What it's Like to Be a Full-Time Writer

In August, my partner and I moved from Minnesota to Belgium. I looked for jobs, but I was struggling to find something I was qualified for that would also enable me to apply for a work permit (as it turns out, the law is very complicated – who knew). So I figured, hey, we have enough money for us to survive for a year if I don’t work; why not use this year to finally finish my manuscript and find an agent? Sounds like a breeze!

Narrator: It was not a breeze.

No it was not. By the time a month had passed, I’d barely done anything. It was infuriating. After years of wishing I had time to just sit at home and write, that was my reality – but the words refused to come. For weeks, I spent more time than I’d care to admit yelling “WHAT THE HELL” in my mind as I stared at blank pages or chapters that simply refused my revision efforts.

It seemed so backwards. Six years of college yielded countless notebooks that started out with the good intentions of taking relevant notes but devolved into mostly plot ideas and character descriptions with phrases like “lake turnover” and “anaerobic respiration” crammed into the margins. All the ideas that had come to me when I really should’ve been paying attention to my classes had completely fled my mind.

After struggling for several weeks, I talked to one of my critique partners about how lost I felt. I had tried setting daily goals for myself, like “write for two hours” or “write 2,000 words,” but neither had really worked. Could I count time spent staring at my computer as “writing time?” What if I deleted a couple thousand words, did that put me in the red for that day? I spent way more time thinking about the act of writing than I was spending on actual writing.

My CP gave me two great suggestions. She knew that I had previously been a competitive short story writer, and that I’d been a part of a free-association writing group in Minnesota. She tasked me with writing a short story every day for the remainder of my time in Belgium. At first, I thought there was no way I’d be able to do that – it seemed like so much work and I am, admittedly, very lazy. But then I realized that I’d able to do just that when I was thirteen when there were actual stakes, and there was no reason I couldn’t do it now.

So, every day, I find time to sit down for thirty minutes maximum and write a short story based on a writing prompt from Reddit. (If you’re interested in doing this, visit r/writingprompts for free writing prompts every day. You could even make an account and post your stories if you’re looking for feedback!) Amazingly, as of today I’ve written a short story every day for more than a month. They’re not all good – in fact, some of them are downright terrible – but about once a week or so I write something that I’m proud of, and that makes the bad stories worth it. I’ve even written a couple pieces that I’d like to expand into full manuscripts. I try to choose various genres to write and vary the length to push my creative boundaries. Sometimes I let myself write the full thirty minutes, and sometimes I force myself to only write six sentences. No point doing the same thing over and over expecting to learn something.

The second suggestion my CP gave me was to read THE 90-DAY NOVEL. (This is not an advertisement, this is just what happened.) If I was skeptical of my ability to write a short story every day, I was downright suspicious of a book that claimed to be able to teach me to write an entire novel in three months. I’ve participated in NaNoWriMo with varying success since 2014, but I usually cheat and use it as a way to force myself to work on existing manuscripts. I’m very much a planner – I want to know exactly who my characters are, what motivates them, what the conflict is, and I usually write an entire novel’s worth of worldbuilding material before I even get started writing the actual story. Doing all of that in a very compressed time frame seemed impossible.

As of this writing, I’m only on day twelve of the ninety days, but it’s going better than I anticipated. I started out with a vague idea for my manuscript – I wanted to write about an all-female combat robotics team – and I’ve already outlined the three acts; created a detailed background for my protagonist, antagonist, and love interest; and come up with a pretty solid opening and ending.

Even with all this planning, though, I’m still nervous for the point where I start writing the first draft (which doesn’t start until day twenty-seven; everything before that is brainstorming). I’ve already tried to write this story twice, and both times I crashed and burned after less than a week. Luckily, I started doing this just in time for NaNoWriMo, which will begin about a week after I start writing. I’m hoping that I’ll be motivated enough to finish this thing and I won’t fall off the word-count wagon.

