Improvement Achieved...In a Manner of Speaking

In the beginning of the year, I made a goal to read 52 stories in 2011. 

And before the eighth month was spent, I achieved that goal.  Last night, at the stroke of eleven, I finished the last words of the 52nd story.

No one was more surprised than me. 

Because of a domestic change, wherein my husband and I doubled the number of children in our home, I had to put my writing on the back burner.  Time and circumstance simply wouldn't allow for a word to be written all summer.  *Alright, that's not entirely true, but certainly, I have not written anything of consequence and have had to put all of my projects on hiatus.  Hard?  Yes.  Worth it?  Yes. 

How did I do it then?  How did I read so much?

Four reasons:

1) Before we doubled our children, I was aware that a change may be coming and so I stuck resolutely to a reading schedule early in the year.  I was worried that I would fall behind and not make my goal.  Silly me. 

Also, one of my son's teachers was almost perpetually late letting him out of class.  I had to be on time to pick him up, on the rare occasion when she let them out when the end of the school day came, but I also picked up a lot of reading time while waiting for him to be released on the more frequent occasions that she was up to twenty minutes behind schedule.  Twenty minutes, four times a week, adds up to a lot.  

2) Owing to the changes that the adoption has wrought, I have found myself with an unbelievable amount of reading time.  I have found it necessary to be in the same room as the children for most of the summer.  So while they play or read, I have sat quietly in the room, often reading myself, engaging when necessary, but allowing for autonomy when possible.  Also, I put them all in lots of activities, meaning that while they are doing gymnastics or swimming or horseback riding or baseball or whatever, I have primly sat on the sidelines with my nose stuck in a book.   

3)  On long car rides, my previous car sickness (when reading) magically disappeared.  Yay!  It's a Christmas miracle!  I managed to read and thoroughly enjoy several books on just one long car trip. 

4) I picked some easy reads - for me that is.  I read a lot of young adult books and regency era novels.  If I had to read a lot of biographies (which I think are always biased and so I question every line) or science fiction or who knows what else, I would not have achieved my goal this early.  Yes, there were a few duds in the mix but for the most part, I read a lot of rollicking good stories.  I plan to write about the best and worst at the end of the year, but let's just say that the Sarah Eden, Adam Gidwitz, E.D. Baker, Jacqueline Diamond, Donna Hatch, Catherine Gilbert Murdock, and Michelle Paige Holmes are at the top of the stack.  I would like to thank my friends Rena and Amazon for introducing me to so many fantastically fun adventures this year. 

And, if I were to extrapolate my current pace out to the rest of the year, I would be on course to read another 26 books, making a yearly total of 78 stories.  That just sounds crazy.  At this point, I have met my goal and I am proud of it.  Seeking Persephone (which I pre-ordered - yay!) is the only book that I know I will still read in this calendar year.

Besides, school starts up soon for all the kids and so I hope to be able to start carving out some personal writing time again.  Oh the dreams I can dream.   

Let's Dance Like We Used to...

Dancing Again

With Unfinished Business

Trying to Find the Light

Mumford and Sons

Unfinished Business

Week Seven

I added 2, 355 words in week seven for a total of 28,417 words .  And then the project went on hiatus.  Hopefully, I can pick it up again soon - as I was enjoying writing the story. 

Weeks Five and Six

Week Five:

I added nothing.  Sadly.

Week Six:  

I was able to to write for two days and I added 2,598 words, bringing the total to 26,062 words.

Untitled

I am a person who is meticulous, when I name something.  Not necessarily meticulous when I iron something or when I sew something, but I am absolutely exact when I name something.  

My characters have certain names, for certain reasons.  And, if for some reason, they don't develop in the right way because their name isn't allowing for the right character traits to emerge, I change the name.  Just ask Rebecca...er...Clara from my first novel.  (That's the novel that sits in the drawer and will probably never see the light of day.)  But, I've digressed.

Names mean something.  Titles mean something.  They provide a pivot mark around which the narrative moves.    

