Writers in the Storm

by Laura Drake

I read a lot of newsletters, ezines, podcasts, and blogs about writing. One of the most popular subjects is how to do it – not craft, but process of creating a book. Pantster? Plotter? Start on page one? Start with scenes and fill in the blanks? Start at the end and plot backwards (I understand this works for mystery writing.) I can never resist these articles, because frankly, this is fascinating stuff.

In this busy, structured world, we have instructions for almost everything you’ll run across. Writing is pretty much the same. You can take classes or buy a book for almost every aspect of craft: grammar, POV, show don’t tell, editing. Even how to find inspiration, or conquer writer’s block.

But nowhere can you learn how to actually write the darned thing! I’ve struggled with this, like every other writer. I believe it’s the major reason most people don’t finish books – not because they don’t have ideas, or characters, but the function of actually getting it out of your head and onto the page the way you pictured it is complicated.

There’s a reason there aren’t any books about this: there’s only one right way – yours. The problem is, you have to discover it! To me, it’s like trying to put a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle together blindfolded. . . it can be done, but it’s not fast, and it’s not efficient. You learn by fumbling around, trying what works for others and stumbling onto ways no one else uses!

I’ll bet if you talked about this to Nora, Linda Howard, or others who have written many books, they'd tell you that they’re still finding their processes as they go along. It sure would have helped me when I started to know this!

MY way (as of today):

•Mostly Pantser – need an idea of where I’m going, maybe a theme and an ending, and that’s it.
•Write a couple of pages in one sitting (on a good day), then the next, begin by editing yesterday’s work and moving forward
•Music – Classical and in the background
•Writing desk – organized, but crowded (usually with a cat sleeping on the desk or in my lap)
•The room – reference books, magazines, plotting board, bulletin board with photos and writing memorabilia.
•Plotting – on a bicycle, with a digital voice recorder. Something about the distraction of riding loosens my brain. I could sit in front of a blank screen forever, and nothing would come.
•Final Editing – one name – Margie Lawson.

What about you? Post a comment about your process!

D A Watt 

I recently came back from making my three day Cursillo, meaning a “little course” for my faith. The first talk I attended, called a rollo, centered around the ideal self.  You see, each of us is composed of two ideals, the false ideal and the true ideal. The false ideal is the dress up doll version complete with makeup, boobs and Botox, while the true ideal is the cottony comfortable au la natural you.

 The toughest part of figuring out your true ideal is being honest with yourself. No false ego, no puffed up pride can answer the question, “Who am I, really?” If you really want a long and fulfilling career in anything, including writing, you must answer the question truthfully, and take whatever time it takes to figure out YOU.

So, ask yourself, “Who am I, really?”

The answer to this most simple of questions requires a not so simple response. The old saying “To thine ownself be true” applies here. Respect your DNA, and your history and your environment. For instance, do you prefer sitting over walking, reading over physical activity? Silly, I know, but if you have a hard time parking your butt in a chair (like me) or standing at a podium with your laptop (like me) for more than a few hours, and if, after two days of working alone without a social break, you are beginning to feel mildly depressed (like me), maybe you had better respect your makeup, and I don’t mean lip gloss.

How motivated a writer are you, really? Would you rather a bike ride than to finish researching the effects of gamma radiation or police procedurals or pipe bombs? And what type of writing suits you best? Be honest, are you better suited for short stories or long novels? Are you adventurous and easily bored or are you meticulous, highly organized, and able to sit for long periods with only a ten minute break every hour? Admit it, maybe you are not suited for novels, the marathon of writing, maybe an anthology, young adult, or composing children’s stories is your niche. Maybe your writing is more of a sprint or triathlon. You might be better suited for short stories, blogs, essays, articles, and such, where you can cut to the quick and move on to the next exciting gig. Admit it. Who are you, really?

If you are able to plant butt in chair and stay there, I envy you, I really do. I would love to write for five hours a day, everyday (forget eight hours that would be torture), but I can’t, I really can’t. I am very physical, very active and easily distracted. So, with that revelation (finally, I feel like I just admitted to alcoholism) am I a writer? Well, yes, but what kind of writer?

I don’t know, yet.

