An Insight I didn't expect

Cause honestly, I do not feel good. I've been up since six am, on my day off, just feeling miserable. Miserable.

Which is why, this post is so late and I have nothing of writerly merit to tell you.

But I realized something, when people are feeling miserable, they want something to make them feel better. Today I worked on my novel the majority of the day (in between trying and failing to nap) and I watched a lot of Olan Rogers videos.

Olan is a youtuber; his job is making YouTube videos. He's a storyteller. Most of his stuff, is him retelling things that have happened to him in his life. Whether it was last week's prank or a childhood memory, he retells them all with the same hilarity and enthusiasm.

And laughing is the best medicine.

It made me realize, that although my medium is different that Olan's, and I'm not really writing about my life, and my book isn't meant to be comedic, I too am a storyteller. I have to have the same care and excitement about all my stories or they're not going to turn out right. They are going to flop.

Because if you don't care, you're readers don't care.

Amazing how it's the little things like being sick and looking for comfort, can reveal things you didn't know you needed.

The Importance of Reading

           When I was ten years old, my parents set a limit on how much money I could spend on books. They couldn’t understand why I wanted to spend every last cent I had on the newest Babysitter’s Club super special or Nancy Drew mystery. I craved books; I devoured whatever I could get my hands on.

            Pretty much every writing blog or book about writing I’ve ever read has had the same advice – if you want to be a writer, then 1. You have to write a lot, and 2. You have to read a lot. I write YA fantasy, so that’s primarily what I read. I try to keep up with the newest releases and what’s trending, but sometimes when I’m in the library I’ll just grab something random.

            A few months ago, I picked up a book with a title I thought sounded interesting (which shall remain nameless). It started out pretty slow, but I thought I’d still give it a chance.

            It just got worse.

            It became a joke between me and my husband – he’d ask what I was up to and I’d tell him, “Reading this terrible book.” And I’d tell him why I thought it was terrible – the clichés, the two-dimensional love interest, the heroine’s over-the-top reactions to the most mundane things – and we’d both have a good laugh. He couldn’t believe I was wasting my time reading it.  

            It took me awhile, but I finished the whole thing. Unfortunately, it never improved to the point where I could call it a decent book. But I learned a lot from reading it. Sometimes it’s more helpful to see examples of what not to do, instead of just being told, ‘make sure your characters behave consistently throughout your story,’ or 'you should mix action with dialogue.’ Seeing the author make those mistakes made me realize how jarring they are to a reader, and why I should never, ever make them. I can sit in a writing conference all day listening to someone lecture about what makes a character flat, but unless I experience a flat character, I’m personally not going to make that connection.

Read it all – the good, the bad, the ugly. Figure out what works and why. Do the same for what doesn’t work. I promise, you’re not wasting your time!

Read it Again?

"Haven't you already read that?"
"Um, yeah..."

"Why are you reading it again?"

I can't tell you how many times I've been asked those questions. Especially from non-avid readers. Usually I reply with this simple answer: "Cause I love it"

Simple. Straight to the point. Four little words that encompasses a whole lot of feelings and reasons.

Rereading a book or story that you love is like re-watching a movie or listening to a favorite album again. It's the memories; revisiting a past you that was changed by this very moment. You are not the same person anymore, so coming back to this well loved moment is different than the first time. You discover things you didn't notice the second time around. You understand this bit more on the third.

So on and so forth.

To me, the biggest complement to an author is to reread their book again. (And reccommend it to others) It means that the world they created, means something to you. That they have made a difference, just a little.

There are some books that I HAVE to reread, every year, without fail. Even though I know everything that will happen, where the characters will end up, I enjoy it all the same. I won't feel that surprise at the twist ending anymore, but I'll have that satisfaction that I found the little clues that pointed to it. I'll still smile over that intemate scene, still cry over that sad one, and still yell at the villians for make my heroes lives miserable. I'll revisit my favorite characters, still laugh at their wit or whimper at their tragedies. I'll remember why I fell in love with them in the first place.

I'd like to reccommend some of my favorite re-reads:

THE THIEF by Megan Whalen Turner- I adore this book; read it every year. I'm surprised I don't have it memorized with as many times as I have read it. Gen is probably my favorite character of all time.

