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Author Archives: Heather Reid

About Heather Reid

Heather L. Reid eats mayonnaise on her fries, loves men in kilts, and met her husband playing Star Wars Galaxies online.This native Texan now lives with her Scottish hubby in North Ayrshire, Scotland, where she wanders the moors in search of William Wallace. She has been a guest blogger on Writer Unboxed and blogs on her own website http://www.heatherlreid.com/. Her debut YA paranormal novel, Pretty Dark Nothing will be released by Month 9 Books on April 23, 2013.

Self-Publishing: Cheating or Ownership?

16 Jan

17183607Happy Wednesday everyone! Heather, here. To self-publish or not self-publish is a question that most writers I know have asked themselves at least once during their writing journey. Me being one of them. I think it’s something we all consider at one point or another. I know I did before Pretty Dark Nothing sold to Month9Books. So when my good friend and fellow writer, Lara Schiffbauer, told me she had decided to self-publish I had to ask, Why? I thought her answer and journey would be worth sharing with all of you. She’ll be checking in with us through the year to update us on her experience. I hope you’ll all help me welcome Lara to the blog today.

First, I want to thank Heather and the other fine writers at Hugs and Chocolate for the opportunity to share my story. Getting to guest post on one of the best, and friendliest, writer’s blog sites on the web is definitely a thrill for me!

Deciding to self-publish was not a lackadaisical choice for me.  Despite my husband’s encouragement from the time I wrote my first short-story to take the publishing reigns into my own hands, I regarded self-publishing as something I’d consider after all other avenues were closed.  I believed self-publishing was cheating. If I self-published I would be acknowledging I couldn’t make it in the competitive, traditional publishing world.

In other words, a lot of my worth as a writer was tied up in having “somebody who knows” recognize my story as worthy of publication. While there are many good reasons to seek traditional publication, I came to believe proving worth as a writer wasn’t one of them. Poor quality is only one of many reasons why a manuscript may be rejected by a traditional publisher and/or agent. I know several excellent writers with stories I can’t wait to read who have been rejected time and time again.

How did I go from actively querying Finding Meara to deciding to take my husband up on his offer to fund (within reason) a self-publishing venture? I can tell you it wasn’t because I decided to avoid the “Gatekeepers,” or because I had been rejected one too many times. (I sent out only eight query letters before I switched gears.) It wasn’t because I thought it was the easy road to publication (I already knew it is anything but easy), or because I was impatient with the traditional publishing system.

Oh, wait—I’m not being completely honest. Maybe I was a little impatient with the traditional publishing system.  And that impatience did spark the change of heart I needed to accept my husband’s offer.

I am not one of those writers who writes because I have to. I don’t write because I want to make art. I write because I want to entertain people. I write because it’s fun to create stories and characters. It’s a challenge to put a story together in a way that will affect a reader. I strive to make people laugh and cry and get out of their daily lives for the time it takes to read a chapter or two. I am not ashamed to admit I write to be read. Self-publishing provides the opportunity to turn my story over to readers sooner than later.

The reason I decided to self-publish was because I value my story and I have faith others will too. I’m not sure there is room in traditional publishing (right now) for a cozy urban fantasy thriller, though.  Instead of waiting for somebody in traditional publishing to decide my story was worth the risk, I decided to take the risk myself.

So began the roller coaster ride of publishing my own book. In my next guest post, I will share what I have learned so far and some of the resources available to aid in the self-publishing process. Some of the best information on marketing I’ve seen has come from self-publishing websites!

Have you ever contemplated self-publishing? What are your thoughts on the subject?

small headshot November 2012 Lara Schiffbauer is a writer, licensed clinical social worker, mother of two, wife of one, and a stubborn optimist. She loves Star Wars, Lego people, science, everyday magic and to laugh.  You can connect with Lara through Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, or on her website. Her debut novel, Finding Meara, will be available in March, 2013.

