Category: Uncategorized

Posted in Uncategorized

Cabin Fever as the Prelude to Creativity. I Hope.

Posted on by beckylevine

Is it Monday? We stepped into a corner of the Twilight Zone this weekend, with the advent of the season’s first virus bug. My husband and I are happily untouched so far, but it hit my son with a vengeance. I thought only toddlers got high fevers. So far, he seems to be progressing through without any secondary crud, which is great, and I THINK we may be seeing around the corner to the healthy side of things this morning.  But he’s a healthy kid, and it’s been a really long time since he spent a few days on the couch sleeping and playing video games.

And it’s been a long time since I clicked into that sort of nothing-to-do-but-still-not-doing-anything mode. Where you’ve got the meds into the kid, his temp is down, you can hear Mario chirping happily away, and you’ve got hours with  nowhere to go and nothing you have to do.

But you still don’t write.

Maybe it’s just me. (Although I sure hope not.) Granted, the past few weeks have been super busy, and I’d kind of planned to take the weekend off, anyway. But the thing is, I don’t slip easily away from that mental check-in with the sick kid and into that deep focus on what’s going on with my MCs. Really, I kind of wish I could. My son would be just fine without me wandering past, doing a forehead check, asking if he wants some more juice. The doc checked him out yesterday, and there’ s nothing secondary going on. He’s not five; he’s fifteen. Then again, maybe it’s nice having Mom around and present, as long as she doesn’t suggest one more time that you might want to bring your tired brain to focus on a book for a while, instead of how many coins Luigi has. Maybe, when you’re sick at fifteen, it’s just as nice to have that juice catered as it was at five.

I don’ t know.

What I do know is that it’s Day 4. He’s still got a bit of a fever, but it seems to be holding steady at a lower spot. The cough’s still there, and–yeah–it’s a pain, but it’s probably not worse.

And I’m starting to get just a little bit…stir crazy.

We’re going to mix it up a bit today. I printed off yet another copy of basic Mah Jong rules, and we’re getting my set out later to play. I WILL get some laundry folded. I might wave that book at him just one more time. I’ll open up one  of my research books, rather than yet another novel. I’m going to keep my PiBoIdMo notebook open and nearby, to see if I can make up for the dearth of scribbling that’s shown up in it the last few days.

Yeah.

And, let me tell you, when that temperature is back to normal, the cough disappears, and I drop my son at school again, here’s what I WILL be doing.Okay, yeah, with a computer and probably not with an owl on my head. But you get the picture.

Have a happy AND HEALTHY week, everyone!

Posted in Uncategorized

My Critique Group’s in Cahoots with Donald Maass

Posted on by beckylevine

I had a wonderful time at a brief writing retreat last weekend. One of my critique partners lives a bit further up the mountain from me, and she opened up our house to us starting Saturday afternoon, with a fire in the fireplace and a pot of stew on the stove. I was only able to stay through dinner, but I curled up on her incredibly comfy couch, yes–in front of the fire–and worked through some more exercises in Maass’ Breakout Novel Workbook.

For those of you who don’t follow me on Facebook, where I already posted this photo, here’ s the basic view out the windows.

I know.

Anyway, I made big progress, only coming up stuck at one point–when Maass wanted me to figure out the thing Caro wants and then figure out the opposite of that. (He’s SO demanding!) If you’ve read Maass’ Breakout Novel book & workbook, you know that he thinks big. Or BIG. And he wants us to. He’s not satisfied with events and effects and people who only impact their narrow, personal world–he wants to see how their actions and problems resonate outward and, yeah, create bigger problems, bigger solutions, and bigger heroes.

So I thought I had the basics of that opposite desire, but I was pretty sure it wasn’t enough. Not just because Mr. Maass would tell me it wasn’t, but because I could see that the pull on my hero from this need wasn’t going to counter that original desire–in other words, there wasn’t going to be enough tension. The stakes for Caro, if she gave up that opposite need, just weren’t going to matter a whole lot.

So I sent an email to my critique group and asked for some brainstorming time around this question.

You know what they say: Be careful what you ask for.

Oh, boy. I thought I wanted to make things bigger. I thought I wanted to amp up the problems. Listen, what I wanted was nothing compared to what my critique partners wanted. Yep, they were right there on Donald Maass’ side. Totally.

And…*BIG SIGH*…they were right.

I could see it, right there. As I thought about what they said, my stomach tightened up and my heart clenched, not just for Caro, but for so many other characters in her story. And for me. I swear, I may have broken out in a cold sweat. And as one 0f the women at that table reminded me, that’s when you know you’re on the right track.

