New blog to check out

Just found a new, really great blog for reading in those times when you
a) are at work and just can't take more paperwork
b) need to waste time but can't take another popup ad
c) need to waste writing time but think you should read something about writing.

Romancing the Blog blog: http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/

(in case you can't find the link on the right side)...

Be brave, young writers

For the day job, I went to a day-long workshop on how to make people better thinkers, therefore better able to solve their own problems. Interesting premise and I've tried it on a few colleagues with a bit of success. But I digress...

As the presenter was making her case for why we should spend eight wonderful hours plastered in the same uncomfortable vinyl chair through mulitple power outages, a fire drill and a lunch that ran out twenty people short (no kidding...don't you love public education funding?), she explains the training we're going to learn about in terms of being a way to think out loud through problems in search of solutions.

At that moment, I had a huge "aha!" moment. (If you've had one, you know what I mean. If not, keep working on it). This strategy, complete with hardbook, textbook and mounds of research data, was nothing more than talking out loud (like I do in the tape recorder in the car) to solve problems (like why my heroine's plot line is NOT working for me).

Discussing this with my group for the alloted seven minutes of discussion, (all my dear department friends who know my eccentricities), I mentioned how similar this was to my individual writing process, and how it does work for me so maybe it might have merit. I didn't intend to go global with my insight, just keep it low-key with my tablemates.

Not so. When the presenter asked for our thoughts and opinions on the process we were about to learn, no one raised a hand. Either the coffee hadn't kicked in or everyone was in that hazy place where teachers go when their brains shut down at the start of any new strategy being heralded as the world's best. Feeling bad for the presenter, I almost told her about the similarities with writing, but bit back my comment.

Admit I was a writer? In front of a group of strangers? Before they'd had coffee? Made me almost as nervous as the second overtime in the 2002 Fiesta Bowl...the pressing feeling of nerve-induced throwing up included. And Ruth Ann whispering, "Go on, Beth, tell your cute writing story!" in my ear didn't help. So I did what any good writer would do.

I caved in. I explained, in slow sentences, how I'm a published author, and that I think this method might have some validity because it's the way I write my novels. "If I can write a 40,000 word book by plotting verbally, we can teach people to solve their problems verbally," I said.

When the room didn't sink into a hole, I breathed. Wow. I'd just admitted I was a writer and nothing bad happened. What's funny is that I've only admitted that maybe twice before to strangers but in much, much smaller venues.

Later in the day, I actually had a few nice conversations with two other writers who mystically ended up in my group and were in awe that I'd done what neither had done with THEIR colleagues: share their passion and interest in writing. Geez. I felt like Lewis (or Clark) or Mr. Spock: I boldly ventured where those two writers had never been before. And I liked it.

A lot.

Moral: Tell 'em you're a writer. If you're afraid, do it before they have coffee. But don't hide your love of writing. Who knows what you might inspire?

Truth is...

The truth is, since I had a fit of creative genius on my current WIP on Sunday (or was it Monday?) I haven't done much writing.

Sure, I wrung out the last article or two for the school department newsletter, have posted daily at my blogs (one other in addition to here) and am seriously considering putting a proposal together for that online book review class, but as far as fiction, ain't nothin' doin'. (Don't worry, the grammar isn't going).

I have lofty aspirations, though. My three week goal for the serious writing girls (now two weeks left) is to finish the first chapter of this WIP (contemporary erotica) for a contest I want to enter in January. It started as a category contemporary but after a few days of brainstorming the story (longhand, only way that works for me), I realized I had two stories, not one really long, complex one. So I set aside the category (needs more fleshing out--no pun intended) and started chugging on the erotica.

It went well. Finished four pages in one day. Then nothing. Makes me wonder what the heck I'm doing posting here instead of writing on it. Being a writer isn't always easy but it's guaranteed to make you crazier than the average person...

Door close, window open...

You know, the writing universe has a way of balancing out. Creator's karma, maybe.

I've been writing a monthly column on small press, independent publishers and self-published works for an upstart ezine for the last, oh, about five months. Really did enjoy it, even if the covers of the ezines were a touch raunchy for my taste. The editor was a nice fellow who did a good job returning emails and eventually paid me for my first three trial columns. Always had something nice to say about my reviews which goes a long way for the ego.