For a long time, I thought that if what I wrote wasn’t good, there was no point writing it. My flash drive is a graveyard of abandoned manuscripts, and you wouldn’t believe the number of notebooks I have in a storage unit in Wisconsin littered with tidbits of stories I never even began writing. I thought this year would be a panacea – a chance to finally be a full-time writer and turn the frustration of not having enough time to write into an amazing manuscript that would go on to become a cultural phenomenon, or maybe just a thing a few people enjoyed reading, I don’t really know. So far it hasn’t quite lived up to the hype, but the year isn’t over yet. 

I think I can do this.

My Dysfunctional Process

I'm curious about other writers' writing process. Because mine is just...well, not great LOL But, it seems to work for me.

See, every time I go to start a new book, I start off strong. I've got an outline, I'm excited about my book, I've got my daily goals and (amazingly) I stick to them - sometimes even surpass them! And then, something happens about 10k in. My motivation begins to dwindle. I still love my story as much as ever. I still want to get it on paper. I still think of nothing but my story. But getting it down starts to become a little tedious. Probably because subconsciously I know something needs fixing...I just haven't figured out what yet.

Here is where my awesome powers of procrastination set in. And believe me, I am EPIC at procrastination ;) I curse myself for getting off task and yet I seem to do everything my power to make it worse.

But then something wonderful happens. About 20k in, I decide that something I've already written needs major changing. Or total deleting. And that something generally changes everything else, even if it's only in minor ways.

So, I go back through all the previous 20k and change that special something. And change all the dominos that change changed. I once even had to scrap the entire thing and start all over. But I fix what needs fixing.

By this time, I'm usually down to about 3 weeks before due date (4 if I'm lucky....and once it was 2 weeks but we don't speak of those dark days).

This is when the freak out of OMG THE BOOK IS DUE IN 3 WEEKS sets in and somehow, I am able to sit down, focus and power write the crap out of my sweet little manuscript.

I wish I could change this process. I wish I could just know what's going to need fixing before I hit that 20k mark. But for some reason, it takes about 20k to really know my characters and my story, no matter how much careful planning I've put into it.

So....after 7 novels and 2 non-fiction books, I think I'm learning to accept this. It's my process. It's just how it is. It's how my creative brain works, how my stories form themselves. And while it's not always ideal :) it seems to work for me. Maybe one of these days I'll figure out how to stay on task the entire time and not have to crank out a whole book in a few weeks but until then, I guess if it ain't broke I won't try to fix it ;)

So how about you? What is your writing process?

It's Not Always a Smooth Road

Since it feels like I've been posting a lot of giddy "Yay, Crow's Rest is nearly a book" posts here and on my Facebook pages, I wanted to also share a misstep on the journey. It's not a big one, but it left me feeling a little red in the face.

You see, the week before last I got something called "closing notes"--I was warned that it's not as final as it sounds, and would likely be a couple of round of edits before we went into layout. I dutifully went through and addressed all the notes and comments, just as I'd done in previous rounds of copyedits.

In some instances, things had been corrected/changed directly in the text with track changes, and some were addressed in the comments with requests for clarification on sources. So in those cases, I left a comment explaining why I wanted to keep it, or referred them to the source, or whatever issue had come up.

Then I shot the document back to my editor, and we had a few emails about what we would fix and how we would do it. But as far as I knew, I was waiting for another round, or document, to come back to me. So la la la, I dove back into drafting No Man's Land, the sequel.

Ha! I should have known things were too quiet! I then got an email from my editor about something else, wherein he mentioned, "when you make those changes. . ." and I went, "WHAAT?" Apparently, they'd been waiting for me to go in and make the changes and otherwise clean up the document.To be fair, I hadn't been explicitly told that (and I'm nothing if not a literal person), or maybe I was distracted by the request for input on the interior art.

But even though I was embarrassed that I'd unwittingly held up the process, I paid for it in other ways, too--because it meant that the time I had to work on the document was also the two days last week that the contractor came back to start fixing our tile floor. Two days of hearing the grinding of the grout and tile (even with earplugs in and my office door closed), and of clouds of dust waiting for me if I stepped out of my office.

