Category: The Writing Path

Posted in NaNoWriMo, The Writing Path, Writing Goals

Happy Thanksgiving–Pat Yourself on the Back

Posted on by beckylevine

Earlier this week, I talked about the break I was giving myself by getting some files off early to my critique group. While I was writing the post, I wasthinking about all you NaNoers. First, for all of you who have made your word count already or can see that number within range, CONGRATULATIONS! 

Specifically, though, I was thinking about the NaNoers who weren’t quite there, who were probably NOT giving themselves a break, not yet, and who may have been panicking a bit about non-writing hours eaten up 🙂 by the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.

And I was thinking about any of us writers, even those not doing NaNo, who are looking at the end of the year heading rapidly toward us and thinking, “I was supposed to get more done.”

I know that feeling. I can bring it into the forefront of my mind any day, any hour. All it takes is looking at my writing path from a certain angle, one that somehow show right up front the goals I haven’t met, the books I haven’t written.

Let’s face it. This is an unhealthy angle. Goals and dreams are wonderful and necessary, and we should all use them as motivators. We should not use them as punishment. 

So tomorrow, and for however many days you’re surrounding yourself with family, friends, and food, be thankful. Not just for the company you’re keeping, but for all the words you have managed to put on the page so far this month, or this year. Remind yourself of all the things you have accomplished, and let go of worrying about the ones you haven’t.

Relax and recharge. The dreams will be waiting for you.

Happy Thanksgiving to everybody!

Posted in Marketing, Publishing, The Writing Path

To Worry or Write? That’s the Question

Posted on by beckylevine

It seems like, for the past few weeks, I keep running across articles of doom and gloom. Now I know. I get it. The economy stinks. And it’s hitting everybody, no question. Including publishing.

Realistically, this is going to impact us as writers. And, realistically, I–for one–am capable of breaking into a cold sweat and spending way too many hours fretting about how, specifically, it may impact me.

But I’m not going to do that. Instead, I’m going to keep writing.

Yes, things are bad, but the economy, like everything else, goes up and down and–sometimes–in loop-de-loops. I am incapable of predicting how long this downfall will last or where I’ll be on my writing path when it’s over. For all I know, just as I finish my current revision or get the next book idea drafted, everything could be on an upswing and every publisher in the world will be wanting me as their author. (Okay, its a stretch, but if I’m dreaming, I might as well really dream.)

So I’m going to figure that there’s still a book market out there and that Publishing will survive and I will have a place in it. And I’m going to keep putting words on a page and networking with other writers and marketing my skill with words as a valuable commodity.

I’m not putting up any negative links in this post. Instead, I’m just going to share a couple of the ones that made me feel better today.

My sister, a home economist in Illinois, put this link up on Facebook. The article basically says that, when we freak out, we don’t do ourselves or the economy any good. I’m taking it as a prescription to stay sane.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/garden/20math.html?ex=1384923600&en=e2861f2c72869a85&ei=5124&partner=facebook&exprod=facebook

And this article shows the flip side of book sales (maybe!) going down. We all love our libraries and wish good things for them, so…

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/10/16/library_use_rises_as_economy_falls/

What about you. Got any cheerful links to post about what’s happening with books and writing and how you’re dealing with the uncertainty?

Posted in First Drafts, The Middle, The Writing Path

Making it through the Middle

Posted on by beckylevine

Saturday was November 15th. For NaNo writers, that’s halfway through. I’ve been following people’s journeys on blogs and Facebook, and some people are already finished with their word-count goal (yay!), others are still working hard to get there (yay, again!)

Theoretically, a lot of NaNo-ers are somewhere around the middle of their novels. The MIDDLE. Whether you’re trying to write a whole book in thirty days, or just trying to write a whole book, the middle is often not a fun place to be. Lots of us start out on our projects knowing the start of the story and where we (for now) expect the story to end. We may even have a few big scenes that we know are going to happen along the way.

We rarely, though, have the whole middle figured out.  And that middle, while we’re drafting, can feel vast, bottomless.

In my critique group, we do a lot of brainstorming and, funny enough, lots of that brainstorming is about this middle section.  I thought I’d share one way we go at filling up that big space.

Take a look at your characters. All of them. What have they done so far and what should they be doing next. I literally make a list down the side of a piece of paper of my hero and the rest of the main characters. Then I write down where each of those characters are in their story arc. I might also write down (at the far side of the paper) where each of those characters needs to be, on that arc, by the end of the story. When you’ve got those lists, think about what each character could do–just one thing each–to make progress toward completing that arc.

