Write about going nowhere in particular...

Random Words

Set your timer for 15 minutes and write a story using the following words:

Moon
Umbrella
Empty
Purple
Zebra
Violin

Write about a childhood pet.

Poetry and Musicals

My youngest has a poetry project due next Friday, so we've been up to our nether regions in verse. He really likes to write limericks and haiku. Here's a haiku that I wrote -

My baby can't write
Will he ever graduate?
Please pass me the wine

He's also in the high school musical that opened last night. They're doing "Urinetown". I haven't seen it yet. We're going next week. I think that the people at the high school like to be thought of as edgy and cool. Since (to teenagers) anyone over 25 is neither, why can't they do freaking "South Pacific" or freaking "Oklahoma"?? Here's a limerick -

My youngest, he loves Japanese
He spouts it whenever he please
His grades are a mess
Though he aces mosts tests
And he's bringing his mom to her knees

It's been one of those weeks.

A Day of Renewal

At 12:01 pm, EST, as President-Elect Obama placed his hand on Abraham Lincoln's bible to take the oath of office and become President Obama, something very 21st century happened.

The White House website changed hands.

As I listened to President Obama's speech on my TV, my iBook in my lap, I clicked into the Presidential Blog (a blog! The President has a blog!), and saw that the new President had declared a proclamation. He declared today, January 20th, a Day of Renewal.

A Day of Renewal! What a beautiful idea. For many of us, 2009 really started today, not on January 1st. 20 days have passed since we made our resolutions. How are we doing on them? I know I could be doing a lot better. So how fortunate that today, on this Presidentially-proclaimed Day on Renewal, we get to take a deep breath, and start again.

Let a new era begin, both without and within ourselves. "The fierce urgency of now," President Obama said. Let us take this moment to re-dedicate ourselves to our goals and our dreams and move forward, filling each minute with the fierce urgency of now.

We are no longer asleep. We are wide awake to the world around and inside us, so let us meet it with renewed breath, faith, hope, urgency, and grace. Amen, amen, amen!

Surprising your inner critic

Happy January, everyone! Things are getting back to normal-ish around here after our extended winter break, freakish twelve day snow event, and holiday madness. The oldest boy is back at his university, the middle boy finally applied to a college this week, and the youngest turned in a science paper...on time. Thank you magic homework pixies!

I've had quite a writing holiday, too. I haven't done much in a month or so and I want to get back on track. To bring myself up to speed, I thought I'd re-read what I've written so far, then start on an 800 to 1,000 words per day goal. Sounds very do-able, and probably easier than my wish to find an exercise that I can do on a regular basis without dry heaving.

Here's the surprise moment for me: as I re-read my work-in-progress, I found that I liked it. I really liked it. I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. My mouth fell open - where had I come up with all this? Sure, there were a few things I wanted to tweak along the way, but this was total vomit copy written during NaNoWriMo and I still thought it didn't suck. My lovely critique group (hello lovely critique group) knows that I can be pretty hard on myself. I am my own worst critic. For me to read my own work and react like this...well, it was a huge shock-o-roonie.

So what's surprised you lately? Family, friends, your work...what's given you a little smile that you never expected?

New Year's .... Ideas

Well. Gerb tagged us over on her blog : ) And so then she had to explain to me what that meant. Yes, I feel very undereducated at the moment. Which is okay. Nothing a little chocolate and a willingness to ask questions won't cure!

So, what a bunch of us need to do here is share three of our New Year's Resolutions. Personally I chafe at the idea of New Year's Resolutions. Just the word "resolution" makes me feel like I'm setting myself up for failure. This is probably a learned response, having failed at resolutions for years. So that's why I called the post "Ideas". I'm trying to trick myself. And to that end, I'm going to take a break and end this post here. I'm going to go hunt down some more chocolate, then come back and share three of my New Year's Ideas.

November and NaNoWriMo

November is a busy time in my house. It always has been, as long as I can remember. I loved November when I was a child. I thought that school was closed all those days as a birthday present to me. Thanksgiving was a time for me to see all my relatives and usually score a belated gift or two. Yes, life was good.

Then I got older and had kids of my own. November turned into a nightmare. 'How many days off do I need to plan on for day care? How can I ask my boss for more time off? I have to start shopping for Christmas when, exactly?' And it only got worse as my boys got older. The end of the first quarter is in November, so there are loads of projects and final papers (help me Rhonda). And my Irish dance boy has all the prep and nerves leading up to the regional championships. We get to go to Phoenix in eleven days. Imagine the joy.