Two months ago I agreed to a six month extension of the original contract but as the days moved on, I had an inkling that there were more things I wanted to do writing-wise--and being tied to a column like that wasn't really one of those things. Nevertheless, I'd given my word and stuck to it.

So imagine my surprise when the editor didn't respond to my last column submission and I checked out his site to find he'd folded up shop. Interesting. Part of me was disappointed--I'm in the throes of interviewing an award-winning, multi-published, super-talented erotica author who's also a long-time, dear friend. But part of me was relieved. I could give up the column with no regrets. (well, other than not being paid for two months' interviews).

But that wasn't the cool part. That was the door closing, which wasn't all that bad.

Another writing friend and colleague who I write a monthly book review for (on writer's books, no less) forwarded me an ezine this very morning because the editors were looking for someone to teach an ecourse on book reviewing on their website. My friend thought of me and sent the info to me for consideration. I, in turn, emailed the editor, mentioned my credentials and that I wanted more info.

Received a reply later this afternoon that she was very interested and that, after reading the info she'd sent, would I check out the course listings already on the site and consider submitting a course proposal to her. Would I? I'm looking at the details as I type this. I'm a teacher by day, a writer by night (and day, somtimes). Talk about a dream job. Wouldn't be raking in the dough but I'd be making some.

I'll keep you updated. In the meantime, quit reading and start writing.

I just knew it...

In October, I sent off a submission to an education magazine after reading their upcoming issue themes from their website. It's a topic I know a lot about and write a lot about (my day job, in other words).

I called the editor, before submitting, to narrow my topic focus. We had a wonderful conversation as she mistakenly thought I was someone else and answered the phone with --not hell0--but "What do you want now?" I capitalized on this error (hey, we're all human), and frankly it helped me get over those editor jitters in my gut. One thing was for sure after that--she wasn't going to forget me after our laugh and conversation.

So, after I sent off the submission, I didn't hear anything at all back from her. In talking to her, I gleaned that she acknowledged submissions, even ones she rejected. But being the polite midwestern girl I am, I didn't want to call again and say ..hey...did you get the emailed submission? I held myself in check for as long as I could handle and over a month later (but before her publishing deadline of January) sent her a nice followup note just to make sure she'd received it.

She hadn't. I just knew it. But even cooler, she invited me to resend (long after the deadline) the article, which I did promptly, and she assured me it would be read by the editorial board and considered for publication in the Spring issue.

I'm still waiting to hear back but the lesson is this: if you've got something nagging your writer's brain, listen to it. Caveat: don't use this as an excuse to be a pest to every editor you submit to. To harass the editors is to commit career suicide. But if there's just something whispering in the back of your mind that something isn't right, trust yourself. Be courteous, be professional and be sure to keep trying.

Really, I have...but...

been looking forward to posting here for...well, since the last post. two book reviews, an interview, a rough draft and an article outline requested by a major editor have kept me away.

and this post will be shortened due to an apple peeler incident last night...which is best forgotten...at least once the skin on the top of my ring finger regenerates. for those of you thinking i'm copying ee cummings', it's a comfort thing.

so, at least until i get back from the outlaws'...erm...inlaws' thanksgiving gala (alcohol helps but it slows the writing), this will have to do.

found a funny new blog i've listed...the smart bitches. funny stuff.

Good News/Bad News

Good news: I found the rough draft of the article I wrote over two years ago that the editor requested last week

Bad news: It really sucks worse than I remembered. Way too many words, some unrelated ideas, scattered structure (if you call that structure)...as a writer, do you ever look back on the stuff you've written in the past, after a passage of significant time and say...thank God they didn't publish this? LOL.

The ideas are good, even worthy of some research. But the presentation...well, that's what I should be doing now instead of blogging.

I think I will.

When It Rains...

It sure pours.

In good ways.

Two posts in one day is something for me. Two posts in one day because of good news is even better.

After going to school on cloud 9 from the "send more" request, I checked my school email and found a note from the co-editor of a state educational newsletter who thinks my idea for an article is great--and even suggested it might work as a quarterly column.