I worked on it steadily, but at about 30% of the rate it would have normally taken me, and I even got a nudge in there from the editor, gently asking if I'd finished yet. But I did finish, and returned them on Friday, and I'm proud of myself for sticking it out under harrowing circumstances.

If anything, this experience has done more than anything previously to make me feel like a "real" writer. But then, ask me again when I'm holding an actual copy of my book, and maybe I'll have a different answer!

Music and Memory

I've started on my sequel to Crow's Rest (its working title is No Man's Land) and a couple chapters in I realized I was having trouble finding the tone of the book. In the past, I haven't worried about that too much in the drafting stage, but with this book the tone is going to direct several plot-forks in my outline. (Plot-forks are too real things! Don't make me show you my literary license)

I was thinking about how when I would come back to the Crow's Rest draft after an absence, two songs helped get my brain in gear for writing (Firethief by Karine Polwart, and the song I wrote for the book which will appear in the book trailer). But No Man's Land didn't have a song just yet, so there wasn't a tool I could use to drop me into the story.

To fix that, I spent some time rewriting lyrics to an old English folk song, variously called A Blacksmith or Blacksmith Courted Me. Now I have song lyrics that are particularly relevant to the story and plot, plus singing it puts me in the frame of mind to continue in the Crow's Rest world.

Do you ever use music in this way? It's a little more specific than a playlist, but I'm sure they'd be considered close relatives!

Are scenes that are easier to write easier to read?

Happy Friday, OAers!

Much like Lindsay talked about the other day, I find myself working hard to write while life is cracking along at a pretty breathless pace. I drafted the end of my manuscript in one big burst of productivity last weekend, and now I'm busily rewriting a few scenes from the first third so it'll be ready for everyone to read. It'll be so nice to get this thing out there!

This manuscript has been a particularly tricky one for me to write. Which isn't to say it isn't fun to work on, because it is. But while some scenes fly off the fingertips, others crawl by a couple hundred words at a time. I come into some scenes raring to go, whereas some scenes just wouldn't get written if I didn't sit down and force myself to get going.

When a scene is more of a struggle for me, I'll finish it convinced the entire thing needs to be rewritten. What's shocking is when those are the scenes my readers love. Even more shocking, when I go back to that scene later, with some distance, and it's... actually pretty good.

But lest I get too confident, the reverse can also be true. Sometimes I'll write a scene in one sitting, and it'll feel great. But sometimes those are the scenes that get a surprisingly tepid reaction.

This is, of course, why beta readers are so valuable. The way your writing process feels day to day is subject to all kinds of external factors: your emotional state, how much sleep you got last night, whether a plot point or character motivation only makes sense in your own head. That scene that drove you up the wall might be the most important one in your book. And that scene you absolutely love might need to get chopped. In the end, sometimes we're way too close to see it.

How about you guys? Think of a scene or chapter your betas loved - was it easy to write, or was it like pulling teeth?

TGIF - here's some writing music for your weekend!

Happy Friday, OA!

How many of you are settling down to a writing weekend? It's perfect weather for it here in New England: icy, cold, and slushy, generally the February standard around these parts. But that means everyone else is staying in, too. And in an old house like this, I hear just about every footstep overhead!

Having good writing music is super important to me for this reason. Writing music is distinct from my project playlists, which are best for long, brainstorming walks. Writing music, for me, is generally instrumental, evokes some kind of mood, and helps me drown out the din and concentrate. I know some of you are much better at finding your zen place amidst chaos (this is why I could never write in a cafe!) but for my fellow noise-sensitive writers, here's a recommendation for you. Which I tried to embed, but apparently am not HTML-savvy enough to do so...

This is one of my favorite tracks from Disparition, an instrumental (for now) solo composing project that, as described on their website, "combines a variety of electronic and industrial influences and techniques with interpretations of histories and geographies." In some pieces, like the above Ditmas, the piano melody is featured more strongly, while others have a more surreal electronic sound. 

And a lot of them are, to put it mildly, a horror writer's best friend, and have been fantastic for the eerier scenes in my manuscript. But even if your project isn't high on creep factor, Disparition still makes fabulous writing music.


