agree.  And, in truth, the official title isn't far off from one of probably fifteen or so others that I later suggested.

Fifteen?  Yeah, fifteen.  Because authors are given the chance to suggest more titles. 

With the last six books--part of a series--I made it a habit not to give them a title.  Not a real title, anyway.  The original titles  included the name of the hero or heroine and a key word that told me something about the story.  Here's the list of my working titles and the books' published titles:

Tanner's Prize - The Rodeo Rider 

Taming Kate - Bachelor Cowboy 

Morgan's Pride - The Lawman's Little Surprise 

Nikki's Secret - The Reluctant Wrangler 

Tucker's Homecoming - The Maverick's Reward

Garrett's Woman - Bachelor Dad

130 titles total were sent.  5 of the suggested were chosen.  But I have to be honest.  I didn't think of all 130.  I'm part of a great group of authors with a talent for titles, so thanks to the Ditzy Chix, my books haven't gone untitled...like this post.

And now you know the whole story, at least about this particular struggle. One down and an infinite number to go.  ☺