THE MEASURE OF A LADY by Deeanne Gist- One of my favorite romances. Also a great story of forgiveness.

THE OUTLAWS OF SHERWOOD by Robin McKinley- The best Robin Hood retelling I have ever read. (And I've read quite a few. I love anything Robin Hood.) I love the different portrayl of Robin as a reluctant outlaw, only hiding out and fighting against the Sheriff. McKinley keeps true to the familiar characters-Will Scarlet, Little John, Marian-while making them her own.

BLINK OF AN EYE by Ted Dekkar- Usually Dekkar books are thrillers, this

book is a romance. Albeit told in typical Dekkar style. It's about an Saudi princess running from her arranged marriage only to be saved (and fall in love with) an American who can see the future.

TAHN by L.A Kelly- I love it when the main characters are tortured souls, and Tahn is certianly the most tortured soul I have ever read. He's an assasian, but instead of killing his latest assignment he saves her. This is also a story about forgiveness.

DAUGHTER OF THE FOREST by Juliet Marillier- A retelling of an old Irish folktale, about the seven children of Lir. When her brothers

are turned into swans, Sorcha must keep silent and sew six shirts of starwort to break the curse. Even when she is taken from her homeland and falls in love with a British lord. I love the stroytelling in this book, and how attached you get to the characters.

What are some of your favorites to reread? Let us know in the comments!

This week...

    

     This week has been one of tragedies, first the bombing in Boston and then the explosion in Texas. Such loss and heartbreak makes the world stop for a moment.

     I remember the things I often forget to do. Things like – listen closer to my kids, go to lunch with my mom, talk sweeter to my husband and enjoy the simple things, like strawberries and good books. Life is fragile and I often take my life and loved ones for granted.

How quickly our world changes from the familiar and comfortable, to surreal and foreign.

Time stops.

Events are now marked by it. Before the tragedy and after it.

Heroes emerge and people unite to take care of one another.  I find myself a renewed patriot at times like this.  I read the stories and see the pictures.  Pride fills my heart and spills down my cheeks. I saw this clip of a Hockey game that took place Wednesday night in Boston-

It seems as though we go into shock when we hear about something like this, feel bad but then slowly move on with our lives. The people who are left behind to pick up the pieces and carry on are the ones who are the heroes in the long run I think.

Faith, I believe plays an enormous part in it all. I will use mine for people who cannot hug their loved ones tonight. I will pray that everyone will find their strength and that those who were taken will never be forgotten.  And I will pray for peace. Peace for those directly involved and for the rest of us, to live our lives without fear.  To me, that is the only way to ensure that those who would terrorize us, will never win. We refuse to cower or be defeated, we will carry on.

Best of thoughts and encouragement to all who stand in need.

Cross-Training

            I like trying new things and challenging myself, so about four years ago I decided to attempt a half-marathon. I thought that if I wanted to run 13.1 miles, all I had to do was start training seven weeks before the race – the first Saturday I’d run 6 miles, the second Satuday 7, and so on. During the week I’d run anywhere from 3-5 miles per day. I put the treadmill on the same speed every time I ran – 6 miles an hour.

            When race day arrived, I was super nervous. As I first started running, I kept worrying I was going too fast or too slow. My knee started hurting about halfway through. At a few places, I felt like I wanted to give up. But I did it! Crossing that finish line was a great feeling, even though my entire body ached like crazy and I kind of wanted to pass out. I didn’t go in with a specific goal in mind besides just to finish. When I learned my time – two hours and six minutes – I was proud of my accomplishment.

            But I knew I could do better. I could finish in two hours.

            I went on-line and found a training program. To my surprise I wasn’t just supposed to run, I was supposed to cross-train. I walked, biked, lifted, even did aerobics and yoga. And the program had me running at different speeds on different days. Not only did I become stronger, I became faster.  

            I made other changes as well. I broke down and went to an actual running gear store where a guy observed my form and helped me pick out the perfect pair of shoes (before that, my perfect pair of running shoes was defined as “whatever is on sale in a color I like”). I watched what I ate, I got enough sleep. I bought orange sports drinks, then promptly gave them to my husband and bought grape instead (orange sports drinks are terrible).

