The Art of Creating a Writer's Mission Statement

Here's a short little article I just published in Cheryl Wright's Writer2Writer ezine in November on creating a writer's mission statement.

I'm in the process of getting links together on goal setting, motivation and all that good stuff you need before you venture into writing (or can use a refresher on) to post here daily and thought the mission statement idea was a fab place to start. No use in writing goals if you don't know why you're writing...right?

Enjoy....more later, when I finish the 1500 words for the day (currently on 0...lol)

Need Motivation and Focus? The Art of Creating A Writer's Mission Statement

Small steps

Today was all about getting a little bit done at a time on the book.

Planned to outline this AM but the lack of motivation got in the way as did a lunch invite from my brother & sister-in-law. Didn't sit down until about 8pm, intended to outline half of the chapter but managed to get about 1/3 done, which resulted in an 8 page outline.

I'm liking this extended/deep outlining process as it gets all the stuff out and when I write I don't have any excuse to stop--all my "stuff" is there waiting on me. I started the book this way but meandered down the path of bullet outlines, which slowed down the writing as I had to backtrack and fill in details.

Hey, I'm not complaining. I can probably get a good 20 pages out of those 8 tomorrow (ok, so that's a lie...maybe just 15ish) and resume outlining tomorrow night. Could be a pattern...

wastin' away again in Margaritaville....

...or bloggerville, as is appropriate.

Haven't done a lick of writing today (why dowe say "lick" of writing when we actually should say "stroke"...well, let's leave that thought alone for a dirtier blog somewhere...)

I did read up on the research for chapter 8 but haven't outlined (my goal for the day). Promised the kid I'd take him to the bookstore this evening so we can spend the giftcards burning holes in our pockets...but I'm starting to feel guilty for not at least nailing 1000 words.

The good news is that I've been having a *blast* updating my blog. Brought over lots of goodies from the FountainPenInc blog and will be adding more each day. Stay tuned...

Beth...who is off (to write, honest!)

Chapter 6....aka....

...the chapter from HELL....(I can curse, it's my blog).

Chapter 6 would not end. Like that annoying song my son listened to as a kid...the song that never ends...chapter 6 was the chapter that wouldn't say goodbye. Who knew "organizing your office space" and "establishing vendor relationships" would be so gut-wrenchingly agonizing?!

Well, good news is that it's done. Tomorrow it's the outline of chapter 8, HR issues. No, I didn't forget chapter 7--it's just been integrated into chapter 5 with taxes and all that....stuff. I've already sworn enough for one post.....

Integration

Whether anyone cares or not, I've had a few thoughts about adding to this blog in the upcoming year...thoughts I hope will help writers.

Til May or so of last year, I had another blog solely for writer's resources that I loved playing with but often found myself without time to update and add to. I've got lots of good ideas for helping writers...resources, interviews, etc., but not the time to manage two blogs.

What I've come up with is the idea to integrate that blog into this one. I have grand plans but think it will be slow-going at first. I'm in the process of getting some friends and published authors to interview and share their hard-won insights here, along with finding all types of resources to post.

Hopefully I'll get my act together and start posting more helpful stuff soon.....

trudging through middle mud

That's how I feel right now on this section of the book. Maybe the sparkle and fun of finishing the first 20K words has worn off, maybe I want time to sleep in on my Xmas break from teaching, maybe I want (want?!) to clean my house in anticipation of having friends over for New Years...whatever the reason, I've become a true writer over this last week and a half from the standpoint of forcing myself to sit and write (BICHOK as my friend Steph says...butt in chair, hands on keyboard).

I even skipped the chapter on tax laws and crap like that that I have no interest in writing (good test strategy: do the stuff you know & like first then come back and do the other stuff). I'm slogging through "setting up your office" and "establishing relationships with vendors" to get to something fun like "creating your service manual" and "hiring employees"...

But this *is* the life of a writer--the heart of the true writer's career. It isn't about the glitz and glamour of booksignings (though I did lament with the girls today at the Serious Writer lunch that no one will probably ask me to autograph my business book....) or radio interviews, but those days when you *don't* want to write and you have a deadline to meet. Nonwriters don't get that part...they only see the completed book and imagine the enchanted fairy's magic wand that produced it, not the sense of dread in the pit of the writer's gut when she approached her laptop with only two valid sentences to type for 4 hours of work.

Ah, well. It's keeping me writing, which is the whole idea....

one deadline down...

....two to go....

Just emailed deadline one to the editor on the business book. It was due today, but since I'm calendar-challenged, I thought the deadline was yesterday. Sent it yesterday and got a note back from the editor that she'd like me to generate a table of contents (TOC) and resend it back so she could send it directly to editorial.

I did and learned something new! I didn't know how to do the TOC via word, but it was actually very easy. Wish I'd had known that trick when putting the thesis together last year (at about this time!). Ah well!

So the first 85 pages are done, editorial should return that draft by Friday, so I'll be editing over Xmas. Hey, I don't mind. Just plug in the iPod and gimme a red pen...

Next deadline of 160ish pages (40K words) is due, I think, January 13th. What is that, like a Monday or something?

40 and going strong....

...not my age, my page count....

Not bad for the week. Had hoped to get to 50, and I'll be there tomorrow without a doubt. I'm halfway through chapter three and will finish sometime Sunday.

I have to admit I like my writing system with this book and wish it would easily transfer to fiction. Going on my TOC, I outline one chapter at a time, then write it. Finish that, outline next chapter, write it...yadda yadda. Unlike fiction, it takes the guesswork out of where to go next. No choices on what plot point to meander down, which character trait to develop, which scene to insert. If only fiction were so definable...

If anyone knows of a good way to transition this outlining exercise into fiction, I'm all ears...

Off to keep book at a basketball game where my mind can decompress and come back fresh tomorrow. Writers need to play, too.

20 pages in 3 days...

...or, roughly 5200 words, for those keeping track. That's what I finished, not what I'm hoping to accomplish. I'm really amazed by myself!

Started chapter 2 tonight, and it has three major sections. Ambitious Beth figured she could do twenty NEW pages tonight and whip out the whole chapter. Realistic Beth had dinner ready to go when the boys wanted it (pasta...oh so easy), went to school an hour early so she could leave an hour early and come home to weight-lift before writing (to alliviate that "I don't have time to workout because I'm on deadline" guilt) and did take a short break to make some tea three hours into the writing session to avoid burnout.