In the past, some of my titles have changed names, wearing one for a while until I decide I might like another in the process of creation.  Death and Life is the perfect name for one of my novels, but the title only came about after several changes, after I really narrowed my center pivot down to one point. 

But, even if it is temporary, there is always a title.  Until now.  I have never gone this long without a title.  It's been weeks - nay months nearly that I have been molding this story and there is no title.  The actual working manuscript is headed by the title, "Untitled".  It bothers me.  Tremendously.  But, I am not sure when I might be able to change that.  I've spent hours chewing on titles, trying one out and then another, quickly discarding them before they ever reach the page.

My fastidious naming nature has pinned me to a pause.  How does the story go on, when I cannot find the modern pivot point?  The true tragedy of this whole crisis is that this story already has a name.  But, it didn't come from me.  Emmeline, what is the one whispered word of your soul?    

Weeks Three and Four

In the past two weeks, I have added a mere 1,493 words to my story bringing the total to 23, 464.  I also printed the first 59 pages and did a brief edit to see if the format worked. 

It may seem like I have not made much progress of late.  One part of me is disappointed that I haven't moved very fast in the last few weeks. 

But, then I must remember that, I was on vacation, my husband had surgery, and my child had the flu.  Even though I haven't had much time to sit and write, the story is still alive, still wanting to be told.

And I intend to tell it. 

So the writing marches on, word by word, line by line.    

Week Two

I ended the second writing week two days ago.

Unfortunately, I was only able to write for three days.

I added 6,119 words.

My total project now stands at 21,971 words.

Week One

Yesterday was the official end of week one writing. I wrote 4,934 words. Not as many as I would have hoped. But, I was only able to write on two days so I feel like I made the most of the time that I had.

For this project, I have chosen a very flexible, free-flowing structure. I've done away with chapters and chosen a rather unusual replacement for scene breaks. Oh, and I am also writing every character in first person - well, when they are in charge of the scene anyway. I am loving this experiment.

Process

Three Days
21 Single-Space Pages
10, 918 Words
Four Volumes

The planning is done.

Let the writing begin.

I've Got a Feeling, An Old Sinking Feeling

New Music On Sidebar
Open Atlas
Hot Keyboard

One Conclusion

Duke Special
Creaky Boat Blues

Casting off from Santa Rosalia, stopping in Cabo San Lucas, heading to New York and unsure where I will eventually scuttle.

A little experiment, a little creation, a lot of time spent typing and dreaming.

The journey is the joy. Sinking might be the result.

I'm setting out on an adventure with my crewmates, Delamere, Dulfene, and the Edwardsens.

Anchors aweigh!

Fingers Stretched, Mind Renewed

The little yellow canary stopped singing, the melody falling off into silence.

I reached out and crushed the wooden bird in my hand, the pieces falling to my feet, dotting the floor with tiny yellow splinters. For what good is a warning system that fails to warn? Long before the brilliant tones stopped, I felt the noxious gas take affect, intoxicating my heart, telling me it was time to return.

Like a marathoner who is uncomfortable taking a necessary break after a grueling race, one which they have prepared and trained for over the course of months, I have been uncomfortable listening to the canary sing that all was right while I sat to the side.

I've recently been rereading Jane Eyre and a particular passage struck me. Mr. Rochester is examining Jane's sketches and watercolours.

"Were you happy when you painted these pictures?" asked Mr. Rochester presently.

"I was absorbed, sir - yes, and I was happy. To paint them, in short, was to enjoy one of the keenest pleasures I have ever known."

(Skipping down a few sentences Rochester asks...)

"Are you felt self-satisfied with the result of your ardent labours?"

"Far from it. I was tormented by the contrast between my idea and my handiwork; in each case I had imagined something which I was quite powerless to realize."

Does a painter who fails to paint a masterpiece stop painting? Does a marathoner who fails to come in first stop running?