Or at least when your critique partners and Donald Maass are.

I have to admit, I was pretty intimidated. But this is why I’m in a critique group. It’s why I’m in THIS critique group. Because you don’t think I let them off the hook, do you? I took a deep breath and asked, “Will you guys help me do this?”

There wasn’t a split second of thought before all the yes’s came back at me.

Thank goodness.

 

Posted in Uncategorized

Breakout Novel Workbook: Getting Back to the Hero I Started With

Posted on by beckylevine

“A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…”

Okay, not THAT long ago. But long-enough ago, I knew who the protagonist of my YA historical was. I had an image of her walking at high-speed down the streets of 1910 Chicago, going fast, because that was what she did, how she moved. She was antsy, energetic, and I loved that about her.

Somewhere in the drafting process of this novel, I lost her. She’s become a worrier, a fretter, someone who–well, you might decide to take the time to get to know her and find out if she was more, deep down, but then again–you might NOT take that time. In other words, not much of a hero at all.

The good news is, I think I’ve found her again. I’ve been working through the exercises in the first two chapters of Donald Maass’ Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook, which focus on–guess who–the hero. Yes, when I first opened the files to answer Maass’ questions, I was drawing a blank. I was staring at the computer screen and back to the workbook, and thinking, “Yeah, if I could answer your questions, I wouldn’t be having these problems.” But I gave myself the chance to let my brain empty out a bit, let some of the frustration I’ve been feeling just drop away, and then I thought about who I feel Caro is, separate from all the confused actions and thoughts I’ve been putting on the page.

And I got it. Somewhere out of the silence, I got an adjective.

Restless.

Oh, yeah. That’s MUCH better than worried or stressed or unhappy. And, guess what? The adjective came with a WHY. I know at least one reason behind Caro’s restlessness. It’s a reason tied to a goal.

If you’ve read my blog for long, you’ll know that I like goals. Big time.

It’s not enough yet, but, hey, I’m only two chapters in. I’ve got some more time this afternoon to spend with Caro and with the workbook, and I’m moving forward. Forward to remember all the other things I already knew.

Posted in Uncategorized

The Blog: What’s Coming in November

Posted on by beckylevine

First, Happy Halloween to everybody!

I’ve been feeling like my blog posts are a little scattered of late–kind of “my life” focused and a little light on craft-talk. Hopefully, this month, I’ll get back on track with talking about fiction and the writing of it. I’m digging into a couple of projects that I think will get me back on track, both with my own writing (the emotional AND time commitment) and with blogging about the process, tools, and ideas that I really love talking about.

First, as you probably already know, I’m participating in PiBoIdMo (Picture Book Idea Month) over at Tara Lazar’s blog, Writing for Kids (While Raising Them).

I’ll be guest-posting over there next weekend, but I’m guessing I’ll also be talking about it here plenty–what it’s like mining for a new idea every day for 30 days, how those ideas are feeling, if I’m seeing serious potential in any of them for development into actual stories…That kind of thing.

And I’m pulling myself back to the YA historical that has been driving me nutso.

This is my copy of Donald Maass’ Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook. No, you can’t buy it in a three-ring binder, but if you have a bandsaw in your garage, you can either bravely take the book to the blade yourself, or–like me–ask your husband to cut the edge binding off, then three-hole-punch the thing into a binder, thus leaving LOTS of room for all those extra pages of notes and scenes you’re going to create. Yes, it’s book mutilation, but in the best cause ever. Yes? Yes.

I’ve talked about this book before, well–about the prequel to it, Writing the Breakout Novel. And I used the workbook when I first got started on this WIP.  The story has changed so drastically, though, and I find myself struggling so much to understand the characters, that I’m going back to the workbook. Seriously, that’s the biggest compliment I can pay a writing book–that I return to it in times of stress, mind-chaos, or need-for-inspiration. I’m going to work my way through the workbook, and I’m going to do ALL the exercises. In some form or another.  Between Mr. Maass and me, we’re going to figure these people out! And, lucky you, you’ll probably get to hear about the process, and hopefully the discoveries, along the way.

So that’s what’s coming. A little more thinking, a little more writing.

And of course, there’s bound to be at least one post on…

November? Bring it on!

Posted in Uncategorized

Friday Five: Halloween

Posted on by beckylevine

We’re celebrating Halloween tomorrow, with a party, and we don’t get trick-or-treaters on Monday (too far up in the mountains without being in a little mountain “neighborhood.”) So a few days early, here are some of my favorite things about Halloween.

