Here are some last minute preparation tips to get the most out of whatever part of the day you can spend writing with us:
1. Define your goal. Set a word count or a page count or a minute count. Maybe you just want to finish that problematic chapter.
2. Commit to a time segment to write. Make plans to turn off electronic distractions (cell phones, tablets, television) so you can give your writing your full attention.
3. Be current on electronic communications so that a brief (or not-so-brief) interruption won't cause any problems.
4. Communicate your commitment, and the time frame you'll be writing, with your family and friends. Engage their support to cover unexpected occurrences that could take you away from your writing.
5. Prepare the necessary equipment. That could mean clearing off your desk, charging your laptop, stacking reference materials within reach, making a playlist, gathering highlighters, pens, pencils, post-its or a timer. Whatever you need for optimal writing, get it ready so prep time doesn't detract from your writing time.
6. Prepare snacks, or meals, ahead. Be sure you have plenty of water and your favorite beverage. You'll want to stay well-hydrated for your best-functioning brain.
1. Writing sprints in fifty-minute stretches. We'll start at 4:oo a.m. PDT. At 4:50 we'll take a ten minute walk around, get hydrated, check-in-if-you-want-to break. The break is strictly limited to ten minutes, with no off-task electronic behavior other than a quick check-in or response to another participant on our Facebook event page if you want to. This will be the model for each of the twenty hours of the event. You're encouraged to check in before you start and at the end of your time.
2. Motivation. You're invited to post word count, page count, scene completion, and any goals you meet during our ten-minute breaks at the end of every hour or at the end of your writing time. You'll see others post their successes. We'll update totals for those who like to see quantified results.
3. Support. Before you sit down to write, you can check in and comment on the experience of others. And after you make your goal, you can share your experience to help others. Even if your life prevents you from committing to a writing stint, you can commit to check our Facebook page and comment on how others are doing throughout the day.
4. Satisfaction. You committed to something and you followed through. And you have "product" to show for it.
What additional tips can you share to help us all get ready for Monday?
And don't forget to join us at our Facebook page or here on the blog on April 23!
About Fae
Fae Rowen discovered the romance genre after years as a science fiction freak. Writing futuristics and medieval paranormals, she jokes that she can live anywhere but the present. As a mathematician, she knows life’s a lot more fun when you get to define your world and its rules.
Punished, oh-no, that’s published as a co-author of a math textbook, she yearns to hear personal stories about finding love from those who read her books, rather than the horrors of calculus lessons gone wrong. She is grateful for good friends who remind her to do the practical things in life like grocery shop, show up at the airport for a flight and pay bills.
A “hard” scientist who avoided writing classes like the plague, she now enjoys sharing her brain with characters who demand that their stories be told. Amazing, gifted critique partners keep her on the straight and narrow. Feedback from readers keeps her fingers on the keyboard.
Certain I’m Uncertain: I don’t know squat. Not about writing. There, I said it. Glad that’s out in the open.
I came upon this realization while pondering what I could share here, as a guest on Writers In The Storm (thanks for having me, ladies!). Yep, while seeking some sort of solid ground, some credible and measureable wisdom I could impart in this venerable space, I was suddenly sure of it: I got nuthin’.
I’d gladly lay odds that each of you reading knows as much or more than I do about grammar, POV, or three-act structure. So if you clicked over to this wonderful blog thinking you could gain some tangible bit of certainty about the craft of writing fiction—some of the usual insight and wisdom found in this spot—I’m sorry to tell you that after ten years of writing, the only thing I’m sure of is that there’s nothing about it I am sure of. In fact, I wouldn’t blame you if you clicked away. Thanks for reading this far! Good luck! (I suppose I am “certain” you’ll need some of that.) Farewell!
Allow Me to Quantify… Er, Qualify: Still here? Good. Now, for those of you who don’t know me, allow me to tell you a bit about myself. I came to writing fairly late in life, after a twenty year stint in the lumber business. For the purposes of this post, there’s only one thing I need to convey about the lumber business (and it should be fairly self-evident): It’s measureable.
In other words, everything about my previous occupation could be almost instantly gauged for effectiveness. How well we were doing day by day, even hour by hour, could be—and was—measured. I could instantly assess my progress at almost any given time, for any aspect of my professional life, by simply plugging in the numbers. Of course there were qualifications, and non-numerical decisions to be made (e.g. should we add this line of products; promote this employee, invest in this equipment?). But after making them, there was always a measurement for gauging their success.
Originally I thought to bring this quantifying mentality to writing. I would monitor word counts, how long each manuscript took, how many pages I could edit per day, etcetera. Until I found out that quantification is damn near meaningless to defining my writing success.
The Kindergarten Novelist: I recently finished a draft of a manuscript. Despite this section’s subtitle, I am not new to this (the subtitle is more about a state of mind). This is actually my fourth completed manuscript. Or fifth, depending on how it’s counted. It feels like it’s new. It’s freshly composed, but the story is the first third of a lengthy manuscript I finished in 2012, and I’ve decided to split it into a trilogy.