Just as I finished reading the email, our secretary stopped by to see me and asked "When are you going to write for us again?"

"Write for you?" I questioned.

"Yeah. You know, one of those great letters to the editor [of the Columbus Dispatch]. We need someone to show the good things that go on in public education again. Too much negative press".

Wow. I'd forgotten my scathing, sarcastic yet popular letter to the editor last year. I sure loved writing that letter. I was so pissed off with the Dispatch's George Bushian-boohiss- views on public education I had to light into someone after the report that teachers take too many sick days (aren't they in our contract?) and too many Fridays off (yeah, I'm sure no downtown execs EVER take off Fridays). That letter was awesome. I think I had it written, drafted, proofed, edited and emailed within an hour. That's passionate, quality writing, my friends.

There are some issues I've been mentally tackling lately. Especially charter schools. But Bill's nice reflection on a piece of writing I'd somewhat forgotten was a damn good indicator of success to me. Something I wrote stuck with him and came back to me full circle.

Like success.

Life is good. Writing is better. And sending out that requested draft in time? Priceless.

The Pleasure of Rejection

And speaking of success, here's reason #1 to always send a thank you when you've been rejected and to never let an open-ended conversation (even via email) end...

I think I mentioned the query I sent to the RWR--the monthly magazine of the Romance Writers of America--proposing an article on opening lines--ten ways to improve your opening lines.

Last week, I received a wonderful rejection. Actually, I view all rejections as wonderful (no, my middle name isn't Pollyanna) because to me, it's a sign that I'm writing and that someone has taken the time to tell me--hey, this isn't what we want/need but at least there's merit. But anyways--the editor sent along a rejection of my initial idea but said some really flattering things about my writing--and invited me to propose something else. Being the good, midwestern girl I am, I knew I had to send a thank you but instead of sending it alone, I tacked on two more ideas: one that I'm currently researching for my own interest and another that I've been thinking about for a few years now.

Long story short: she liked them both. The second idea I already have something written up on, albeit still rudimentary and basic in form, and she wants to see that first to get a feel for my writing style. (My writing style...do we ever really recognize our own writing style?). On the first idea, she wants to know how long I envision the article. Now--maybe it's just me, but that's a pretty sweet request. Knowing my strengths as a writer, I can usually nail a word count within twenty words and say what I need to. Ten words? No problem. Fifty thousand words? No problem.

Needless to say I'm really excited today. I guess this means I'll have to change my goals with the Serious Writer girls--but I think they'll happily understand. Maybe the fiction will have to be on hold for a little while. Again.

But you should see Pollyanna grin.

There's success...and then...success

So, as a writer, what's your definition of success?

I've been thinking on this one a little more lately because while it seems I'm having more success with my writing, it's success in a different way than I envisioned.

See, originally, when I started writing fiction years ago (high school), my idea of success was to have people like my stuff. Easy enough. What teenage girl doesn't love a story where the handsome guy falls in love with her and lets her wear his class ring and varsity jacket? (thanks to Julie for making me feel like that story was much, much better than it ever had hopes to be...LOL)

Then my notion of success involved winning something. As fate had it, I was allowed as a freshman to take upper level creative writing at my first (and true love) college, worked on a story all semester, submitted it to the campus literary magazine and voila--won first place.

As an aside, everyone in that class hated my story. I was the only romance writer, no one was killed or died a slow, agonizing, allegorical death, and there were no guns or death rays. Still, I won first place--and still, I firmly believe I was the only entrant in the contest.

As I've grown and written, my successful wishes morphed into a "rule the world through fiction" thought. Quitting the day job would be nice...to be able to stay home and write full time...sure, who doesn't want to give it up to live life in their pajamas eating bonbons and dictating to servants? (oh, you misguided non-writers...)

But that fell by the wayside too, as I reached a success goal in a way I had never, ever anticipated. After all that time dying for fiction publication, I was published nationally on my first attempt. Not bad, but then I gave up fiction for nonfiction since I had so much more luck getting my nonfiction in the door.

And now I'm back to fiction (in the mornings) and nonfiction (in the evenings). The NF comes out like water. Sometimes impossible to turn off the ideas and words. And the fiction, in the rough draft form, did too. I think I managed about 80 pages in one week (longhand). But I'm trying to redefine my notion of success when it comes to being a fiction-writer-in-progress.