And now Happy Beth is done. Even though this is my bedtime (yeah, so what? I get up before you even THINK about it!) I feel like I could eke out another half-section, but why burn my brain out? Tomorrow is another free evening, four solid hours of writing, but Weds. is yoga night and Thurs is camp-meeting night, so those will give me reprieve. Probably can do a few pages Thursday but with any luck, tomorrow night I can bang out the rest of chapter two and spend Thursday outlining three.

So way very cool. I love writing.

good news and bad news

the bad news is that I did not make my page goals last night before the football game. I managed only about 3500 words total...or roughly 13 pages.

the good news is that I didn't make the goal because I finished writing all of chapter 1. I'm chunking this bad boy into manageable pieces, and outlining a chapter at a time, writing it, then outlining the next.

even better news is that today I managed to outline all of chapter 2, right down to the sidebars and quizzes I'm including. I'll get started on that tomorrow night. 20 pages...30...? We'll see.

And the best news of all is that Oklahoma won and Pitt prevailed, which sent my Buckeyes shooting back up to #1 in the BCS. Sorry for the football spoiler but for a rebuilding year, Coach Tressel & the boys really made us proud.

Now to meet the next goal before New Orleans....

nerd!

Because I'm a total nerd and not afraid to admit it, I had to post this quick followup before lunch:

I have a little writing tracker software program I picked up years ago from Kresley Cole (still on her website) where you plug in the word count of what you want your finished work to be, how many days it will take, and it spits out how many pages a day you need (or words a day) to get to that goal on time.

Plugged in today's word count (2722) and realized that it was exactly 1000 words more than last count (1722.). Exactly. Very cool.

Told you I was a nerd. Did I say it was EXACTLY 1000 more words?

I think I need food. I'm getting a little silly here...

only 3...and Go Sooners

yeah, lofty goal those 15 pages were. Should have set that goal prior to hanging out last night until 3am for a friend's birthday celebration ...lol...

Now, though, the tea has kicked in, and I'm onto the last section of chapter 1 in my outline--one I think will be fun and fast writing....alas, as luck has it, my 2p.m. deadline has arrived and it's time for a little shopping and lunch. Should be back around 4, in time to write for 4 more hours.

(sports alert...if you don't like sports, stop here as it's time for a little Buckeye football reference)

I sacrifice a lot for my writing...I give up lunch dates, meetings with friends over coffee, chances to clean my kitchen (such a sacrifice) but I'm not giving up watching Oklahoma beat Missouri so my Buckeyes have one more shot at getting into the national championship game in New Orleans. Plus, it's the last college football game before the bowl games...another six months without college football...sigh....so I'm working to get my stuff done today by 8pm so I can get my last gridiron fix of the season without guilt for not writing til midnight.

Go Sooners...

drafts, quotes and edits...oh, and goals, too

I'm working on the book right now and have come up with a problem (not big, maybe more like an issue) and wonder how other writers deal with it.

As I write (two more pages down since noon today), I'm finding places where I need to insert some research or quotes in order to make the information resonate. I don't usually include those things in the first draft (nonfiction we're talking)--that's a second/third draft issue.

My question is...I'm writing the first draft, and normally my second draft is for content editing (changing sentences and paragraphs) as opposed to copy editing (grammar, spelling, etc--usually my last draft). I'm wondering if I should use the second draft as a "quote and research" draft only and leave the content editing for the third draft, or should I do "quotes and research" AND content editing in the second draft together? Or, hell, do "quotes and research" AFTER content editing? That almost seems more logical as the quote & research placement is meant to enhance particular text.

Or is all this talk just procrastination because I've spent 20 minutes working on one paragraph that refuses to solidify on the page? Hmmm....

Goal: page 15 by 2p.m. The hubby and I have gift certificates to spend that expire today (!!) so we're doing lunch and shopping at two. Good deadline....and since I'm hungry, I'm gonna go meet it!

More later (maybe)

patience

Just checked email before getting started on the writing today & found a very nice surprise.

My article on diabetic summer camps for Diabetes Explorer magazine was to originally be published in September. I received the check after the final draft was turned in, and the editor emailed to let me know there were some changes going on at the magazine ...my article would be pushed back for publication.

I didn't expect it to be published. I've never had an article get pushed back, and have heard only disappointing stories from other authors who've been through the same thing only to have their articles cut from publishing.

So today's email--a PDF final draft of my article to edit--was great news. It's slated for the January issue and I'm excited. This article is one with a lot of personal attachment for me. The two guys I quoted are two of the most important people in my life--my brother Richie and best friend Nate (and Darlene, the camp director I quoted, is a dear longtime friend as well). The camp I mention in the article is the one I've worked at for the past 14 summers. Makes it even more special.

Being patient as a writer is hard but it's a good thing.

1722 words...or 7.3333333 pages

Yeah, that's what I finished tonight in the business book. Not shabby at all, if I say so myself (even though the words are blending together as the evening wears on).

I have to admit I'm liking this writing a lot. I love research, love nonfiction, love being told what to do (in writing but not in life, as I'm sure my mother would agree..lol). With this wonderful :) outline I've already created, it's a hell of a lot easier than writing fiction. I know where I'm going, where I've been, and what I'm forgetting as I'm going. Since my first 20K words (about 80 pages) is due December 17th, sitting around procrastinating about whether or not I use the word "types" or "kinds" for three days in the name of writing perfection really isn't an option. I just sat down and started typing.

Took a break about three pages into it for a shower, and came up with the perfect first line for the next topic. I like how that worked. And if I get stumped by a word or phrase I know is buried in my subconscious or on the edge of my brain, I'm just putting it into parenthesis. It'll be there when I come back to edit, but more importantly, it keeps me from stopping.

Weirdly, I'm doing OK so far writing the rough draft on the computer. I did take the four big topics of chapter one and outline them in depth in the notebook, my hurried scribbles indecipherable to anyone, including me at times, but hey--it's working.

Ok...off to bed to dream of words and headings...only 64K words to go....

she liked it!

