An O'Abby tip for NaNoWriMo

I guess everyone is writing novels this month instead of emails to O'Abby...

So, we’re a week into NaNo. How are you going? Are you sleeping? Are your kids getting fed? Is the laundry piling up in the laundry and the dishes on the kitchen counter?

If so, don’t worry. It probably means you’ve been writing. Or at least I hope you have!

This week I want to give you a tip that might help you if the initial rush of starting your new book has worn off and you’re starting to feel like writing is just too hard.

It is tempting to give up once that initial burst of excitement and productivity wears off. Once you’ve written that startlingly original beginning you’ve been imagining since you first came up with the idea for this story. Maybe it didn’t come out on the page the way you imagined. Or maybe it hasn’t sparked the next scenes in a way that makes you excited to sit down and write.

Don’t stop.

There’s bound to be a scene somewhere further in the book you are excited to write. A kissing scene, maybe? A piece of action you have choreographed in your head? An emotional moment that brings a lump to your throat each time you think about it?

Write it.

Now is not the time to be precious about writing in a linear way. Write the scenes you want to write, the ones you are excited about. The ones that made you want to write this particular story. You can fill in the stuff that gets your characters from the beginning to that point later on. I know a lot of writers don’t like to write out of sequence, but if you’re struggling to get to your word count, or feel stuck in your story, this is a way to push past that block and possibly free yourself up to move on.

The great thing about this technique is you can use it over and over again through the writing of your project. Any time you get stuck, just leave your characters where they are. They’ll still be there where you get back to them. And often writing through scenes later in the book will give you ideas that will help push past that sticking point.

Remember this isn’t a final draft. It isn’t even a first draft. If you hit your 50K words at the end of the month and there are still holes in your story, it doesn’t matter. You can fill them in. Or maybe you’ll find you don’t actually need all the connective tissue you thought you would when you started writing.

Hopefully this will be helpful for you. It’s something I use all the time when I’m drafting, during NaNo or any other time. I’ll let you in on a secret too. I almost always write the ending of my books really early on. I don’t do much plotting ahead of time and having an ending there gives me something to aim for. If you have an ending in mind now, but aren’t quite sure how to get to it, maybe you should try writing it. It might help you to find your way.

Happy writing!

X O’Abby

PS.  After 6 days my word count is sitting at around 11K.  How are you getting on?

NaNoWriMo Tips

There were no new questions for O'Abby this week, so on NaNo Eve, I thought I'd offer a few things about doing NaNo I've learned over the years.  I've done it several times and while I haven't won every year,  I think my ratio of finishing to not finishing is pretty high.

This year the timing works really well because November 1 is a Friday.  That means you have the weekend to really kick off your project.  I always like to try and get ahead on word count at the beginning of the month, while you're fresh and the idea for your book is bright and shiny in your head.  And with the start of the month coinciding with the weekend, you're likely going to have a chance to get a few extra hours writing time in.

So use them.  Try and get at least 5K written over the weekend, more if you can.  That word count buffer will come in handy if something happens during the month and you're forced to miss a few days or if your writing time during the week is more limited and you think you might only manage 1,000 words a day.

Plan your time.  If you have regular commitments that are going to eat into your regular writing time, see if you can carve out some other time to write.  Use your lunch breaks at work, maybe.  Or your commute, if you use public transport.  It's amazing how much you can get done in tiny scraps of time.  500 words here, another 700 there and before you know it, you've made your daily word count.  Don't feel you have to find 90 minutes of uninterrupted time each day to do this.

Don't panic if you fall behind.  It happens.  Life can get in the way of even the best laid plans.  If you get behind, figure out where you can catch up.  Maybe an extra hour's writing time over the weekend will do it.  Or getting up a little earlier and writing before you really start your day.  Whatever works for you.  Personally, I know I'm going to struggle to get much done during the week the next couple of weeks, because I'm just wrapping up a major project at work.  So my plan is to take a few days off once I've finished that, so I can devote those days to writing.  But that might not be possible for you, so figure out what is, and make it work for you.

