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Posts tagged ‘writing’

Feb 11

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Intro from Lisa D.

I’d like to introduce myself as another new voice in this artistic community. I’ve enjoyed reading the Creative Construction blog for some time now, and I feel an affinity with this group, as I am also a fellow writer struggling to find time for all my many priorities.

As with all of you, this multi-tasking theme is nothing new for me, but it is always a challenge. I have spent much of my life juggling a career as a university administrator, grad school, creative endeavors, etc. I have recently taken a break from my career in higher education to focus more on my family and writing pursuits. I have two young daughters, ages 4-1/2 and 1-1/2, and I also love to travel and stay active with my adventure-seeking lifestyle. In addition, I am also a publicly elected trustee for the village in which I live, and I have a bad habit of volunteering for way too many projects.

As for my current writing pursuits, I do some freelance journalism, and I am in the middle of writing a book on the history of Trout Valley, IL. I recently started a blog, the Damian Daily, and my passion is writing fiction.

I am already acquainted with a few of you, and I look forward to getting to know all of you and participating in our mutual goal of Creative Construction.

Lisa D.

Feb 10

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Jenn: Tsunami – They’ve Got Nothing to do with Tides

The rough draft of Chapter 9 – Tsunami is done. I had an out of town visitor Fri/Sat, which chipped away at time I would have spent working, but it was nice to have a break. I just wrote to my friend Sue, “I think I keep myself on this rigid schedule because otherwise inertia would set in and I’d throw in the towel. Right now it’s a coin toss as to which is going to win.” My goal was to get the first nine chapters, the solid earth disasters, finished, then switch gears and polish them, add figures, tables, and photos, and get them to my editor. So this week and next, I’ll begin these arduous tasks as I switch caps from writer to critical editor.

Now the fear is creeping in.

What if my editor reads my sample chapter and says, “I’m sorry, this just isn’t what we’re looking for?” My dad is drawing figures, my students are working fast and furious. My mom has done SO much babysitting. I’ve, as they say, made my intentions VERY public. I’ve asked high-profile colleagues to write the foreword and introduction, and they’ve agreed. Am I up to this? Am I crazy for thinking I’m competent enough to do this? I’m not saying this at ALL to solicit “you can do it’s.” That is lovely and reassuring and all, but in the end, it’s the editor’s choice as to whether or not I can “do it.”

I’m PETRIFIED to turn the sample chapter in. What if it’s rejected? They have no money into me yet, so they could easily walk away. I’ve never published a book before. Ahhh! I guess i just fling myself in and see.

Anyway, mission accomplished so far, so that’s something?

Feb 8

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Christa: Committed

I did it: committed to one project. I’ll be working on one of my novellas for the next six weeks.

How did this come about? Well, it’s a little convoluted. This year, with Rain Dog and I considering not only the possibility of moving, but also of him partnering with me in an expanded freelance business, I decided that I needed to clear my mind and heart. I wanted to be open to opportunity. I wanted to participate in Lent.

Yes, I’m Catholic. I’m not terribly religious, but I do believe in God, and I do believe he has a purpose for my life. No prayer I have ever prayed has gone unanswered – even if it was not the answer I would have liked at the time – and no matter where I thought my life was headed, it has always ended up better than I could have imagined.

But these past few months, I’ve been stuck in a rut. Stressed out because of money and my job and my kids and where I live, I’d been overeating and unsure of where to focus my energies. I made New Year’s resolutions, but broke them. I was quickly turning into a mess. And when we started to talk about moving, it added just another layer of stress.

Lent is early this year, but I’m grateful for that – I have an opportunity now to clean myself up. And the first few days have been fantastic. I’ve been doing daily devotionals (which I never do), avoiding my trigger foods in favor of good high-protein foods, and seeking better balance between work and kids.

And you know, somehow, it’s been working. I even feel totally calm about the moving process. I need to figure out a business plan for Rain Dog and me, and we need to get the house in order, but I’m confident that I’ll be able to do it. Step by step. I think this really will be the year we move, and I want to be sure I’m getting it right. Not perfect, but right.