So I sent in the first assignment for my new book deal today--the outline of the table of contents.

I was a little nervous as the editor specified she wanted the TOC as well as a summary for each chapter. My brain doesn't work like that: I write extremely detailed outlines. (thanks, Mrs. Frere!) So I sent it in as it was, no summary, only detailed details with a note to the editor that I'd be glad to write an additional summary if she wanted (I wouldn't be glad but the nice Beth made me say that).

The editor emailed back to let me know she'd gotten the TOC--and it was great. Gave me the go-ahead to work on the book as the TOC says and to send her an invoice for the work. Way cool.

Shameless self promotion

It is my blog, isn't it?!

A good article for all you writer-types to consider before starting your next writing project

(a good article because I wrote it)....at Writer2Writer.com

Need Motivation and Focus?
The Art of Creating a Writer’s Mission Statement

TOC Rough Draft Down, Book to go....

First update on the work-for-hire:

Just finished writing the table of contents. Longhand, of course, as we all know (and care..hahah) that longhand helps me think better.

Must have been thinking a lot as the TOC ended up being about 12 pages long. I've got two of 'em (pages, that is) typed up...through about chapter 5 so far, and only with headings and subheadings, no details (yet). Trying to cram it all in tonight as I'm heading to my niece's wedding tomorrow out of town and plan to do absolutely no work at all.

Since the TOC is due Weds, this is pretty in-advance for me. I must admit the topic matter wasn't as interesting to me when I bid on the job but the more I read (three research books), the more interesting it is.

Now if just those 85K pages would come as easy....

Off to type....

she said yes...

....to that work-for-hire the editor offered.

Call me crazy but I just want to see if I can do it. Write a book (nonfiction) on a topic (cleaning) I know little to nothing about (all research provided) in a ridiculously short period of time (90 days).

Sent in the contract. Sure, the money isn't great, but if I put my behind in the seat every day and crank out 810 words a day (between 3-4 pages) I'll have it done by the February deadline.

If not..well, we'll get to that. I'm just now about 1/3 through creating the table of contents (darn, doesn't count toward the 65K word count), so I'm still going strong.

hmm...writing...or...breathing?

You'd think that since I haven't blogged my writing progress lately that there hasn't been any.

You'd be mostly right.

Picked up a nasty chest cold early last week and unfortunately, cold and sinus medicine do nothing to up the creativity or energy levels. I know writers are supposed to persevere through everything for the sake of writing but I must admit here that being able to easily breath and not cough up a lung trumps being able to write...

So now that I'm sorta getting better (less fever, more energy, less coughing), I'm writing again. Maybe I just needed a little out-of-my-mind break (love those dreams I have on cough medicine LOL).

Tonight I added to my story. All totaled it's now 6 solid pages and comes in at just over 1400 words. It ain't a novel yet but it's still pulling my interest so I'm happy with that. For now. Until the Nyquil is out of my system, anyway....

stop screwing with me, writing goals....

What the hell is it with my writing that happens every time I try to set good, solid, reasonable goals and something always flies in about a day later to completely screw with my plans?!

I signed up for the 70 Days of Sweat Challenge with the honest intention of writing 750 words a day--at least. Figured it's a good time to start the novel rather than just brainstorming til I'm 80, plus with the short story due out reasonably soon (still awaiting the release date) I'd need to follow up with a second story to the editor.

Sounded great til I got a notice from a writing friend who mentioned an editor was looking for authors for work for hire. Basically, the publisher has titles they need to put out and need to hire writers to do a lot of writing in a short period of time. Before my brain could stop my fingers, I fired off a query to the editor only to have her send me the list of titles and prompt me to pick five. I did, and those had all been bid on. Picked three more, and those were gone. Picked three more on Friday and haven't heard back from the editor, but I do admit none of those titles were really great. But the challenge of writing a 65K word book in 90 days is too great to pass up (she says stupidly).

So, anyway, in the meantime, I'm working on this challenge. I wrote three pages today, which, added to my one page from before, brings me to four. A whopping 843 words, but I'm into the second scene of the story (dialogue always comes to me first before description) and still cranking it out. And I'll be back again at it tomorrow night unless something else comes across my email and I think I have to write it.

Why can't I stay focused? Maybe I should work on that in my writer's coaching course...lol.

And do these blog posts count into my 750 a day? I wish!

Are You Nuts?!

Since I've heard that question more than once in my life (the answer is almost always yes), I figured I'd prove it:

I just signed up (on impulse, like buying that pair of purple heels I picked up on clearance last year at Macy's and have worn only once...today...) for yet another writing challenge: 70 Days of Sweat at http://70daysofsweat.com/wordpress/archives/71

Why nuts? I just started a course on coaching writers through creative issues (12 week class), am busier in the day job than I've ever been before (7-5 most days) and am coming into basketball season (I keep scorebook for two, sometimes three teams a week..or twice a week). And now I'm committing to writing a minimum 750 words (3 little pages) a day. Wow. Even I think I'm nuts!

But I'm excited. While I'm enjoying the brainstorming process for the upcoming story, I also don't want to use that as an excuse to not write (pet peeve: writers who've been working on the same "story" for more than two years). Might as well dive in now....

Why am I here and not writing? I have 3 pages to finish.....

Back to Katy's Question

Since we didn't get to catch up (the Serious Writer girls, see previous post) for this three-week span, Katy emailed (for sake of conversation) a question I always love asking of writers everywhere: what's your process?

Katy asked specifically if I'm writing to get to know my characters or if I'm working on something else (nonfiction) while I work on the characters in my head. Interestingly enough, up to this point of my writing career, I've always gone with the latter. I always have four or five writing projects going at the same time (can't sit still...) and find that when I get stuck on one I can flit to another and find something else to work on easily.

But this time--at least with the fiction--things are different. I don't remember if I mentioned it but the hero of my current story (Christopher) has been telling me bits and pieces of himself at really odd times (you know that if you're a writer you're always thinking of your story so don't pretend like you never "hear" things from your characters...LOL) and instead of keeping them all in my mind, I've been writing them down. I've almost filled up an entire notebook with Chris and Lily (the heroine) notes. I'm not used to this--my preferred method of writing fiction is to solidify that first all-important, crucial scene in my mind 99% then settle in and write it.