Don't worry about the details.  NaNo writing is fast writing.  You're doing it to spill that story out onto the page, not to create a polished masterpiece.  That comes later.  Right now, don't worry about repeated words, awkward sentences or getting the details of how something works wrong.  Just write your story.  If you find yourself questioning something and are tempted to Google, just write yourself a note in the manuscript so when you go back to re-read what you've written, you're reminded you needed to look up how long it would take to get from London to Edinburgh on horseback in 1865.  I like to leave those notes in another color so they stand out to me later.

The same if you realize you got something wrong earlier in the story and need to change it to make the rest of the book make sense.  Write a note at the point you realized this and remind yourself to go back and change that thing later.  NaNo is not to write a final draft.  I don't even call my NaNo drafts first drafts.  They're vomit drafts or zero drafts.  What you work with later to create an actual first draft.

And finally, it doesn't actually matter if you don't hit 50K.  Why matters is you tried.  You got some words on the page and just because November ends and your novel is only 34K, it doesn't mean you failed.  You have the beginning of your book there, and all you need to do is keep writing.  Maybe in another 30 days you'll have 60K.  And in another, a finished book.

So good luck!  Happy writing!  And if you need a buddy to cheer you on, you'll find me on the NaNo site as Vampyr14.

Dear O'Abby: Should I do NaNo?

Dear O'Abby,

As you are probably aware, NaNoWriMo starts next week.  I've thought about doing it in the past, but I'm a pretty methodical writer and I like to research and edit as I go, so I've always thought it wouldn't suit me.  

Now I'm published and on deadline for my next book, I'm wondering if doing NaNo might be a way to get this second book my publisher is expecting finished.

Should I give it a shot?

X NaNoWaRy

Dear NaNoWaRy,

NaNo isn't for everyone and it's really up to you to decide if it is for you.  Personally, I love it, but I'm a 100% pantser and have no problem at all with reaching a point where I need to research something and just leaving myself a note in red or highlighted in yellow saying "look up the Korean word for Grandma" or "do combine harvesters really work like this?".  If this kind of thing is going to drive you batty and keep you up at night because you don't feel you can keep writing until you're certain you got that detail correct, NaNo might not be for you.

NaNo is a great way to vomit up what I like to call a "zero draft".  It's not even a first draft, really.  It's a bunch of words that may one day end up as a story.  It's a way to get that story out of your head and onto the page where it can begin its life.

Some people outline and prep meticulously before NaNo begins, and I imagine they might write something closer to a first draft during the month because they know what they're going to write ahead of time and have, in some cases, outlined exactly how their book will be structured and how to fit writing 1,667 or so words a day into that structure.

If you're someone who likes to go back and read over what you wrote yesterday and polish it up, moving commas and removing extra words, NaNo might not be right for you.

But as I say, it's a personal choice.  Maybe trying something different might be good for your creativity.   And you know what?  It doesn't matter if you don't make it through the whole month.  At least you've started.  You've written something.  Those words don't disappear at the end of November when you don't "win" NaNo.  You've started your book, and that's the best way to get to the point of finishing it.

So good luck, whatever you decide to do.  I've rather stupidly signed up to do NaNo again this year, so I'll be in the trenches with you, trying to write a book that at the moment has an outline that says only, "Fifteen years after Chasing the Taillights, Lucy and Tony are still struggling with their relationship".

Let's catch up in December to see how we did.

X O'Abby

In Search of 100 Rejections by Dec. 31

Y'all remember way back in early March when I publicly declared I was striving for 100 rejections in 2018?

Well. That has gone...not swimmingly. As it turns out, not writing anything for three months actually decreases the number of projects you can have rejected! Who would have thought, am I right?

On a serious note, I have counted only eight (8) rejections so far this year. Which isn't to say I haven't had more, because I'm sure a few slipped through the cracks of my depression during the last few months. All that number really proves is that I haven't been submitting and pitching like I had planned.

Of course, one drawback is the fact that my novel progress has been, how to put this nicely...painstakingly slow. I wrote a combined 3,000 words for June and July combined. None so far in August. A handful more in May.