If you'd like to check out more, the main page is here, with links to Soundcloud and iTunes. And if you'd like more of a taste, the (free!) album When Fourteen Suns is intended as a work aid for writing.

Enjoy, everyone! And if you'd like to share your favorite writing music in the comments, please feel free!

Writerly mascots: having team spirit

Our mascot here at
Operation Awesome

The dictionary defines a mascot as a person, animal, or object believed to bring good luck, especially one kept as a symbol of an organization such as a sports team. I personally don't believe in "luck". In fact, when my daughter had the opportunity to be the school mascot yesterday, luck was the furthest thing from my mind as I watched her interacting with fellow schoolmates. What I thought of, what I felt, was a whole lot of team spirit. Camaraderie. A group of people coming together to celebrate something, forgetting each others' failings and shortcomings, because the attention was focused on the mascot and celebrating the entire group as a whole.

Wikipedia's definition of mascot continues as, ... colloquially (informally) includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity... and later, ... Costumed mascots are commonplace, and are regularly used as goodwill ambassadors in the community for their team, company, or organization...

Now, this is how I see mascots. As goodwill ambassadors in the community. Our writerly community is huge, and this group and so many more out there prove that just because we're not physically together, we can still celebrate who we are and what we do. We can be mascots for each other. Not as in luck; not as in, symbols of specific things; but by being honest, faithful, helpful representations for one another, pointing to one common goal: helping each other succeed. We can spur each other on, rejoice in achievements, and gather together in groups all over this great big "interweb" to lift each other up. The solitary business of sitting behind a computer and writing doesn't have to be solitary. Be a mascot. Celebrate someone who is one to you. And above all, remember that our differences is what makes us such an awesome community.

Goooo writers! I am honored and proud to be on your team!

You Finished Your First Novel! Now What?

If you just finished your first novel, congratulations! You have done something many people in this world cannot claim. It's a great accomplishment and you should revel in it!

Once your celebrating is done, then the real work begins. What? You thought you were done because you wrote "The End?"  No, sorry, if you want to get that baby published, you've got quite a ways to go.

Today, I wanted to share some of the websites I've found to be a tremendous help in navigating the world of publishing. In sharing these sites with you, I hope it well help your journey through the publishing world be a smooth ride rather than a bumpy disaster.

When I finished my first novel a while ago I began my crash course in Publishing 101. It started with learning how to write a query letter. When I struggled, I looked for examples to follow so I had some sense of what worked. One of the best places to find successful queries is at Writer's Digest. Check out this link for help: http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/successful-queries

Along with a query, many agents now request a synopsis as part of the submission process. Author, Susan Dennard has a great post on how to write an all-compassing, streamlined synopsis here: http://www.publishingcrawl.com/2012/04/17/how-to-write-a-1-page-synopsis/

What if you're approached by a small press and don't know anything about them? Preditors and Editors is a great site to help you do research.

How about word count? Many agents and publishers have a certain set of parameters regarding how long your book should be. Literary Agent Jennifer Laughran has a great post about word count here: http://literaticat.blogspot.com/2011/05/wordcount-dracula.html.

Perhaps you're gearing up to write your next book and it's going to be Middle Grade or Young Adult and you need some advice on writing in these categories. Former agent Mary Kole has an amazing website that details everything from writing action to creating authentic voice. Find her helpful advice here: http://kidlit.com/

One last thing...

Once you've written your first novel, it is critical that you have beta readers and critique partners to help you. They can ferret out where your plot is failing or your pacing is off. Check out CPSeek or writing sites like AgentQuery Connect or AbsoluteWrite to find like-minded writers who can help you polish up that masterpiece you should be so proud of!

Small town writing versus big city writing

A few weeks ago, my family and I went on our annual summer vacation, and compared the pace in the city we visited, the change of pace was huge. Here are a couple facts in order to set this story up properly:

* The population of our town: Approximately 55,000. Technically, our town covers 16.6 square miles and is surrounded by a perimeter of orchards, dairies, and fields of cotton, alfalfa, and things of that nature. 