The problem has come when that first scene (often first chapter) comes out easily but I've written everything i know about the character to that point into that section of the story, leaving me with little to go on. I don't always plot out all the crucial scenes (gasp...!) so I find myself lose interest in the story or it takes a wild tangent I didn't expect, which ends up being an excuse not to finish.

So I thought...what the hell, I'll try something different. I must admit it's a really refreshing feeling. I don't have that "dread" when I sit down to write that I often had in the past where I don't know what comes next. I'm having fun writing about the characters, discovering tiny details about the character or setting I think I might have missed had I just written fast from the start.

The fun will start when i finally get the real story started but the hope is that I'll have a wealth of info from my notes to draw upon and use as my map. I guess I won't know til I get there but I'm having a darn fun time trying it...

back to the notebook...

what makes a writer?

I gave a presentation earlier this week to a group of teachers and had an interesting flashback experience that shows just how my mindset toward being an author has changed since I started writing...and feel like sharing, since this is my blog...LOL

When I started grad school three years ago, first class, first day, we had to introduce ourselves and tell the class something about ourselves. As everyone shared around the class, I panicked about what to share. I finally convinced myself to share that I was a writer (yes, i said it out loud to a group of strangers...), but didn't mention that I had only a few credits to my name. I was so worried that there was some unwritten rule that I had to have a minimum two books or x number of magazine articles published to qualify as a "writer", but as it turned out, I wasn't struck by lightening.

After that, sharing that I was a writer became easier each time I did it (to strangers..lol). At the presentation, the teacher of the class introduced me and gave high compliments on my writing. She said she had no idea I was a writer until she checked out my website, and how impressed she was with my writing. I was surprised (pleasantly) to say the least, but unlike the old Beth in grad school, I smiled and thanked her without hesitation. Later, as I thought about it, I realized how, had that occured three short years ago, I'd have blushed and insisted I wasn't a real writer yet because..why? Because I hadn't met those lofty and undefinable things that qualify people as a writer?

Lori Foster, in her infinitely wise and down-to-earth way, once said that everyone who writes is a writer. There is no checklist to complete, no hoop to jump through, no group to join, no prerequisites for publishing--the act of writing qualifies you to be a writer. The difference, she said, is that some people who are writers eventually become published authors when they sell their work. It's an easy, simple distinction that works well with the writer's delicate psyche, and it's true.

Of course, it doesn't hurt to have someone publicly acknowledge that for you, either...

No Wimpy Goals

The Seriouswriter girls & I were supposed to meet on Thursday for our ritualistic three-week catch-up-drink-coffee-set-goals (and pay up if you missed the last one)but real-life stuff intervened and we set goals via email.

Katy qualified her goal by claiming it was lame as compared with everyone else's goal but I think it's the toughest at times: to work on the same writing project every day for three straight weeks.

I disagreed with her because I think that setting, establishing and keeping a true daily writing schedule (if you aren't a fulltime writer or don't have a day job/life to interfere with writing) is often much more difficult than setting a page requirement to complete. The way life unfolds daily is never the same as the day before, and working to carve out that uninterrupted period of time where it's just you and the words can be damn near impossible sometimes. But even if it's only fifteen minutes, it's a start.

Part of the challenge of setting writing goals that will help your career as a writer is taking into account one simple thing: LIFE--and structuring your career around it so that you maximize your experience with both. And since no one else can live your life the way you want, don't worry that someone else's goals don't fit your career. Your writing, your life, your goals...and your $5 if you don't meet them...LOL

ok, this time it's for real...

So that last post was on the galley...this time the post is on the FINAL galley. When I send this bad boy in (ok, good boy..), my editor says I'll get my release date. I think that means almost showtime, huh?

It's odd to think that all this time I've wanted to be published in fiction has come to (almost) fruition and now I'm a little afraid. What if someone doesn't like my story? What if only my mom buys a copy? What if it's the worst seller in company history?

What if?
What if?
What if?

It's enough to make a girl crazy. Guess the only place I really can go to escape is the fictional world I've recently created for this newest story. It's a vicious cycle...lol.

the galley is done...

woohoo! Just finished up and send my (sparse...I think there were only like 10 max) galley edit changes back to the editor. Not bad, since I promised them no later than today. I actually did them yesterday while working at the yoga studio but couldn't stay awake to type them up.

I remember hearing an author once say that even though you send in a final proof of a story (novel, in her case, I believe), you never feel like it's really, completely, 100% finished--I'm finding that. I had the urge to send a note to the effect of "oh, and if I can keep it another week, I can make all kinds of descriptive changes...." but I resisted. Guess that's what I shoulda done before submission, right?!

Anyway, it's a relief (a good one) to have gotten the story back in such a fast time frame. Now I have time to work on that letter to the editor I mentioned...

..but before I let you go...

I'm hot.
And bothered.

No, no. Not like that. (That's another post for a different blog, anyway).

I try (oh, so hard) not to read editorial letters in the Columbus Dispatch. Really, I do. And I try equally hard to maintain a level head when anyone insults my Buckeyes. I've been hit by frozen marshmallows and pennies in Michigan Stadium (God's cereal bowl), pennies at Camp Randall in Wisconsin (thank heaven college kids don't make much money..quarters would hurt), been the recipient of a littany of rhyming words at Penn State (we are the BUCK-eyes..use your imagination here), have endured the annoying biting shadow hand-puppet of the Wolfpack (hey, you had Chuck Amato...I understand your need for simple entertainment), to name a few.

Even when the ex-president (affectionately referred to as Karen AHole Brook by my 15 year old son) of a university makes a sweeping statement that the entire college population of said university is a "riotous culture", I bit my tongue. But as usual, some idiot in C-bus had to validate AHole's assumption that just because there were isolated riots by idiots a few years ago, we're all a bunch of rabblerousers, and I couldn't hold back.

I read the letter to the editor this afternoon and just had to share that I crafted what might possibly be the a)fastest, b) most alliterative and c)best quality piece of writing I've done in a long time to send to the Dispatch. Don't worry--it has all that trademark sarcasm my editorial fan club (see: When it Rains) has come to expect in my pithy editorials.