You can't query an unfinished manuscript, and seeing as I was already nearing 20,000 words in a re-written but fairly polished draft by mid-March, I was filled to the brim with confidence that I would finish it off and be able to begin querying by mid-summer.

Maybe there's something in here about "the best laid plans," or whatever, but that feels more pontificatory than anything, and I'm...not in the mood to lecture myself. Or you.

I actually think my slow progress on the novel is due to a few factors, including the "middle slump," the fact that I'm suddenly working full-time again, and the freezing nature of fear.

Which is what I want to explore here: fear, and how it freezes us. And this time, not the fear of failure.

The thing is, as a writer, I'm used to "failure." I've been submitting my writing since early 2014, and had the bulk of it rejected until late 2015. Since then, I've been active as a freelance essayist, and while I've had multiple acceptances, I still regularly get rejected, both from new publications and from ones I have a relationship with already.

I queried my first novel beginning in January 2015, and out of 30+ queries, I received two partial requests. Neither went anywhere.

Failure, as a writer, is an intimate acquaintance of mine.

I'm not afraid to query ALLIE MAE DOESN'T GET THE GUY because I don't want to look its failure in the face.

I'm afraid to query this book because I believe in it. Because I have hope and faith and belief that maybe, just maybe...this will be the one to succeed.

I had that belief in my first book (hence, why I queried it) but it turns out it was massively misplaced. The next two books I wrote and edited never reached a place, plot-wise or writing-wise, where I was confident in querying them.

But this one? This one I believe in. I believe in the story itself; I believe in the characters; I believe in the themes and motifs and the small yet defining personality traits of my protagonist; I believe in the writing.

I also definitely believe in pretty aesthetics!

And I'm terrified of being proven wrong. Terrified that I'll finish it, that my critique partners and beta readers will love it and promise that it will snag me an agent. Terrified that I'll send it out to agents and nothing will come of it.

That I'll be disappointed. And that I'll turn that disappointment upon myself, shape it into a knife pointed directly at my heart.

You idiot. I can't believe you thought you were good enough. I can't believe you thought you would ever be good enough.

I swear, I can already hear the mocking words, reverberating in my brain, if I send this book out, heart high, and my hopes are dashed.

So, yes. I'm 25,000 words into my novel, and I'm frozen with fear. I've spent the past few months telling myself I needed to finish the book because maybe, just maybe, this would be the one. And all that pressure has me caving.

But.

But what if, instead, I don't finish the book because it will get me an agent. What if I flip the narrative (again). What if I finish the book because it will help me reach my goal: 100 rejections by December 31.

Again I find that looking at rejections as notches in a shield and not "the worst possible outcome" helps. I don't know how or why. I just know that it reframes the issue, and suddenly I'm not afraid of them.

Each rejection is a sign that I tried. That I flung myself out there, vulnerable and unafraid, and yes, I was turned down, but you know what?

I tried. I faced my fears. And even if they think they won, I know they're wrong. Because the way you defeat fears isn't by proving they were unfounded. It's by proving they can't hold you back.

What is something you're afraid of in your writing journey...and what steps, small or not, can you take to try to prove your fears won't hold you back?

Making the Most of Your Writing Time

Today's post was inspired by this post from McKelle George (@McKelleGeorge), who was our Mystery Editor a few months ago.

In McKelle’s post, she talked about how she wrote a whopping 61,000 words in 18 days! This got me thinking about whether a feat like this was a possibility for me. With my schedule (and needy children always expecting crazy things from me, like food and my attention), probably not, but there are ways I can stifle my inner editor and increase my word output.

I'm one of those wierdos who loves editing and revising. I hate drafting. It's messy and ugly, and so daunting at times. I wish I could just hook up a machine to my brain, have it record the the first draft in all its awfulness, and get right to revisions. That device hasn't been invented yet, unfortunately, so I'm stuck with finding ways to more efficiently extract the words manually so I can get to revisions faster. :)

One thing I did during NaNo 2013 and haven’t done enough since then is word sprints. Our local NaNo group held them on our Facebook page, but they're also happening all the time on Twitter--check out #WritingSprint and #WordSprint. Word sprints are great for powering through those parts of the story where you feel stuck. The worst that could happen is you end up with a bunch of words that you cut, but you could also come up with some really great writing and maybe even a spark of an idea or two that will make your story even better.

