Never Give Up

Never give up, because that it just the place and time that the tide will turn. Harriet Beacher Stowe.

Turns out Harriet was a smart woman.

As you may recall from my last post I was having a bit of a panic attack having decided that my second book was a disaster and that I might need to start from scratch. In my post I outlined the steps I took to ward off that panic and come at the problem from a more rational and effective position. http://dumpygrace.blogspot.ca/2013/10/do-not-panic.html

I mentioned that things were improving but I thought you might like to know how I fared.

I am thrilled to report that my efforts paid off. It took a good forty eight hours or so of focussed analysis to determine what was wrong and how to fix it. I had a few false starts but have settled on the fix that works.

1) Knowing that my villains were not in the least bit menacing, I did a complete 180 and decided to go with a more classic scenario. Very bad guy and his victimized wife. So far, so good. Both of them are much easier to bring to life and the story crackles because of it.

2) I was spending too much time on secondary characters and not enough with my protagonist, Signy Shepherd. Once I recognized that fact, it was a very easy fix.

And that's about it. Weird, huh? All that angst, and it came down to a couple of relatively easy solutions.

I'm now half way through my rough plot revisions and I THINK the story is moving along smoothly and the characters are popping from the page. I will have to write a couple of more action scenes and delete a couple of extraneous character driven scenes but all that is very doable.

Lesson Learned Harriet! The tide has turned and with any luck, it will be smooth sailing from now on.

                        CHEERS!

Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/never_give_up.html#W46OWMIpcaESUB6Z.99

DO NOT PANIC!

As I mentioned in my last post, I was excited to begin the second draft of my second novel. I found myself a comfy spot, and cleared the decks for a couple of days of reading. I'd never read the entire thing in one go
and had no idea how it all worked as a whole.

                DO















Within a few hours I knew that the great plot device I thought would work so well had failed miserably.
The villains were boring and the story line was choppy and uninteresting.

                           
                 NOT













I spent a day in abject panic, unable to think. The pressure was intense. This book has been SOLD and is supposed to be good. How could I fix such an monumental disaster in time for the due date only four months away?

               PANIC!!!!











I am happy to report that I have found a way to tweak the villains and will not have to start from scratch as I originally feared. Indeed, I am quite pleased with the way they are turning out, and the story is much richer as a result. The new scenes that I must write are flying from my fingertips which usually means something good is happening.

Here are a few things I did to stave off panic and get back on track:

1. Do Not Panic. Realizing that panic would get me nowhere, I decided to take a breath and think rationally. Whatever happened it would not be the end of the world. Indeed, it might even be fun to meet this challenge head on and overcome it.
2. Breathe
3. Walk. I took several walks and allowed my mind to settle. Eventually, ideas began to flow again.
4. Dream. Every once in awhile if I have a problem, I will let my unconscious mind take over the problem and if I'm lucky, I'll wake in the morning with an innovative answer. That worked this time.
5. Friends. This is a huge one! Thanks to my wonderful writing friend, Phyllis Diller Stewart and my number one reader. Both offered words of support and tons of great ideas!
6. Don't be afraid to admit a mistake. There is no embarrassment in screwing up. I am a relatively new writer. This is only my second book. This kind of thing is bound to happen and it is how I respond to my mistakes that will make the difference. I choose to learn from my errors and improve because of them.
7. Don't make a mountain out of a molehill. I think this point is particularly important, especially for a storyteller. As writers we are incapable of seeing things in a bland and boring way - if something happens, it happens big!  In my case - the villains didn't work and I built that into a massive problem that ruined everything about the book. But, that was a gross exaggeration. Set aside the urge to tell yourself dramatic stories and try to see the situation for what it is -  a problem that can be fixed..
8. Apply Bum Glue. There is only one way to fix the problem and that is to SIT DOWN and fix it. No distractions. 
9. Read something similar. This was very helpful. I picked up a novel by Thomas Perry. He writes a thriller series with Jane Whitefield as the main character, a woman who helps people disappear. I wanted to find out what about his plotting, etc made his story work. I was relieved and surprised to find that in actual fact his writing wasn't all that better than mine. His characters are pretty one dimensional, the villains are cartoonish, the dialogue has a LOT of 'let me tell you this bob' and there are plot holes wide enough to drive a truck through. And still...I kind of like Jane. This exercise gave me hope.
10. Remember that this is supposed to be fun.  As soon as the words began to flow again, and I realized that the story was back on track, the relief was thrilling. And the writing was fun again. 

                                                                        PHEW!

How I Peed on my Theme

I'll bet you'd never guess that a discussion on theme would begin in the bathroom, but that is exactly what happened.

I had just finished taking sheets down from the line and thought the time was right to pay a visit to the bathroom. I was sitting there minding my own business when I caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of my eye at exactly the same instant that I felt something...weird....on the inside of my knee.

I looked down.

And, shot off the toilet and into the living room, trailing toilet paper and screams behind me like party streamers.