Before you get a funny idea, I should mention that I did receive some feedback on the latest version and it was positive. I am still waiting for the last reader to weigh in - but, regardless of the outcome, I know my stories are not perfect. However, does that withdraw the pleasure I receive from writing them?

Let's return to the canary. I knew before it was time to return, that, in short, it was time to return to my favorite past time. I had stayed away fairly well. I only cheated twice or so. Alright maybe a few more times that that. What is this - the Spanish inquisition? I returned when I needed to (to fix little fixes or to add little additions) but not when I wanted to - certainly not to the degree that has become my life-blood of a 'keen pleasure'.

Yesterday I could no longer endure the silence of the canary. Yesterday, I admitted that, like the artist who must experiment and create in order to feel whole, I needed to allow myself back in the realm. A marathoner must take to the road again and I must write, even if what I can create does not entirely match what I set out to create.

Since I crushed the bird that was too late in warning me, well after the emotional ton of bricks had fallen on me, I will let a verse of Mr. Rochester's song to Jane end this post.

"I dangers dared, I hindrance scorned,
I omens did defy;
Whatever menaced, harassed, warned
I passed impetuous by."

Ineffective

My plan didn't work. I still ended up with a flat emotional feeling after finishing a new version of Amelia Rider, despite drawing it out and dipping into the story over a week.

Next plan? A good book. I pulled a favorite off the shelf and lost myself in that.

The second plan worked. The Kiss of a Stranger was juicy and fun enough that I was able to emotionally invest in something beyond Amelia Rider. Thank you Sarah M. Eden! Your books are great to have around.

Next time I will just skip to a great book. Seeking Persephone better be out in time for my next mourning period.

Withdrawal

You can learn a few things from drug addicts. I did.

After the intense mourning period, when I finished the first draft of Amelia Rider, I wrote about wanting to avoid that stage the next time around.

After the drastic edits I made to this new, second version, I had a feeling I might slip into withdrawal again. Sure enough, two days after printing a copy, I started to feel the old feelings come back. It seems I simply cannot live in one of my fictional worlds without getting hopelessly addicted.

So like a drug addict, instead of quitting cold turkey, I tried to even out the withdrawal process with small, regular doses to help me come down off the high. It was a good thing, as I read through my book this week, because I caught a whole bunch of ticky-tack errors that needed to be addressed. It was also good because it made this week a little easier than it might have been. I was too busy to deal with jitters, longing, and dreams.

I finished putting the new edits in tonight and I will print a fresh copy for one of my readers in the morning. It is quite possible that I may still end up in the fetal position tomorrow but at least I am trying something new this time around.



And if any of you out there are local and willing to read through it and give me feedback, I would love at least one more reader. You don't have to edit, just respond. Email me if you are willing to help a girl out.

Shades of Gray

Oh, Finley. Your shades of gray are endless.

You were an incredible pleasure to write.

New Version

It is done.

Amelia Rider 2.0

21 new pages of content, 6, 390 new words

295 total pages, 81, 738 total words

Anyone up for a read?

I need a couple content editors.

A content editor just reads and it and tells me if the story works. If it doesn't work they show me where so I can decided if the problems are fixable.

I'll buy you lunch.

Shoot me an email if you are interested.

Rewrites

Enjoying them tremendously. It feels good to be back in the saddle with Edward, Amelia, and Finley again. I wish life's pursuits were always this colorful and fulfilling.

I've rewritten the first chapter and I am now adjusting the following chapter to match. I plotted some of Finley's movements and will put them in the story as I move along.

I haven't had as much time to work on this as I would have liked but the time I have had to write has been pleasurable.

Off to more yanking and tweaking.

Half is Better Than Nothing

After working through some edits from my latest reader, I have decided to answer half of the question. I'm splitting the story and attempting the rewrites to the beginning and to Finley's and Edward's story lines.

In one of Q. Lindsey Barrett's classes ( I think it was structured revision) she suggested that after you get to a first draft you might want to start over and rewrite the whole thing again - from scratch. The air was sucked out of the room as every struggling writer gasped in horror. Or maybe that was just my response. After laboring for months or years, the idea is almost unthinkable.