Another thing I do sometimes is write it out in a notebook. By the time I'm done, there are usually notes and doodles all over in the margins, but this usually keeps me from editing as I go and, in turn, keeps me from getting stuck on the same scene for days, revising and rewriting--my favorite form of procrastination. And I don’t care if it sucks because I’m going to edit it when I transcribe it anyway. This is a great way (for me, anyway) to circumvent my inner perfectionist. She’s crazy neurotic, so I try to avoid her whenever possible. Plus, this gives me an excuse to buy lots of notebooks and that's always a good thing. :)

This post also has some great suggestions for apps that help you avoid distractions and stay on task. 

Those are just a few of the things that work for me. What about you? What helps to get the words flowing when you're stuck?

The Blank Page

For the most part, I am a linear writer. I like everything together in the same document, in the order I want it to go in, but that doesn't always work. 

In my WIP, I've been stuck on one scene for a while now. Of course, it's an action scene. For me, those scenes always require a lot of revision. I always put in too much emotion or too much detail or both and totally screw up the pacing in the first draft. My perfectionist brain can't handle this. Just the idea of writing an action scene makes it shut down and then, somehow, I'm checking my email. Or Facebook. Or anything besides working on that blasted action scene.

I tried to sit down and force myself to write it. I knew how I wanted it to go, so that wasn't the issue. It was just getting my fingers to type what I knew would be horrible, horrible words. I couldn't tarnish my previously "perfect" draft with such an awful scene.


The solution (that I've known about for a long time but always forget)?


I opened a blank document and told myself it was okay if I screwed it up because it never had to touch the real document if I hated it. Three days later, I have a shiny new action scene that, at least for the moment, I think turned out pretty good. Such a simple solution. Too bad it always takes me so long to remember how well this works for me. :)


What about you? Any types of scenes that trip you up? What do you do to get unstuck?

Drafting vs. revising

There are few things more fun than the discovery process of a new project. I just love the moment when I figure out a troublesome plot point, or where suddenly, that relationship I've been struggling with makes perfect sense. I love the hours I spend letting all those new characters and plot twists come together in my head.

And then when I write those characters and plot twists out for the first time, I grimace and mutter, "Oooooh. That sucked."

Sometimes my drafting sessions are fantastic, but other times, writing those more complicated scenes feels like an extraction. It depends, from project to project. I have my manuscripts that were an absolute dream from start to finish, and then there's my current manuscript. When it was in draft form, it was a bit of a problem child. Or, as I called it, Frankenbook.

However much I enjoyed the drafting process, though, when I reach revisions, my enjoyment of the project reaches another level. My favorite point of any given project is the point where I can be sitting on the train and think, "Oh wait, that one line of dialogue in Chapter Eight contradicts what she says in Chapter Three." There's nothing I love more than being so deep into a project that I can see where storylines need to link together, or where to strengthen the resolution of a tertiary conflict. It's the point where writing becomes architecture as much as art: I have my frame, the bare bones of each floor, and now I'm going to develop it, trim it back where trimming is needed and build the rest out.

And then there are writers who are the opposite. Who can sit down and write a full, beautiful draft within a matter of months (or even weeks) with little to no agonizing. But once that draft is done, the less fun part begins. Revising, to them, can be like pulling teeth.

Rarely, of course, do writers fall neatly into #TeamDrafting and #TeamRevising. But I've found that even if most writers love aspects of both processes, there's usually one that they enjoy at least a little bit more.


Which do you prefer? And if you're equally brilliant at both: tell the rest of us your secret. ;)

Editing vs. Drafting

So today I thought I'd talk about editing vs. writing, and ask you all what camp you belong in.

Do you like the creative process of getting the story down for the first time?

Or do you prefer taking what is there and shaping and forming it into something else?

Do you prefer drafting or editing of that draft?

 Me, personally ... I'd much prefer to edit. Getting that first draft out can be tortuous and never ends. It keeps going and going like an energizer bunny. (And yes, that probably dates me a bit. lol). I much prefer taking what is there and making it shine.