As for that novella, I didn’t exactly pick it on my own. It picked me. I suddenly felt like it was the project I should be focusing on, and I’ve been working steadily on it. My hope is to finish it, or be close to finishing, sometime in the next six weeks – before or just after Easter. Then I guess we’ll see what comes of it.

Feb 4

4 Comments

Brittany: Writing the Climax

It occured to me yesterday that the chapter I’m working on is the climax of my novel, which isn’t the most earth shattering realization ever, but it has put me into full blown panic mode. In all my years writing, I don’t think I’ve ever written a climax before. Now that’s a scary realization. When I think about it, I’ve written a lot about stagnation and the inability to move forward. It probably says a lot about how I felt in my 20s. But now that I’m in my 30s, I’m ready to embrace change–figuratively and literally.

I’ve learned a lot of things writing my perpetual novel. Among them, that I avoid writing about conflict and tension, I rely heavily on dialogue to move the plot forward at the expense of exposition, and my secondary characters probably need a book of their own because they’ve hijacked the plot. I’ve made a conscientious effort to improve on all these points.

And now the climax. I feel like I need to match the energy and intensity of the chapter, but instead I feel drained. When you write, do you ever feel like the conductor of an orchestra? Physically directing the art with your very essence? For me, writing is an endurance sport. I am completely depleted after a productive writing session. But right now, I feel exhausted without having run the marathon.

Part of this may be the pregnancy. Lately, after lunch, I practically slip into a coma. And I could understand it if I felt physically tired, but I don’t. It’s my brain that feels sluggish. So I turn to those of you with energy to burn. How do you all build up your energy reserves? And how do you prepare yourself for writing the big scenes?

Feb 4

6 Comments

Christa: A flooded engine

After a full week of directing all my creative energy toward work for other people, I finally reached a point where I feel comfortable starting to work on fiction again (you know, without feeling like I’m wasting time).

Too bad it’s such a struggle to get started.

I have on my plate:

  • a novel, sequel to the one I’m currently shopping.
  • a project that started as a short story, but which, once I finished it, asserted itself as a longer project. Hopefully a novella only.
  • a novella.
  • half a dozen short stories, two of which are maddeningly close to completion, if I could only figure out what to do with them.

All whirl around my brain like a solar system in print, making it impossible to pick just one. In short, if life is the fuel my creativity needs to run, then this past week (month?) has flooded my engine.

Anyone got a spark?

Feb 3

5 Comments

Jenn: How does one write an INTERESTING and NOVEL textbook?

I’ve just spent 36 nearly consecutive hours writing two long and technical chapters on volcanoes. I’m almost happy with them, though I’d like to add another “rough” to my earlier statement that I’m writing rough rough drafts. There’s so much more to do, but I really think this schedule thing works for me where I write on each topic the day(s) after I lecture. The irony was that as I wrote about convulsing underground magma chambers spewing out volumes of lava and ash while I cared for my mostly sleeping daughter who was afflicted with a nasty stomach virus. I typed frantically through the night, aided by six cups of coffee, hoping to finish before I caught the bug. A film in class on Tues and thus a respite from this project. Tsunamis on Friday, I’ll spend the weekend writing up that chapter (should be simple and straightforward) and then I’ll go back and start polishing these first nine chapters with a goal to get them all to my editor by 3/10.

My reward, the thing that keeps me going, is this blog and reading what you all have written – the rat pellet treat reward of writing is logging on. I hope all of you are finding this site as motivating as I am, though I feel like an oddball because I’m not taking creativity to the heights that all of you are. I mean, how creative can you be in an introductory science textbook? How many ways can you present lava chemistry?

I’d LOVE to hear if anyone has any ideas on this. I have four would-be competitors, and my doctoral advisor has told me I can make this work only if I have a new, novel approach. I would like to lean towards yellow journalism and sensationalism, but my peers and reviewers are staid old white males who have dogmatic and conservative ideas on the way things should be. I have ideas on writing an interest box in each chapter on Hollywood films (Twister, Deep Impact, The Day After Tomorrow) that deal with each subject and tease out fact from fiction, but I dont’ know a thing about getting copyrights to movie posters or images, and I’m guessing I don’t *want* to know what’s involved.