The false me is inflated, competent, and very confident. My false ideal can leap tall buildings in a single bound, swim the English Channel, and win the Kentucky Derby, not to mention write like Steinbeck. Of course, in actuality, I am not that person, but sometimes my gullibility buys into the snake oil self, and I believe. Oh, how I believe. That’s when frustration over my apparent lack of ability and chutzpah closes in. I neglect my writing, and Eminem’s, “Snap back to reality, Oh, there goes gravity,” becomes my swan song.

Sure, I like to think of myself as the next great thriller writer, my false ideal thinks so. But do I have the motivation to travel that road of incredible research? Do I possess the ability and intelligence required to create intricate, complex, and believable plots? Am I truly capable of writing and selling thrillers? I’d like to think so, but  . . ..

Will the writer inside of me please shout it out? Tell me, what kind of writer am I?

Alas, she remains silent; I think she’s afraid, maybe she knows I am not ready for her honesty. So, I plod along, slowly figuring me out, uncovering the layers of ego to face the true writer within. I am trying for full frontal nudity here, without denial or delusion. I just hope that when I uncover her, flawed and spider veined, she writes.

So, gentle reader, respect who you are, and figure out what motivates you. And when the writer within comes out, let me know who she is. I’ll be looking for her in the bookstores, news stands and online

By Sharla Rae

In my head I have a perfect schedule for making the most of my writing time.  

Writing is sedentary so exercise is important. I set my alarm for 5:30 I leap out of bed, and change out of my jammies into shorts, exercise bra, socks and tennis shoes. Then it’s 25 minutes on the water rower and 25 to 30 on the tread mill. Around 6:30, I’ll hop into the shower. By 7:30 or 8:00, I’ll be at my desk, spend 20 minutes on e-mail while I have my morning yogurt. Then I’m writing until around 3:30 or 4:00 when I run to the kitchen to make sure everything’s ready to cook dinner when hubby gets home between 5 to 6.

We’ll that’s how it’s supposed to go.

This is how it mostly goes:

1. 5:30 am the alarm goes off. I hit the snooze button & finally crawl out of bed by 6 or 7.
2. Perform morning ablutions.  Stare into the mirror – is that really me? Lord have mercy!
3. Make the bed – I don’t like to make it after exercise. I’m too tired and this is another great procrastination task.
4. Rummage through drawers, find the workout clothes, and dress—glad no one can see my rear in shorts so short they ought to be outlawed. 
5. I decide I need the yogurt for strength “before” I exercise so I head for the fridge.
6. Then I remember something really important that I need to check on my computer.
7. I realize I’ve been on the computer a whole hour and fly upstairs to exercise.
8. Turn on some music really loud—I get bored
9. Turn on the fan. I don’t like to sweat too much
10. Exercise only 30 minutes -- because I’ve piddled away too much time on the computer -- shower, and get decent
11. Sit at the desk by 9 or 10 and hate myself for getting such a late start.
12. Work for an hour, get up to give my tired, flat rump a chance to plump up while I lay out frozen food to thaw for dinner.
13. Write for another hour.
14. Take a break and wander the house working out a scene and how it should go down on paper.
15. Pretty much repeat #13 and #14 until around 4 pm when I start dinner.

In my defense, when I’m hot on the writing trail, I’ll work all night long without blinking.  And I’m almost always writing in my head. I get my best ideas in bed – no, not “those” kinds of ideas.” What I mean is that I solve most of my writing problems in that twilight time, when I start to relax, but I’m not quite asleep.  I keep post-a-notes on my bedside table. I’ve gotten good at writing in the dark. After all, I don’t want to disturb hubby. Many a morning, I discover I’ve wall-papered the lampshade.

I’m also fairly well organized. I don’t attempt to write on Mondays. I clean house, pay bills etc. If that kind of stuff doesn’t get done on Monday, it’s left until the following week. If you mess up my Monday plans, heaven help you because the rest of the week I write, and I get cranky if someone or something interferes.

So goes my writing day.

The point is, it doesn't matter much how the writing day goes, as long as you do write something every day. Well, almost every day. A gal's got to get out of the house once in a while to get the stink blown off, right?