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oliviaobryon
Writer. Teacher. Occasional Traveler.
Category Archives: Writing
Poetic Obsession
I’m taking a journey through other people’s lives. Through the stories of authors published, through their insecurities and perseverance. More often than not, I hear myself in their stories. Neurotic obsessions with the written word. Undying insistence that they deserve to be published.
Maybe I do not deserve it yet, I often think. But, I will. I will write and write again until it works. Until it clicks and all makes sense and someone will want to pay to read it, even if really, I only write it for myself. Writing for myself does not pay the bills.
Each day I add agents to the growing list, I read stories. Story after story of not giving up. Author blogs. Each day a different theme, a different message, still somehow threaded together, connected between entries, shouting truths at me.
Today, poetry.
First, it was Janet Fitch’s advice to read poetry to learn how to write.
Then, it was a young agent, stumbled across after chasing down Barbara Kingsolver, who when googled, I discovered was the poet of delightful oddities.
So, poetry it is.
My late grandmother was a poet. Ever since I was a child, I’ve carried around this book from house to house that belonged to her. It is filled with poems, pencil marked with her favorites, an extra, my favorite of her favorites, glued to the inside of the back cover. Somehow, one book of poems, created an imaginary bridge between the living and the dead, a relationship between us over shared words.
Just reading poetry helps my words flow. Poetry, poetry, poetry. Such a simple, often overlooked piece of the writing world, yet home to so many wonderful secrets. I never thought I liked poetry until just now. Turns out I’ve liked it all along.
Any poets out there? Any poems to share? I can feel a new obsession brewing. A goal, perhaps, of one poem read each night. New inspiration.
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| On the inside front cover, the name Frank Schmold is written in cursive, a mysterious figure in my imagination. |
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| One of my grandmother’s favorites I read aloud over and over as a melancholy teenager. |
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| Rose petals from those melancholy teenaged years, pressed for posterity. |
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| Last, but not least, the poem my grandmother glued to the inside back cover. I’ve always wondered who or what it made her think of… |
100th Post: Writing Business Plan!
To keep myself focused, I made a writing business plan for the rest of the year:
May – June 7: Research one agent/day to add to my query list. Create spreadsheet to record submission guidelines, contact info, why I selected each agent. I already have a list of 7 agents that represent authors that either are young/up-and-coming or wrote books that I enjoy. Goal is to have 30+ agents on my list for summer.
June 8 – June 22: Hello summer vacation. Two weeks to edit/revise my manuscript before submission.
June 23 – 30: Perfect my basic query letter, (to be tweaked based on information gathered on individual agents above).
July 1 – 31: Submit query to minimum one agent/day, making up for any days missed on subsequent days. Goal 31+ agents in 31 days.
August: Post pitches for next book to blog, commit to next book idea, (I have four!). Even if nothing happens to the first book, I am determined to keep moving forward.
September – October: Research background information for next book, read similar books, non-fiction texts to support experiences in book.
November: Nanowrimo! Time for another 50,000 words!
At this rate, I should produce at least one book/year, (last book began in July, got rolling in November, will be finished June).
Last, but not least, I have to celebrate that this is my 100th post! It has apparently been a very wordy year.
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| I love lists/plans/notes/calendars. They give a sense of control over the future, making huge tasks feel attainable. |
Writing: Hope, Focus, Perseverance
Audrey Niffenegger, author of Time Traveler’s Wife, sent out 25 agent queries before landing an agent.
I don’t fancy myself at her level of writing, so I am prepared for the reality that finding a home for my first book may take forever, literally. While I’m researching agents with similar authors and small publishers accepting manuscripts, I’m also anxious to start writing again. Writing is the fun part.
My next book already lives inside my head and I’m obsessed. It’s very different than my first. Darker, more developed. This time, I plan to thoroughly brainstorm the characters backgrounds before I begin. I’m excited to see my writing grow.
Last time, in the heat of 50,000 words in one month, (under Nanowrimo’s tutelage), I knew where I wanted to go, but I didn’t stop to plan along the way. In some ways this was wonderful. It got me past the first couple of chapters, where I usually get stuck. It also surprised me as the plot unfolded, allowing me to live in the story like a reader instead of just following an outline.
I’ve tried to outline write before, it didn’t work for me. I had fun writing the outline and then lost interest when it was time to write the middle chapters.
Do you have a writing process that works best for you?
I enjoy hearing how other people write. I relate a lot to Audrey Niffenegger. She wrote Time Traveler’s Wife for herself, for the enjoyment of writing, in her moments between doing other things. I could not help but note that she’s older than I am. This gives me hope that I can craft myself into a distinguished writer over time.
Now, all I need is a mantra…
What is your book about?
Today, I showed up to work and was humbled by all of the interest that I received about my book. For some reason, I forget that I broadcast pieces of my life on the internet, so it always throws me off when my real and cyber worlds collide.
The question that I received repeatedly, “What is your book about?”
Seems easy enough. I just get so self-conscious about sharing my writing soul to real live people, (somehow internet people, even if they’re actually the same people, are less intimidating!).
My one sentence answer: A couple that is frustrated with their jobs and life and decides to sell everything to travel separately.
Not the most poetic response, but truthful.
Even trickier, however, is putting my 59,089 words into a couple of meaningful and engaging paragraphs. If you’ve already read my previous attempts, save yourself the time now, stop reading. Tonight’s attempt is likely no better than before, and more likely than not, will drive me crazy with revisions.
