Category Archives: Writing Life

2012 in Review- Happy New Year!

Posted on by
3

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.  Yay!  See it below.

A big thank you to everyone who dropped by this year.  I’m hoping to share a bit more of my writing process with you in 2013, because I’m planning not only to start a university writing program in the next couple of weeks, but have my NaNo book to edit and revise.

And not only that, but I want to write a sequel to Rose’s Hostage, even though I can’t seem to sell it yet.   I’ve begun gathering material on that already.   Then there is the Blogging from A-Z Challenge coming up in April.

Happy New Year, everyone.  Let’s hope like hell it’s better than this year.

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 9,800 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 16 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

4 Ways I’m Relaxing after NaNoWriMo

Posted on by
6

I’ve been quiet since NaNoWriMo.  The only writing I’ve done is a blog post over on Clerical Chick, some chatting, a few tweets, and cover letters.   Yes, I’m still job hunting *GROAN*.

While I feel a bit lazy right now, after finishing a project that huge I definitely think some relaxation is in order.   You may be compelled to continue, but I am going to take this time before I actually get a job to enjoy my lack of responsibilities.

In no particular order, here are some ways I have relaxed after NaNoWriMo.

#1 – Watching TV series I never saw

I’m working my way through The X-Files on Netflix right now.  I’m up to Season 5, and just watched the one where Scully finds the little girl she thinks is her sister’s daughter.  This show is hilarious.  I don’t believe in alien abduction, so I have to really work to suspend disbelief, but the intentional humor is excellent.

Netflix is awesome too.  I love being able to watch back-to-back episodes of TV shows, except it backfires with How I Met Your Mother, since that show is still airing and I’m behind.  I’m watching faster than they’re posting.

Digital content is much more entertaining when you pause it than videotape ever was.  Check out this ridiculous Mulderface shot:

AAACHOOO!

AAACHOOO!

#2 – Reading

I’ve hauled out some old favorites, but in the next couple of weeks I’m going to tackle the two remaining novels in Robert J. Sawyer‘s Neanderthal Parallax series.  I read Hominid and loved it, but I haven’t gotten around to the other ones.  Sawyer is an excellent writer, and a nice guy too.  I emailed him once and got a very gracious reply.

Last year, when I had two jobs, I wrote way more than I read.  I would like to remedy that.  I’ve missed reading.  So an early New Year’s resolution:  to read more books in 2013, as well as write more.

#3 – Attempting to create handmade Christmas presents since I’m broke

The less said about this, the better.

#4 – Reorganizing the house

Good luck with this one, self.  No one wants the furniture I put on craigslist, and I have TOO MUCH STUFF.

Not quite, but getting there.

Not quite, but getting there.

Image:  Bill Longshaw / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I watch Hoarders to remind myself of what can happen when I’m too lazy to do this (yes, I know it’s a severe anxiety disorder, and I have anxiety issues, so yes, I watch it to scare myself also).  Plus, there’s the added what-if-I-can’t-find-a-job-and-have-to-move motivation.  I actually donated eight boxes of books to the library sale recently, so I’m doing pretty well.

None of these activities takes the place of the job hunt, or getting my ducks in a row for a possible return to school in the spring.   Things are changing little by little.  Let’s hope next year they’re for the best, because this year sucks.

Whatever you’re doing to celebrate the end of NaNoWriMo, I hope you enjoy your holiday.  We’ll all gear up for a visit the Ghost of Editing Yet to Come.

 

 

Related articles

Happy Halloween and NaNoWriMo 2012

Posted on by
3

Happy Halloween!

Here’s my first attempt at shaving a pumpkin design.  I used a free template I found online.  I think it turned out rather well for a first try.  For those who aren’t Doctor Who fans, it’s the head of an evil robot called a Cyberman.

“You will be upgraded.”

Photograph by Elizabeth West

No matter what you’re doing this year, please remember to stay safe.  Watch those candles around costumes, and never leave them unattended.  If your kids find the stash of candy you saved for yourself, don’t kill them.  Just steal some from their bags.

From last year, but damn funny:

Tomorrow is the beginning of NaNoWriMo.  I told you earlier that I would be participating this year.  I’m not formally signing up, because technically, you’re not supposed to use NaNo for something you’ve already started.  But I have to do something drastic, or I’ll never finish.  This has been unequivocally one of the worst years of my life.

Because, you know, chaos.

Image:  US Navy- Aaron Peterson / Wikimedia Commons

I’m creating a category—NaNoWriMo 2012—and I’ll probably only be posting updates this month, especially if I find a job.   I’m not restricting myself from publishing any other posts if I think of one, but all NaNo materials will be under that heading for easy reference.  If you’d like to follow me on Twitter, I may be tweeting things there as well during this time.

