Know where you’re going, whether walking or writing

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It’s easy to get lost if you don’t know where you’re going.

Last week we took the ferry to Vancouver Island and combined our visiting with a bit of camping (okay, RVing for you purists). We spent our first night at Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park with its 347 hectares of old growth, picnic sites and campground, plus two kilometers of sandy beach and magnificent views.

We tucked the fifth wheel and truck into a convenient spot and wandered off to find the shore before sunset. There was a well worn trail not far from our campsite, not marked, but it seemed to head in the right direction, so off we went.

 

Shadows lengthened. We discovered a few delights along the way, but no sign of the ocean. Eventually we came to a wide wire gate leading onto a street of private homes and caught a glimpse of water beyond.  Should we trespass or continue on the trail, which now turned ninety degrees and carried on with no end in sight? We elected to stay on the trail and soon found a break in the underbrush that let us through to the shore.

It was an enjoyable walk and we eventually reached our destination, but on the way out of the campground the next day we saw signs for the real beach trail. I’m sure if we’d planned ahead and read the park brochure we could have saved ourselves a lot of wandering and wondering.

That’s also true in our writing. There are various ways to craft a novel. Some are well documented and named: the Snowflake Method, the Kiser Method, the Marshall Plan, the Hero’s Journey, Plotting, and Pantsing, to name a few.

Like our impulse to find the ocean, we can get a story idea and simply jump into the writing. We can begin at the top of the first page and let the words tumble out, or outline first, sorting scenes on recipe cards, sticky notes and spreadsheets, and doing detailed character sketches and hours of research.  No matter what route we choose, as long as we have a destination in mind and don’t give up before we reach it, we have a fair chance of getting there.

With a little forethought and planning, however, we can save ourselves a lot of unnecessary revision and backtracking, as well some anxiety. It’s no fun getting lost!

Do you follow a specific writing plan? Have you tried other methods?

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What makes a good book stand out?

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Peach sunset colours fade to soft rose and lavender over a somber sea. “The heavens declare the glory of God.”  Gulls screech and dance in the stiff onshore breeze while a lone eagle disappears in the distance.

I scuff through the sand and stones, always hopeful that I’ll discover a bit of sea glass. My daughter lives near here and has gathered a multi-hued collection. I’ve yet to find any.  But along the beach occasional shells stand out, white against the blue-grey stones.

On the outside oyster shells are a chalky unimpressive white. Inside they’re smooth and satiny, sometimes quite pearlescent. On rare occasions they might even contain a pearl. A treasure.

You know there’s an analogy coming, right?

Like the miles of beach stones and sand, there are millions of mediocre books on the market. What does it take to make one stand out? Some might suggest a great cover, but, while that would get me to pick it up, I’ll still turn it over to check for other things before deciding to keep it. I’ll be looking for something special inside, hoping to find a real treasure… a wonderful story written with passion about unique characters.

What are your requirements when you go looking for a new book? What makes a book stand out for you?

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The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
[Psalm 19:1 NIV]

What or who supports you in your writing?

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An eagle dips and soars in the ocean breeze, his white head tinged amber in the sunset rays. He brings to mind a cyberfriend, now gone – a friend I never met in person, whose exquisite photography often featured his beloved eagles.

Jim Dubois, “Garnite”, died last week. Thanks to a lung transplant three years ago he enjoyed bonus years, but couldn’t conquer this latest lung infection. I first encountered Jim on his Flickr photo pages, where he shared his love of nature in wonderful photos and words filled with wisdom. At the time of his transplant there was a massive show of support from the Flickr community, with prayers, good wishes, and healing thoughts sent his way. Those friends were there again for him during his recent battle.

This week as I stood on the very beach where so many of Jim’s photos were taken, I was acutely aware of the value of supportive friends.

We say our writing is a lonely pursuit… not lonely in the sense that we’re lonesome, but we are alone with our words, dredging them from inner places. No one else can transfer those specific thoughts onto the page except us. There are “writing hermits” among us – people who can’t or don’t share their writing challenges or their work – but many of us benefit from supportive associations.

• Family and Special Friends
• Writing Buddies (online and offline)
• Critique Partners (individual or multiple within a writers’ group)
• Class and Workshop Instructors
• Online Forums
• Mentoring Authors
• Agents and Editors

A support system provides stability during difficult times. I’m not one who enjoys the sway of suspension bridges. It’s easier to go the distance when the structure beneath my feet is held firmly in place. Like Jim, I have appreciated encouragement during my journey, in the stormy times of life and writing.

What’s your most valued form of support?