 
25 Comments

Posted by on January 16, 2013 in Uncategorized

 

Fight Your Way Through – Wise Words from Storyteller Ira Glass

19 Dec

I ran across this video yesterday by Ira Glass in which he talks about the gap between the desire to create something great, and falling short of achieving your vision. If you’ve ever felt like what your writing doesn’t live up to your expectations, that somehow, it’s not quite there yet, you should watch this. You’re not alone.

So what did you think? Do you agree with him? I agree to a degree, but I’m not sure the gap ever gets closed completely. There are still times when I feel like my creative ambition isn’t quite up to the task, that what I’m putting on paper doesn’t quite measure up. It’s not from lack of work. I’ve spent over half my life writing poetry, plays, short stories, picture books, novels, and articles. I’ve created the body of work as he describes, I’ve gained the skills needed to create something I’m proud of, but as my skills have increased, so has my taste. I want to continue to push the boundaries of my capability. In fact, I don’t want the gap to ever close completely because it means I would have nothing left to learn, I would stop growing, stop striving to be better and better. As my ideas, my confidence grows so should my creative ambition.

What do you think? Have you come close to closing that gap? Do you think, as writers, we should?

 
10 Comments

Posted by on December 19, 2012 in Uncategorized

 

Accepting Who YOU Are as a Writer

05 Dec

IMG_20121204_171949‘Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.’-Bruce Lee

I’ve been struggling with plotting and drafting the sequel to Pretty Dark Nothing. There, I’ve said it. I am wrestling with myself and my story. My confidence is through the roof one minute and in the ditch the next. There has been much gnashing of teeth and eating of chocolate as I struggle, yet again, with my drafting process. I need to write faster, push harder, and put more words on the page. I know this. I WANT this. No, what I really want is to go back to revising. I LOVE revisions. I want to LOVE drafting, but it kills me. I struggle with this every single day. I watch as others zoom past me on a caffeine high, cranking out words like there’s no tomorrow, and I envy them. I envy their ability to free themselves from their inner editor and throw words on the page and worry about it later. All I can do is worry about it now. Always. Every word, every second, every time. Worry. Obsess. And the more I look at other writers, writing, pushing, getting words on the page, the worse I feel about myself, my process. I show up every day, why don’t the words flow like that for me? Don’t the words know I have a deadline?

Last week, in the midst of another day of self-deprecation, I had a light bulb moment. I was asked to take a personality test at work to learn what my DISC style was to help me as my new management role. I’m not new to personality tests, I’ve always loved reading about different personality types and how they react to situations. In fact, I’ve even given my characters personality tests to help me get to know them better, to help them feel real to me. But I digress, that’s another post for another day.

While the test didn’t reveal anything particularly new, it did make me start thinking about writing as an extension of my personality. Writing is personal. It’s unique to each of us, like our personality. It’s more than being a plotter, panster, or plotster. Yes, we might fit into one of those categories, but it’s much more than that. Our basic traits influence how we see the world, how we react to stress, to deadlines, to each other. It’s tied to the very core of our creative process.

For example, I learned that I’m a perfectionist, detail oriented, and in the words of the analyst ‘like a dog with a bone’. Yeah, I can be a bit obsessive and it’s hard for me to let things go. That’s great for revising, but not so great for drafting. In order to get through draft zero, I have to accept this about myself and learn to manage the fear of ‘not getting it right the first time’. I have to work at a slower pace, allow my perfectionist side some room to obsess over word choice while pushing forward. It’s about time in the chair and not how many words I put on the page. I have to remind myself that this personality trait also means I always make my deadlines. It also means that I rock revisions, so I have to make ‘it’s ok, you’ll fix it later’ my mantra, and believe it.

I’m not saying you should run out and take a personality test in order to become a better writer. But I am suggesting that instead of looking at the world from the outside in, at other writers and what they’re doing, writers should always be looking from the inside out. Knowing who you are and how you work is imperative to being the best writer you can be. Don’t fear your uniqueness, your creativity, your process. Accept who YOU are as a writer, not who you think you should be or who others tell you to be.