Like I didn't have enough to do with making cookies for tomorrow's tailgate or proofing the galley...but if you've learned anything from me, you better learn never to hack me off about the Buckeyes...or piss off a smart-alec writer. Forget sticks and stones...I'm about to level someone with words.

Fingers crossed the editors calls to confirm my details (with a snicker in her voice)...

Yay..the galley is here!

I feel like when I say "galley", I'm aboard a pirate ship cooking fresh-caught fish...haha...but not so.

For those non-writers of you in the audience, galleys are the final copy for proofreading a story or book before it goes into actual publication...kind of like that final draft you dreaded when your 8th grade English teacher assigned it for homework over the weekend. Yeah, so I'm a geek...I'm more excited about my galleys than I am about an upcoming birthday party for a friend...ah well!

My galley arrived today in my email...a sight for the weary as the day job has really worn me down this week. I only had time to print and glance at the cover (on my website if you wanna check it out...I love it...) but will snuggle in with it tonight, along with my trusty red pen. (Old classroom habits die hard).

I'm still tossing around the mental disbelief that someday soon, those words on my page will be out in the public eye. Now that's scarier than any red-pen-marked-up-assignment...as any writer will tell you. I think having the courage to put out your babies (writing babies) before the public is the ultimate form of soul-baring (or sadomasochism, in some ways). We'll see how it goes....

and if you don't believe me...

On and off this summer, I've been reading two books. One is The Secret, an interesting book focusing on how the power of direct, intentional thought can bring things into your life. The other is The Circle, which is a more detailed interpretation of the same theory.

I've always held the belief that intentionally visualizing something in your life will bring things to fruition in your life in due time. Now, before you think I'm visualizing holding a million dollars and lifetime Ohio State football tickets in my hand (hey, this is MY visualization), I don't think it just *poof* magically appears. I believe you still have to work for it, but if you just take the time to notice things around you, to become aware of your surroundings, you just might get a little something to help you or point you in the right direction.

Some of my friends ascribe to this thought to some degree, some think I'm crazy. (a little from column A, a little from b...). More than once, this theory has come into play in different ways, this last time (today) in direct relation to my writing. So in case you don't believe me...

I was contemplating how I really am missing writing nonfiction and freelancing for magazines right now. (Writing begets writing, remember?). One area I've wanted to get into is using my background in language acquisition to help inform school administration. As luck had it, I visited a school this week and while waiting for a meeting with the principal, found a brand new issue of an administrative magazine on the waiting table. Checked their website on a whim and found they were looking for new writers. Called up the editor to ask about their editorial calendar yesterday and had a very nice conversation so hopefully she'll remember my submission.

Problem was, I didn't have any ideas (at the time). They're looking for more local and state level type stories, and I was stuck more in the mode of teaching strategies. I gave up on the idea mill this morning while at a meeting and thought I'd get back to it when I got home.

When I least expected it (as I discussed lunch with the girls in the office), I found I'd been invited to a meeting I hadn't known about. I wasn't too thrilled but went anyway...only to be presented with a district-level story so amazing I outlined an entire article five minutes after the meeting ended.

I missed lunch but remembered one of the unwritten rules of being an author: keep the faith. If you wish it long enough, it will come...now if only the assignment from the editor would come I'd be all set!

Been a while...

Yeah, yeah. It's been a while since I've blogged but I find it hard to believe anyone has noticed! If you have, then you should be spending more time outside in the beautiful sunlight while it lasts (at least here in soon-to-be-chilly-cold-dark-wintery-Ohio). Blogs can wait. Life cannot.

Anyway, while you're here, I may as well entertain you with a little writerly update. Let's see...where to start?

The good news is that I'm still writing. The writing slowed down drastically over the summer, partly because I knew I'd be doing tons of stuff (four weddings, a fun family vacation, a few Cleveland Indians games, summer camp, floating around the pool like a lazy bum) and didn't really find any freelancing gigs that drew my interest enough to worry. Not that I didn't think about writing every day, and not that I didn't write...I did, just not anything with great coherence. I'm glad to say I'm hard at work on my second short story to be (hopfully) submitted after the release of my first, which brings me to the REALLY good news...

I got my first fiction cover yesterday via email. It's so way cool and absolutely beautiful I put it on my webpage so I can narcistically look at it (and show it off) when I feel the urge. I have to admit, getting the first TWINS magazine with my title on the cover was way, way neat but seeing my name on the cover of an (e)book with a beautiful setting (romance set in the office) was amazing. Just imagine when it's a full-blown paperback cover I get to autograph for readers..woohoo!!

Not sure when the story will be released yet. I'm still awaiting the galleys to proof, but that's one step closer..which reminds me I need to have another story to submit, so I need to get back to writing.

Getting out the pieces/parts

I once heard (or maybe read...it all blends together after a while) that it's important for writers to get the story pieces & parts out of their heads and on paper, no matter how small or inconsequential or irrelevant we think they are at the time because when we get rid of the stuff running circles (think mouse on a treadmill) in our minds, we free up all that creative space for the really good stuff to come hit us. If we're still thinking about the old stuff, the new stuff doesn't have anywhere to plop in.

I didn't really buy this at the time because I'm a mental "chewer". Depending on the issue, idea or thought I get (not necessarily just from writing), it can literally be weeks that the same idea is floating around my brain for me to "chew" on during those quiet times. This is how I've often worked on stories in the past...just let it keep floating and fermenting.

But writing now the way I've written in the past isn't working, so I decided to give this a try. I've got the notebook with me everywhere and every time something strikes me about the story I jot it down (or scribe it into the Palm for later use).

Talk about a flood of stuff coming out (yeah, I know I'm a writer and should use more description than "stuff" but it's working for me). Every day --literally-- something new is showing up in the brain radar about the story. Enough to keep me excited and focused on the multiple plotlines. In weird ways, I'm also sort of discovering solutions to problems I anticipated in the story. Like..as long as my brain keeps firing across those synaptic connections (Doc, that one is for YOU...lol), the story will solve itself.

Now, if I could just get it to WRITE itself I'd be rich...

have paper, will travel

The new goal of writing every day is finding me writing in some interesting places. Today I worked on internal motivation of my heroine at the doctor's office and the external plot of my hero while working the desk at the yoga studio.