I've spent the last several weeks turning the story over in my mind, trying to balance staying true to the original (which is paced very slow and methodical) and allowing Amelia Rider to stand on her own two feet.

Of all the readers who read the whole thing, none suggested that the storyline was hugely flawed. Once they got into it, they seemed to really get into it. So, at this point, it is probably good enough for my shelf, for me to reread occasionally, and to live with all my other stories that are meant for my enjoyment.

But, the challenge is striking. Is it possible to rewrite the beginning in action? Is it worthwhile to show what Finley is up to in Volume Three (something, as a writer, that I always knew where he was and what he was doing but now ponder showing)? Can I make Edward, as valiant, flawed, and virtuous as Valancourt, but propel him into the twenty-first century with a modern feel? I think I nailed two of the three but you would be surprised how hard it is to write a virtuous, twenty-first century male character. Virtuous men, that are desirable to a modern woman, seemed to have gone the way of the dinosaur.

And so, while I don't plan to rewrite the whole thing from beginning to end, I have begun to dismantle the story and to weave the new story lines into the fabric of the tale. I'm departing further from the original than I intended but I started this whole project on a mere whim last October anyway. Besides, what am I afraid of? Are there adaptation police that might arrest me?

In the end, I may end up with two versions of this story for the ol' bookshelf. Or I may try the rewrites and fail in the attempt. It is entirely possible that I might butcher any beauty out of the story and end up in tears at the end of the experiment. But, I have decided that trying and failing is more appealing to me than not trying at all.

I'm plunging in again and as usual I have some songs on my mind when it comes to certain characters. Since I will be attacking Finley the most, I have a little tribute for him.

(And if you are one of the few who has read the story, you know how cheeky he can be.)

Travis
U16 Girls



Bare Jr.
You Blew Me Off




Muse
Uno

Gulp.

The Great Question

In my last post, I talked about some agent interest. However, I also gave the fun facts about publishing (easier to be struck by lighting on a sunny day).

So, the great question that I have been fussing over that last week is what path will I attempt? Should I do the work necessary to change the beginning scene to one of action simply because it might sell better or will I stick with the slow, mournful air that I prefer?

I also have toyed with the idea of writing Finley's adventures post volume two. I've always known what he is up to during that time but I never wrote the scenes because I wanted some ambiguity and a bit of quiet desperation for Amelia. However, Finley is Finley and he is very busy being naughty and devoted. I wish he weren't so fun to write.

I heard back from my latest reader (I know you have probably lost count by now). She has read some of my other work and she always gives great constructive criticism. In addition to my thoughts on Fin, she told me she wanted more of Edward as well. I told her about some of the rewrites I planned and she said she would love to read it again. I rarely say on here what my readers specifically say - they can share it - but I rarely do - but I feel blessed to have such a willing reader who will read the same story more than once for me. It can be taxing and I really appreciate it.

However, I got sidetracked. Who do I think I am? Richard Walter? Ah, back to the point. Most young adult fiction (about 80%) is written in the first person. Ms. Editor asked me why I chose third as opposed to first - since third is less popular for young adult. I told her that I wanted to show some of the other characters (specifically Edward) away from Amelia. (Ms. Editor was the only one of my appointments who had read the original and so she knew what I meant.) Also, the original was written in third (and loosely at times - the way I did it).

Now there are some writers who write the protagonist in first and the antagonist in third. That is one option. I have toyed with the idea. The major rewriting doesn't scare me. Death and Life is in first person and there is something very freeing about writing inside the character's head. However, if I do attempt to write Finley's exploits into the third volume I still think third is the most flexible - some might say too flexible the way I employ it - but since Ms. Editor didn't mind it and there are a few plot points that hinge directly on the movement of perspective, even within a scene, I think I would maintain the fluid way I tell the story and keep it in third.