What about you? Do you compare yourself to other writers or have you accepted who you are as a writer?

 
26 Comments

Posted by on December 5, 2012 in Deadlines, Motivation, Uncategorized, Writing

 

Thank You!

21 Nov

I know most of you in the middle of making pies, basting turkeys, and making sure you have enough chairs to accommodate Uncle Stu and great aunt Edna, so I won’t keep you long. Tomorrow is the day Americans stop to give thanks for all the wonderful things in their lives. And although I’m not in America right now and tomorrow is just another day here in Scotland, I want to take a moment to thank each and everyone in the Hugs and Chocolate community. I’m so grateful for all of my fellow chocolatiers. Jamie, Jani, Rebecca, Courtney, Tonia, you are all such beautiful souls and I am truly privileged to know you. I’m inspired by the incredible wisdom, talent, and insight this community shows, not just from the founders and co-founders, but from all our followers. You make it all worthwhile. Your support and interaction teach me what a community is meant to be. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families. (Even if you’re not celebrating Turkey Day) :)

 
4 Comments

Posted by on November 21, 2012 in Uncategorized

 

No, I Don’t NaNo – Confessions Of A NaNoWriMo Rebel

07 Nov

Originally, I was going to post part two of What’s So Good about Goodreads: Using Goodreads As a Writer, and I will, once the NaNo madness is over. You see, I know a good portion of you are writing your butts off right now and don’t have time to make the dinner much less read blogs, so I’m going to save that post for another day. Instead, I’m here to talk to all the NaNo rebel writer’s out there. Believe it or not, we do exist. I’m one of them.

With all the NaNo hype going on in November, it’s hard to believe there are writers who choose not to participate, don’t find NaNo useful, and don’t find word counts motivating. Now, before the NaNo enthusiasts decide to hit me with rotten tomatoes, I am not saying NaNo isn’t valuable, but I am saying that it’s not for everyone. Shock! I know, right?

If you’ve chosen not to participate, and you’re feeling as if you’re the only writer in the world not buzzed on caffeine and frantic about your daily word counts, you’re not alone. I’ve found NaNo doesn’t work for me. I’ve tried. I’ve pushed, and I’ve even come 10k shy of winning, twice. In the end, I felt beat up, un-satisfied, and left with what I felt were a lot of useless words that I put on the page simply to make my daily word count. Was it a waste of time? On the one hand, I learned a lot about my process, (which is why I think all new writers should try it at least once) on the other hand, the novel, if you could call my ramblings a novel, had little in it that I wanted to salvage. After considering the mess of a first draft I created in 1 month compared to the somewhat coherent first draft I created in 4 months, I decided, for me, I would rather write slower, higher quality drafts than rush the writing. I learned that I am not a sprinter; I am a long distance writer, building momentum and pacing myself until I win. Two different styles to achieve the same goal and neither better than the other, just different. And in that moment, I asked myself, why am I doing NaNo? Why indeed.

For me, November is just another month where I do what I should be doing all year–putting words on a page, moving my story forward, and reaching my goals. Some days the words flow better than others, but I don’t stress myself with word counts, I may be slower but my first draft is cleaner. This is how I work. This is my style, my process. I make no apologies for it and neither should those of you who find you’re not sprinters either. Sometimes we forget that NaNo is a tool, a motivator to get writers where they want to go, but it’s not the only path. We each have our own journey and process. Don’t be afraid to say no to NaNo if it doesn’t work for you. It doesn’t make you less of a writer, it doesn’t mean you’re a wimp, and it doesn’t mean you’ll never finish that novel. Sometimes writers start with NaNo and find that once they’ve learned the foundations, they outgrow it, that’s ok too, but don’t use not participating as an excuse not to write. So whether you’re a NaNo sprinter or a long distance writer, stay focused and write on.