Even cooler, most of the really good breakthrough ideas came at the yoga studio desk. Maybe I should write there every day....

longhand or typed?

What is it about writing longhand that helps me think through my story at a deeper level than typing on the PC?

It's almost like my story (only two pages old) took a massive twist down a different highway when I was too lazy to come get my laptop last night to write and instead wrote in my fave notebook. Scrawled out several pages, and when I opened it today to write (which includes reading over the previous day's work), I was struck with how different the story now feels (in a better, deeper way) than it did on the laptop.

I wonder if we use different parts of the brain (and different kinds of creativity) when we write with different modalities (handwritten vs. typed). I'd be curious to see if other writers think this happens too or if I'm just floating around in Bethieworld again...

Only two pages?

I know I've been away ...from blogging...from writing...for a while, but I haven't been *that* far away. Physically, maybe, but not mentally.

Fiction writers will understand why. I've been battling the idea of a particular story for about two years. Maybe longer, but a solid two years I can say with certainty. The idea has hounded me off and on, through fiction stories and nonfiction assignments, through my thesis and monthly columns for different publications...in my sleep, in my waking hours...on vacations and in the shower....

Ok, you get the point. I've just been waiting this long for that perfect first line, that opener that will never, ever need changed and will light the way for the rest of my story. No, I'm not on drugs...I'm a perfectionistic writers and can't stand the thought of starting and restarting.

Til now. I started the story today. I've plugged out two pages of decent stuff but am still missing the hero's external journey and the mystery to keep the reader reading (never written anything with a mystery/suspense element before...that's scary!) but I've done enough character mapping, brainstorming and outlining to write, well, a book, and these two pages feel satisfying at the same time they feel tenunous. Most important, they're in the light of day so there's no going back...

Who knew two pages could be so scary?!

Good Stuff

So much good stuff going on in the writing world lately...where to start?

Well, most importantly, the first edits for the short story have been sent to the editor with the requested changes. For everything my pubbed author friends have said about the editing process being harrowing, I've found it to be challenging but fun. It's funny that several of the places in the story where my writer's intuition said something like, "That's not clear enough" or "you need to add detail" or "you need to flesh out this scene better", my editor highlighted it for change. Living with the mind of a writer, I often spend hours, days, weeks, even years hashing out the same scenes to the same story again and again to the point that I know the underwear color of my characters, but when pen meets paper for that rough draft, I leave out key things that I know but my readers need to know. Interesting how that workd.

Other cool stuff...let's see.

I've signed up to attend Lori Foster and Dianne Castell's Readers and Writers Get Together in Cincinnati on June 1 & 2. I debated on this one--no way will my story be out but I do have a story to promote, and there's no time like the pre-publishing to get the word out. I'm actually getting really excited. It'll be my very first outing as a published (almost) writer. I'll be attending with tons of my great author friends and am really looking forward to hanging out with readers. In the vein of promotion, I even ordered some promo cards with my story info on it. And they arrived today! They're cute. I designed them myself and aside from a tiny spacing problem in the blurb, I think they're adorable. I'm going to share them with the girls at work tomorrow--only one of whom knows I've contracted a short story (sounds like I have mono or something). And I can't wait to tell mom!

Hmm....what else?

I don't think I've mentioned it but I might have another writing gig later in the summer doing some pharma research reports. Thanks to connections through an interview, I was contacted out of the blue to consider working with a company to research some really interesting stuff and put together reports. I had to turn down immediate work--one quality of a good writer is that they know their limits, and with signing that fiction contract and having an upcoming deadline (May 15) along with teaching the fiction to freelance course (June 11-22) I knew I'd not have time to devote to doing a proper job in a field I'm just learning. Ah well...soon!

Ok, that's enough for now. I have a rough draft demanding my attention and outlining skills...get back to your own desk and start writing!

Beth

Why Is This So HAAAAAAARD??!

I know, I know. That title may have been a bit misleading, and if you're thinking you're gonna find something a little dark, steamy and erotic, you're way wrong.

I'm talking about writing my author bio.

I mean it!

I'm working on finishing up the author info packet for the marketing department of the publishing house who just sent me the contract for the short story, and I have to submit a short bio. I'm thinking three paragraphs at most.

Why is this so hard? I have no idea. I've written six novels of 55,000-60,000 words, countless articles, monthly columns and a graduate thesis on kids from another country and their educational issues, and I can't come up with three stinking paragraphs about my writing career? This is just wrong.

I could go with the bio on my website but that needs updated, too. I like humor in the bio--otherwise it's just boring drivvel in my opinion. Unfortunately, funny isn't happening for me at the moment.

Nothing is happening for me at the moment. I think I need a little more chocolate to help me through...

Anyone who knows me & my writing--I'm open for suggestions. Just don't include anything that would embarass me. You know, the stories of the headlight dance, anything remotely related to OSU tailgates, Camp Hamwi antics or tequila.

On second thought, I'd better do this myself...

Off to bio myself,

Beth

What We Don't Know...

You know, sometimes I just wonder about this writing gig. In a good way, of course.

Last year on my birthday, I had, for all intents and purposes, decided to go with nonfiction and freelance writing. I'm not setting any landspeed records in getting published (my original 2007 New Year's "goal" was to have an article pubbed every month...not quite there yet) but the important thing, to me, is that I AM getting published (the kind of published that results in nice paychecks) after being a writer since the second grade. Time to put my money where my mouth was, and I think I have.

But I digress, of course.

Last year on my birthday I made an unwritten creed to myself that if I wasn't published (or hadn't had a hit of interest from an editor) in fiction by this year's birthday, I vowed I was giving up fiction forever. Harsh, yes, but despite my initial claims to writing friends, writing fiction and nonfiction/freelance at the same time requires a hell of a lot more brain power and usage than the normal sane person can do (and I mean writing both in the same day, not "fiction this week, freelance next"---I'm a fiction in the morning, freelancing at night kinda gal) and still have brainpower left over to teach and, well, basically function.

So, as I've blogged, I did manage to catch the interest of an editor with one of my sappy short stories earlier this year. Cool, huh? I finished the requested edits, submitted, and she said it might be a bit of time before she'd get to look over my second submission, but promised she would (believe me, I know time flies...).