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Monday Musings on Friday

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Friday is the favourite day of the week for many people. It heralds the weekend, an opportunity to wind down and escape from the workplace. For preachers, of course, the weekend is a ‘getting into gear’ time. Sunday is the focal point of their week’s studying and sermon preparation. But for the rest of the world Fridays signal the abandonment of schedules and appointments, a welcome break from answering to the demands and responsibilities of employment.

When I mention loving Mondays (I’m sorry, I know I’ve said it before, but I really do), Friday lovers glower at me. While Sundays run a close second with the hush of worship and the exhilaration of praise, Mondays are beginning again days for me. There’s something about tackling a new work week, and setting objectives with fresh determination thanks to the weekend’s rejuvenation.

I see Mondays as the perfect time to get back into a writing regime with renewed enthusiasm. That means Fridays can be good days to evaluate progress and plan ahead for a productive Monday. January doesn’t have a monopoly on resolutions.

Okay, so I’m pontificating! But just so you know… this is the beginning of a long weekend here in Canada, so Monday will be a holiday. This weekend we can all love both the Friday and the Monday.

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Photo by Tom Curtis

Roaming Bookstores and Seashores

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Roaming a bookstore is something akin to roaming the seashore for me. There is exhilaration and discovery, the heady smell that is unique to the location. My daughter loves to do both, too, as her blog post and Flickr pictures yesterday attest.

Her enthusiasm for acquiring books reminded me of my recent visit to one of my favourite out-of-town haunts. A few days ago after travelling to my writing group meeting I took the rare opportunity to visit a mega Christian bookstore — Blessings Christian Marketplace.  I was looking for a particular book, which I didn’t find, but I still came home with four others! It just isn’t possible to escape a bookstore with empty hands!

Books by Mary Connealy

As I browsed the shelves it was a delight to discover the books of people I’ve encountered online. It felt a little like running into friends in the crowded city. Or coming upon an eagle “perusing the menu” on the salt washed shore. What are the odds, I often wonder after such encounters.

Seeing the books was a strange sensation… there was a recognition that sparked pride in the authors’ accomplishment. It made me wonder how I will feel the day I see my own title among them, if that day ever comes. At this stage of my writing career I can’t imagine it. But the sight ignited my enthusiasm to continue working towards that day.

The Preacher's Bride by Jody Hedlund

Code Blue by Richard Mabry

Books by James Scott Bell

What emotions do you experience when you visit your bookstore or library, or are you just focused on locating a book?

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Gull photo courtesy of pdphoto.org

No, You’re Not Ready to Publish

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Don’t you hate it when the Inner Critic is right? After years of being shoved aside and trampled, he gloats over fleeting opportunities to jump up and down and yell, “I told you so!” and it’s so annoying.

It’s not easy to admit, but many of us are probably among the 99.9% of writers who mistakenly thought our brilliantly written and endlessly polished first novels were ready for launching. In hindsight we know better, but at the time we were enthusiastic about their chances in the market.

I read of one writer who said, “Don’t tell me first novels never sell. If I believed that, why would I bother to finish mine?” When we first begin writing, the naïve mindset is like a protective cloak… “we don’t know what we don’t know.”

My husband quotes one of his professors as cautioning, “For the first ten years in ministry, don’t preach on Revelation. After that you’ll know better than to preach on Revelation.”  As writers we could use a similar admonition — something along the lines of, “Write your heart out on the first book but steel yourself to the reality that it’s only a learning experience.”

Reality sucks! But it’s not as if we expect a new surgeon to immediately perform brain surgery, or a beginning athlete to compete in the Olympics, so why do we expect our first novel should be bestseller material?

Anne Allen wrote an excellent post on “12 signs your novel isn’t ready to publish.” She directed it to those who were tempted to self-publish too soon, but her ideas make good sense for all of us seeking publication. I particularly like the simplicity and sense of her comment, “All beginners make mistakes. Falling down and making a mess is part of any learning process. But you don’t have to display the mess to the world.”

Yes, we worked darned hard on that story and we’d like to reap some benefit from the effort. Well, guess what? We did. The benefit is in the education. We read and wrote and learned. Part of what we learned is how little we actually knew before we began the process. Part of what we will learn tomorrow is how little we know today.

When more experienced writers warned me about the Inner Critic’s unreliability, they didn’t suggest how to react on the odd occasions when he might be right. I’m sorry, but there’s no being graceful in the face of his taunts.

“I’m learning with experience. So shut up already!”

If someone knowledgeable told you the book you are currently writing would never sell, would you finish it anyway, or stop where you are?

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Ostrich Photo by anankkml

Take one character and call me in the morning…

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Are you a writer who creates a cast of characters, or do characters evolve from your stories, appearing one at a time on that old ‘need to know’ basis?