It also seems new because of what feels like new progress in my craft. At least it feels that way on “the good days.” Due to the generosity of a few wise mentors, and some fabulous insights gained at a wonderful craft-oriented conference last autumn, I feel I’ve made strides in my writing capabilities. For this manuscript, I seem to have internalized a few lessons. On the good days, the progress is apparent to me in the work. Mercurial as it may be, even my capacity for self-analysis feels like a breakthrough.
But there are still bad days, too. There are still days when I feel like that kindergarten writer. How can I be sure I’ve grown? Who will give me a gold star? I can’t check my board-footage shipping tallies. At this stage of my writing life, there are no sales charts. Sure, perhaps one of my beta-readers will tell me they think this manuscript shows improvement, or perhaps that they found the pages turning faster. But it’s unlikely. Most of my current crop of readers either don’t know the story, or have never read my work before. They have no yardstick to wield. Those who have read my stuff are likely to simply tell me what’s working and what isn’t—rightfully so. One person’s praiseworthy element will likely be another’s irritant. Even if I submit it and it lands me an agent or a deal, there will be no way to ascertain precisely what is working better or worse than before, or exactly how I’ve grown.
I will not receive a gold star for the growth my gut tells me I’ve undergone. Even a kindergartener has a better idea of their artistic progress. Damn. I need a nap. And a cookie.
Internalizing a Lack of Externals:
“Do your work, then step back. It is the only path to serenity.” ~Lao Tzu
In spite of this lack of measurability—in spite of the imprecise nature of quality and the nebulousness of writerly success—something feels different this time around. It’s funny, but one of the ways I feel I’ve grown has to do with getting in touch with the internal goals, motivations, and conflicts of my characters. Which makes the thought of seeking external validation for those same progressions seem a bit absurd.
One of my few goals for the new year was to strive to overcome self-doubt. Or at least to have more good days than bad ones. And I’ll be darned if I didn’t feel pretty good about this piece after I finished it. And on more days than I felt the opposite. I sent it to a group of writers and mentors whose work and opinions I greatly respect. And yet, that moment of hitting the send button was among the most angst-free I’ve experienced. I think it’s because I’d made my peace with this project. I’m less fixated on its publishing marketability, and more on its worthiness in relation to my journey. I’ve decided it’s been worthy of my time and effort. I like the characters and the story. They feel fresh and yet intimately familiar. It’s a satisfying feeling.
Don’t get me wrong—I know there is work yet to be done on this one. Indeed, I’ve already received the first few critiques, and they are concurrent and emphatic on the point. But the negative aspects of critique matter less to me this time around. I used to think of them as setbacks, like a stalled forklift is to lumber production. And that mentality led to bad days. I now better see their intent as direction toward more growth. I now better understand that ongoing growth, steady and enduring, is the pathway to success. Hence, more good days.
Semi-Serene:
“Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart… Live within the question.” ~ Rainer Maria Rilke
“Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit.” ~Napoleon Hill
Returning to my original point, it seems the more I learn, the more I fully comprehend how little I know about writing. Not in the form of tangible craft advice, not for a group of pros and enthusiastic aspiring pros like you, my fellow WITS readers. Yet I have found something of value. And I hope I’m effectively conveying it. What I’ve recently discovered is a measure of peace amidst the storm of uncertainty that is a career in fiction writing. And I’ve realized that this little bit of peace, this semi-serene feeling regarding my work, is the reward. It came at the price of persevering effort—a refusal to quit. And it came of patience with the things that are unsolved in my heart. I have accepted that I must live within the question.
So I may not know squat, but when I search my heart I see that I’ve grown as a writer. Most days lately, I’m able to say I’m sure of it. And I know you’re growing, too. I hope you’re able to recognize it—at least on the good days.
All in all, I’d say that as a writer, I’m mostly at peace, or semi-serene. And that, my friends, is progress. Particularly for a former quantification junkie. I might even give myself a gold star. Nah, I’ll just have a nap. And a cookie. Then I’ll get back to work on book two, secure in the knowledge that there are many good days to come.
Your turn! Do you know squat about writing? (Never mind, I’m sure you do.) Have you found your way to serenity in the storm of uncertainty? Semi-serenity? Would you like a gold star? Or will you settle for a cookie, and then get back to work?
In the sixth grade, Vaughn’s teacher gave him a copy of The Hobbit, sparking a lifelong passion for reading and history. After college, life intervened, and Vaughn spent twenty years building a successful business. During those years, he and his wife built a getaway cottage near their favorite shoreline, in a fashion that would make the elves of Rivendell proud. After many milestone achievements, and with the mantra ‘life’s too short,’ they left their hectic lives in the business world, moved to their little cottage, and Vaughn finally returned to writing. Now he spends his days polishing his epic fantasy trilogy.