An insect about the size and girth of a baby carrot was crawling up my inner thigh. Unfortunately, the foul creature, a pine beetle of some kind judging by its enormous mandibles and waving antennae, did not sport the cheerful orange hue of a baby carrot - instead it was a dull grey, splattered here and there with a moldy white crust that was probably a pathogenic fungus, no doubt deadly to humans.

Not worried about modesty at that moment and desperate to get the freakish baby carrot off of me, I raced outside, pants down around my knees and picked up the monster (surprisingly hefty inside my palm...shudder) and tossed it off the porch. As I hiked up my clothes, I watched it crawl away, seemingly unconcerned about its abrupt change of venue.

All of which got me thinking about FEAR.

And fear got me thinking about the theme of my second novel.

Every one of the major characters in my second novel has a desperate Fear of Being Rejected.

As I start the huge task of paring down the first draft into a taught thrill ride, I know it is essential that I keep this theme front and centre in my mind.

Every character is terrified of being left behind, turned down, laughed at, humiliated. Each of them reacts to this fear in a very different way, and it sets them each on a course of action that makes their situation so much worse.

I think I've captured those essentials in the first draft, but in the second draft I have to make sure that I've SHOWN it.

For example. Grace has PTSD and her resultant fear of being rejected  is driving her into a downward spiral. My challenge is to show her symptoms, her emotional and behavioural responses, and the reactions of others, without ever saying PTSD out loud. Not to mention, that it all must be shown in a way that adds to the thrill factor of the story. This isn't a high brow literary tale, after all, but an intense three day nightmare that Grace may not survive.

Okay - no problem. Seems doable.

Oh ya, but did I mention that this same filter must be applied to each and every character, and every aspect of the plot?

FEAR. FEAR. FEAR.

Am I showing how each character reacts when their fear of being rejected is pushed to the limit? Does their response make their life terribly worse in a heart stopping fashion? Does their attempt to rectify the situation make things even more dire? And, how in God's name will they pull their bacon out of the fire at the last second? Or, will they?

FEAR of Rejection.

There is no way to avoid the THEME.  It clings to your tender flesh. A big black baby carrot, hairy and gross, spindly legs tipped with velcro claws that won't let go. And as much as you wish you could ignore it, and just let the story go where it will - you cannot.

You must gird your loins, crack open that mold-infested exoskeleton and reveal the juicy theme that pulses inside. Then scoop up that bloody gore and smear it liberally throughout your story.

One image too many, methinks?

Not to worry, I'll address that in the second draft.

ANYWAY - In my favour - MY fear of the second book being rejected will likely help as I plow my way through the second draft. I will have no problem showing the sweaty-palmed, compulsive terror-induced eating, heart thumping, vomity taste in the back of the throat that comes with a fear of rejection.



yay...lucky me. Here's hoping the whole thing doesn't end up in the crapper. 

Ten Strategies for Finishing your Novel: The Big Picture

Writing a novel is a ton of hard work. It took me one year to finish the first draft of my first novel and then another four or five months before it was ready to send off to agents. The question people most often ask me is, "How on earth did you stick with it all that time?"

Having now completed my second novel (both of which have been picked up by Simon and Schuster) I thought it might be a good time to reflect on the ten most important things that kept me going through this long and solitary process.

Over the next several blog posts, I'm going to list my top ten strategies for sticking to the task of writing a novel.

In this post, I'll focus on the bigger picture.

1) DE-STRESS YOUR LIFE

Okay! I hear you laughing.  I admit this might be downright unrealistic, but hear me out.

I'll be upfront with you. For me, the years of raising three children while commuting two hours/day to and from my full time job put a damper on my ability to give any serious attention to writing, or any other creative pursuit for that matter. I know there are people out there who can do it all, but I was not one of them. By the end of the day I was exhausted and didn't have two functioning brain cells to rub together.

I had to wait until my children were launched, before I had the requisite time and emotional space to consider writing in a serious way.

Even then, I had to make the choice. I could have continued to work full time, but with my long commute I would still be exhausted. And, what for? We go the extra mile so that we can have all the fun extras we are conditioned to believe we need - backyard swimming pools, the latest gadget from Apple, a granite counter top. I had to decide whether I was willing to give up the security of full time employment and all the goodies it would bring in order to devote myself to writing.

There is no doubt that the reduction of income was a sacrifice, but by jumping off the rat wheel, not only did I get to pursue my dream of writing, but somehow, magically, the stress in my life began to fall away. I may not have as much stuff, but I have a much greater quality of life. I'm happy with that. 


You might want to examine your priorities, and if there is something in your life that is causing you unnecessary stress, and, IF you have the ability to get rid of it, why not give it a go?



2) FIND A COMFORTABLE WRITING SPACE

Stephen King may have been able to write in the closet at the end of the hall, while the kids were shrieking and the washing machine was thumping right beside his tiny card table desk - but not me.

I need a special kind of space in order to unleash my imagination and allow the words to flow.