            When my second half-marathon race day arrived I was still nervous, but under that nervousness I felt good. I was ready. And when the starting pistol fired, I decided I was just going to have fun. 

            I jammed out to Lady Gaga on my iPod. I smiled at the spectators lining the streets. I jumped up and waved at my husband when he couldn’t find me at the sea of runners. I still struggled at certain points, but nothing like my first race.

            When I rounded the final corner, I saw the official clock and knew I was going to accomplish my goal. I practically floated across the finish line with the biggest smile on my face, my final time an hour and fifty-six minutes. I felt good, physically and mentally.

            My writing journey has been a lot like my running journey.

            I’ve learned if I want to publish a novel, I can’t just write in a vacuum. Don’t get me wrong, I know I need to spend a lot of time advancing the plot of said novel if I ever want to finish it, but I shouldn’t ignore other “cross-training” activities that can improve my craft. Like creating character sketches, attending writing conferences, writing short-stories, playing word-association games, even just plain reading. One of my friends says she’s more creative when she spends fifteen minutes coloring (yes, with crayons!) before she writes.

            What sorts of “cross-training” activities do you like to do?

What is in a Name?

I love naming things. It's one of the joys of life to me, giving names. If you ask any member of my family or close friend, they could tell you that I have a compulsion to name everything. Everything.

For example: My car is named Phil. Laptop: Toshi. Tablet: Sherlock, not to mention the whole zoo of stuffed animals on my bed which all have names. I've even named the machinery at work.

The newest addition is my cell phone, which I thought long and hard about before naming it Greg.

And one of the things I love about writing is finding that perfect name for my character. You know the one that fits them like a glove. Either with their personality, or even what the name means or what it may come to mean. I love names, and to me that's the best part of starting a story is figuring out my names.

A name is an important part of any story. Even if the character is nameless, that is important. An author doesn't name or not name their characters, places, items, lightly.

Sometimes names come easy, like with my main characters in my novel. Henry and Andrew just came to me, names attatched and I can't see naming them anything else.

But others, like Colibri and Steven Lamb, I had to think about. I couldn't just hand out names like willy nilly and expect them to work. For Lamb's name, I had to think of something that wouldn't tip off that he was more than he seemed. (I don't want to spoil my unpublished writing for you so I will just leave it at that) My sister suggested Steve, since he seemed like a Steve to her. Steve didn't fit, but Steven did.

Colibri needed more research. He was a character that just popped up and integrated himself as part of the main gang. But he needed a name that fit his personality and give him an added flair (not that Colibri need's any help in the flair department) So, I named him Colibri which is French for Hummingbird, and thankfully Colibri liked it.

Names are important. They are what people identify us with. They have meanings. Parents think and debate and research names for their children. Authors are no different. Characters are like our children. Albeit we don't have to physically care for their well-being, but we take responisbility for them all the same.

Names can come from anywhere. I tend to use Baby naming websites, because of the huge data base of names and I can filter my search based on meaning or origin. Which is helpful. But names can also come from music, or your own personal expeirances.

It all depends on what you want from a name. Do you want people to connect with them? Do you want it to be ironic? Perhaps you want the name to stand for something...

Names are important. In both life and in writing.

The Magic of Truth

"Think back to all the stories that touched your life, that really made an impact on you. There was something a character said or did that resonated with who you are or who you want to become. A great book comes from a combination of truth flowing from the pen of a writer who has command of the language to the point where language is no longer important except that it conveys the world in a new and incredible light.”

This is a quote from Michelle Witte. She is an incredible agent, editor and author.   I read it three times before I finished the rest of her post.

“…combination of truth flowing from the pen of a writer to the point where language is no longer important.. ”

Every scene I write has an emotion at the center of it. I want that emotion to feel real, to represent a truth. Sometimes I get it, sometimes I don’t. I know when I do because when I reread it, I react on an emotional level- smile, laugh, cry, whatever, I react before I think about it.