So this year, what do I do? On top of my ninth grader skirting with disaster in all his core classes? On top of spending three nights a week at a dance studio? On top of helping a friend untangle her new business accounting? Yep. I sign up for NaNo. What kind of cyber Kool-Aid did my friends entice me to drink?

But wait...I haven't crashed and burned. I've MADE time. I've written. I've gotten (as of yesterday) almost 12,000 words done on my new book. The words may be of questionable quality, but they're down on paper so I'm countin' 'em. The big shocker to me is that I've managed to stay almost caught up with the rest of the NaNo peeps.

It's been a crazy eight days so far. My kitchen table looks like a paper recycling bin. There are dishes in the sink and dust bunnies on the floor. But I've paid the bills and fed the kids. And in the midst of the craziness, I get a happy, warm glow from knowing that I've done something just for me.

What have you done for yourself lately?

Quote of the Week

“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing.” -Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865)

The Wisdom of Day Two

So we're not even forty-eight hours into this thing and already I've learned a lesson or two about cranking out 50K in 30 days.

1. It isn't going to be easy.
2. The amount of time your family will suddenly want to spend with you is in direct proportion to the amount of time you have planned to devote to writing.
3. Editing at this stage of the game is Not Good. One of the reasons that I worked so long with so little to show for it today is because I kept sneaking back into yesterday's work to add a thing or two here, to tweak a little there. This is bad. Wrong. Don't do it! Not until December 1, at least.
4. I need more sleep.

That last one should be easy to fix. I'm going to bed! I'll deal with the rest tomorrow.

What's the biggest lesson you've learned so far?

The Burn

Call us crazy, but all of us at Face The Page are taking on the NaNoWriMo challenge this year. For the uninitiated, that means each one of us are committing to write an entire novel - 50,000 words - in the month of November. As if we didn't have enough to do, right?

In between full-time jobs and car pool runs and moments of sheer panic, we'll be recording our experiences and insights right here on the blog, so if you've ever wondered what makes otherwise sane people agree to this level of anxiety and self-flagellation, feel free to hang around. And if you are one of the inmates in the NaNoWriMo asylum and just need a place to commiserate, we'll be here!

Tonight, we kicked off the experience with a Burn. Pyros, you'll love this... For a Burn, think of any negativity in your life that's keeping you from reaching your goals. Write those negatives on slips of paper. Torch them.

Here you can see my Burn. I'll confess that I had started out with my negatives written on little sticky notes, but when I dumped them in the Chipotle tin and lit them, they just kind of sat there and smoldered. So I rewrote everything on plain notebook paper and whoosh! A much more satisfying flame!

So there you go. Negativity, gone with twenty minutes to go before NaNoWriMo officially begins!

I'd... um... better go finish my outline...

Left Turns

Once upon a time, I had an established writing routine that worked. I knew how my process unfolded, how to write until I got to the flow of telling the story without fear (more or less) and without thinking about and criticizing every keystroke. I was able to freewrite and know that I could come back later to edit.

Then life took a sharp left turn and I was unable to follow my old routine and so was unable to write.

For awhile I was too busy dealing with life to think much about it, but lately I feel like part of me is withering away from lack of sunlight and air and attention. I have tried sitting down at odd times to write and started at the blank page with an apparently empty mind. I can almost hear the crickets chirping. No, not even crickets. Nothing but a bit of dust blowing across an empty street and maybe the occasional tumbleweed. A desert.

I started out Googling on things like inspiration, procrastination, writer’s block. I tricked myself by saying I'd just take a few notes. But as notes sometimes do (at least in my world), they took on a life of their own. In the process, I made a few self-discoveries (one of which is that I probably need some counseling). Of course the editor’s voice inside my head has grown stronger each day that I haven’t been writing, like that plant in Little Shop of Horrors.

I need to use some self-discipline to find a new routine and rediscover the joy of writing.

But how do I rediscover the joy of writing? Of sinking into a world of characters I have given birth to? How do I relearn how to turn off the editor, to freewrite, discover characters and stories, to ride the current of the swift-moving river of writing?

I always believed (and still do) that pain, turmoil, stress, troubles—anything negative in my life can be turned into fiction. Everything is fertilizer or fuel. Take lemons and make lemonade. Or as Nicole has often told me, "spin sh!t into gold." But I have discovered that going through a life-altering change has actually blocked me rather than inspired me. When I sit down to write—even for 15 minutes—I can write nothing but a bland calendar entry or the shallowest of descriptions.

