stories

How many words to write…a creative person’s lesson in time management

/ AuthorMeganCox / Leave a comment

I am a writer. That means that while I do many things, my mind is in Never Never Land, working out the stories in my head. If it sounds a little crazy, that’s because…well…it is.

I discuss my writing habits with many people, and because I have small children and several endeavors in development, the fact that I have completed no less than seven novels in two and half years may sound impressive (twelve overall, with six under contract with Bluewood Publishing and the rest of my work now represented by Dee Mura Literary). But the thing is, anyone can accomplish certain word counts. The tough job is ensuring that what’s coming through the tips of my fingers is quality. This doesn’t always happen on the first go around, and usually the editing process hones the story and makes it sing.

However, even though I’m a creative writer, I am organized. That doesn’t mean my house is filled with perfectly stacked, labeled storage bins. If only. But it does mean that I make lists, and plenty of them. And generally, except for the grocery list that disappears to its own version of Never Never Land right before I reach the store, these lists help me organize my wild and crazy life.

But whether you’re the OCD poster child or more of a “What? It’s midnight already and I just got out of my pajamas!” type , managing time, especially time for writing, can be achieved. Here’s a few methods for fitting that book into your life–no matter how busy.

Review your free time – Think of it this way: the time of day you’d be watching your favorite shows or surfing social media is free time. Try to calculate how much time you spend doing it. This is time that can go directly to your writing. Now, I’ll caution that you should definitely set time aside to read, especially in the genre you’re writing. And, if you absolutely must watch the finale of the Bachelorette, just DVR it. Those commercials are stealing your life away.

Organize your story – From my experience, if I know where I’m going, I’ll get there faster. You don’t have to possess a comprehensive outline, and actually, spending too much time outlining can distract from what really needs to be done–yeah, writing. But when I know what big scenes are coming and a good idea of how I want to reach them, the words flow faster. This also pertains to research–taking time to get it done (visiting locales, interviewing specialists, reading nonfiction material) will only speed up the storytelling process.

Take a break; strengthen relationships. I could always be writing. It’s a hard switch to turn off. In fact, I carry a notebook everywhere to jot down ideas as they come to me. But I need to turn off the brain faucet from time to time–and I do. My family and friends, my health, and my other odd-but-awesome jobs (Edmond Sun‘s Mom Around Town and Metropolitan Library System writing classes) are priorities that can’t be shirked. Developing strong relationships as a writer sits at the top of my list, because not only can writing be a lonely profession, but I write better people when I spend time with people. I also write more hopeful stories from living a full and positive life (despite the setbacks, heartbreak, and tragedy that are inherent in life), and at the end of the day, that’s the kind of thing I want to put out there.

So don’t worry. Be happy, and write on:)

My new love – The Emotion Thesaurus

/ AuthorMeganCox / 3 Comments

I have discovered a very cool writing resource. The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression, is pretty awesome. I love it. I mean, I touch it a lot, give it yearning looks, and glow when I gaze on it.

Okay, so that may be a little over the top as far as showing my emotion for it, but I think you get the picture.  In a world where editors pound the pulpit with the words “Show Don’t Tell,” we writers must consider each and every sentence we pen. Did I write that someone was frustrated? Buzz! Wrong answer. Instead, that person might show frustration by crossing their arms, clenching the jaw, or tapping a foot or fingers. Oh yeah. Now I’m feeling it.

Of course, too much of a good thing is, well, still a good thing, and I’ve found this book inspires some of my own ideas of what physical signs I give off that betray my emotions. As a former communication major, the critical nature of nonverbal communication was pounded into my head, so that’s a good thing to remember. If your character says, “That’s great,” after an impatient snort, well, that’s better than writing “he said sarcastically.” Editors hate adverby dialogue tags too. FYI.

Of course, I’m not the adverb hater that so many are. Stephen King killed this part of speech with his famous: “The road to hell is paved with adverbs.” Sometimes, my character says something softly. It’s not a whisper, it’s not a hiss. He says it softly. End of story.

But adverb wars aside, I think  the best way to approach the “Show Don’t Tell” is to think of your novel like a movie script. In script writing, you tell the director and actors what the character is doing while they speak. Obviously there’s some room for interpretation, but the concept is that actions speak louder (or at least, as loud) as words. When I write a scene, I picture the people interacting in my head, and if the behaviors are hard to grasp, I close my eyes and think of myself either doing the motion or saying the words. Having a thesaurus for common emotions, of course, is icing on the cake. And I really, really like icing.