How many times have you reread a certain part in a book?  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve reread Maggie Stiefvater’s Shiver.  There is a scene when Grace thinks she’ll never see Sam again.  She’s grieving with all her soul for him. As she's wandering through her house, she sees Sam’s guitar in her father’s office.  In a fit of grief and rage she smashes the guitar into pieces. I cried so hard when I read it, I made that little hiccup sound.  It’s so heart retching to read but beautiful at the same time. Maggie captured the truth of Grace’s heart ache.

Wouldn’t it naturally follow that the mark of a truly great story is one that would be read again and again not just the best parts? The whole book is the best part. My oldest daughter has read Alanna by Tamora Pierce six times. I’ve read it twice myself.  We see ourselves as Alanna, we cheer her on when she finally beats the snot out of Rolan, cry with her, fall in love with her, we connect with her on an emotional level because we recognize the truth in her story.

A great writer is one who “… has command of the language”. I’ve come across a few books that were so well written I literally did not see the words.  The plot, characters, dialogue were so transparent I felt like an engaged observer standing in the corner, witnessing everything first hand.

That is standard I strive for when I write.  Transparency is an incredibly high goal but I’m going reach for it nonetheless. Having awesome critique partners are essential for this.  Everyone should have Chelsea and an Alice to write with.  They let me know when I’ve found the ‘sweet spot’ in my chapters and when I’ve lost them along the way.  I couldn’t create my truth without them.

Writing is not the only way to exhibit true emotion. Each one of the arts represent their creator’s interpretation of reality.  It may be twisted, impressionistic, beautiful, chaotic, even hard for others to recognize but if it comes from their heart, it’s real. Their own personal truth. The trick for writers, if they want to be published, is to make their truth recognizable to others.

I’m getting a little philosophical this morning I think. Hot chocolate, dark clouds and topics I feel passionate about, do that to me obliviously.

Find your truth, write until the words disappear!

 

Not Writing

 

            Statistically speaking, there are very few people in the world that would call writing their full-time profession. Even if you are fortunate enough to support yourself as an author, you probably still have other obligations that take away from your happy-fun-creative-time. Spouses. Friends. Family. Cute pictures of puppies on the internet that must be viewed immediately (OK, that one might be more of a distraction than an obligation). All of these things have taken me away from my writing at one point or another.

            But nothing derails my writing quite like my job. I recently went through some major changes in my career resulting in 60-70 hour work weeks for several months. I was barely finding enough time to sleep, let alone work on my story. But I told myself that I would push forward with my writing somehow. I’d stay up late, or get up early, or work over my lunch break, or find some sort of waterproof laptop so I could write in the shower, or…

Unfortunately I got to a point where even when I was lucky enough to catch fifteen free minutes, I couldn’t write. I’d stare at the screen like a zombie, my creative juices completely zapped by my lack of sleep and massive amounts of espresso flowing through my veins. I hated it. I was mad at myself and I was mad at my job.

            But it turned out a break was just what I needed.

            Even though I wasn’t sitting down and writing, I was still thinking about my story. And when my husband and I took a vacation to Spain a few weeks ago, I let my brain shut off completely. We slept in like we were back in college. We had wine with lunch. We wandered around Madrid without knowing exactly where we wanted to go or what we wanted to do when we got there. And on the plane ride back, I had so many ideas of what I wanted to do with my story I couldn’t wait to get writing again.

            Sometimes when I get writers block I find I just need to power through it no matter how bad I think the writing is, and eventually the creative juices will start flowing again. But in this instance, taking a step back and acknowledging that sometimes things happen that I can’t control made me feel less stressed. And I’m fortunate that my writing buddies supported me and cheered me on until I was back on my feet!

            My job has gotten a lot less busy since I got back to town. Working back into my story has been much easier than I thought it would – my characters are like old friends to me. I missed them, and I’m glad to be back sharing their adventures.

            If you need to take time off, let yourself do it! It’s not a bad thing or a poor reflection on you as an author. Just come back when you’re ready.

            Your story will be there waiting.