But, is it worth it? Is it worth it to add scenes and rewrite the beginning?

I think I may try it to see if I can do it. After all, I wrote this adaptation on a whim to begin with - just to see if I could do it.

But, the other question, the question about whether I will ever submit any pages to anyone again is still out there. The chances of succeeding are slim and I am not truly convinced that I would want to have to change my story in a way that would make it commercially viable. Changing a few scenes here or there is one thing but altering Amelia's journey to reflect one that would be punchy enough to sell is another.

This is the question. And, right now, the answer is unknown.

Writers' Conference 2011

I recently attended a conference for writers and I thought I would mark some of my thoughts from the weekend.

First, an overview. It took place over two and a half days and included keynote speakers, lectures, classes, and meetings (both formal and informal) with agents and editors.

Highlights:

Q. Lindsey Barrett -Writer

A middle-aged woman with wild red, dyed streaks in her hair, Q. Lindsey taught several writing classes over the weekend and did a fabulous job every single time. (I'll show you why I think she did a fabulous job in just a moment.)

She spoke at the rate of a hundred miles and hour and I had a devil of a time trying to keep up with all of the incredible writing tips she threw out. My hand didn't thank her but my head certainly did. Excellent!

Marc Resnick - Editor for a Publisher

He talked about the publishing process from the time a writer finds an agent to the time the book hits the shelves. It was a concise, ordered, clear explanation of the very long, sometimes tedious process.

This may not sound like it was tremendously interesting but it was and furthermore he was one of the few presenters that stuck to his topic. But we will get to more of that problem in the disappointment section.

Fun Fact from Marc (who does mostly non-fiction):

It takes about two years from the time you get the book in an agent's hands to the time it hits the shelves. That's if you ever even get your work sold.

Which brings me to the next fun fact. Agents only accept about 5% of what they are queried. And then Editors (publishing houses) only buy about 5% of projects that agents query them.

Conclusion: The odds are stacked against any writer at any given time. And yet we still end up with crap in the book marketplace. Amazing!

Disappointments:

Both Keynote Speakers were a disappointment.

However, the second one really grated on me. His name is Richard Walter and he is a screenwriter and faculty at UCLA. Why did he suck? His keynote address title was, "The Talent Myth: Why a Little Bit of Talent and a Lot of Discipline Will Take Writers Further Than the Other Way Around." Catchy right? However, he proceeded to tell a half dozen stories about how he just stumbled into opportunities at different Hollywood parties. He peppered these stories with political rhetoric that he kept apologizing for and then followed up with more political rhetoric. He didn't ever address the idea of 'a lot of discipline'. What a chump! He wasted my time. I managed to miss his lecture later that morning titled, "Training Hacks and Whores." I think I'll survive without that 'vital' information, thank you very much!

Most of the Lectures Given By Agents

They weren't 'Richard Walter bad' but they also weren't nearly as helpful as I had hoped they would be. Let me illustrate what they lacked.

Several of the agents would start out by saying, "You need a strong beginning."

Okay.

Here is why Q. Lindsey Barrett was such a superstar and maybe it is because she is a writer and not an agent. This is what Q. Linsdey said.

"Start with conflict. Here's the definition of conflict. Two dogs, one bone. Go."

Do you see the difference? The agents information was too generic to be really helpful.

Here's another example.

Agent - "Don't make your character look in the mirror and describe themselves. I see that everyday."

Okay. That's helpful.

Q. Lindsey - "To describe a character pretend that you have just moved to a new town and you have made a new best friend. This new best friend asks about your old best friend. How would you describe her?

'Tell me about your best friend' Technique

***She's a little wild and impetuous, enjoys a cluttered house, and has the sweetest soul of anyone you will meet.***

Use these details to describe your characters rather than tall, blue eyes, and brown hair.

Use the 'best friend gone wrong' details for villains."

While the agent's advice was technically helpful, it was very basic. Q. Lindsey's advice was practically helpful and had depth.