Now, if you were to ask me if I liked editing after I've done the same manuscript at least a dozen times... Well, that is different. Editing THAT much makes my eyes bleed. As much as I love my upcoming novel, I truly don't want to look at it ever again.

My favorite draft is probably the 3rd. Second draft can be hard, as you restructure problems that came up through the creation. But by the 3rd or 4th time though, it is more like painting a piece of potter that is molded and formed. THAT kind of editing, I love.

I'm currently trying to finish writing my sequel to THE EMISSARY (psst, it's up on goodreads if you want to check it out). I've been editing, and avoiding the last two chapters of drafting. Terrible, aren't I? I use editing to procrastinate finishing the dang book. So if anyone wants to give me some cheers and "you can do it", you can add that too. lol.  About two more days, if I work, and that bit will be done. Then I can go back and continue to edit until it shines.

photo credit: Nic's events via photopin cc

With that being said, I'm off to pound out some pages. Remember: Time is running out for applications for our blog as well as our survey in the sidebar. We want to hear from you.

Writing in a new place

Happy Friday, OAers! It is a glorious day in Beckyville, for I have Internet once more! Now granted, I still had Internet on my phone, and at work (I do not, I repeat, I do not condone Twittering at work... *wink*) but I am spoiled.

The reason I didn't have Internet for a while is because I moved! I am finally settled in my new apartment in my beloved New England, enjoying the cool night air by an open window and listening to what sounds like my upstairs neighbors bowling on the wooden floors. (No place is perfect, after all.)

But I'm finding, once again, that being in a new atmosphere does wonders for kickstarting your writing brain. I came up with many of my manuscript ideas on the cusp of starting something new in the non-fictional world: I powered through one manuscript while studying abroad in Japan, started another when I moved to a new city to start my first job, and accordingly, a couple weeks ago, I started up a shiny new WIP after coming here. Something about new scenery, new sounds and smells, and a new commute just lays the groundwork for a new world to be built in a different part of my brain.

Does a change of scenery mean a new WIP for you? Or are you more productive when you have a comfy writing routine?

Plotters and Pantsers alike - is it possible to go against your nature?

Happy Friday, OAers!

You all have seen the dozens of blog posts and discussions about plotters, aka compulsive planners and outliners, and pantsers, aka the improv masters of the writing world. I'm sure you've also seen the endless arguments for and against each. This is certainly not going to be one of those arguments, because in my humble opinion, those are silly.

But in general, I think it's safe to say that quite a few writers are more or less set in their ways regarding which one works for them. I, myself, am a total plotter. I have micro and macro outlines. Foreshadowing is my best friend. I even have foreshadowing charts. I love structure, even on the days when structure does not always love me back.

Since I have to wait a while before I can get back into my current project, and I didn't really want to start anything epic from my queue, I decided I'd pass the time with a fun little palate cleanser, and I decided I'd try pantsing it. That process always looked really fun, so why not give it a try?

I came up with the idea for the new story yesterday... and already I have a fairly significant chunk plotted out. Whoops.

So maybe I'm a bit set in my ways, but what about you guys? Was there ever a time where you 'went against your nature?' Or are you comfortable sticking with your own style?

Numerical Motivation: Spreadsheet Awesomeness

About a year ago I went back to work full time for the first time in ten years. Between that and the husband and the kids, it's been extremely difficult to make writing a priority. That's not even considering how fried my brain usually is when I get home from work. Weeks have gone by where I haven't written anything. So much guilt. But that's not what this post is about. No one wants to read about that.

This post is about my love for spreadsheets and how they've helped motivate me to write, even when I'm exhausted.

I started with your basic keep-track-of-how-much-I've-written type of spreadsheet. Excel is great for adding things together, but what most people don't know is just how awesome Excel is and how many other amazing things it can do.

And there's a new version out. I'm so jealous of anyone who has it. *drools*

Anyway, since I know what Excel is capable of, I can never have just a basic spreadsheet. I want my spreadsheets to do more for me than just addition and subtraction. And they should look pretty, too. So my basic keep-track-of-how-much-I've-written spreadsheet evolved into a tracking device with colorful rewards for reaching my goals and charts to show me how I'm doing over the year. I even added a WIP calculator.