Well, yesterday in my as-of-late-kinda-empty writing email box, what did I get? Lo and behold, a contract for my story and all the goodies for author info and promo that come along with it. How way cool is that! (a Rachael Ray line I usually hate but feel like using this morning).

And none too soon. Guess who's birthday is tomorrow? I keep wondering if I knew it all along or if I really was on the verge of giving up and that sparked me into better writing/more submitting/being fictionally active mode. Who knows? All I know is that now I have a reason to get author photos done...!

Tomorrow's pink frosted cake will be a little extra sweet...

Beth

Me? A plotter? You must have mistaken me for....

Finally received the promised edits for the short story the editor wanted to see in Jaunary. Time got away from her, I absolutely understand....

At the moment I'm smack-dab in the middle of editing the story per her suggestions (how did we ever efficiently edit without the little bubbles in Word from track changes? Geez) but am taking a quick brain break to share something I just realized.

In her note to me, she said..."The story has nice bones. It just needs a little work."

I'm not hung up on the "it just needs a little work" part. That much is obvious--it's my first fiction story in a few years and the first to make it past a slush pile onto an editor's (real!) desk.

What shocks me is the "nice bones" part. Bones, here, to me, suggests "plot" or "structure"--which is something I've never considered myself good at. In fact, it's the reason I've often quit writing stories--because I don't have the structure to know what comes next. I've always fancied myself a character-driven writer (which plays somewhat in a posting I've been wanting to do for several weeks on the merits of character vs. plot-driven stories. Sometime...)

Me? A plotter not a pantser? Oh, come on...!

Anyways, all for now. I've got edits to finish....

Beth

my advice? be nice.

A writing colleague emailed last week to get my feedback and some quotes for an ebook she's working on (on how to freelance...imagine that!), and I was more than happy to help. I truly enjoy working with her--not just because she also serves as editor for one of the publications I write for regularly but because I've found that writers are the most friendly, most accomodating group of wonderful people in the world.

She liked my comments (I commented on how to find assignments, working with editors and something else that escapes me now) but I want to tell her one more little piece of info I forgot to mention in the section on how to find assignments/markets:

Be Nice.

Yes, in caps. Mom said (says) it never hurts to be nice and when it comes to writing, it can get you in doors you didn't even think were doors...LOL. I've gotten more than one assignment by just sending a note to the editor about something I've enjoyed in their publication--an article, the way the theme was rounded out, the type of magazine they put out, etc--and casually mentioning I'm also a freelance writer (sometimes I mention ideas, sometimes not) then they contact me about my ideas or if I'd be willing to write something for them.

I love it when that happens--because those notes go to editors of publications I'd really like to write for (Sports Illustrated, are you reading this??!)

And, lucky me, it happened again yesterday. In working toward my serious goals for the serious writing girls (new goal set yesterday: ten circulating queries in the (e)mail at all times), I sent a nice note/query to an editor of a magazine I just picked up and really liked a bunch. I thought one of the ideas I've been toying with for like, five years (hey, writers, don't deny you've had ideas that continue circling in your head for more years than you might own a pair of underwear...), might be a good fit for her publication--which resulted in her emailing back that she liked the idea and wants to talk about it.

So, Cheryl, if you're reading, :), copy my "be nice" comment from the "working with editors" section to the "how to find markets" section. Not that we have to tell writers that--but it never helps to try it in places you might not suspect!

beth

oh, and I forgot...

In my excitedness (yes, a word...remember the english teacher's permission to create new words)about the fiction story, I forgot to mention the editor from the RWR emailed the me the contract for the April article. Already faxed it back and am working on a few more ideas to propose with the thank you note.

Should be out in the April issue. Tentatively: From Ficiton to Freelance In 5 Easy Steps (she was really excited about how good it looked in layout when she emailed, which only increased my own excitedness)

Test on new words Friday.

Beth

happy-trot

just a little happy dance (maybe more like a happy-trot...lol).

Got a note from the editor yesterday who's had my short story since January. She likes it (she likes it!). Says the premise is "fresh", but that she'd like to work with me to make it "sparkle" before they offer me a contract.

Way cool. Especially since I *love* sparkly things.

On another good/bad note, I didn't meet the goals with the seriouswriter girls for this three weeks. Yeah, I know. Fork over the money, honey! Just got hit with one of those mid-winter depressions from the weather (the snow is melting...I see the shingles of my neighbor's roof!)

The good part of that is that the new goal is to have, in three weeks' time, 10 queries in the (e)mail. Ten, whoa! That means I actually have to SEND the queries I write, huh? LOL. Cheated a little. I sent one out this morning (official new goals don't go into effect til tonight). I think the girls will cut me some slack!

Get back to writing...
Beth

joking..but seriously...cut a girl a break...

One question I frequently get from non-writers when I introduce myself to them as a writer (amazing conversations that spawns, by the way) is "where do you get your ideas?"

I wish the question were "where don't you get ideas?" Of course, I couldn't answer that in a proper-english-grammar-kinda-way, because it sounds illiterate to say "i don't not get ideas anywhere."

Ok, so more simply, I say "Everywhere." Literally. I read the newspaper, I get ideas. I watch Superbowl commercials, I get ideas. I listen to Barry Manilow songs, I get ideas. (Yeah, those kind of ideas too). There used to be a few sacred places in my life where ideas for articles and stories didn't hound me around every corner...yoga class (defeats the purpose), doing dishes (ever wondered the proper way to load a dishwasher? There's an article in that), emptying trashcans (which breed bacteria like my empty mind breeds article topics) and, the most sacred of spaces to everyone the world over: the bathroom.

Yeah, well, that was last week. Over the weekend, I went to the bathroom (just the thing you want to share in a blog, right?!) and after washing my hands, thought I'd put away the clutter on my sink. Toothbrushes, a few scrunchies, a jar of eye cream and two tubes of toothpaste. Not that one isn't good enough for my family, but one was a travel-size I hadn't yet put away from my recent weekend out west. Naturally, the colors on the front of each tube, drastically different mind you, caught my eye. I started reading and discovered that one guaranteed less plaque while one guaranteed whiter teeth...when they're both basically the same. Kick in the writer's brain, who demanded research on which five toothpastes actually whiten best and which five toothpastes actually clean better.