1. Candy. Yes, you knew I was going to say that. My favorites? Butterfingers, peanut-butter cups, and the little pumpkins that come in candy corn this time of year.

2. Cute little children in cute little costumes. Oh, yes, and cute dogs in cute costumes, too. Our cat Lacey does not dress up. Or eat candy (like I’m guessing those dogs do!).

3. The shift into a new season. I know, autumn has already technically arrived, but for me it comes right around Halloween. This year, we got cold a couple of weeks earlier than usual. Typically, here in NorCal, we spend the week before Halloween thinking, “Boy, that costume is going to be awfully warm.” Then, the day before the big night, temperatures drop suddenly, and our thoughts shift to, “Wonder if I can persuade the kid to wear a coat over that costume.”

4. The lights and decorations. Yes, I love Xmas lights, too. There’s a several-blocks-long street in town, where the town kids and an awful lot of the mountain kids go to trick-or-treat, and that street maxes out on the decoration. Tacky, gaudy, and oh, so bright–I love them.

5. The thought of all the time off, time with family, time with festivities coming in the next two months!

Posted in Uncategorized

Frustration Saturation

Posted on by beckylevine

Can I use two -tion words right after the other? Well, yes, I can, because that’s how I’m feeling. I’ve heard so many people talk about reaching this stage in a writing project, where they’re so unhappy with the work they’re doing, the story they’re trying to tell, that they feel like…

Well, that I feel like

  • Putting this book away and finishing up the revisions on Picture Book #1
  • Putting this book away and starting the revisions on Picture Book #2
  • Putting this book away and digging out one of the MG ideas I’ve been tossing into files for the past two years
  • Putting this book away and doing major revisions on the MG novel in a drawer I still love
  • Putting this book away and Fill in the Blank

There are three things stopping me from doing any of the above.

  1. My innate and seriously deep-running stubbornness. If you don’t believe me, just ask my mom.
  2. The wonderful critique partner who said to me, “What do you mean figuring out character stuff instead of working on the book? How is that not working on the book?”
  3. The absolute knowledge that if I drop this, there will be a HUGE bump in the learning curve that I haven’t surmounted, that will be there waiting for me on whatever novel I decide would be easier, more fun, a happier place to spend my writing time.

If I have ever sounded flip or unsympathetic to any of you going through this stage, I apologize with all my heart. This stinks. I have no idea where I am going to go with this book. I do believe the next step is to back up and, yes, figure out my characters. This may mean buying a new, fresh copy of Donald Maass’ Writing The Breakout Novel Workbook. It may mean filling out those character charts that I hate. It may (and almost certainly will) mean spending hours staring at a new file on the computer or a notebook in my hand and filling the page with doodling ideas about who these people are, who my hero is, what she wants. It may mean major brainstorming sessions with my critique group.

I am going to let myself work on those picture books, too. Right now, they seem to be the light in my writing time, and I don’t want to give that up. Besides which, they seem to spell the word progress, which is important for my sense of Yes, I’m Writing! But…here’s the thing.

One of my husband and son’s favorite books is a science-fiction novel called Armor by John Steakley. I haven’t read the book, but they tell me that in the story, one character Felix, gets attacked by ants, which aren’t actual ants, but some kind of “multi-limbed, insectile, chitonous, hive-minded, three-meter-tall aliens. With heat rays.” (Descriptive summary, thanks to Son.) Anyway, Felix is pretty much doomed not to survive. Another character, Jack Crow, finds recordings of Felix’s experiences during the battles, which show Jack why and how Felix keeps going in the face of absolute disaster. Jack says that Felix just flatly refuses to die. The quote, to the best of son’s memory, is: “The ants will get him. But not this one. Do you know why? Because it pisses him off.

This book may beat me. But not today. Do you know why? Because the thought of losing to this story pisses me off.

Posted in Blog Contest, Uncategorized

THE PLOT WHISPERER Blog Tour: Lacey Picks the Winners. Kind of.

Posted on by beckylevine

This post is dedicated to Trixie, Debbi Michiko Florence’s dog. I’ve met Trixie, and she’s a sweetie. She’s also amazing–I’m always impressed at how clever she is when she helps Debbi pick a winner in one of their giveaways. You can see Debbi and Trixie together, at Jama Kim Rattigan’s celebration of National Dog Day. You can also watch Trixie here, as she picks ME to win a copy of Gabrielle Zevin’s All These Things I’ve Done.