The other way to look at their progress is goal-based. Each character has a goal. If you get stalled, see where each of your characters are in terms of achieving that goal (or failing to get the goal, if that’s where they’re headed). What can those characters do, what next step can they take, to push forward on their goal path?

Don’t forget interactions. You want these characters, especially your hero, taking steps that put them into contact, and conflict, with each other. Juxtapose your hero, on another sheet of paper, with the other characters. What action, discussion, or argument does your hero need to have with each of these characters, to move the story along?

If you’re still stuck, there’s one more trick. What information do you need to give to the reader. What do you know—about a problem, or a clue, or a piece of background story—that needs to show up on the pages? Once you’ve thought of that, go back to the characters again. Who can help you reveal that information? What pairing, usually with your hero and somebody else, would give you a chance to show the detail, rather than tell it?

And the biggest, most important thing: don’t stress. When you’re stuck, remember that you don’t have to fill up the middle all at once. All you need is the very next action. That action may not be perfect; it may not even be the event you end up using in the next draft. Don’t worry. Just pick it and write it and keep going. Worry about changing it or fixing it later, in revision.

Right now, whether you’re NaNo’ing or not, your goal is to get across this middle. Remember Red Light, Green Light? How many times did Baby Steps win over Giant Steps? Plenty. So Baby Step your way across the middle and, sooner than you think, you’ll have the finish line in sight!

Good luck to all of you!

Posted in The Writing Path, Writing Conferences

Writing Conferences: Yes, No, or Why?

Posted on by beckylevine

One of the debates you hear as people talk about writing paths is whether or not writing conferences are useful. Me? I admit it. I’m a huge fan. I think the fact that I’ve gone to writing conferences has a lot to do with where I am on my own path, with the steps I’ve made toward becoming a serious, committed, professional writer.

Of course, many of my “reasons” may very well be an excuse for the fact that I just have a great time at conferences!

I do think, though, that we can have very different needs or goals for each writing conference we attend, depending on where we are on our paths. It’s not quite a “stages” thing, but I think there are several different reasons a writer should go to a conference.

  • To spend a day or two surrounded by “your” people, reminding yourself that you are a writer and that being a writer is wonderful
  • To learn more about the writing craft and improve your writing skills
  • To connect with other writers for a specific reason–learning more about a genre, doing research about someone in the publishing business, networking to locate one or more critique partners
  • To meet an agent or editor and to pitch a specific writing project, hopefully taking your path one step closer to publication

For me, there has been a progression in the why (and the way) I attend writing conferences. I’ve been an attendee, just happy to escape from daily life, attend workshops, and mingle. I’ve been a volunteer, judging contest entries, arranging flowers, passing out water bottles. And I’ve been a speaker, finding out just how cool it is to wear a Faculty badge, to have another writer come up and thank me for something I said in a workshop. Someday, soon, I see myself actually sitting behind a table, signing copies of The Critiquer’s Survival Guide and, hopefully, other books, too.

I’ve also had the bad times–the pitch to an agent that felt flat, the foot-in-the-mouth with someone I had hoped to connect with, the interaction with the attendee who isn’t having a good experience and can’t help taking it out on somebody, anybody.

For me, though, I give writing conferences a ten out of ten. I’m a writer and a reader. So much of my life is just about words. There isn’t much better than being surrounded by a crowd of people who feel the same.

Don’t take my word for it, though. I did a little browsing, and found a few other “takes” for you on the whole writing conference question.

What about you? Have you gone to any conferences? What do you like/dislike about them? How do you think going to a conference might help you move forward on your writing path?

Posted in The Writing Path

Doing it All: Keeping Your Writing Goals a Priority

Posted on by beckylevine

I can bring home the bacon (at least from the grocery store), and I can fry it up in the pan. I can…well, never mind. You all remember the rest.

Most of us handle the daily stuff just find. What gets tricky, though, is keeping the writing, or a specific kind of writing, at the top of the to-do list. For the past few years, I’ve been handling the fiction very well. I’ve made steady progress–got a book ready for submission and started researching and brainstorming the next. I loved it.

Then I started writing nonfiction. I also love this part of my writing life. It uses a different part of my brain, it goes much more quickly than the fiction (which makes for many more instant-gratification moments), and–with it–I’m getting published. Always a plus.