The textbook is entitled Natural Disasters and Catastrophes. I once reviewed a Physical Geology textbook (holy market saturation, batman) and the author purported to present the material in a new, applied approach. I blasted him by saying essentially, “Guess what? You didn’t.” Payback time? I also want to, as much as possible, make the students feel like they are living through each catastrophe. Instead of reading, “Ms. Maria Ruiz awoke at 8:32 AM on May 12, 1981 and smelled sulphur,” I want to write, “You’re laying in your bed, and shortly before your alarm is due to go off, you start having this dream you are being choked. You wake up and realize the air is filled with a noxious odor…” I don’t know how that is going to work? Any ideas would be MUCH MUCH appreciated.

Jan 29

9 Comments

Brittany: A Room (Or Not) Of One’s Own

Hi everyone. My name is Brittany and I’ve been hard at work on a novel for the last two years. I live in SC with my husband, 17 month old son, and baby #2, another boy, who will be born in early June. For now, I don’t get a lot of time to write. I try to jot down ideas while my son is playing, but more times than not, he ends up stealing the pen out of my hand and following that up with a victory dance where he leaps triumphantly on my notebook. For the last 6 months, I have done the bulk of my writing in very short bursts during my son’s nap time–which is unfortunately only once a day. It frustrates me to no end, but the alternative is even more frustrating.

I’ve made a lot of progress though, with over 200 pages written and 39 chapters under my belt. The key to my success is trying to achieve a level of zen while animal crackers are ground into my keyboard and empty sippy cups are hurled at my head. My mantra is always “If not today, then tomorrow.”

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it means to be a mother who writes. Ordinarily, when I think of a “writer” I imagine a reclusive character locked behind a door who neither eats nor sleeps for days. I think of this person because that is how I used to write before I had obligations to other people. I still have an “office” but I use the term loosely. An office seems to signify a private place to conduct one’s business and that is hardly how I would describe the place I do most of my writing. As a mother, I fully expect to find toys littering the floor and a strange assortment of other odds and ends that my son finds endlessly amusing. Lately, it has been the remnants of a bag of polyfill stuffing that he excavated from my craft basket. There are times I wish I could push everything outside the door and lock myself in. All I want is one day where I can write and make some real measurable progress. But of course, I can’t do that and I know it. The thing is, other people know it too, and very occasionally, someone will say to me “Come to my house. Bring the baby. I’ll watch him while you write.” There is a special place in heaven for these people. And I always take them up on their offer.

As a mother, I already know that it takes a village to raise a child, but I’m also learning that a village is also essential when you’re a writer. It takes that many offered spaces to get your novel finished!

Where do the rest of you write? And how do you carve out space for yourself in the midst of chaos?

Jan 29

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Bethany: Ah-Ha Moments

I’ve been sitting on this novel outline for months. Picking away at the plot when I had nothing better to do–and blathering on about how I should be writing it.  And then that’s when it hit me.  I was That Writer.  The one blathering and not putting in the time to write it.

Once I came to that realization, I figured I might as well hunker down and figure out the bigger deal–why wasn’t I writing that novel?  Pounding out blog posts, book reviews, and my day job writing projects weren’t causing me issues… why this?  Aside from the trama in my life, I had been waiting to write this novel for the past year and now that the time was right, why wasn’t my brain letting me get to it?

The answer was amazingly simple. I was afraid.  See, I lost an agent this year.  Not under bad circumstances mind you, but I lost one nonetheless.  And if you know anything about publishing, this crushes any writer.  Especially a new one like me. One who’s first novel didn’t sell. One who needs this novel to get back on the market–now for an agent AND a publisher.

At first it seems easy–all that pressure was causing me to lock up.  Or the new baby. The holidays?  How about the recent deaths in the family?

Nope.