The Importance of Research

Believe it or not, every writer needs to engage in some form of research. It doesn't matter if you are writing a historically accurate novel or a fantasy one. You don't know everything; how could you? And so, to make your story believable you must research.

For example, one of my favorite TV shows, History Channel's Vikings, is based on, well....history. So it makes sense that the writers of the show had to research Viking lore, history, and their habits. To make the show the best it can be, they had to find out  what dates the Norsemen first landed on English shores. Did Vikings really burn their dead warriors on boats? What would a Viking village look like?



Just a normal day in the life of a Viking raiding party


Even though the show is not entirely true, it is true enough.

But Chelsea, I'm writing a book on magic and vampires! Surely I don't have to research that. I made it up.

Well, sort of. You see your book/story will still have aspects that you need to research for it to be fully believable even if it is in the realm of fantasy. What time period does your story take place? If you think placing it in the modern era is going to get you out of researching you're wrong. Where does your story take place? In the United States or Australia? Two very different cultures, you know.

Well, it's in a made up world that isn't even on this planet.

Uh, huh, you still have to research. How would things work? Are you basing it off anything? How is the planet supporting life?

So you see...no matter your excuse there will always be a bit of research involved in writing. I certainly had to. My current book isn't meant to be historic fiction. But it is set in a time past and features pirates and lots of Arthurian lore. I had to research because I know next to nothing about sailing and boats. And I needed to study more of the stories of Merlin and King Arthur. And it didn't hurt to read about some of the different types of fey around the world, even if I already knew quite a few. (I like history and mythology. Fun stuff)

That being said....you are allowed creative license. Therefore, use your facts wisely but don't be afraid to mess with them a bit. Just don't totally disregard the importance of researching.

Freakin' Awesome

                 

                   ‘We don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing’

     Writing is my favorite way to play.  I love creating strange worlds, living in different times and becoming unusual characters.  They aren't always having a good time but I get to invent ways for them to be victorious in the end.  When I've written a scene with true emotion, it feels like I've just invented the best game ever!

     Why is it then that I always put my writing last? Or I feel guilty when I put it first?

      I want more Freakin Awesome moments!

     

     Allow me to explain Freakin Awesome -

    Last summer I took my family to Seven Peaks, a huge water park  as part of our vacation.  Its water attractions are varied but Seven Peak’s claim to fame rests in its seven humongous water slides. (Only one of which I enjoy. The rest of my family, enjoys five of them with the remaining two being just too intense – water enemas and all.)

     At the end of our wet and splashy day, my son and I pulled plastic chairs over to the bottom of two of the water slides. We wanted to watch my husband and the rest of the kids go down the bumpy slides for the ‘last time’. With towels wrapped around us and the warm cement beneath our feet, we watched as the death slide enthusiasts came tearing down a slide, splashing water everywhere.  Each one having varied reactions to experience.  

     A person could elect to go down the side by himself on an inner tube or ride double with a buddy. The slide was almost a straight shot down from three stories high. Some people would scream, others would grip the inner tube, hanging on for dear life, while others still would laugh as water shot up their nose and in their eyes.

     All at once two blonde-headed boys came flying down the slide, water splashed up high on both sides. Once the tube came to a stop, the boy in front jumped up, threw his hands in the air and yelled “That was freakin awesome!” He turned to his companion and smiled as he tried to wipe the water from his eyes. The other boy nodded and laughed. They both agreed to ‘do it again’, grabbing the inner tube and waddling up towards the stairs as fast as they could. My son and I laughed at the first boy’s enthusiasm.  It seemed at little dramatic but authentic none the less.  I watched a few more people come down the slide and started to think.

     How many times had I stood up and yelled,  “that was freaking awesome!”?   I honestly couldn't remember the last time.  After talking to my husband, I decided I wanted to find more things that were ‘Freakin Awesome!’

     I found one last October.  I finished editing my book (adding critique partner’s suggestions and my additions only, not grammar or punctuation) and had it printed out. All 351 pages of it. I had it spiral bound with a clear plastic cover at a local print shop.   My book sat in the front seat with me as I headed home.  I started to giggle. I kept looking over at it and thought, I wrote that.       

     I.   Wrote.   That!        

     It was Freakin Awesome!!