I know my fellow hugs and chocolate ladies as well as a lot of our followers thrive on the NaNo experience, and I completely support the caffeine educed frenzy as you go for it and push through words, paragraphs, and pages to complete a novel. I applaud your energy and bravery and think you are truly awesome. I’ll stand on the sidelines and cheer you on and celebrate your win, because it is hard and is an amazing achievement.

Are you a sprinter or a long distance writer? Do you NaNo or not?

 
10 Comments

Posted by on November 7, 2012 in Motivation, NaNoWriMo, Personal Experience, Writing

 

What’s So Good About Goodreads Anyway? Part 1: Using Goodreads as a Reader

17 Oct

I don’t know about you, but most of my Twitter, Facebook, and other social media connections revolve around other writers. I’m sure I’m not alone. 99% of the friend requests I get come from other writers. We share a common passion and that’s what brings us together. I LOVE my writer friends. We challenge each other, support one another, and keep each other sane. I wouldn’t trade them for the world. They are each integral to getting through rewrite hell and on the road to publication. But what do you do when the book is finished? Promoting to the same circle that helped you on your journey is futile. As much as they might love you and your book, other writers are not your primary audience. It’s time to connect with readers. REAL readers.

‘But writers ARE readers,’ you cry. Yes, we are, but we’re also busy getting our own books out there, being critique partners, bloggers, publicists, editors, social media guru’s, ect. Let’s be honest. How many of us have as much time to read for pleasure as we used to? I know I don’t. I still read every night, but instead of a book a week, I’m now lucky if I get through a book a month. I study books, looking for what’s working, what’s not. Books have unconsciously become more of a learning tool instead of something that relaxes me. These days, a book has to be exceptional to make me forget I’m a writer. I am no longer an average reader and average readers are the ones that will want to read your books.

So how do I find my audience? The good news is it’s easy to connect with average readers. Most of you have heard of it and I know a lot of you already have accounts, but are you using Goodreads to its full potential? In my opinion, you should all but forget Twitter and Facebook in your search for an audience. If you want to connect with real readers, you need to go to them, and let me tell you, the real readers are on Goodreads.

Now, before you start preparing your marketing blitz, stop. I said Goodreads is where you go to CONNECT with readers. It is not where you go to sell your book. It’s not a spamfest or a place to drop your book title or cover in every conversation. It is true social media built around a common love of reading. To make Goodreads work for you, you have to be prepared to participate in conversation. If you love books, this shouldn’t be hard.  On Goodreads, you should always be a reader first and a writer second. And you know what, it’s so much fun!

What’s so great about GR?

1)      It’s an amazing research tool. Seriously, this is the best place to go to find out what readers in your genre are reading, what they like, what they don’t, and why.

2)      Helps you keep the pulse of what’s going on in the market. Forget what industry professionals say, it’s all about readers. They drive the market. Why wouldn’t you want to find out what they’re saying? Use GR to find what real readers think about current books.

3)      It’s fun and brings the joy of reading back. Nobody cares about market trends, editing, agents, or the publishing industry. Readers care about stories and their love of the written word and it’s refreshing to stop being a writer for a while and to be a reader again.

4)      Groups, games, finding new authors and books, making new friends.

Tips for adding books:

1)      You can add books you’ve read by either typing the name of the book or the author in the search bar, or you can download the GR app for your smartphone. This allows you to scan the barcode on all the books on your real bookshelf and it will automatically add it to your GR shelf. How cool is that?

2)       As you add books, GR will give you the option to rate and review each book. I didn’t have time to write reviews for every book, but rating is easy and only takes seconds. You can also add the dates you started and finished each book. I didn’t bother with this for my older books, but started using this feature for everything I read going forward. It’s a great way to keep track of what I’ve read and when I’ve read it.

3)      You can also re-order the books on your virtual shelf anyway you like. Do you like to keep your genres separate? You can add shelves and title them anything you wish.

4)      Once you’ve added books you’ve already read, you can start adding books you want to read. This is a great feature to keep track of books you’re interested in. Again, type the title or author into the search list and add to you ‘to read’ shelf.