It was the fact that way back when my agent did mention leaving, she sent the first 100 pages of this one (rough, rough draft mind you) to a friend… hoping she would help me out.  She prompty said no.  And, honestly, that hurt more than my agent leaving.

But that seemingly bad circumstance made me rethink the concept and start anew.  Totally new.  And even revamp my process.  I started outlining.  Writing bits of dialogue.  Rethinking plot points.  Thirty-five plus pages later into this “outline” I stalled out.  Afraid that I couldn’t do the plot justice. I couldn’t pull off this new, better book.  Fearful that when I re-approached that new agent (again) she’d shoot me down AGAIN. And then where would that lead me?

I suppose right where I am now–not writing. And that really isn’t a way to keep working toward a dream is it?  And that in and of itself is the Ah-Ha moment of the day.  I’m proud to say, scene 1 of the book… now written.  Scene 2?  Waiting for the next 10 minutes of free time I have between dinner, children, diapers, and nursing.  It’s ready to be written now.

Jan 22

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Bethany: Oh wait! I have a baby in the house

I had great plans for this weekend. Much like Miranda, I had plans–ambitious plans–to write.  Resurrecting an old plan for a nonfiction book I’ve had for years (as in 5 years of a proposal sitting in waiting).  It seemed pretty simple.  Open the proposal, refine, adjust, write chapter descriptions, re-read, tweak, save, and then move to the 2 sample chapters.  The chapters I had yet to write beyond the 3 sentence description.  My end goal:  proposal ready for the final edit. Draft of Introduction done (and by draft, I mean brain dump, rough form of chapter).

What really happened was–one run-through of the proposal with chapter descriptions.  Drafts of chapter descriptions.

Ready to let the tears gush, I sat on my bed last night sighing.  My long weekend was lost. Great plans waisted.  Just as I was ready to let the pity take over, the baby cried.  The 5-month-old baby.

That was when it dawned on me.  I’m a mom.  Of two actually.  And with all the mess that is our current life (we’ve just survived two deaths in the family which meant 2 trips out of town at the last minute)– I was taking care of what was really important, my family.  Sure, writing is my dream.  And I need to take steps to make that dream a reality. But, it’s okay to take a step back and take care of the other important stuff first.  Right now, it seems it’s my family.

So watch out next weekend, I’m coming at you strong!  Oh and for that little bit of writing I did do?  Well, I’m thrilled.  Really.  It is better than not getting any writing done.  So, it’s a step in the right directly.  Let’s getting ready for the next step.

Jan 21

3 Comments

Jenn: Chapter 4. Check.

I came to my parents’ house for the holiday, in part to go to a postponed holiday party, and in part to finish Chapter 4, which I just finished and sent to my students. I’m having moments of “this is going to be GREAT,” and moments of the-Emporer’s-new-clothes I’m just a stupid little girl who can’t possibly compete with the venerable old male scientists who are my soon-to-be competitors. Right now I’m in an upswing.

I went to Starbucks this morning in an attempt to be productive. It didn’t work, but I’m glad I tried. I really need to be in a silent room without distraction. Starbucks had this GREAT music playing, a little too loudly. And I couldn’t help but eavesdrop on all of the patrons. People’s cell phones rang and loud conversations ensued. Some huge man at the next table had on eye stinging amounts of cologne. I forgot my flash drive. I couldn’t connect to the internet. But I did manage to do a fair bit of reading.

The more I write, the more I realize I have to write. Little sidebars, glossaries, introductions, etc.. It’s still fun, but it’s a LOT of time. Now I’m thinking of taking my Eating and the Environment class up to Maine to work on an organic farm during spring break. My plan *had* been to put the finishing touches and edit one chapter a day for the 10 days of break, then send the first 9 chapters to the publisher. Far too many fun things to do in this world and far too little time. WHY don’t men seem to have this problem?

I’ve also found Wikipedia to be a GREAT help, and both USGS and NOAA have tons of figures and photos I can filch for free. Yay. And I’m organizing a “movie night” at school for the senior geology students. I’ll lure them with free food, show a film of a natural disaster (Twister, Deep Impact, Volcano, etc.), then we’ll discuss fact from fiction and Brittany will take notes on the computer. Each will be a sidebar in a chapter.