Good luck to all other writers who are NaNo-ing this year!

National Novel Writing Month – or, That Crazy Writer’s Locked Herself in the Closet Again

Posted on by
12

Next month is November and the National Novel Writing Month spectacular, aka NaNoWriMo.  Yes, writers are lazy; why type all that shit when we don’t have to?

What is NaNoWriMo?  It’s this crazy idea that in thirty days, you can bang out a 50,000-word novel.  It’s a chance to take that idea swimming around in your head and birth it out into reality.  Not polished perfection, mind you—that takes a much longer commitment.  Since many writers suffer from butt-in-chair deficiency, NaNoWriMo is designed to force you to sit still and write.

To do this, you can formally sign up for the process at the NaNoWriMo site and participate in the contest.  Or you can do it on your own, whatever.   The site has forums, advice, word counters, and much more.

I hate trying to crap out first drafts.  HATE HATE HATE HATE.  I’m considering doing NaNoWriMo informally this year, just to finish something.

I would like to get some voice recognition software and just talk the damn thing out, like “Then Dr. Equate stabs the zombie four times—no, three—and his evil diseased brain cocktail is about to fall into the water supply!  Yeah!  And super spy Dirk Fabulous shows up and forces him to drink it!”  Same process; no hand cramps. I can clean it up later.

The awesomeness of this would be, well, awesome.

Image:  Victor Habbick / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The current WIP is stalled, but I think I finally figured out something that was borking my story.  By borking, I mean it threw up a giant roadblock that effectively killed forward progression.  This has nothing to do with the fact that my life imploded, by the way; it was a glitch in the plot.

If you want to do this, I suggest you take these next couple of weeks to prepare, if you haven’t already.

Do an outline

I get a rough concept of a book and when I’ve thought it out a bit, I write a synopsis and then break it down into scenes.  Later, I use it to organize chapters.  Since I tend to skip around when I write, the outline keeps me on track.

Get your life in order

My writer buddy James Allder recommended that I make sure I’m not interrupted in any way during my NNWM writing time.  He’s got a good point.  A break in concentration can mean death to a writing session.  Shouldn’t be hard, considering I have no life right now.

If you have one, make sure you get extra crap out of the way so you can sit down at the same time every day and work.

Do a few practice sessions

You may already have a set time you write every day.  If so, good for you.

Here’s your trophy, you self-righteous bastard.

Image:  Suat Eman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

If you don’t, I would suggest a practice run.  Take a few days and try it out.  It doesn’t matter if you’re only writing gibberish, just so you get the feel of actually working during that interval.  Mind you, it’s against the rules to work on your NNWM project before the start date.

Remember it’s only a tool

You are not going to produce a complete book in one month.  Let me repeat that, because it’s important:  you are not going to produce a complete book in one frigging month. 

A complete book, ready for publishing, will require at least another few months of editing, rewriting, polishing, submission to first/second/third readers, more editing, more polishing, etc. before you can even think about querying.

Your goal is to finish something, not write a goddamn bestseller.   Use it to get your butt in the chair.  When the month is over, it’s up to you to keep it there.

NaNoWriMo is only a tool.  Its purpose:  to make you WRITE.  In a burst of uncensored, freewriting word diarrhea.   Your brain will open the creativity floodgates and not even the Brain-o-pectate will stop it.  At the end, you will have the bones of a book.

If I do NaNoWriMo—and I think I will—I’ll create a separate category on this blog where I can update my progress and tears.  You may live through the actual process of writing (well, finishing, technically) a book along with me.

Lock and load.

Image:  vudhikrai / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

———

Helpful links:

“25 Things You Should Know about NaNoWriMo”  by Chuck Wendig

Chuck is no-holds barred.   If you don’t like me saying goddamn and shit, you’ll hate him.  But he knows what he’s talking about, goddamn it.

“Getting Ready for NaNoWriMo” by Steve Shepard

Some decent tips, even if it’s kind of an ad for the Storyist software.  I prefer PageFour myself.  Plain old Word is fine; you don’t have to buy anything to do NNWM.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Novel_Writing_Month

History, rules, and more.

 

Writing When You’re Not Writing

Posted on by
2

It was wrenching to write the first words of this post.  Why?  Because I don’t want to admit I’m not writing.  Maybe you surmised from an earlier post that things aren’t going very well right now.

But you’re blogging, you say.  That’s writing.  Sure it is.  I’m talking to you in written form, telling you something.  So it’s writing.  It’s just not the kind of writing I want to be doing.