I've justified my block with a variety of reasons - mostly blaming my over-booked schedule. In trying to map a way back into writing, I accidentally bumped into the real reason I have been avoiding the page instead of facing it. I realized I am afraid to write about my deepest feelings. I am afraid that to express myself is to judge myself, or leave myself open to judgment. I am afraid that if I uncork the bottle, my feelings will come pouring out in a froth of pain that will paralyze me. I am afraid to let loose the pain and find I am unable to leash it again. I can't afford the luxury of a meltdown, a breakdown, or even a king-sized pity party, and so I have kept the door locked on pain which might otherwise fuel a thousand characters.

And I've used procrastination as a way to avoid facing the page. It's safer than facing the real reasons I am afraid to write. I hope that by pushing my way past the procrastination, I will also be able to push past my fear.


My favorite excuses:
Excuse: "I can't possibly take time to write until I have cleaned my bathroom, kitchen, garage, basement..."
Truth: There are no conditions that are necessary in order to write, save two: 1) a writing implement (a keyboard or a pen) and 2) someplace for the writing to go, such as into a computer or onto a piece of paper.

Excuse: "In order to write, I must have six uninterrupted hours." (something I had in my life as a stay-at-home mom and which is no longer even a vague possibility)
Truth: It is possible to write an entire novel in one hour blocks (or shorter). Even a page a day will add up to a 400 page novel after only little more than a year.

Cures:
-Make an un-schedule ( a realistic schedule which shows the time you spend doing all those untimed activities during the day - cooking, eating, email/phone calls, family time, showering, etc) and then block in small bits of time to write.
-Set the timer and honor it. 15 minutes is easier to fit into a busy schedule than an hour, and you will be more likely to sit down and write. Even if you want to keep writing, stop. "The procrastinating self needs to be able to trust your new non-procrastinating self the next time you say you will only write for a certain amount of time."
-Be accountable to someone.

What are your excuses? What are the possible cures?

Quote of the Week

You know how it is in the kid's book world; it's just bunny eat bunny.
- Anonymous

Quote of the Week

And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.

~Sylvia Plath

Pushing Back the Finish Line

After reading Ginger's post and thinking about reaching goals, I realized I had more to say on the subject, so here I am.

I was doing an interview the other day and one of the questions asked about when I first felt I'd made it into the published authors' club. I had to think about that one. DBL is my fourth book to come out, I still have this kind of outside-looking-in mentality. Once the goal was just to get a book published. Now I worry if that book doesn't make lists or get nominated for awards. There's always something. Some further goal to reach before I can really feel like I've "made it."

Ginger's words made me stop and think about how we are so reluctant to give ourselves credit for accomplishing something. How we always feel there has to be more. Claire Mysko, author of You're Amazing! asked the readers on my blog a while back to post about what made them amazing. The answers were largely hesitant and apologetic - as if we don't have a right to look at ourselves and say, "Damn! I'm good!"

So here's my resolution... From here on out, I'm going to celebrate and reward myself for every accomplishment, no matter how small. I'll keep pushing back the finish line and reaching for more, but I will be proud of how far I've come instead of how far I have left to go.

Thanks, Ginger!

Quote of the Week

Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.

C. S. Lewis (1898 - 1963)

Quote(s) of the Week

Two Quotes for you this week:

”The rewards go to the risk-takers, those who are willing to put their egos on the line and reach out to other people and to a richer, fuller life for themselves.” --Susan RoAne

"It is up to us to give ourselves recognition. If we wait for it to come from others, we feel resentful when it doesn't, and when it does, we may well reject it.” --Spencer Tracy

Reward yourself!!

Everyone loves a prize right? I mean, who doesn’t love to be rewarded for their accomplishments or hitting milestones? I know I do. Do any of you reward yourself for your writing accomplishments? You should! There are many big moments on this crazy writing journey. It’s so often long and arduous, it's important to give yourself kudos along the way. It helps to keep you going.

For instance, a milestone could be either winning or being a finalist in a writing contest. (Maybe even entering in the first place is something to acknowledge if that was a huge step for you.) Obviously finishing a novel deserves recognition. What about taking that big step and submitting your work to agents in hopes that they will fall in love with your work? Landing an agent—said agent selling your work—holding your published book?


Each of us will have different things that are momentous and meaningful. And you don't have to reward for everything so that the 'biggies' aren't as meaningful. Choose the things that are truly a 'big moment' for you. When I was a finalist in a large contest, I bought myself a silver bracelet. When I finished my first novel, I was supposed to treat myself to a really good quality, shee-shee-poo-poo, pen. (I still need to do this!) It’s like getting a recognition pin or plaque at work. Or a bonus after finishing a project. You deserve to reward your own accomplishments.


You are your own boss. Don’t forget to recognize your employee’s hard work and triumphs.