And I thought I'd share it with all of you. :)

Here's a sample version:



Click on the ... next to March to see the other sheets.

The last three sheets in the workbook have the WIP Calculator, Stats, and Instructions. Don't let the fact that I included instructions scare you off. It's very simple to use. All you have to do is enter your daily goal and then your daily word count each day and the spreadsheet does the rest. :)

I modified my original version to accommodate the following schedules: Weekends Only (2 days per week), Mon-Fri (5 days per week), Mon-Sat (6 days per week), and Sun-Sat (7 days per week). They can be downloaded by clicking the links below. If none of these will work for your schedule, I put together a tutorial to show you how to customize the spreadsheet based on your schedule. That tutorial is up on my personal blog today.

Weekends Only
Monday thru Friday
Monday thru Saturday
Sunday thru Saturday

Please note, you will have to download the spreadsheets and you will probably have to enable editing to use them.

When you click on the links, you will likely get something like this :

Just click OK and then click the appropriate button to open the file.

Internet Explorer:

Firefox:

Chrome automatically downloads the file and displays it in the bottom left corner of your screen. Just click the button and it will open.

Once the file is open, you may need to enable editing. To do this, simply click the yellow Enable Editing button at the top of the spreadsheet. If you don't see this button, you don't need to do anything--you should be good to go.

Don't forget to save your file when you're done. :) Also, Skydrive automatically converts the file to the newest format (xlsx) when uploaded. If you need the 97-2003 format (xls), leave me your email address in the comments and I'll send it directly to you.

And the spreadsheets are all locked to protect the formulas. You'll still be able to enter your daily words and your daily goals with the locks in place.

If you're comfortable with Excel and aren't worried about erasing formulas, you can unlock the pages by going to the Review tab and clicking Unprotect Sheet. They're not password protected. (Pictorial instructions for removing protection are included in the tutorial on my personal blog.)

If you have any questions or if something isn't working correctly, please let me know in comments.

Now go write, so you can get started on filling in those numbers! ;)

Looking Ahead to November

While much of the U.S. is focusing on the next election cycle in November, many writers are preparing for our own grueling test: National Novel Writing Month (NaNo). I join another set of writers in a different challenge: Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo).

Picture book writer Tara Lazar (author of the upcoming THE MONSTORE,  I THOUGHT THIS WAS A BEAR BOOK, and LITTLE RED GLIDING HOOD) started PiBoIdMo on her own in 2008 and launched it publicly in 2009. Now involving more than 600 participants, the event includes an impressive slate of guest bloggers and a slew of prizes -- critiques, art, and more The challenge is the same: Generate 30 new picture book ideas in 30 days.

I took part last year, and although I fell short with only 14 ideas, I count it as the turning point for me in writing picture books. I had written two previously (one of which I'm happy will never see the light of day), and wanted to try more, but I had been waiting for ideas to hit me in the head. PiBoIdMo helped me realize that if I want ideas, I have to chase them down instead of waiting.

Idea generation is a muscle -- you have to use it, and once you do, you get stronger.

Only one of my ideas last year turned into a finished manuscript, but I have written several others from new ideas in that time.

I'm confident that I'll do better this year -- my goal is focused on higher concept, more commercial ideas. But getting ready for PiBoIdMo is a bit different than gearing up for NaNo -- with NaNo, it's all about the preparation. With PiBoIdMo, once you start thinking about it, the ideas themselves start flowing.

Are you getting ready for NaNo? Interested in trying PiBoIdMo? If you participated in the past, what results did you get -- ideas, a draft, a finished manuscript, a polished or published book?

First Draft = Batmobile Golf Cart

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Confession: I want this Batmobile Golf Cart. No, I don't play golf. No, I don't have the money to purchase a Batmobile Golf Cart.

BUT I WANT ONE.

Second confession: I reached 50k on my WIP a few days ago. While skimming through my 50k first draft, I realized two things. 1) It is in the Major League of OMG Suckage; 2) It is in said League because it has what I like to call the Batmobile Golf Cart Issue.