Last example:

Agent: "You have to write a page turner. Subtlety doesn't work."

Q. Lindsey Barrett: "When you are trying to figure out the details of a scene, the details that matter are the ones that show the emotion of the scene. Picture a bar, sawdust on the floor, happy honky tonk music on the jukebox. What is the emotion?

And be careful about crying. If your characters cry, your reader doesn't have to. How else can you convey that emotion?"

To top off all of this brilliant goodness, Q. Lindsey taught a class on Structured Revision. She went point for point and her advice is very helpful. She mapped out what exactly you are looking for in first revision, what you do in second revision, pulling out the highlighters and marking every different sense in the third revision etc, etc.

Feedback

Lastly, I should probably mention the appointments that I had one on one with the agents and editors. You could pitch a project, ask questions, etc. The Editor got an advanced reading of Amelia Rider. All three want to see more.

The first agent wants to see about fifty pages and a synopsis of Amelia Rider and a synopsis and a few chapters of Death and Life. I hadn't planned to pitch Death and Life because (sheepish blush) I haven't done the necessary editing work on it yet. However, she liked the pitch for Amelia Rider and she wanted to know about some of my other projects. She also said I pitched really well.

I met with the Editor next and I think I liked her the best, simply because she asked in depth questions and she had read the advanced reading and so knew what my writing style was like. This was more than a good pitch. This was, "Is it crap or not?" I was also able to ask her what she thought of my lassiez-faire style with regard to switching point of view (something that really bugged one of my readers - but the other readers that I asked said it was fun). Anyway, Ms. Editor said it didn't bother her. She thought I made it work and she wouldn't have me change it. She did want me to start the story in action, as opposed to the mourning scene with a slow beginning, and then she wanted me to flash back to the information. This has been an issue that I have struggled with. I wanted to show the protagonist in her natural setting before I obliterated it (and I do in the trip to Italy) - also for Amelia I wanted to show her mourning her mother. I start the story at a quiet, low point. However, in Death and Life, I start the first scene with my main character already dead, and she flashes back to tell us how she died so I know that value of starting a scene with a little oomph. I will address my thoughts on this conundrum further in the next post.

I met with another agent next after a long day and she also requested to see the project. She wants three chapters.

In short, I don't know if I will go to another writing conference again. But, if I ever get the chance to take another class from Q. Lindsey Barrett, you can bet I will be there.

Still Editing

I started a fresh edit today, working through the piece word by word. I have Italian in the story and at some point my grammar and spell check gave up and refused to work with the foreign phrases so I am literally having to spell check by hand, as it were.

It's not so bad, in that I am a decent speller, but by about page 80 my eyes started to cross. I'm cleaning up ellipses, dialogue tags, and adverbs, among other things. It's tedious work, but so necessary.

I'm now on page 96 and I wish I could forget the clean-up work I am doing and I could just read the story straight through. I hit the Finley passages a little while ago and I just want to move. He is such an intoxicating character - evil but incredibly addictive.

But, alas, I want a good clean copy of this story for the old bookshelf so I have to keep working through at a snail's pace.

Improvement

Every year, my goal is to read 52 books.

(not including the hundreds of children's books I read to my children every year)

Even though I didn't reach my goal, I did better than last year.

In 2009, I read 32 books.

In 2010, I read 40 books.

If I continue to increase by the same amount I will read 48 books in 2011 and 56 books in 2012. Although, if I were to go with these numbers, the growth would be exponential, meaning that in 2020, I would read 120 books.

That's insanity.

It's just not going to happen.

On the other hand, I am an amazonaholic. It's like putting a fully-stocked bar into an alcoholic's computer room. The access is easy and the draw is overwhelming. So, while it is possible that I would purchase or check out 120 books in 2020, I have no idea how I would find the time to read them all.

I think I will just stick with the 52 books goal.

Happy New Year Everyone!

I hope you all reach your goals this year, so long as it is not something crazy, like reading 120 books in a year.

I can't support that kind of insanity.