Anne Wayman, super freelance guru, wrote a post about writing even when you are horribly distracted.   She says, in essence, that writing helps keep her mind off things.

I have the opposite problem; I can’t NOT think about it, because when I’m upset, I tend to bang out little Notepad diary entries about how pissed off I am.  At least they’re digital, and I can delete them before I die and someone finds them.

Note to self: burn this old thing….

Image:  vada0214/stock.xchng

How the hell do you write when life blows up in your face?  Here are my conclusions.

Take a break

Sometimes, you just have to.  If you have freelance clients or a deadline, you might not have the luxury.  At least cut back, if you’re able.  Put as many projects on hiatus as you can while you deal with things.

Write something that pertains to whatever is distracting you

Turn it into a project, by golly.  At most, you might even get a sale out of it, if you can find an intriguing angle on the subject.  At least, you’ll discharge some of those feelings and sort your thoughts.

I have no clue what the hell this is supposed to be, but it cheered me up for a minute.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Use the time to do research

I’ve been trying to do this a bit.  Of course, the whole insomnia thing makes reading material very difficult.  I’ve actually had to *GASP* put the computer aside and rest my eyes.

Research is easy.  You read some stuff and take notes.  No pressure. If you act like it’s no big deal instead of life or death, you may dig yourself out of a dead end.  I think I’ve found an answer to one particular problem in the current WIP that’s been plaguing me.

Write somewhere other than your hidey-hole

Get out of the house.  Take your laptop to the library.  They have wi-fi in case you need to look up giant sloth toads of Madagascar, or watch a YouTube tutorial on binary star systems.  Wear headphones so other unemployed lurkers don’t hit on you.

Once you start writing in earnest, disconnect.

For God’s sake, stay away from the button!

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Go back to a previous project

When I’m brain-dead, pulling something out of Ye Olde Writing Trunk is soothing.  I’ve said before that I much prefer editing to writing first drafts.

Hence the re-edit of Rose’s Hostage   I’ve got a few more queries to try before I bury the poor thing.  At least it will give me something to do.  And you never know.

———-

I dearly hope you are all surviving this ridiculous excuse for an economy we have lately.  And the drought.  And the unemployment.  And the global warming.  And the religious wars.

We all have to hang in there.  There’s nothing else to do.  Except, maybe, write about it.

Why I Don’t Want to Read Your Manuscript

Posted on by
Reply

Hey, it’s not that I don’t like you.  Really.

“But you’re a writer!  You can help meeeee!” 

Maybe.  But there are issues.

Legal stuff sucks

Remember that story by Stephen King, “Secret Window, Secret Garden?”  They made a film out of it with Johnny Depp, called merely Secret Window.  In the film/story, a writer is approached by a hayseed who hurtles the accusation at him, “You stole my story!”

I don’t want to read unpublished work, possibly be influenced by it, and then end up in court because you levied this accusation at me, even though my story has nothing to do with yours.  Or because I used the same theme, like first love, but not the same plot, that of your fictional first time with a young Bruce Wayne, in Alfred’s room while he was at the grocery store.

Dear God. We can’t blame you. *droooool*

Image:  Wearingcelebs.com

Criticism sucks

First readers are great.  They look at your stuff, and point out mistakes, inconsistencies, awkward turns of phrase, and other beasts that infest your writing.  You will be blind to these while you birth your masterpiece.

Truth is, no one, NO ONE, writes a perfect first draft.  Depending on the writer or the work, it may take several edits before it’s ready for someone else’s discerning gaze.  If you think your first draft is perfect, I challenge you to sit on it for a month and then go back and read it again.

If I read your work, I will feel compelled to point out the places where it could use some improvement.  I’m no expert, far from it.  But I know enough to help you with the big clunkers.

And that’s what it is:  help.  I don’t do it because I don’t want to listen to you whine, or yell at me, if I make suggestions.  Learn how to take constructive criticism (I really prefer the term feedback).  You’ll have to do this if you want to be a writer.

Not having enough time sucks

I have two blogs, and (usually) a full-time job, plus I’m supposed to be writing my own stuff.   I don’t always have time to slog through your long-ass manuscript.  Especially if you’re going to yell at me.

If we’re both broke and you’re at least at my level of skill and you want to barter—you read mine, I’ll read yours—I may be amenable to that.

Critiquing is work, and working for free sucks

Sorry, man, but I can’t pay my bills in thanks.  If I don’t know you and you want me to give a basic critique, you’re going to have to pay me for my time.  If I do know you, well you’ll still have to, although I might be able to work something out with you.