Tips on adding friends:

1)      Obviously you want to start with people you already know, but don’t limit yourself.

2)      Look at your friend’s lists. You’ll be able to compare books with each person on their list. If you see someone who reads a lot of the same books as you do, send them a friends request.

3)      Mention that you noticed they like George RR Martin or that you have a lot of books in common. This helps make the connection more personal.

4)      Add people that you see participating in the same conversations as you do.

Tips on joining groups:

1)      Join some groups that read in the genres you’re interested in.

2)      Click the ‘groups’ link and type in your interest into the search bar.

3)      Once you found a group that looks good to you, join it. Don’t be shy. Introduce yourself and start adding to the conversation. Some groups will have a special folder for authors to add their book titles, but they don’t tolerate spam in any other discussions.

4)      Games. This is a quick and fun way to get to know others. Most groups have a few games they play. You’ll see them listed as a discussion. Be sure to read the rules before you play. J

5)      Group reads are popular. Most groups I’m a part of will choose a book to read for the month. You don’t have to participate, but it’s another great way to connect with readers.

Tips for joining conversations:

1)      GR will display ongoing conversations about books you’ve added to your bookshelf on the left hand side of your homepage. If a conversation looks interesting, join it. This is another great way to start making friends and adding to your friends list.

I know I’ve focused on how to use Goodreads from a reader’s perspective, but I feel that’s the first step to connecting with your audience. As an author, Goodreads has some amazing tools and I’ll be talking about the GR author platform, using Listopia to gain exposure, creating events, linking your blog, and more. Join me for part 2:Using Goodreads as an Author on the 7th of November.

Do you use Goodreads? I would love to hear about your experiences.

 
32 Comments

Posted by on October 17, 2012 in Books, Organization, Personal Experience, Social Media

 

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Coffee Talk: Stereotypical Characters

05 Sep

I’ve been expectantly waiting the newest post from Hugs and Chocolate today when it suddenly dawned on me that it’s my Wednesday to post! I must apologize for having a complete HUB (head up butt) moment. My second round of revisions came back from my editor on Friday and I’ve been laser focused on getting them turned around in my very tight deadline. I admit I’ve been consumed. Don’t feel bad, it’s not personal.  I’ve also forgotten to eat, what day it is, and the time. I’ve been late for a work meeting, so zoned out on my commute that I have no idea how I arrived home, burned the rice and overcooked the fish. I’ve been focused to the point where everything else around me disappeared. I also totally confused myself by taking the extra Wednesday slot last week. So here I sit, completely unprepared and feeling a little ‘verklempt’. That’s when inspiration strikes.

Coffee talk!

Ok, some of you are thinking. “What?”

No really, it’s like buttah!

Now you’re thinking “Heather has totally lost it.”

For those of you who are not fans of the great SNL Mike Myers skit, Coffee Talk, let me explain.Coffee Talk with Linda Richman was a Saturday Night Live skit performed by Mike Myers back in the early 90’s. If you haven’t seen it, Google it now! It’s one of my favourites.

Anyway, in the sketch, Myers plays a stereotypical Jewish middle-aged woman named Linda Richman. Linda hosts a talk show called Coffee Talk. She loves Barbara Streisand, gold jewellery, gaudy sweaters and big hair.  Meyer’s exaggerated, New York accent, fake nails, and large dark glasses spoofed his real-life mother-in-law, Linda Richman and created an unforgettable character. During the skit, Myers would become ‘verklempt’ to the point of not being able to speak. His solution to keep the show going would be to give a topic to the audience to discuss.

So, since I’m unprepared, time is running short, and I have to get back to these revisions.  I’m going to throw a topic out there for you to discuss amongst yourselves, and since Mike Myers created such a memorable but stereotypical character, I thought that would be a good place to start.

What are your thoughts on using stereotypes for fictional characters?

Discuss.