Fulfilling a life-long dream, we found a perfect little cabin in the woods. Less than 900 square feet, it requires little maintenance, so I don't waste a lot of my day cleaning. Most importantly, there are plenty of sunny spots to sit and write. Whether I am hanging out on my comfy couch, or sitting on the porch gazing up at the cloudless sky, our little slice of heaven  is my perfect space.

Everyone is different. You might work best sipping espresso at a crowded cafe, in an out of the way carrel at the library, or locked away in a windowless room. Wherever your creative juices flow,  find that space and make it your own. 





3) MAINTAIN A DAILY ROUTINE

Check out how successful authors work. You'll find that many of them treat their writing like a job. Just as the stock broker gets on the train every morning at 7am, or the nurse heads off to her shift at the hospital, the writer must go to work every day.

But, working from home presents many unique problems. You don't have a bus to catch, a clock to punch, or a boss breathing down your neck. Writers are accountable only to themselves.

And, we all know that the tiny devil sitting on your left shoulder can get really noisy when there's something better to do - which feels like almost all of the time. Sunny day, great show on TV, a new recipe to try, a book you're dying to read...well, you get it. The list of distractions can be endless.

The first, and best way to fight those temptations is to set yourself a daily schedule. I start writing as soon as I've walked the dog and eaten breakfast, and I don't quit until I've reached a natural ending - usually sometime late in the afternoon. I try to write five pages per day - sometimes, I do less, sometimes, more - but I always try to keep moving forward no matter how much I'd rather be doing something else.

It is as simple as that. Set a daily schedule and stick to it, no matter what.


Next time, I'll dig a little deeper and explore some of the more specific strategies I used to get my novel finished.

The Finish Line

Phew!

After close to 8 months of steady writing, I have put the finishing touches on Draft One of my second novel.

It's funny. That momentous statement, which should be loaded with celebratory delight, instead feels a bit anti-climactic. I'm not sure why that is, especially given that Simon and Schuster has purchased the publishing rights and both books will soon be coming to a book store near you.

I guess for me,The Finish Line isn't where the thrills are found. I find the true delight  in the process of the thing, whether it's taking a course, teaching a class, or planning a new venture. It isn't the final product that turns my crank, but the joy I found in getting there.

Especially when I'm writing. I love puzzling out of a difficult plot problem, or hunting for just the right word, or coming up with dialogue that sounds exactly like what the character would really say if they were sitting across the table, sipping a coke. Typing -30- on the last page just doesn't hold the same appeal.

Weird, huh?

 Still - I am getting ahead of myself. I've only finished the first draft.  I will now take a couple of weeks off, and enjoy (FINALLY) some reading for pleasure. Have I mentioned how difficult it is to pick up a book in the evening when your eyes are sore and tired from staring at the computer all day?

I'm hoping that those two weeks will allow the  words of Dark Territory (yup, that's the title of the 2nd book) to settle. After that, I'll return with fresh eyes and get cracking on adding the colour and technical nuance that I neglected in favour of getting the plot just right.

The final draft of Dark Territory is due at the publisher by Feb. 14, 2014, which at first glance seems like a long way away, but, I also have to have the final draft of Blown Red to them by Oct. 2013. Apparently, they have a few minor changes still left for me to address.

Two books in the next 6 months, and then the added horror of the publicity stuff. Oh ya - there is going to be publicity stuff! Starting with a meeting in September during which I will meet 'my team' at S and S, and enjoy a celebratory lunch. This is all great stuff, but a little daunting for a natural introvert, and blushing fool.

Meanwhile, I'm thinking I should do something to celebrate the completion of Dark Territory. Even if it doesn't feel all that exciting. I'm thinking chocolate....

It's Amazing What a Little Bum Glue Can Do!

It's official!  Bum glue works!

In my most recent post, I lamented the lack of colour in my writing. Characters weren't talking to me, the scenery was drab, nothing sparkled.

I thought perhaps I needed to return to my writing gurus for inspiration - and that certainly is a good thing.

But - I held off, thinking that perhaps, my desire to poke my nose back into 'How To' books might just be another stalling tactic.

As an experiment, I decided to just stick it out, continue on with the bad writing, just let the crappy stuff flow and see what happened.

The results are in, and they are very interesting indeed.

It seems there is a direct relationship between the number of words one manages to choke onto the page (crappy, or not) and how good those words eventually begin to feel.

Over the course of the past few weeks of applying massive amounts of bum glue to my...well...bum...my writing has once again come to life.

Signy's voice has returned, as sharp and prickly as ever, as has those of the other main characters. The settings are bright and clear, the plot is taking on some unexpected twists and turns.

Conclusion?

When you begin to have self-doubts...

When you fear that even if you used a dagger as a quill, you couldn't write your way out of a paper bag...

When you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are scribbling drek that no one will ever read...

When you begin to contemplate a 9 to 5 office job?

Then it the time to apply a liberal slather of bum glue.

STICK TO IT...

Your next sentence just might be a masterpiece.