So check out The Emotion Thesaurus if you’re serious about improving your style and characterizations. And if it makes you happy, don’t forget to smile and step lightly:)

The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression
By Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi

ET

The craft of writing – Always a learning process

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I love to write. I always have. In the first grade, I wrote a story about a princess tiger who takes a cloud train back to the zoo. The concept was a little strange, to say the least, and the illustration, was, uh, imaginative. But if nothing else, I like to look at the homemade book to remind myself of one thing:

I have always wanted to be a writer.

And I became one. From a news journalist to fiction author, the range of my writing runs the gamut. But like any human, I am always growing, learning  and changing as a writer, striving to get better at what I do. I will never be perfect, but I can always improve.

My early stuff is really fun, but my newer stuff is better, and in a few years, I hope to be able to continue to say that. I think of it like my ice skating performances from long ago. One of the first programs I ever competed with was an up-tempo classical number from The Marriage of Figaro, in which I wore an ivory dress with gold and green sequence. Yikes, I know, but it was the nineties. The program was simple, but I performed it with much gusto. My most difficult jump at the time was a single Axel, nothing Olympic-level, but the routine is still so much fun to watch on video.

Years later, I skated at the junior level at the National Collegiate Figure Skating Championships. In this program I landed a double Axel as well as several difficult jump combinations. My spins were centered, fast, and complicated. I skated to the haunting waltz from Khachaturian’s Masquerade, outfitted  in a beautiful periwinkle dress with small crystals inlaid in the sleeves and bodice.

These were very different points in my skating career, and obviously, my skating (and fashion sense) had matured and improved by the time I reached the collegiate Nationals. But both performances have merit, both won me a gold medal, and both were enjoyed by the audience.

All that to say this: writing is the same. Our early stuff, whatever level we start at, will always be new and exciting. Sometimes it will need a great deal of work to get published, sometimes not, but even if it could be improved, it doesn’t lessen the value of it. Any writer–all writers–should realize they have room to grow. No one is an expert in this business, and while some may have extensive knowledge to share, approaching the table with humility and an open mind, no matter the level of expertise or success, is a must in my book.

So, until next time, write on.

Eight reasons you should go to that writers’ conference…

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Last weekend, I attended my first writers’ conference in a while. Let me tell you, it was a good experience, and it taught me the value of meeting with other writers, as well as taking advantage of listening to and chatting with editors and agents, people who often seem so far away from my little neck of the woods in Oklahoma (okay, maybe it’s less woods here and more fields, but you get the picture).

Here’s a few reasons you should consider attending a writer’s conference (assuming writing is something you like to do)…

1. Editors and agents are nice people. Who knew, right?

2. You learn that everyone has recieved rejection. In fact, people are pretty proud of the drawers holding all their letters.

3. Some writers’ ideas are way crazy. So don’t be afraid to let your crazy out of the bag.

4. Writers are an eclectic bunch. So your degree is in electrical engineering and you want to write a picture book about a fastidious grasshopper? Go for it.

5. Hotel banquet food generally sucks, but the cookies are always awesome.

6. The projects that editors are working on are really exciting, but they’re always looking for more.

7. Editors and agents are nice people. Did I say that already?

8. Authors with big publishing houses work hard. Really, really hard. If you want to do this for a living, you better not expect a cakewalk.

So sign yourself up for your next writer’s conference (I recommend SCBWI if you write for the twenty and younger crowd). Worst case, you learn a little something, and best case, you come home inspired.

Ready, set, write – A few short steps to start a novel

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You have it! That killer, awesome, super cool, totally-going-to-get-you-a-literary-award-and-movie-deal idea for a novel. So what are you waiting for? Get those little fingers moving.

Okay, so maybe it’s not that easy. We all have some pretty good story ideas. But how do you take a big, fat, fabulous idea and streamline that baby into a can’t-put-it-down-or-I’ll-die kind of book. Well, I’ve got three solutions to help you get started. Of course, once you get rolling, the real work is ahead. Finishing a book and then taking the time to really rip it apart and put it back together (otherwise known as the revision process) is the super hard part of this. Then again, maybe getting started really is the biggest challenge. Because often, when you get something moving, it’s just a matter of keeping it going, am I right?

Step one: Figure out who your story is about. People don’t care about what is happening unless they care about the people it’s happening to. Who is your protagonist? Your antagonist? Who are the supporting characters–love interest (I’m sorry, but you’ve got to have one), friends, marginal enemies, etc.? Make up a cast list as though you’re casting a movie. Who would play your characters and why? What are their strengths and weaknesses (a hint here–usually what makes a character strong can also make him or her weak).

Step two: Know where you’re going. You wouldn’t take off on a road trip without an intended destination, right (unless you have tons of money and no one who depends on you, in which case, I really don’t know what to say to you)? Well, writing is the same way. You don’t need to know the tiny weeny details (such as, where are we stopping to stay/eat/gas up/etc.), but you do need to know where you want to end up and maybe have a rough map of how to get there. I’m not a big outliner myself, but I do plan out my book when I start and as I go along. Otherwise you may find yourself running in mental circles.