* The population of Long Beach? Approximately 466,000, claiming 51.44 square miles. (Yep. Talk about a major difference.) Cars and houses and buildings are everywhere and even when you're just walking on the sidewalk, it feels as though you're constantly in somebody's way.

As you can imagine, the town of Long Beach is very busy. And loud. And... congested. (I'm sure this suits city-folk just fine, but it took us some getting used to.) My point is, the pace of our hometown and the pace of Long Beach were different in practically every way.

But back to our vacation. We were blessed to rent a home facing one of the main streets in town (cross the crosswalk, walk a few yards, and you'd be met by stairs leading right down to the beach at the end of the cul-de-sac), and the first time we checked it out, my husband was with us. A few days later, however, when two of my daughters and I decided to trek over there on our own, we had an... interesting experience. 

Minutes passed as the three of us stood at the corner, waiting for cars to stop so we could cross the crosswalk. It wasn't an intersection, so nothing specifically gave us the right to walk (except for the fact that we were pedestrians, and where we live it is always stressed that pedestrians have the right of way--I'm pretty sure this is a California law, is it not?). Though the sign posted nearby said 30 MPH, no one heeded that "suggestion". At times, the momentum of vehicles flying by actually forced you to take a few steps back. Finally, though, a nice lady driving a truck decided to wait for us. We smiled, appreciative of her unusual Long Beach generosity, and looked to our right, expecting oncoming traffic to see the stopped truck and us getting ready to cross and well, stop. 

Vrooooom! Whoooosh! Cars kept charging past. It was broad daylight. They had to see us three standing there, yes?

I looked at the truck. Someone pulled up behind her and started honking. Great, I thought. Now she was being blamed for the fact that everyone else was mean and inconsiderate.

Finally, after about a minute of this, we heard a man's voice behind us yell (I'm guessing from the window of a building, maybe?) "You just have to go! They won't stop unless you start walking!"

Uh, what? Charge into that traffic? 

I laughed, shook my head, and told the girls, "I'm not risking my life by walking out into this! That guy is crazy!"

To make a long story short, approximately thirty seconds later someone stopped and we (hurriedly) crossed. The experience was definitely one of those "city" experiences, and here's where I (finally) bring writing into the story:

Sometimes, the writerly world is a lot like Long Beach. Publication news, best-selling news, agent news, do-this-or-don't-do-that advice advice advice from everyone everywhere and so many other things are constantly being shared, tweeted, and blogged about, and it gets to a point where the information is a lot like that street we were trying to cross--loud, in a rush, and overwhelming. 

With so many things continually being broadcast, it's easy to feel as though you're going to be left behind. Like you'd better get your rear in gear and get that stuff out there, or you're going to miss your once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. (Hurry up! Everyone's going to pass you by! Who cares if it's ready yet--send that story out, publish it already, before it's too late and you're a nobody! What are you waiting for? You'd better do it like this best-seller did! Go go go! Any of those thoughts sound familiar?) 

But... is heading out into crazy-fast oncoming traffic the smart thing to do? Not really. Will getting out there a few seconds (or minutes even) make a difference in the overall grand scheme of things? Most likely no.

In the same way, I've found that rushing the writing process--throwing it out into the noise of the industry when a piece of work is not remotely ready--also isn't beneficial. Choosing to take the small town writing mentality versus the city one does, in the long run, benefit the writerly method in its entirety. I would much rather be a country writer where I can sit back and enjoy the sunrise, the smell of the cows (well, sometimes), even the slow drivers. To me, it's not worth diving into oncoming traffic. Give me that extra time to push out a quality product and not only will I enjoy every step of the way, I'll learn more as well.

It's like coffee. Do you dump the beans into the coffee pot, add the water, and expect it to be ground, percolated, in your cup, and ready to drink? Of course not. Likewise, allowing our writing to go through each step of the process is a much more memorable (and educational) experience in the long run. Take time to grow your writerly coffee beans. Enjoy the aroma as it's ground and mixed with the hot water. Then when you sit down, cup in hand, you can relax and savor the taste of a perfectly prepared cup, knowing it's the best brew out there, and there isn't a single thing you would have done differently.