 
8 Comments

Posted by on September 5, 2012 in Characters, Just For Fun, originality, Writing

 

Visualize Your Way to Success: Guest Post by Vaughn Roycroft

31 Aug

Visualizing: the author at work.

Heather here. Today I want to introduce you to one of our favorite tribe members, Vaughn Roycroft. Vaughn is one of the most supportive, humble, and talented writers I know and I was thrilled when he said yes to guest posting for us. If you haven’t visited his blog, you should. You’ll be blown away by his wisdom and insight. I hope this won’t be the only guest post he does for hugs and chocolate. ;-)

Visualize Your Way to Success

Undaunted or Foolish? Writing a guest post for Hugs and Chocolate is a daunting prospect. If you’ve been here with any regularity, you know what I’m talking about. H&C is authored by six outrageously talented bloggers who routinely post knockout articles. Last Saturday, I allocated some time to ponder a topic for my post, and spent the morning perusing the site’s archives. The sole result of this exercise was a feeling of foolishness for having so blithely accepted their gracious invitation. What was I thinking?

Write What You Know, Dummy: So I thought to myself: “Self, write about what’s going on in your writerly life.” Which is revisions for book one of my trilogy (again/yet). With this in mind, I glanced back through the H&C site again to find… a virtual boatload of absolutely brilliant posts about the revision process. Seriously, if you’re revising, dig back through these archives. Great stuff awaits. Which was of absolutely no help to my search for a fresh topic.

I hate to admit it, but I gave up (for the moment). It was only Saturday; I still had a few days. And the other item on my docket felt more pressing. The prior day I’d finished my first-ever scene outline for my rewrite. It may seem strange to some that I would outline each scene for a nine year old project on about the seventh attempt at rewriting it. Long story, but suffice to say I’m a pantser who’s finally coming around to plotting. I’m working to adapt a rather long and complex work to the elements of story structure, and it’s really paying dividends.

In any case, with the help of a mentor, I finally had an idea for a new opening scene. My goal for last Saturday was to get a firm grasp on that opening scene—to envision it with the best possible clarity. As I made ready to do this, it dawned on me: This is what I’ll write about for H&C! My process for envisioning a new scene.

One Man’s Napping Is Another Man’s Writing Technique: That’s right, rather than writing this post, I set about making ready for a nap. But this wouldn’t be just any nap, and I knew it probably wouldn’t involve actual sleep. I was planning on Visualizing. It’s a technique I developed during the writing of my first draft. There have been many studies and articles done on the effect sleep and deep relaxation have on creativity, including here. I’m sure many of you have your own way to facilitate access to your creative mind, such as meditation, yoga, exercise, long showers, etcetera. And some of those work for me as well. But nothing puts me in a scene like a nice uninterrupted Visualizing session. So I thought I’d share my process.

Making Ready: If you want a good Visualizing session, it’s important to get yourself and your surroundings prepared. You have to find a time when you won’t be interrupted, and a place you know you will be at ease. You’re looking for what I call a TCS (Total Contented State). To get to a TCS, I try to adjust and control as many external variables as possible.

Last Saturday was a good example. I’d had my morning walk, my coffee, and an early breakfast of cereal with fruit. But it was getting to be late morning by the time I ditched writing this post for visualizing. It was time for Second Breakfast (remember, you’re shooting for TCS, and a grumbly stomach just won’t do—hobbits know a thing or two about TCS). So I set about making a batch of fresh salsa. I find the mechanical aspects of chopping and preparing a dish like salsa to be soothing and mind-clearing. Once the salsa was ready, I prepared a nice plate of huevos rancheros, made with farm-fresh eggs, melted Monterey Jack cheese and locally-produced chorizo. Topping it off with not only a heaping dose of fresh salsa, but a dollop of sour cream to boot, definitely helped to nudge me toward TCS.