Step three: Word count. Oh yeah, this is important. You must set a weekly goal of how many words you want to write and have an idea of how many words the book will be. Note to prospective authors–writing novels over 100,000 words may give you some heartache when it comes to selling the thing. Also, many book genres have more specific word counts, so pay attention to those. When you become a super-duper big time writer, you can write how many ever words you want, but for the time being, get an idea of what is publishable. Next, decide how many weeks you want to take to write a first draft and what’s feasible for you to write on a weekly basis and set a word count goal. Then stick to it and reward yourself when you hit certain milestones.

And that, my friends, is a quickstart plan for you and that awesome book sitting in your head. Just remember, writing a novel is easier said than done. And read, read, read in the genre you want to write. There’s nothing wrong with studying success:)

Original writing – it’s not what you think

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Last week, I found myself in a painting class. Now, let me tell you, this was a bit of a surprise for me. When I signed up for something called Wine & Palette, I assumed I’d be eating gourmet food and drinking delicious alcohol. I’m pretty good at those things. Instead, I found myself decked out in a smock and holding a paintbrush, reliving the nightmare of my college art class (my lowest grade in four years of undergrad and two years of graduate education).

Our task was to follow the instruction of a talented local artist in painting our own rendition of “Fiery Sunset.” I started off okay, but by the time it came to paint mountains, my lack of talent and confidence (and perhaps the two glasses of Sauvignon Blanc) were getting the better of me. Result? I have a sunset that is sliding off the canvas.

But one thing that struck me in my slightly fuzzy daze was the difference between all those fiery sunsets. Some of the painters had more talent than others (I, obviously, fall in the “others” category), but every single painting, although similar, was vastly different. No two people created the exact same piece of art.

Writing is like that. How many novels featuring vampires are out there? Let me tell you, tons. Dystopian? Tons. Zombies? Plenty of those too. Romance with a billionaire? Yep. But no two stories are alike.

Sure, there are similarities (vampires suck blood, dystopian societies just suck, zombies are notoriously violent, and billionaires are arrogant a**holes). But the stories start in various places, follow different paths, and take interesting twists to get to their endings. The personality, beliefs, and creativity of the author is expressed in a unique way. It’s quite something to witness.

So yes, although an author shouldn’t go down the same path as everyone else, any concept–wizard schools, vampire love, dystopian societies, etc.–has room for more exposition. You just have to make it sing a completely different tune–your own.

Punching through writer’s block

/ AuthorMeganCox / 1 Comment

I’m working on a sequel. It’s going to be great, better than the first, I tell myself with all the enthusiasm I can muster. The problem is, when I sit down to write it, fingers poised at the ready above the keyboard, I freeze.

I’m not the only victim of second-bookitis. I recently read Prodigy, the spellbinding, completely irresistible sequel to the talented Marie Lu’s Legend. I love reading Lu, because I feel there needs to be more strong male voices in YA, and her Day character is definitely a strong voice. Anyway, in her acknowledgements, she admitted to sobbing at her computer in the process of writing the second book. I have to say, I can relate.

I’ve never had writer’s block before. The Teen Mobster Series just flowed from one book to the next, each segment of the story taking the main character, Danny, to a whole new level of fighting crime and making tough choices. By the time I wrapped up the third novel, I was arrogant enough to think that writer’s block was for pansies.

Enter my next series (TBA later). The first book also flowed. The theme is paranormal, and the practical side of me worries that my friends will finally get a good look at just how crazy I am. But then, the first book doesn’t dig me into too deep of a hole.

The second one? Well that’s a different story. As I write it, I’ve been staring at my computer, thinking to myself, “This is insane. My husband will finally realize I’m insane. My children will read this one day and discover I’m insane. My friends? They’ll smile and nod at me, all the while thinking, ‘She’s insane.'”

Needless  to say, with all that lovely positive thinking, the story isn’t quite flowing. It’s more of a dentist-pulling-teeth sensation. As writers, we lay our hearts and minds out for everyone to judge, and it is torture. The best part is that people fall in love with your story and characters right alongside of you. The worst part? Your crazy is let out of the bag.

But I’m no quitter. And as I’ve heard from dozens of writers on dozens of occasions, sometimes you just have to sit your butt in the chair and make the words happen. That doesn’t mean you’ll keep everything that comes through your fingertips, but it’s better than conscientiously avoiding the computer, telling yourself you’ll work on it “another day.”

And so, long story short (no groaning! I like puns!), writer’s block only has one remedy. Writing.