Twelve years ago (can it really be that long?) I was hired as a consultant for the filming of Best In Show, a CastleRock “mock-umentary” about the world of dog shows. Co-writers Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy created a group of eccentric dog owners with a passion for winning. While there is a plot, the story is definitely driven by its characters… not one ordinary personality among them.

Movie set for dog show judging scenes in 'Best In Show.'

On the movie’s official Warner Bros./CastleRock website I am quoted:
     In considering some of the rather extraordinary characters featured as stars of the film, Garvin says, “The fact is that we [dog show professionals] sometimes laugh at ourselves, too. The competitiveness of dog shows attracts a very diverse group of people. There are definitely some eccentrics among them, but they are in the minority. This film focuses on that minority, but the film also portrays some of the really honest hard-working people that are in the dog show business, too.” 

There is disparity in the cast but unity in their goals. It is their single-mindedness that puts them in conflict with each other.

Cast and crew on day the Hound Group scenes were filmed (and yes, I'm in there). Photographer: Doane Gregory

Carefully set against the credible backdrop of a quality dog show, these characters keep us engaged in their incredible lives as each one struggles toward the ultimate Best In Show award.

We care about them, and that’s the hope of all writers… that their characters will resonate… that what happens to them will matter to readers.

I’ve mentioned before that my story ideas usually originate with the mental image of one character. From that image I am driven to explore the who, what, why, where and when that reveals plot. So, in answer to my original question, I do begin with just one character.

Those who write ‘by the seat of their pants’ may well accumulate characters as they are needed to forward the plot, while plotters and planners will have a fair idea of their cast before they begin writing.

Since the monologue and dialogue lines in Best In Show were all improvised, however, the writers had to have a clear understanding of personalities that were to be portrayed before they introduced the actors to the script. It is the diverse nature of those personalities that interacts to give cohesion to the story as a whole.

Does this suggest all writers, whether pantsers or plotters, need to know who all their characters will be right from the start, even if they let the story unfold without constraint? What’s your answer to the opening question in this post?

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 Best In Show Trailer

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Saying the Occasional “No” Without Guilt

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Daylight dwindles into darkness, and Wildwood Acres settle for the night.  Birds hush in their hidden sanctuaries and the only sound is a lonely tree frog somewhere in the marsh. Before falling into stillness, the breeze opened up the clouds and left tomorrow’s promise in the sky.

This is usually my time to settle in for a couple hours of writing, but I’m weary… too weary to be creative. It’s not that I did a lot today. It’s more what I didn’t do that weighs on me. There is a troublesome website that needs significant upgrading, a garden that at the rate I’m progressing may take me all summer just to get un-winterized, writing projects that are lagging… and then this evening’s request for sandwiches or cookies to donate to an upcoming church ‘do’. Nothing outrageous.

Sometimes it’s the little things that overwhelm. The bendy ‘last straw’ that winds the mind into tangled chaos, and shuts down ambition.

Writers know all about the Inner Critic who tries to sabotage our best written efforts, but I’m convinced that his twin brother takes up residence somewhere in my calendar. A voice nags that I really ought to do this, I really should do that, I absolutely must, must, must perform to perfection. And if – heaven forbid – there’s a blank space in my daybook, I’m obliged to fill it with some worthy chore.

When I can’t convince myself to move into overdrive and push through the ‘To Do’ list, I’ve found it’s best to just stop. I give myself permission for an hour of daydreaming, or an entire do nothing, guilt free day. Guilt free is the Rx!

Last week on The Pastor’s Wife Speaks blog Jeanette Levellie posted on the topic, “No is not a four letter word.” It reminded me of a day long ago when a concerned friend gave me a recording by David Viscott, MD, entitled, “Learning to Say No Without Feeling Guilty.” A couple years later its message was reinforced by another friend who pointed out that we are creations of God and as such ought to treat ourselves with care and respect.

With that thought in mind I’m closing the laptop and heading off to bed. The website will wait. The writing will, too. This creation of God needs sleep!

How do you handle a schedule or responsibilities that push you to the brink?

Happy Mother’s Day!

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Scripture describes the “noble woman”:

²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
²⁶ She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
²⁷ She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
²⁸ Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.

I give thanks for all those special women who contribute so much to our lives – mothers, daughters, mothers-in-law, daughters-in-law, grandmothers, granddaughters, aunts, nieces, and dear friends.

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Happy Mother’s Day!

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[Proverbs 31:25-28a]

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Another eBook Winner!

Christine Lindsay’s generosity has resulted in a second name being drawn for a free e-copy of her debut novel, Shadowed In Silk. We combined comments from the two posts, removed Jeanette Levellie’s name as the original winner, and put the Random Number Generator to work again. It selected #6, which is Darlene Foster. So our congratulations to you, Darlene! I hope you enjoy your eBook copy of Shadowed In Silk. Christine will contact you to make arrangements.

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