I was curious. Would my cat, Lacey, be at all interested in helping out the way Trixie does? I was pretty sure she wouldn’t actually carry the winner’s names over to me, but I thought maybe she would bat around the paper with the winner’s name. Or at least sniff at it. She does a lot of sniffing.

I decided to try an experiment, following Debbi & Trixie’s steps as closely as possible, with the entries for Martha Alderson’s new writing book, The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master. I have to admit, I was a little tremulous–Lacey would have to clearly pick out two pieces of paper, without knocking them all under the bookshelf or something, where I’d never get to them and never know who had won.

Really, I needn’t have worried.

First, I put all the names on a piece of paper, folded those, and set them in a circle. I was working on the idea that maybe we’d go with the first two names Lacey batted out of the circle.

My son went to check if the cat was ready. You can see she was raring to go.

To get the full sarcasm of that last statement, go back and look at Trixie on Debbi’s blog, waiting so eagerly for Debbi to let her pick, then do the comparison. Yeah.

Basically, it was Kitty-Drawing fail. Lacey was so uninterested that she jump right out of the circle, over the pieces of the paper. You got it. Without picking one. So quickly that we were unable to get a photo.

Plan B.

First I needed to get the pieces of paper into a smaller space. A reachable-by-paw-while-being-held space.

I had reached the obvious conclusion that Lacey, unlike Trixie, needed a little help. (Note: No kitties were harmed in the making of this blog, only a small amount of kitty pride.) So, together, neither of us knowing which name was written on which piece of paper, we chose two winners.

Lacey and I (and my son, the photographer) say congratulations to:

Jennifer Fosberry and Suzanne Morrone, send me an email at beckylevine at ymail dot com, with your snail-mail addresses, and I’ll get your copies of The Plot Whisperer out to you. Don’t worry, I’m not going to ask Lacey to drive them to the post office!

Everybody else, you’ve got lots more chances to win. Martha has posted the schedule for the rest of her blog tour here, and there are more giveaways to come! And, Debbi, if Trixie has any tips for Lacey on doing this drawing-thing right, feel free to share.

Posted in Uncategorized

Taking an Editing Break

Posted on by beckylevine

If you’ve been reading my posts for a few months, you may be feeling like I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking (and blogging) about life and transitions and business and…yeah, all that. And you’d probably be right!

So I’m going to keep this short. If you look around my site this week, you’ll see a change. It’s over at my Editing page. The gist of the change is that I’m taking a little time off.

Oh. Sorry. Sometimes I crack myself up.

Time off?

Well, just from editing. I’m stepping off into another venture, another aspect of using the words that seem to be my primary tool in life. I’ve taken on a grant-researching and writing project for a local nonprofit. It started out as a few hours a week, but you know how that goes. And when I took a look at what’s coming for them, and me, in the next few months, I knew I couldn’t do it all. (Well, you know, not and stay sane.)

This is the path that I think, and hope, is going to lead me back into the working world, as my son makes his way through and (yikes!) out of high school in the next few years.  I’m learning a LOT of new stuff and really enjoying the people at the organization.

So, if you look at that Editing page, you’ll see my “On Hiatus” statement at the top. I’ve also collected and posted a few referrals, in case you stop by here looking for someone to edit your manuscript. The editors I’ve listed all have different backgrounds and different focuses, but they’re also all someone I would trust with my writing and–so–with the writing of anyone who comes here looking for assistance.

I’m not absolutely sure where this new path will lead me, or for how long, but I’ll keep the Editing page up-t0-date with information about me and about these referrals.

And, as always, I wish you the best with all your writing projects.

Posted in Uncategorized

Why Are You Writing THIS Story?

Posted on by beckylevine

We hear this question a lot: Why do you write? (Especially for those of us still on that path TO publication)? I have lots of easy answers to that: Because it’s the best feeling, because I’m not much good with stuff other than words, because I can type really fast, because I have to…

But a different question is: Why do you write this? This character, this era, this problem? Especially when, as it so often is, this is really hard.

Here’s a quick list for my historical YA, by far the hardest writing project I’ve ever taken on and the one that makes me face this question more often than I’ve ever had to before.

  • Because my hero has a strength that I want to get on the page.
  • Because the wrongness that was going on in 1910 is still going on today.
  • Because my hero has to face a choice I think many teens today have to face, and I want them to know that I, at least, support them in it.
  • Because I know that if I back off from this story, there will be a heap of things left behind that I chose not to learn. And where will that take my writing?
  • Because (and here’s where the hope comes in), I believe this story has power.

What brings you back to your WIP, even when you are tired or doubtful or drifting? What is it about this story that makes you need to write it? What is the call you can’t ignore?