I've finished the first three chapters of fiction and am starting the revision process with chapter one (an interesting concept I've never tried before but works well for my friend JC--prolifically published in fiction--why not try something new?) but man, is it ever slow. It's taken me two weeks to come up with two pages. I have to admit--those two pages feel like the best, most solid fiction writing I've ever done in my life to this point. I don't see myself changing them. Maybe adding a layer of description or setting, but sticking with the structure itself.

But it's dreadfully slow. And part of my idea of success is writing, writing fast and writing a lot. Maybe I need to define success for myself for all aspects of my writing process...ten pages a day in drafting, one page a week in revision, one published article a month in nonfiction...? It's a lot to remember....

The Fog Has Lifted...

And not just because it's colder here in Ohio in the mornings.

After a long, dreary, rainy-wet day spent asking those good, old, everybody-wants-to-know questions on life, I managed to get back to writing yesterday. I haven't forgotten Jamie and Fatima, but one of the best gifts I can give both of them is to live a happy life doing what I love...

Writing.

Yesterday I managed to finish the final draft of an article I'm sending to a national education market on Friday (just working on the query now...is there anything worse?!). This morning I sat down with my fiction pad and cranked out almost all of chapter 2. Only thing left is the final scene to catapault me and my characters into the adventure (for all you Vogler fans).

And it feels good. Really, really good.

What I still want to know is how non-writers get through the day.

Writing and Life

For all you philosophizers/writers, here's a question I think on often, and in the last two weeks of my life, have thought on almost hourly:

How do non-writing people get through life?

More specifically, how do they think and function without a pen and paper? I sometimes try to fathom myself lost on a desert island (especially when the weather here in Ohio sucks something awful) and that old question of ...what would you take and who would you take?

After the fun of whatever current singer or movie star I'm in the mood for would wear off, I'd still be sitting beside my notebook with an endless supply of fountain pens. I just can't imagine NOT writing. My mind doesn't wrap around that notion.

And here's why I'm thinking about it so much.

Last week one of my oldest friends passed away at the age of 31. He'd have been 32 the day after his funeral, but for some reason he wasn't supposed to hit that mark. Now, Jamie and I haven't seen each other since we were probably 12 years old, but as our parents spent a lot of time together in our early years, so too did we, with my sister and his brother. Jamie had a laugh that you could not resist laughing with, no matter how hard you tried. He also had more freckles than the country sky has stars and the biggest, silliest smile to make you feel happy even when he was up to his rotten tricks of getting us kids into trouble. (I was the oldest and usually willingly took the brunt).

Though Jamie and I hadn't spoken in so long, I wondered why his death hit me so hard. This is where the non-writer thoughts came in. In order to understand my feelings, I journaled half a notebook, wrote two poems and a story and am still trying to answer questions I can't understand. How do non-writers get through these times? And what is it about these deep, emotional moments of our lives that just fill our minds with words and our hands with energy?

Jamie's death was an interesting contradiction to Fatima's death, however. Fatima was one of my students a few years ago in middle school. She was curious, extremely intelligent but at times unmotivated, with a silly grin and a huge heart for anyone smaller than her. She couldn't read (English or Somali) when she came to me, and I figured half the problem was her dyslexia--undiagnosed, of course. With that taken care of, she still had trouble reading. I managed to get her glasses, which she faithfully wore only to my class. In the hallway I had to always, always remind Fatima that if she couldn't see, she couldn't read. She would always smile at me, pull out her glasses, and magnify the eyes I knew loved me for being someone who loved her back.

I left the classroom a few years ago, and Fatima moved on to another school. Just this morning as I was leaving for school, I caught Fatima's photo on the morning television news. I didn't notice her blinding smile from last year's (her freshman year) school photo or the totalled car and the word "fatality" in tiny type in the background of her photo. All I registered in my mind was that she wasn't wearing her glasses.

And that's all I've been able to think of all day every time I mention Fatima's untimely death to teachers who shared the priviledge of educating Fatima her short time here. Her glasses.