I know there's a market somewhere, but honestly. Can't a girl get a little peace for a few minutes a day? It's like the toddler knocking on the door...never a moment alone. (I actually kinda like it!)

Beth

what's the word....?

I think this is a rhetorical question, but I want to know the word that defines that specific period of time between the moment you send your article, book, short story--any piece of writing you're hoping to get published--to the editor and the time they get back with you. You know, the span of infinite waiting that seems to drag on longer than an episode of Friends where all we get to do is watch Rachael whine? The duration of time where we ask ourselves "Will she like it? Will she buy it? Did I use periods? Did I write in English?" like a mantra?

I want to know the name for that period of time. If anyone knows or is able to create something creative, I'm all for it. Being an English teacher, I do have the default ability to create new words, so if you've got a suggestion, bring it on.

Just sent in the article yesterday to the RWR. My lag time (?!) wasn't long--the editor--a wonderful lady I enjoy working with--sent back a quick note of approval within the same day. That's writing karma for you.

Not so much karma on the workshop end of things. Got two (when one just isn't enough) rejection letters from RWA stating that they're not interested in my freelance workshop (solo) or my dialogue interaction workshop (with soon-to-be-published friend Donna MacMeans). Ah, well. Just means I'll have to sell more freelancing to be able to afford the conference fee. I'm not passing up Dallas...

Back to the writing. A day off school...queries call!

Beth

a day away

With that self-imposed deadline of Friday for the article due on Monday, you'd think I spent last night slaving over punctuation and tearing apart sentences, but you'd be wrong.

I did nothing.

Well, not exactly nothing. I conducted my first phone interview ever (as a writer) with an entertaining guy who conducts the most fascinating research on gender-specific marketing (to support the article idea brewing in my mind), but I didn't do a tootin' thing with the freelance article. Not that I needed a break. I just think fresh eyes (as fresh as two days can be) will give me better perspective. I won't get to it tonight, either, as I've got a new yoga class til nine. Three days should be better than two, right?

Actually, I'm not that far away from it. There's one sentence driving my mind batty (transitions from the intro don't usually suck this bad) and I'm playing with it in infinite directions so this is my time to nail that baby down.

A writer's mind never stops, does it?

Beth

Draft #2

Finished the second draft last night of the article due Feb. 5th. For all intents and purposes it's complete--my second drafts are for adding quotes, transitions, making sure all names and author information is correct. Yesterday I received responses from two more fiction/freelance authors, so I added in a quote from each. I think it's 98% done. Just need that fine-toothed editing comb to tighten and activate my words...the funnest part of writing. (Yeah, I know. I'm allowed to use "funnest").

Even cooler is that, unlike every day of my past three years, I don't have to put my writing on a shelf to get back to the grad research--I get to write again! Next up is a short (comparatively, anyway--1500 vs. 3000 words) article on female spies in the Civil War. Due Feb. 15th. I could really dig this freelance writing stuff...learning about things I didn't know existed.

And speaking of fiction, still awaiting editorial word if the short short was accepted. We'll see.

Beth

How Rough is the rough draft?

Pretty rough, but more importantly...DONE.

I've had a weird relationship with this article (on helping fiction writers transition into freelancing). I love the idea--I've had so many people ask how to get into freelancing and I love helping them get started that idea really created itself. I was psyched when the editor requested it, and I get wound up each time I think about the info in the article.

But for some reason, putting my butt in the chair to write this one was an adventure in procrastination--something I've battled, slayed and thought I'd overcome. I used to be the world's #1 procrastinator but grad school taught me the value of planning ahead. I don't like the feeling of procrastinating now (obviously not enough) but this piece didn't listen to that. It's due on the 5th of February and, well, it's obvious how long I've put it off.

Luckily, it's done. Longhand, 15 pages or so. Ready to be typed tomorrow. As I said...
DONE!

Beth

Mystical Alignment

I don't know if it's the alignment of the planets or what, but the writing is going so well lately it almost scares me.

I've been toying with a few queries, editing a short story I've had for about a month, and gathering together interviews to write an article due on Feb 5th. All nicely writing related, going at an even pace. Got an unexpected gift yesterday when school was canceled, and decided to pretend to be a writer all day.

Finished the short story, sent off a query and synopsis only to have the full requested by the afternoon. Haven't had fiction requested in eight years (well, haven't submitted fiction in eight years, either). Sent it in pronto.

Just waiting, now, to get the verdict. Isn't waiting the worst part of writing? Some say it's brainstorming, other say editing. I say waiting. I'm impatient.

Beth

In the groove...

It's true I've been gone a while. And it's also true I've not been on top of my game with the whole writing thing. Life intervenes, saps energy, drains creativity, sucks away precious time.

Yeah, you get the point. After finishing my thesis three days before it was due, I happily claimed my diploma in December with grand plans of jumping right back into writing where I left off. I didn't count on the fact that I needed to get myself back into prime writing condition. Takes time to start waking up at 4:30 on a regular basis (even with the impatient whining of my lovable dog Omar demanding her morning walk).

I'm glad to say--I think I'm back in the groove. None too soon, either. I've got a major deadline coming up--Feb. 5th for an April article--and haven't started yet. I've brainstormed and have a working outline which, for all intents and purposes, serves as my first draft. (Maybe I should translate that to my fiction writing...hmm....). Planned to put BICHOK into action yesterday but it just didn't get done. No worries...my self-imposed deadline isn't for another week and a few days.

One cool note is that I'll be teaching an online course at the Hearts Through History RWA site this summer. Entitled "From Fiction to Freelance in 8.2 Seconds", it's meant to help give fiction writers a solid foundation for using all that acquired knowledge to break into the freelance market. I'm really excited and looking forward to it.

Hearts Through History offers some killer workshops for writers. Took one last year on sensuality in writing and it was a gem. If you're interested, here's their main class list:
http://www.heartsthroughhistory.com/class.htm

and here's mine:
http://www.heartsthroughhistory.com/freelance.htm

Here's to meeting all those lofty 2007 writing goals...
Beth