“But you don’t have a book out.  You’re just an amateur writer.  Why can’t you do this for the kudos?”

Because.

  • Unless YOUR book is coming out and you thank me profusely in the acknowledgments for helping you cross your Is and dot your Ts, the kudos aren’t going to do me a bit of good.  No one will see them.
  • I’m not a complete amateur.  Yes, my output isn’t as prolific as some other people’s, but I have actually been paid to write.  If you get paid for something, you’re no longer an amateur, the definition of which is “someone who does something for the love of it.”
  • If I have to work for free all the time on YOUR stuff, I’m not free to do my own work, which at some point I may actually get paid for.

———–

I’m not trying to demean your efforts, really.  I’m just pointing out to you that there are good reasons why many writers don’t read unpublished work.  Famous ones are even less likely to do it, unless you’ve paid buttloads of money for a personalized glance-through at a conference or convention.

Writing groups are a good place to bounce your stuff off other people of a similar literary bent.  They are set up with this in mind.  A good group will have rules, and you’ll have to return the favor from time to time, but that will only help you learn.

Look here for a good article on how to find a critique group.  

 

Bad Things Happen and There’s Nothing You Can Do

Posted on by
3

Due to some seriously upsetting personal issues, I don’t know when my next post will be.  Hopefully I will have something to say, but right now I can’t even think straight or see to type.  Sometimes when bad things happen, it disrupts writing.  I apologize.   Please give me some time.  Thank you.

P.S. No, nobody died or is about to, unless broken hearts really can kill you.

 

Flying Tips

Posted on by
Reply

Update: Valerie Cecil of Guestdoor.com informed me that my TSA link was all 404’ed.  Thanks, Valerie–it’s fixed now!

Check out this article she sent me on how to protect yourself against identity theft while traveling.  She’s included some really good tips on keeping your information safe.

———-

If you have a job that requires frequent travel, you’re probably used to many of the inconveniences.  If not, and your book hits the big time, you might be traveling a lot.  (Yeah, we should all be so lucky.)

I’ve written about flying and how much it sucks these days.  I’ve flown more in the last two years than in my entire life, with Egon being so far away.  It took a little getting used to.

The Internet is full of tips and tricks to make traveling by air easier.  One also finds a plethora of bitching.   Rather than do that, I’d like to share some of the things I’ve learned, in my favorite list-ish fashion.

Wear comfy clothes, but not sloppy ones

Long ago, when flying was kind of a luxury, it was also a special occasion.  People wore business-type clothes to fly.  They spent a lot of money and even in coach, you were catered to.  I can remember meal service and comfy seats in Coach.  Sigh.  Those were the days.

Want this in business class? Try international airlines. You won’t get it on an American carrier.

Image:  Jiang / Wikimedia Commons

Now the seats are smaller and the planes more crowded.  You might wish to clad yourself in comfortable clothing.  But please, show a little decorum.  Items to avoid include:

  • Flip flops – these are horrible for your feet.  They’re horrible for my eyes.  I don’t want to see your gnarly toes with yellowish, fungus-infested nails.  Blargh!
  • Pajamas – who thinks it’s okay to wear these out and about? Sure, maybe if you’re four!
  • Revealing clothes – anything that would get you on peopleofwalmart.com should be left at home or packed in your carry-on.  Some airlines will kick you off for this.  Really.

Pack sensibly

By sensibly, I mean don’t take the entire house.  I have trouble with this one.  I usually take my computer, since I don’t have a tablet or smartphone, and like to be able to write if the muse hits me.  But I’ve managed to get along with one small duffel and a backpack.

  • Make a list.  I have a standard one that I adapt to each trip.  For example, I don’t have to take hair products if I’m visiting Egon or family—either I have some there or can borrow.  But I might pack extra conditioner if I’m staying at a hotel.
  • Take clothes that can do double duty and don’t wrinkle.  Knit blends are best.  Downy® Wrinkle Releaser really works, and a travel size is available at Walmart.    Many hotel rooms have irons, and if you’re staying at a private home you can wash clothes.

Understand airline and security rules

Like it or not, the reality of air travel means dealing with security and safety.  Not only liquids and shoes, but electronic devices on the airplane, and your behavior.   Yes, there are hotheaded, power-mad asshats out there.  No, you aren’t justified in breaking rules simply because you don’t agree with them.

If I could get a tack past the TSA, it would be sooo in your seat…

Image(s): FreeDigitalPhotos.net

  • Shut your electronic device off and put it away for takeoff and landing.  I don’t wish to have your iPad crash into my head if the captain has to slam on the brakes.  Before you mouth off about books, I put mine in the seat pocket until the plane is in the air.