But Fatima's death has had the opposite effect on me from Jamie's death. I can't write. I tried pushing the pen against the paper today and only squeaked out three pages of fiction which I know don't make sense. I couldn't edit the article I wanted to send off for the Friday deadline to a major publication that would be a big break for me. I couldn't do anything but sit and wish I'd hugged Fatima one more time instead of reminding her about her glasses.

And now I'm here. Even when I don't think I can write or have the heart, I'm writing. See what I mean? How do non-writers get through the day?

Thanks for being in my life, Jamie and Fatima.

Absence Makes The Heart Grow...Crazy

Yeah. So much for that epiphany. Worked out well for the first week or so, but the more time I spent working on my book proposal, the more time I found myself hearing snippets of dialogue and getting flashes of characters from (one of) the fiction pieces I started this summer.

In order to appease whichever muse decided to play head games with me, I grabbed a pen on Saturday morning, started writing the second draft of the blessed story and by Saturday night found myself twenty pages (and three empty fountain pen cartridges) deep in fiction I'd given up.

Again.

Anyone else have this problem? When you make up your mind to stop writing on something, whether it's brochure copy or a historical family saga set over three centuries, then start working on something else, does the original start working for you? Or am I losing my marbles? I haven't been able to think of anything else but this fiction story now--although I managed to pump out a good, bare-bones rough draft of an article that's due on Friday. I'm itching to write. I even brought my fiction notebook to school with me--something I rarely(if ever) do anymore.

Maybe that's the secret to writing: ignore what you want to write in order to write what you have to write and what you want will come find you.

That's enough for today---I have an exciting fiction story to get home to.

Oh, yeah. One more thing.

And the other thing I forgot to mention was that I had to hack up $5 for my serious-writers group because, during the past three weeks, I was unable to cough up 5 pages of fiction.

Insane, isn't it?

Well, the goals have changed. I'm on my way to post now. And they are...(drumroll, please):
*finish Chapter 2 in the fiction WIP
*submit the ELL article to KDP by the 10th
*finish rough draft of introduction to nonfiction WIP

So help me, if that muse starts buzzing around my head again...

Epiphany

I've had an epiphany. At least I think it's an epiphany. Since I don't have them all that often, I'm not sure if it's an epiphany or just a wildly random thought...or maybe even just good, old-fashioned common sense rearing its head.

For so many years I've written fiction. I've loved every moment, every word, every character speaking in the middle of the night in my mind, begging me to get up and write their latest revelation. Honest. But there's been something in the fiction that's held me back. If I could publish just the beginnings of fiction stories I've started I'd have several anthologies. Don't get me wrong--I completely love writing fiction.

But just over a year ago, the opportunity to write nonfiction--for a national publication--fell into my lap--or onto my desk--quite literally. Being the always-up-for-something-new person that I am, I jumped right in. Who would have thought my first stint with nonfiction would have reached a national audience not once but twice? Surely not me. Heck, I'd never even considered nonfiction at the time.

But I loved it, too. For different reasons than I loved fiction.

Nonfiction is structured. I know where I'm going (most times) before I begin. The research or interviews or outline guides me exactly where I'm going. I have a word count, a theme, a tone and a built-in audience willing and ready to read my composition. Like fiction, I get nonfiction ideas around every corner (and that, at times, is no joke!) but the difference is I can sit down and pound out a 3,000 word first draft of an article in the time it takes me to go back into my fiction and remember where my characters are. With every piece of nonfiction I work on, I learn stuff. I certainly never thought I'd be able to tell you the psychological factors that typically affect premature twins and not singles or what makes a small publisher different from an independent publisher...but I can now.

Now back to your regularly-scheduled epiphany...
I know these things may not make sense, but to make a long story short (which is something any good fiction writer needs to be able to do), I (think) I've decided to switch gears and start writing more nonfiction than fiction. Wow. I never, ever thought I'd say that and mean it but I do. The epiphany was...if I am continually told how excellent my nonfiction is...and many people comment to tell me how much they enjoy it and how much they've learned from it (gratifying the English teacher in me), then why am I not doing more of it? I've had two terrific nonfiction book ideas I've put on the backburner in this need to be fiction-published and think of how much fun it will be to work on a book where I can see the light at the end of the tunnel before I get there. (Of course, they're both books for writers).