Other Externals: A big one for me is temperature. And Saturday was delightful in Michigan—mid 70’s and low humidity—perfect for our sleeping porch (no need for A/C or blankets to achieve TCS). Other variables: Internet—caught up and shut down; Phone—off; Dog—business done and inside; Clothing—comfy tee shirt and shorts (Side-note: it was a bit too warm for socks, which would’ve made it perfect, but sometimes you have to make due). You get the idea. Control whatever you can to obtain TCS.

Only Readily Available Tools Required: Another important element of TCS is blocking distracting sound. Some days in my neighborhood are quiet enough that I can focus on the wind through the nearby pines as I drift toward slumber. This would definitely not be the case on a Saturday in August in a beachside community (nearby kids, dogs, lawn mowers, etc.). So an iPod and headphones were in order. Picking the right music here is vital. It has to fit the scene, and you don’t want to be startled by a jarring song change. My choice on Saturday was the new Dead Can Dance album—full of dark atmospherics, perfect for the scene I planned to Visualize.

Other Tools: Notebook and pencil, for immediate jotting of anything and everything that comes of the process; baseball cap or any hat with brim, for pulling down over the eyes; Big pillow for propping yourself into position for ease of writing; nearby beverage of your choice (I avoid alcohol for this process, as it tends to increase the soundness of sleep, defeating the purpose).

But Seriously Folks: In spite of my lightheartedness here, I really do believe this works. The goal is not a morning of gluttony followed by a slothful nap. In this case, gluttony and sloth have a purpose—finding your way to the deep end of the mental pool. Steven Pressfield had a great post the other day about finding your way past Resistance to your Deep Mind. This is a technique that actually works for me. Resistance is manifested in the waking self. The goal is not to actually sleep, but to get to the periphery of slumber, and to let go of everything that is day to day.

If I achieve it—getting as close to sleep as possible while still maintaining the vision of the setting and characters in question—I am there, in the scene, watching it play out against my closed eyelids. And much has come of it. Once I’ve Seen the scene this way, the memory of it often remains quite clear to me.

Epiphany Along the Periphery: Just for the record, Saturday’s session produced several insights, including a few snippets of dialog and an epiphany that ties to the introduction of my Story Question to the opening scene, for which I now have a finished draft. I actually Visualized my way to what I believe will be a successful scene.

How about you? I’d love to hear your techniques for getting to TCS, and for facilitating access to your creativity. Do you ever get epiphanies along the periphery of slumber? 

About Vaughn

In the sixth grade, Vaughn’s teacher gave him a copy of The Hobbit, sparking a lifelong passion for reading and history. After college, life intervened, and Vaughn spent twenty years building a successful business. During those years, he and his wife built a getaway cottage near their favorite shoreline, in a fashion that would make the elves of Rivendell proud.  After many milestone achievements, the pair grew tired of the hectic life of the business world. With the mantra ‘life’s too short,’ they moved to their little cottage, and Vaughn finally returned to writing. Now he spends his days polishing his epic fantasy trilogy.

 
35 Comments

Posted by on August 31, 2012 in Craft, Inspiration, Writing

 

Cursing the Blank Page

29 Aug

The cursor winks, mocking me as it looms above the blank page.

“Come on. Do it. Write something.”

Dark and evil it blinks, a beacon of my own inadequacy, each beat a challenge.

“I dare you.”

Fear grips me, anger too.  My mind is blank. I wipe sweat from my forehead with a sleeve. I take a sip of water, to ease the dryness in my mouth. Ideas swirl through my thoughts, I grab at them, one by one examining them in my mind, then throw each back into the ether. None of them are good enough. None of them worthy of the demands of that damned cursor. I curse. Damn you. I look at the clock. 12:20 pm. Time and the cursor are in cahoots with their taunts.

I have deadlines! All I really want to do is give the cursor the finger, escape into a game of Skyrim, and devour a bar of chocolate.

“Quitter.” The cursor sneers.

Heat rises in my cheeks. I grit my teeth. I am not a quitter.

There’s only one thing that can guarantee our failure, and that’s if we quit.–Craig Breedlove

The cursor stares at me, shocked.

