Beginnings-What to Be When You Grow Up
I’m convinced that we all have an innate sense of what path we should follow when we grow up. We don’t always listen or try to find out what it is, but it’s there. It’s those first instincts you have as a child that provides the first clues.
As a kid, I wanted to write. There were other things too, but writing was always there. It took me long enough, but I’m there now. And, I am happy.
That’s my challenge to you. If your job seems boring and tedious, think back to your childhood. Look for those beginning signs. Sometimes, the message isn’t literal. If you loved creating things with Legos, that doesn’t mean you should chuck your job to play all day. What it does say is that you enjoyed creating things. The takeaway message is that you enjoyed having a product for your efforts.
I once had a job doing GIS work for a non-profit organization. Some of the co-workers were jerks, as you have in any job. The one thing I truly loved was creating maps. I’d gather all this data, clean it up and bring it together into a colorful, meaningful map. I created products for my efforts. It gave me a sense of fulfillment.
Perhaps, getting into with our beginnings is the best way to do a factory reset and get back to square one. It’s not always a painful thing. Sometimes, it may be the only thing.
Keep the Flow Going
I learned a valuable lesson the other day. I was writing furiously, trying to make my daily deadline. I liked what I wrote. I choose to edit later, with fresh eyes.
I started printing my document when I noticed the poor quality of the print. It was readable, but annoying. When I looked for some ink refills, alas, I found none. Now I was even more frustrated. I live far from town, so unfortunately, a quick drive to pick up replacements would take a good chunk of time. Needless to say, poor planning on my part ruined my writing momentum for the day.
So, just a word to the wise: stock up on necessary supplies so you don’t run out.
The Writer’s Gold
While I’ve read of other newspapers declaring bankruptcy or closing, the news that the Chicago Sun Times had joined the ranks made me sad. I grew up with that newspaper. Hard times have not only hit newspapers, but also the publishing industry. During these hard economic times, writers are being challenged more and more to keep the faith.
I remember a saying of Will Rogers about how investing in land because they weren’t making any more of it. I suppose the same could be said of gold. Equally so, can this be said of the writer’s treasure, the writer’s gold. What you or I have to offer is unique. Our words are ours alone. No one is reproducing the magic that you create as a writer. It is a worthwhile investment. How then do you keep the faith?
Keep writing.
For a lot of us, writing isn’t a profession, it is a path. We write because we must. The works flow if they’re being published or not. Harness that power and use it.
Invest in yourself.
If work isn’t flowing in, take the time to invest in yourself. This could be a good time to take a writing course or an online college course. The more you challenge your brain, the better your writing will be. Don’t think of it as a loss, but rather an opportunity.
Imagine success.
Your mind is a wonderful thing. It moves in the direction of your visions. Create a positive image of your success, and your mind will create the road to find it.
Since so much of our work depends upon the emotion we put into it, keeping a positive frame of mind is vital to your success. Your gold is your words.
Help Your Focus By Staying In Shape
It happened slowly. The writing was fast and furious. The words just flowed from my fingers to the keyboard. I was in a great writing mode.
Unfortunately, I discovered, as probably a lot of writers planted at their desks, that I was not in the best shape that I could have been. Writing was consuming my time. That realization made me step back and consider how to keep my focus and stay in shape.
Winter was tough this year, bitterly cold and very snowy. That was great for writing because I stayed in and wrote, but bad for a healthy lifestyle. A couple of solutions came to mind. I could get a treadmill or an exercise bike. There would be no excuses then. The point was that to bring the best to my writing, I had to give time to myself to exercise. I had to allow myself to take a break and do something not involved with the computer or writing.
While I wasn’t have any problems with writing, it felt like I would be writing for hours and suddenly realize it was almost time for dinner. I wanted balance, but I didn’t want to break so far away that I lost track of where I was in my writing. My solution? Have some exercise equipment in the next room so I could plan my breaks, get a bit of workout in, and return to the keyboard.
I learned to embrace these times. Without distractions, my mind could wander. I could think about my writing, maybe figure out some plot points. Even if I wasn’t writing, I was still working on it. When I got back to work, I was refreshed and anxious to get back at it. By not writing, I was able to focus.
Making Sense of Your Writing–Part 2
Sensory detail only begins with your sense of smell. Taste, another sense linked closely to smell, can also create powerful associations in your reader. In my current work, “Murder To Order”, I use the sense of taste to bring the reader closer to my story. In one scene, my protagonist and detective, Jack Hunter, is cooking dinner for his visiting daughter. He’s at the stove, sauteing mushrooms for a steak dinner, would-be chef that he is. His daughter, Cali, joins him. The scene is set in sensory detail. You can smell the mushrooms cooking. Yum. When Cali tries one, you can almost taste the mushrooms with her and react to her observation that they need a little salt. Perhaps more so than smell, taste provides intimacy, sharing of food perhaps, sharing of the sensation of eating. All in all, it is a great way to bring your reader to the table, as it were.
Of course, tastes can be good or sometimes not so good. Jack is a former cop. His sensory experiences could fill a book. When he imagines the scene of the crime, he can smell and taste the metallic sense of blood in the air. Experience has given him the sensory clues and their associations. Again, as with the sense of smell, the associations that readers bring with them as they react to your sensory observations are powerful, adding a bit more to your work than you can add yourself.
Getting Down To the Wire
Because of some new responsibilities I’ve taken on at work, I didn’t meet my December 31,2007 goal to have my mystery ready to market. Not sure what I was thinking either with the holidays and all. So, I have a new goal for Valentine’s Day. In preparation, when I’m not writing, I am organizing myself for the big push. I am also preparing the way to starting the next book.
To keep myself organized, I am using Microsoft OneNote to keep things together in one place. I set up my time line. I’ve identified my next steps such as completing my synopsis and cover letter. It’s a nice break going from writing fiction to more technical work. Besides, me being the geek that I am, it is just plain fun.
With a mind to the future, I am also marketing myself: publishing blogs, posting on forums, surfing blogs. So much to do, so much to write.
Character
Back at the desk, working on revisions. I’m very pleased with how my novel is fleshing out. My next task is to make sure that a reader can picture my characters as well as I have. I’ve lost my perspective, you see. I’ve been with these characters day in and day out. I know them, but do the readers know them?
As a guide to my writing, I’ve consulted this character advice article. From Writing World, the article gives some very clear advice on creating memorable, recognizable characters. I wanted to be especially careful with three female characters. They are all blond, but their personalities are strikingly different, at least I hope that is obvious on paper. So now the dissection begins to make sure that they are distinct and that a clear picture exists of them. I’m enjoying this. This is truly the fun part for me.
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