I don't really have anything to lose. The discipline and skill I learned writing fiction will serve me well as I cross into the realm of nonfiction...and I won't totally leave it behind...but I won't feel so guilty about it!

Goals

I belong to a stellar group of amazing lady writers who serve a variety of purposes. One of the most important is to keep cracking the whip (which ironically sounds like a $5 bill when I fail to meet my goals...) while goading me toward my own (self-set) three-week goals.

The Serious Writers has been a crucial element to improving my writing and keeping me going. We (5/6 of us, depending on month) meet at local coffeehouses every three weeks and vent, commiserate, share successes, drink coffee, eat chocolate, share bookcovers and reviews and do what all good writers do...set goals. If you don't make your goals by the next meeting, you're forced to cough up five bucks for the kitty. So far we've had some darn good lunches courtesy of the kitty. And since I had to pay yesterday, my goals this three weeks are much more reasonable:

--10 pages completed in the rough draft of my novella-in-progress
--a typed but possibly still rough draft version of the article on first lines (see earlier post on that bit of genius)
--to keep my sanity as I organize and send out the copies of manuscripts to be judged for my local RWA chapter (Central Ohio Fiction Writers) (what WAS I thinking when I agreed to be contest coordinator?)

Since Thursday (goal-day) I haven't even thought about the goals. Maybe tonight.

Stuck Gears

I came home from an inspirational (ok, also my first) writer's retreat this weekend with a finished ten-page article in my hip pocket that just needs revising and a good query letter to find its way into a glossy writer's magazine and the fuel to get cracking on that short story I've been stalled on a for a few weeks. But first I had a speed bump in the road to creative and harmonious bliss...

My thesis proposal.

I still like using the word thesis, even though it's dated and, when combined with my recent stories of how my Barry Manilow CD collection was stolen from my car (no joke...I can't smile without them), makes me sound about as hip as an 8 Track player. Somehow thesis makes me feel scholarly and educated when the truth is that my ability to write makes it slightly easier to pass total bullcrap by in literature reviews and research design essays that dot my path to the MA Ed. I'd better finish by next fall. To say I'm completing my thesis sounds impressive. To say I'm finishing my final project sounds like I'm waiting for mom to pick up a posterboard and markers on the way home from work so I can get out the glue and glitter. Call me old fashioned. Everyone else does!

But back to the roadblock. I came home from school yesterday (the job), raring and barely able to contain my creative energies toward cleaning up the article and starting a killer query (don't hate me because I like writing queries), but had one slight hitch in the process: my thesis proposal is due today. And I still had the methodology to finish.

Yikes.

Nothing takes the wind out of a creative writer's sails than having to write something academic and dry. Luckily, I'd finished a portion of my methodology for my midterm so it was a matter of cutting, pasting and adding in more details. Not the details I liked, though. But the good student in me persevered, limited my action verbs and told instead of showed.

I like to think that the academic writing teaches me exactly what not to do in fiction. I'm sure it does. But what it's done for sure is tossed a wrench in my creativity. You know, like the person who tries to drive a stick for the first time and you hear that bone-rattling grind of gears when they just don't quite master the clutch? That's how my creative mind is working now. Crunched gears.

Here's hoping a sunny day in Ohio is the oil I need to get out of this bind...

Why Another Blog?

This is my second blog. I'm still debating if I'll share my first here.

Of course I will. Eventually. I can't keep secrets for long.

Anyways, this blog is more like a writer's diary whereas my other blog is much more businesslike. I'm looking for a place to journal my writing journey for posterity's sake (and so I can tell mom to check it out when she calls to ask.."What's going on? Why don't you call?" I can only use the "my cellphone battery is dead" excuse so many times.)

And part of me just loves to share my writing experience with other writers. It's such a lonely world when that pre-planted, subliminal, inexplicable urge forces you grab a pen and write ten pages while your friends opt to hit the bar...or your baby (current story-in-progress baby, that is) cries in the middle of the night, waking you from blissful slumber with a lightening-sharp crack of an idea that won't allow you to get back to sleep until you flesh it out.

Such is the life. If you're a writer, you understand. If you aren't...we like you anyway.