How many posts can we read on writing advice? I’ve read hundreds, yet I always come back for more. Why is that? Besides being passionate about improving my craft, for me, it’s about inspiration. I’m always hoping to find a little nugget to light a fire under my feet or change my view of something I’ve been wrestling with in my WIP. So without much ado, I’m going to share a few of my own tips.
1. Work your ass off. No really, WORK YOUR ASS OFF. Writing is hard, but don’t make excuses. People who make excuses don’t run the world. They don’t even accomplish minor tasks. If you want to write, then make like Nike and JUST DO IT, and do it well.
Be humble. If you think you’re a special snowflake then your writing life will be an arduous one—both on the page because of internal expectations, and with others in publishing. No one likes to be around an ego-maniac or a drama queen. They aren’t fun to play with.
Surround yourself with people who inspire you. Life is hard enough as it is. Dump the dead weight, the nags, the negative nellies, and the poor-mes. They add nothing to your life, weigh you down, and they sure as hell don’t help you feel good about yourself in a difficult business.
Read every single day. Don’t tell me you don’t have time. Everyone can read for ten minutes before bed. Lose sleep. Reading matters. There are dozens of studies that show its direct correlation to writing skills. Not only that, but it’s a terrific way to study the craft while enjoying yourself. I’ve learned more from reading fiction than all other methods combined.
Consistency matters more than quantity. Some days you write 500 words, some days, three sentences, others, 3,000. Don’t judge your quantity; judge your routine, your dedication, and your consistency. The turtle wins the race.
Don’t compare your journey to others. For one thing, it doesn’t help you write any better or sell more books. For another it only makes you feel like a loser. It’s easy to be eaten up with envy in a creative business. Transform that envy to fuel, to once again, WORK YOUR ASS OFF. And always be proud of what you’ve accomplished.
Give yourself time to “refill the well”. If you’re writing well or “correctly”, it takes a monumental amount of intellectual and emotional, never mind creative input. Though exhilarating, it’s also exhausting. Strike out on adventures, dabble in other hobbies or creative pursuits you love. Fill your well with richness and replenish yourself so you have more to bring to the table on that next writing day.
Be flexible about your vision. Each book we write changes us. The direction you thought you wanted may not be the place where you end up. Be open to change. It could very well send you to the moon.
Don’t forget to live in the present, not just in your fictional worlds. It’s easy for us to get lost in other worlds. That’s one of the biggest draws to writing. But if we don’t have life experiences and interests and knowledge and skills, we would have no creative well to dip into. Be present. Absorb. Engage. It can only make your books stronger.
Conversely, for all the great advice out there, there’s a bunch of BAD ADVICE as well. A few of my favorites are:
Start your own blog, especially to talk about writing. If this is something you enjoy, go for it. But the fact of the matter is, there are hundreds of writing blogs. When you blog about writing, you’re growing your publishing community (definitely a good thing), but it’s NOT a way to reach readers. How many novels have you bought of authors who run their own writing blog?
Write what you know. If we did this, there would be A LOT of books about writers in yoga pants with huge piles of laundry to wade through. Snoozzzze fest. Obviously I flout this rule completely as a historical writer. You should, too. Part of what is so exciting about this passion of ours is branching out and learning, stretching and growing. So wade into uncharted waters and see what happens.
Rock social media like it’s going out of style. I enjoy social media as an extrovert. Connecting with people is fun for me, since I’m typically alone all day in my fictional world. That being said, the longer I’m in this business, the more I realize how much social media detracts from a writer’s psyche. Also? If you haven’t figured out a way to reach readers online, once again, you aren’t selling books. Choose which platforms you develop wisely. Doing them ALL isn’t effective or practical.
Write every day. This industry is too full of “shoulds” and doesn’t have enough “coulds”. Sometimes you just need a break, (which takes us back to refilling our creative wells). As I said before, WRITING IS HARD. If you don’t rest once in awhile, you may find yourself in burn-out mode.
P.S. If you want to write good books every time, it never gets easier, so LOVE what you do or don’t do it.
What is the BEST or WORST piece of writing advice you’ve ever received? Bonus points for funnies.
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About Heather
Heather Webb writes historical novels for Penguin and HarperCollins,which have been translated to three languages and have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Cosmopolitan magazine, France magazine, and Reuters News Book Talk. BECOMING JOSEPHINE follows the life and times of Josephine Bonaparte set to the backdrop of the French Revolution, and RODIN’S LOVERreleased Jan 27th, chronicles the passionate and tragic story of Camille Claudel, sculptor, collaborator, and lover to the famed Auguste Rodin. A FALL OF POPPIES releases in 2016.
Heather is also a freelance editor and contributor to award-winning writing sites WriterUnboxed.com and RomanceUniversity.org. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association.