Batmobile Golf Cart Issue

--a first draft that consists of a bunch of stuff you want to include in a first draft, but ultimately, you sure as hell don't need. 

All my first drafts have the BGCI. Usually, I think Main Character should make This Decision. I also think Villain should take down Main Character using This Punk Move. I also also think Main Character and Love Interest should Make Out during This Scene where All The Giraffes Are Eating Bananas (disclaimer: there are no giraffes in my WIP, and I'm not entirely confident giraffes eat bananas at all). The thing is, when I come back to the WIP after some distance, I notice the level of suckage for what it truly is. 

You might want your giraffes to eat those bananas like total bosses, but if they do, what purpose does it serve your story? Do you need them to eat those bananas like total bosses at all? Or are you living out a childhood fantasy for the sake of living it?

Folks, I can't have the Batmobile Golf Cart. It hurts, but it's the truth.

Now if you'll excuse me, I must continue filling my first draft with Things It Doesn't Need But Will Disappear During Revisions.

Your turn: do your first drafts have the BGCI? If so, what's your most common offense?

Shiny New Idea = Alexander Skarsgard

So. Shiny New Ideas. They creep up when you least expect them, don't they?

Personally, I'm not going through SNI-related issues at the moment. In fact, I'm quite focused on le WIP. Having said that, I can't deny that I identify with working hard on one project, then getting punched in the face by another project. Not only is that New Idea rather Shiny, it's also Pretty. Let's face it--Pretty Things are really, really dangerous. 

And here's where I wave my Amparo flag high, folks.

Because I'm going to talk about Alexander Skarsgard. Again.

You see, whenever I think about SNIs, I acknowledge their prettiness. It blinds me, I tell you. BLINDS. Motor skills go out the window. Sometimes for hours. Sometimes for days. I'm confident I look something like this:

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That's not the worst part, though. Sure, I look slightly unhinged and on the verge of collapsing, BUT all of that is bearable. What's not bearable is the resistance. I am totally and embarrassingly powerless when it comes to resisting the SNI. I may love my WIP with all my heart, but the SNI just won't quit with the Pretty. To me, the blasted SNI looks something like this:

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Alexander Skarsgard with a baby lamb? A BABY LAMB???? ARE YOU KIDDING ME????????

*dies from the adorable*

But I know the truth. That SNI is playing with my feelings, of course. It doesn't want what's best for me. It just wants attention. Attention that my WIP needs and won't get because of the wretched SNI. 

source

SNI: "I see what you did there, Amparo. You're trying to ignore me. But guess what? YOU WILL FAIL. *cackles*

Word of advice, folks? Ignore The Skarsgard. Only until after you finish your WIP. I promise you won't regret it. Even if you think you will. The Skarsgard will forgive you. 

I hope. 

Now tell me: what do you do to ignore the SNIs? Do you envision your SNIs like Alexander Skarsgard? If not, how do you envision them??

Measuring Progress When Word Count Doesn't Work

I am a writer, and I want to be a primarily novelist. That should mean I spend a lot of time writing novels, but it doesn't always. Novels are long and hard, and lately my word count isn't where I want it to be. I often feel anxious and inadequate when I see the word counts that many other writers log day after day and month after month.

This week I have to remind myself that a lot of the other things I'm doing are still "writer things," and they count. For example, this week I wrote:

• A 1,200 freelance article
• A picture book draft
• This blog post (not sure this counts!)

I also beta read a friend's novel.

I didn't get anywhere on the novelette or novel I'm supposed to be working on and I don't expect to this week. In progress: another revision on my contracted novel, revision of my picture book, critique of a friend's picture book.

But there are ways to measure productivity other than word count. Part of being a writer is revision, working on jobs that pay (like freelance), and helping other writers. Here I note that I this week I benefited from two awesome picture book critiques -- both from writers who I have not yet critiqued. We all have to pay it forward.

So I decided to take a weekly tally of what I've done instead of focusing on what I haven't.

How do you measure productivity when you're not in drafting mode? What goals do you set?