Next up: Volcanoes. There was just an eruption in Colombia that forced the evacuation of 8,000 people. But by the time I go to press, I’m sure it will be a distant memory…

I hope everyone else is being productive and finding time for fun and balance as well.

Jan 18

8 Comments

Bethany: Dream Big. Really Big.

Writing is a tough gig. If you don’t think so, you aren’t really a writer. Add to the mix a career in a different field, children, husband, household, pets, doctor’s appointments, school activities (for said children)… well, you get the idea. And this is where I sit. Smack in the middle of all of that. And I write fiction. On most days anyway.

I’m a classic over-achiever. And with my writing I am no different. I make lofty goals. I write my fingers to the bone and then I make small sacrifices to make the dreams a reality. Right now, I’m back at the beginning–a once agented writer with a book on the New York market–who now is back at square one. Agent 1 and I broke-up with no hard feelings (she wanted focus on non-fiction and I was just crushed at losing her), but now I am in a tough situation called Writing the Next Book. And it’s kicking my ass.

I can blame it on the birth of my second child, a couple funerals we attended this month, or starting back at the day job… but in reality, I was reeling from the loss of support of someone deep in the industry. And I’m just starting to see the light at the end of the dusty tunnel.

How do I know I’m coming out the bright end? Well, like I said, I make goals when I’m happy and committed. And, surprise, surprise, I’ve got some new lofty goals staring my down. Here’s the recap of my last set of over-achieveness and my progress. (posted Nov 2, 2007):

  1. Finish outlining my current novel in the next 2 weeks. COMPLETED: Dec 3, 2007
  2. Get the first 3 chapters done by the end of the year.
  3. Have the entire novel in full submission (as in to editors) by August 2008.

You read that right. Only the first is done. Or was done. I’ve decided to tweak it a little. Or a lot. It depends on who you ask. And then, sometime around the new year after dealing with 2 unexpected deaths in the family I decided to make one more major goal– By the time my daughter is rearing for preschool, I’m aiming to have my head above water with my fiction writing, as well as some articles under my belt (read editorial contacts) so that I can quit the Corporate thing and be on my own. That gives me a 2 year window to make it as a writer. Or some sort of writer who supports a major part of her household with her fiction and non-fiction books.

Am I nuts? Likely, but who’s here to stop me? And if your gonna dream–hell, you better dream BIG. There is no other way to dream in my opinion.

So pull up your knickers and let me hear your goals. The real ones. Remember, make them specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely (sorry, can’t take the Corporate out of the worker no matter how hard I try). But I say this to the Corporate speak–the realistic and attainable part is only in the eye of the beholder. Be persistent in anything that you do and you will get success.

And this ends my pep talk for today. Tomorrow, I just might need to re-read this to bring myself back into the game. But for today– ROCK ON!

Jan 17

2 Comments

Christa: Caught up… and discombobulated

The schedule I committed to two weeks ago turned out very interestingly last week. Instead of making excuses as to why I wasn’t writing, I saw my productivity skyrocket (comparatively) and my memory–at least for where I was on which projects–improve. As a result, I can say I’m caught up on work. Not “done,” not by any stretch, but at a point where I don’t feel like I’ll be late on everything (one feature article, one regular feature, numerous edits and PR projects.

Now for the caveats: my husband, Rain Dog, was home for 4 days (among a sick day, the weekend, and a snow day). That freed my time considerably. And I’m still struggling to carve out 20-30 minutes per day for fiction.

The biggest challenge is making sure we eat at 5. I personally prefer to ask Rain Dog what he wants to eat, rather than make dinner at 4 and hope it’s okay. (Yes, I do rely heavily on leftovers!) I also have trouble staying focused. This would be easier if I were in a place with the one novel where I could consider myself “in a groove,” but I’m not. Yet.

So: still tweaking the schedule. The good news is, I’m close to done with a short story that was really bothering me. That should free some time!

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