Magic is believing in yourself, if you can do that, you can make anything happen.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

I start to write.

Keep on beginning and failing. Each time you fail, start all over again, and you will grow stronger until have accomplished a purpose – not the one you began with perhaps, but one you’ll be glad to remember.–Anne Sullivan

Word by word.

Other people and things can stop you temporarily. You’re the only one who can do it permanently. –Zig Ziglar

I will not let the blank page, that blinking cursor, win.

All that is necessary to break the spell of inertia and frustration is this: Act as if it were impossible to fail. That is the talisman, the formula, the command of right about-face which turns us from failure to success.–Dorthea Brande

Act as if it were impossible to fail, act as if it were impossible to fail, act as if it were impossible to fail…the mantra for today. The thing that’s getting me through this blank page is the encouragement found in the words and the works of others. It’s the friends that I’ve made online, the support from my peers and family and the belief that I have a calling. This passion for the written word isn’t for naught. There is poetry in my soul aching to be released. I must learn to trust it. I grab onto that idea. I hold it close and let it feed me the determination to never give up, to act as if it were impossible to fail. I open myself up and let the words pour onto the page, without fear, without limits. What is there to lose?

You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don’t try.–Beverly Sills

What talisman or formula do you use to break the inertia and frustration of the blank page? I would love to hear your thoughts. Keep writing, all! Harness the poetry and the passion in your soul and never give up.

 
8 Comments

Posted by on August 29, 2012 in Deadlines, Editing, Motivation, Personal Experience, Support, Writing

 

Finish the Race

15 Aug

In the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, Derek Redmond’s was a favourite to medal in the 400 meter sprint. Imagine working your whole life for one goal— to be an Olympic champion. You’ve done everything right, you’re on the pinnacle, in great shape, the favourite, all you have to do is give it your all and there’s no doubt you can do it. You’re on your mark, heart steady, muscles flexing. The sound of the gun explodes and you’re off, you can taste victory, and just as your about to cross that finish line, life throws you a curve ball.

 

Derek didn’t finish first that day, he didn’t even finish second or third, he finished dead last. His dream of Olympic gold shattered, but he didn’t give up. He kept going, he crossed the finish line despite everything that had been thrown in his path.

Being a writer isn’t as gruelling as being an Olympic athlete, we don’t compete on a world stage or against other writers. We compete against ourselves, working and striving to become better than we are as we learn our craft. We don’t win gold metals, but we all dream of crossing that finish line. Traditional of self-published, we all dream that one day our stories will be on shelves or on Amazon ready for readers to pick them up and get lost in a new world.  We spend our days hunched over a laptop agonizing over sentence structure and story arcs. We sacrifice sleep and free time to pursue our passion, and we send out queries and get rejections and race ourselves to the ultimate finish line of publication. But does it matter how fast we get there? Does it really matter if we are first to the finish line or last as long as we get there? I started writing and querying over fifteen years ago. I accumulated stacks of rejections, some personal and some not so nice. I had near misses with magazines articles and with one devastating, hamstring snapping, close call with one of the big six. A call so close I could almost taste the paper and ink of the finished book only to fail at getting the gold in the end. I could have quit. I could have said forget it, I give up, time to try something different. I never gave up. It took me another five years to get my gold medal, and it doesn’t even matter how long it took me to get there. I crossed the finish line and so can you.

Writing is not a race. I know it feels like it sometimes, like you have to cross that line now or you might never get there. It’s hard to be patient, it’s hard to keep focused and keep striving forward when all you want to do is give up, to call it quits, but you’re not alone. There is someone out there who wants you to cross that finish line. When you’re down, call on them. Never give up. Stay strong and write on.

Has there been a time when you’ve kept fighting for something? Have you crossed a finish line despite the odds? I would love to hear your stories.

 
5 Comments

Posted by on August 15, 2012 in Inspiration, Motivation, Publishing, rejection, Support, Writing

 
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