When I got the contract for this latest project, The Critiquer’s Survival Guide for Writer’s Digest, I faced a realization. I might not be going back to work full-time, in an office or cubicle, from nine to five, but I was back to work. The deadline is not impossible, but it’s tight, and signing that contract was a serious (albeit ecstatically happy!) commitment.

And because of that commitment, I have a new challenge: to make time for my fiction. I refuse to push it aside, lose track of my characters, or give up the sheer joy I get from writing it.

There are many variations on my theme:

  • Full-time workers writing at the end of a long, hard day
  • Parents fitting in a few minutes of writing while a baby naps or Sesame Street is on TV
  • Journalists making space and time for that dream novel
  • Series writers scheduling time to draft (or just propose) the next book, while writing another and revising a third (Hi, Terri!)
  • Every other writer with a challenge I haven’t specifically listed here

I don’t know one writer who has it easy, who doesn’t struggle with this juggling act. LIfe happens, and–wonderful as it often is–it does give us too many reasons and excuses to turn away from our writing.

Don’t.

Here are some things I’ve been mulling on over the past couple of weeks, reminders to myself about how I canmove foward on all parts of my writing path–nonfiction and fiction. Thought I’d share.

  • Put your work on the calendar. If you schedule the time, it will come. Block out specific time slots for your writing–whatever kind you want and need to do. Work hard NOT to schedule anything that’s a conflict.
  • Write a little bit, on everything, every day that you can. Fifteen minutes may seem like nothing, but it’s more than zero (see, I can do math). One of the biggest steps you can take for your writing is to keep it in the front of your mind. Every day that you stay away from it is another chunk of time that it will take you to get back up to speed on your story.
  • Talk to other writers. I know, for some of us, sharing the details of a story before we’ve reached a certain point is hard, even scary. You don’t have to take it that far. Just have a conversation, discuss your progress or your struggle. Connect. It will remind you that you are a writer, and that will make you act like one.
  • Reward yourself. Chocolate. A new book. These days, I’m using writing as my reward. When I use my main writing hours to be productive on the nonfiction, I get to spend my evening time with the fiction. The balance of time is definitely skewed toward the nonfiction, but that’s how it needs to be right now. But this method is keeping my fiction world alive.

Finally, I’ve given myself a mantra or a visualization or a statement–whatever you like to call it. I wrote it on a small piece of paper and stuck it to the bottom of my monitor, where I can see it everytime I sit at my desk to work. Three short words. It says simply: Room for Both.

What balance are you trying to achieve on your writing path? Do you have tricks or tips, or another mantra, to share? Drop into the comments and let us know.

Posted in The Writing Path

Welcome

Posted on by beckylevine

Wouldn’t it be nice if we knew every step along our writing path? Not just the ones we’ve already made or the one our foot is coming down on just at this moment, but the ones yet to come?

It’d be a bit like taking your list to the grocery store–walking down the aisles, picking the right items off the shelves and putting them in your cart, checking off ingredients one by one. The whole journey would be well-planned, organized, and straightforward, and each step would bring you closer to your goal. You’d be heading toward the check-out line, you’d know exactly how to get there, and you’d succeed. Easy. You could even work it so you had a nice bar of chocolate at the end.

Unfortunately, our writing paths are a lot harder than shopping for milk and bread. Fortunately, they’re also a lot more fun and way more interesting. We do all the work we can to try and figure them out–take classes, read books, join critique groups, and write and write and write. There are steps along the path that are nothing like you’ll find at the market, when something happens that has you doing Snoopy’s happy dance in front of your computer. There are also moments that feel like you just stepped in the broken-egg mess left behind when someone dropped a carton.

At this new website & blog, I want to talk about all these steps (yes, the bad ones, too). When you visit, here are some of the topics you’ll find:

  • The BIG elements of writing–plot, characterization, voice, pacing–you name it
  • The writing process–outlining, first drafts, revising, polishing
  • The critique process–reading deeping & thoughtfully, giving and getting constructive & supportive feedback, brainstorming, revising (yes, again!)
  • Networking–getting to know other writers, and agents and editors, in person and online
  • Marketing & PR–websites, blogs, social-networking sites, book launches, workshops, signings
  • Book reviews–books about the craft and business of writing, as well as books that I just fall in love with

Today, more than ever, all these pieces are stepping stones on our writing paths. I hope you’ll stop by frequently, enjoy the posts, and leave your two cents (or three!) in the comments. Together, I believe we can make more progress than if we walk alone.

Let’s start the discussion. Leave me a comment about who supports you on your path, and how you work together. What are the benefits you gain?