The flight attendant’s safety warning says “ALL CARRY-ON ITEMS MUST BE STOWED FOR TAKEOFF AND LANDING.”  That means everything.  You can survive for a few minutes without Angry Birds.  I promise.

Yeah, it’s not that cute when you’re eight, either.

Image: Clare Bloomfield / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Story Time!

On my way back from a recent Egon visit, I was subjected to my very first bag search.  Aww.

I did warn the TSA that I had camera batteries and a small wrist/ankle weight in there, but it alarmed and I was pulled out of line.  The TSA at the Tucson airport were very professional.

No, I’m not endorsing the agency, but it could have been much, much worse.  Next time I’ll take the weight out of the bag, if I have to travel with it again.

  • Do not stare at people who are in the little holding area getting their bags searched.  They could be innocent and you could be next.

———–

By remembering your manners and adding a little patience to your bag o’ tricks, you can make air travel less of a hassle.  And if you’re a writer, airports are great places to people watch.  Maybe the next generation of travelers will learn something from you.

“Someday, boopy, you’ll wear pretty dresses, ride a pony and be subject to extra-constitutional privacy invasion. Make us proud.”

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Watch Out — Anthony Giangregorio and Protecting Yourself

Posted on by
1

Beware of Anthony Giangregorio.

I wasn’t going to give this particular guy any press, but horror novelist Brian Keene posted this on his blog and on Facebook, and I felt I really needed to get the word out to any readers who may not be aware of it.  Tim Lieder posted about him here also, as did Kelli Dunlap.   And poor Mandy DeGeit, who was so excited that her story was going to be included in an anthology from Giangregorio’s small Undead Press (he also runs Living Dead Press, and Open Casket Press), until she found…..

Well, click her name for the story.  It’s pretty unbelievable.

In short, Giangregorio joins a list of disgustingly nasty people who prey on UNPUBs who want to see their work in print.  There are other small presses out there that do this.  In this case, I think this guy is a poser.  Even so, he’s damaged other writers and deserves to be called out.

He published and sold unauthorized sequels to George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead.  One poster on Kelli Dunlap’s blog entry mentions he read one of Giangregorio’s books, and realized it was a complete rip-off of Stephen King’s The Mist.  Some author, huh?

TO TOP IT OFF…..

According to Brian, he’s apparently begun to threaten people who speak out against him.  Um, that’s not very smart, when everything on the Internet stays there FOREVER.

And ever…and ever…hallelujah…hallelujah…

 Image: Road to Infinity by Jugni / Wikimedia Commons

Alyn Day had a run-in with him and she posts about it here.  (If it asks you about adult Previewcontent, say yes; it’s not dirty or anything).  She’s the one who had the veiled threat messaged in Facebook.

How can writers avoid people like this?

Victoria Strauss at Writer Beware (who also posted about Anthony Giangregorio and editing clauses in contracts) reminds writers to make sure editing clauses include their cooperation.  A true professional will indeed work with you on changes, but it MUST be in your contract.

Lessons learned?

#1 – READ EVERY WORD OF YOUR CONTRACT

If you don’t understand something, ask about it.  If you need time to have a lawyer (preferably one that has publishing experience) take a look at it, do so.  Remember, anyone, ANYWHERE, who pushes you to sign anything, does not have YOUR interests at heart.  Don’t sign until you understand every word and have come to a mutual agreement as to the terms.

#2 – Check out agents and publishers before submitting

You can look them up at Writer Beware, or Preditors and Editors, or google the name of the press or agent along with “scam,” and “review.”  Look for a decent website rather than just a Facebook page or email.  Absolute Write Water Cooler has forums where people post their impressions and experiences with industry people.  The link will take you to the beware page.

#3 – Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is

This is the golden rule to avoid scams of any kind.  And remember, with the exception of self-publishing (that’s a whole other can of scammer worms right there), money should flow TO the author, not FROM the author.  Do your homework on the industry so you know what is normal and accepted practice.

Hey, chicky, wanna sell a story? Have I got a deal for you…

Image(s): FreeDigitalPhotos.net

#4 – Report people who are unscrupulous, who threaten you, or otherwise act in an unprofessional manner.

This assumes, of course, that YOU didn’t act in an unprofessional manner, such as throwing an email fit when an agent politely says no, etc.   You can squeal on them at the links in #3.

People like Anthony Giangregorio who pull this type of shit give small publishers a bad name.  It’s worthwhile to out them, so if they sleaze their way over into another genre, they’ll be recognized for what they are.