   

     We have to find those type of things in life.  The type of hobbies or talents that give us so much joy we can't help but throw our arms in the air and yell with happiness. 

    Now the trick for me is to make writing a priority, so I can walk around like that soaking wet kid, wearing a big smile on my face and never growing up!

     What's your Freakin Awesome joy in life?

How long does it take to write a novel?

 

I spent well over a year on my first attempt at a novel, a 110,000-word, still-not-finished mammoth of a YA Urban Fantasy. I had plot threads going every-which way, I took two months to start revising when I hadn’t even finished the story, and I couldn’t figure out how to end the darn thing. I always felt like I couldn’t move onto the next scene until I had the one I was working on absolutely perfect. Eventually, I just stalled.

 

It was frustrating. I’d never written anything before, but I hadn’t expected it to be this hard. I beat myself up about it for awhile, but then I realized something: Although I’dspent a lot of my time on a book I don’t believe will ever see the light of day, I hadn’t wasted any of my time. I’d learned a lot. About my writing style and habits, about my characters, about what works for me and what doesn’t. I went back and read what I’d written. Some of it was OK. Some of it was terrible. Some of it made me laugh. Some of it made me cringe. I knew I had to try again, but I was scared.

 

Then came NaNoWriMo.

 

For those of you who may not be familiar with NaNo, it’s basically a challenge to write a novel of 50,000 words during the month of November. I read about it in an article and it intrigued me because I’m much more likely to accomplish something if I have accountability and a schedule to keep to. So I decided to give it a try.

 

Before November 1^st rolled around, I was perusing the message boards, looking to see who else was going to attempt this crazy conquest. NaNo has a wonderful on-line community which is where I met Beckie! We cheered each other on, offering encouragement when things got tough and celebrating our accomplishments along the way. And at the end of the month – I had 50,000 words! Of a real story! That kind of made sense, if you tilted your head and squinted a certain way!

 

OK, so I didn’t have a complete novel. But I did have 50,000 words. NaNo taught me that sometimes it’s OK to skip around in your story and write the scene that’s really demanding to be written, even if it’s not, technically, the next one. The scene will still be there whenever you’re ready to work on it. I noticed that a lot of times when I worked ahead, a character would do something that actually tied back to a part I’d been stuck on before, and all of a sudden my problem was solved.

 

I eventually finished the story, (a 70,000 word YA Fantasy about missing princess) but it’s still a work in progress. Even if I finish it, it might not be publishable. And that's OK. Because I thoroughly enjoyed bringing my story to life, and I know every time I sit down and write, I'm getting a little bit better.

 

Happy writing!

The Best Plans....

Today, my plans did not work out. My plan was to go to this store in Illinois, that sells tons of Doctor Who and other British stuff.

(Yes, I'm one of those people. Hi, how are you?)

Sadly, after stopping for breakfast I find out that this store is closed on Mondays. The only completely free day I have a week. Lovely. So, I look around for another plan. I find out that there is a Doctor Who warehouse located in Indy.

YAY.....but you can only visit by appointment only.
Not yay...

So, I look at my sister. She looks at me. And she says, "Want to go to Chicago?"

Why not?

And so, we drive out to Chicago, get lost, and after an hour of turning down random streets, head on home. We didn't even get out of the car once in Chi-Town. But we had a lot of fun. Just seeing the sights from the car and having an adventure.

(Chicago drivers are the scariest things out there. Death grip on the steering wheel and lots of "oh Heavens, OH MY GOSH WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!)

The same goes for writing.

You can plan all you want, you can have big plot lines and an ordered timeline. But things go awry. Your characters develop a mind of their own and they go off the beaten path you had for them. And it's better this way.

This way, you discover a new side to your main character or side character. Even your villian. Or you unearth a plot point you didn't know you needed. You'll have to drive your novel with a firm hand, but don't be afraid to take a new turn every now and then. Maybe do something drastic once in a while.

There will be unseen blocks, and disappointing news, but if you keep at it, set your nose in a different direction, you might find something fantastic. Something better than you thought it could be.

"Allons-y!"
-The Doctor, 10