So, tell us how you have rewarded yourself for your writing milestones. Or if you haven’t yet…how will you?

Quote of the Week

"Inspiration is wonderful when it happens, but the writer must develop an approach for the rest of the time... The wait is simplytoo long."

-- Leonard Bernstein

Breaking Dawn: A Critique

WARNING: This post involves the latest in Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series, Breaking Dawn. So if you haven't read it and plan to, there will be SPOILERS. And if you have read it and love it, you might not be so happy with me. And let me also say that this post does not in any way represent the opinions of the rest of the Face the Page gang; my comments are solely my own.
I read through the first three books very quickly, and I give them credit for being good escape material. But throughout the books, there are some fundamental problems with the writing and the structure of the story. All four of the books could easily be 200 pages shorter than they are. Each book has a sagging middle of over 100 pages where nothing happens. And the central relationship is stagnant; it doesn't evolve throughout the four books. The only book in the series where the relationship differs at all is New Moon - because Edward isn't in most of that book - and perhaps that's why that book is my favorite of the four.
Throughout the journey of a novel, a character should change and grow through the obstacles they face and overcome. The story should be propelled by the choices that a character makes and the consequences of those choices. But throughout the four Twilight books, the main character, Bella, doesn't change much at all. She doesn't grow. And she doesn't make her own choices; she doesn't make things happen. Things happen TO her, and then someone else steps in and makes it okay. She doesn't solve any of her own problems. And then, magically, everything turns out perfectly for her. She doesn't have to make any tough decisions and therefore doesn't have to face any consequences. And as a result, there's very little conflict or tension in any of the novels, but particularly Breaking Dawn.

SPOILERS BELOW!

Along the way, Meyer misses a thousand opportunities to provide real conflict. Instead of forcing Bella to make the conscious and deliberate choice to become a vampire, she cops out and has her die (after the out-of-nowhere pregnancy storyline that has no grounding in any of the first three books). A huge opportunity is missed when Jacob imprints on Renesmee; it could have set into a motion a terrific war between the werewolves and the vampires. But once again Meyer takes the easy way out and clears up that conflict in a paragraph. And instead of providing fantastic inner conflict by having Bella as a newborn vampire be dangerous and out of control, Meyer takes the ultimate cop-out and has Bella be the exceptional vampire who has unheard-of self-control. I personally think Bella should have lost control and killed Charlie. Talk about consequences!
Many people compare the Twilight series to the Harry Potter series, and I'm sure you all know which books I consider superior. But here's the reason. Throughout all seven Harry Potter books, all the characters - ALL of them - change and grow. They make mistakes and they learn from them. They fail. Things don't work out for them. They lose people, and they grieve. Relationships deepen. These are flesh and blood characters who have real lives. Despite the fact that they are witches and wizards, they don't live in a fairy tale. Most importantly, as the books progress, you can see J.K. Rowling progress as a writer. I love that. She changed and grew along with her characters. I didn't see any of that kind of growth or progress throughout the four Twilight books. (I haven't read Meyer's stand-alone novel, The Host, so I would be interested to see if that is any different.)
I, however, have learned a lot from reading her books. I've learned how crucial it is to keep asking your characters, "what will make it worse?", instead of "what will make it better?" Coddling your characters does not a good story make. How much more tension would the last 100 pages of Breaking Dawn had if Bella had had mere hours to prepare for the confrontation with the Volturi! I actually laughed out loud when one of the characters said, "We only have a few weeks to prepare!" Talk about taking all the air out of a scene.
I've learned that if the main character sets the story (and conflict) into motion, your book will be infinitely more interesting. How much more gut-wrenching would it have been if Bella, knowing all that she is giving up and all the pain she will cause her parents, turned to Edward and said, "Ok. I'm ready," and bared her throat to him. Instead, that decision is made for her.
And I've learned that happy endings aren't always satisfying. Happy endings are satisfying when the main character has fought hard, sacrificed some things along the way, and learned some difficult lessons. Happy endings are not satisfying when everything falls into the character's lap. Let's be honest - we don't root for that type of person in real life; we root for the underdog, the person who has to struggle to succeed. Why should we be expected to root for someone who always falls into a bed of roses in our fiction?
I can't argue with Meyer's success, and when it comes down to it, anything that gets teens reading is A Good Thing. But I've read many other books for teens that satisfy all of my complaints with the Twilight series - our own Linda Gerber's Death By series, not to mention her two SASS books where the central female characters learn and grow immensely, Libba Bray's fantastic The Gemma Doyle Trilogy, and anything by Celia Rees. I urge readers to check these out, and escape with these well-rounded, fully-realized, flesh-and-bone characters.