However, if you’re new to my explanation of my book, read on! As always, thoughtful input is welcomed:
59,089 words later…
Holy smokes. I just finished editing my book after my second read and the momentary sense of completion is exhilarating.
59,089 words… Six months of work after work… 144 pdf’ed pages… Approximately 240 actual book pages…
Phew. Now it’s time to wait for my kind readers to give me their input so that I can make my final changes and submit to agents this summer! I already have one request for my manuscript, which is a pretty cool feeling, (and a lot of pressure to make it perfect!).
I feel like it’s also time to manage my own expectations. I was reading the blog of a published author this morning, where he shared that he has written four books, the first of which is still unpublished. I know that this is pretty common for authors to write multiple books before they get published.
Still, I’m hopeful.
If nothing else, I’ve learned how to do it, so I can do it again, and again, and again, until it works.
Happy productive Sunday!
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| Done! (For now…) |
Writing Props for the Sacramento Public Library!
The Sacramento Public Library just got a whole lot cooler! Well, in my book at least, (and, yes, pun intended)!
The system received a grant for an “Espresso Book Machine” that puts your book into print as you watch. If you use the machine, they automatically put one copy into the local library system. So, it looks like I’ll get to publish (for a fee, I’m sure), whether anyone else wants to do it for me or not!
I imagine it to be extremely satisfying to see all of that hard work bound into a real book. I already felt like a proud mother holding my loose-paged manuscript for the first time, I’m sure a real-deal book will feel pretty amazing, (although, I still have my eyes set on the prize of traditional publication). If nothing else, it will make for a cool family heirloom!
As part of the grant, the library is offering writing classes to foster a local community of self-published writers. I’m planning to attend some of the classes, would be cool to see you there!
To My Mysterious Foreign Followers:
Since I started my blog, I have picked up regular traffic from Russia and Latvia, as well as some other unexpected countries around the world, which I think is very cool! Assuming, of course, that you’re not just some sort of automated internet web crawler, I’d like to invite you to “like” my writing page on Facebook by clicking here, (yesterday’s link was to the wrong place). I would love to give faces to my mysterious foreign followers!
The Never-Ending Pitch
Expecting Happiness (Yes, trying out different titles this week!)
Kristen and Jake were told that they could be anything they wanted when they grew up. The problem is, beside each other, they can’t figure out what they want. Like many couples in their late twenties, they’ve found themselves stuck in windowless cubes, trudging to meaningless jobs, grasping for purpose. Most nights, they forget to even look at each other.
Desperate for change, they’re willing to try anything. They’ve already attempted multiple failed side businesses, ranging from operating a photography studio out of their extra bedroom to selling video game avatars online. Well, that second part was just Jake. Running out of ideas, they set their sights on parenthood as the missing key to their happiness.
However, after a miscarriage jolts them back to reality, they instead decide to reclaim their childhood dreams of adventure. They quit their jobs, sell their house, and set off on separate journeys. While Jake heads across country by car, Kristen secretly chases an old flame to Europe. Finding themselves on often parallel adventures, they are torn between the allure of seductive foreigners and their unrelenting longing for one another– until an ironic twist of fate ultimately forces them to decide whether they are better off together or apart.
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Wish List:
1. I want to make the last sentence about the twist of fate less clumsy/more exciting (not sure about the use of — either…)
2. Looking for a spot to seamlessly integrate a brief physical description of each to paint a better picture
3. It still feels book-reporty, I know… I need to spice it up!
DISCLAIMER: Some friends have already expressed concern that maybe my book is a reflection of my own life/relationship/desires/etc. This is NOT the case! While there are definitely tiny pieces of my life in this book, I chose to create conflict because the book is both fictional and more interesting this way! 😀
Be brave.
Today took a lot of reminders for me to be brave.
I woke up early by spring break (and Daylight Savings!) standards to talk with the author of The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published, David Henry Sterry. He and his wife make up an awesome team that scours the country for book pitches to help new writers get published. As part of a promotion that they were running for their book, they invited surviving Nanowrimo participants (me!) to set up 20 minute phone consultations with proof of purchase.
Even though this made me nervous, I decided to do it anyway. I was encouraged by their kind messages and honest/helpful input to other aspiring writers on their website. As much as I hate to admit it, however, I more than once thought about backing out, (I’m telling you, the introvert is strong in me, I just force it away on a daily basis!). There is something about sharing your creative ideas with others that feels very vulnerable. As I waited for my time to call, I found myself scribbling the words “Be brave. Be yourself. Be strong,” on my notepad.
It turns out that I had nothing to be afraid of– David was great, honest, and full of tips that I look forward to applying to my pitch. In fact, I realized that it is not input that I fear at all, just how it is delivered, which in this case was very kindly. David definitely has a talent for coaching. He even asked to see my manuscript, which is really exciting to me. No matter what comes of it, it makes me think that someone may actually be interested in eventually publishing my book, once I get it all polished, of course.
He also suggested that I start an author’s Facebook page, forcing me again to remind myself to be brave. Self-promotion can be intimidating, especially when my pitch and parts of my book still feel clumsy to me, but he shared that some publishers will not even look at your manuscript unless you already have an online platform. So, I set up a page, and, to my disbelief, it already has more than 80 followers (including people I do not know)!
Being brave is making me feel very humble and grateful tonight. I just want to say thank you to everyone that has already shown support. And, for those of you that aren’t my friends on Facebook, I invite you to join my new “platform” by clicking like here, (I’d love to give faces to all of my mysterious Eastern European blog readers! Yes, Google Analytics tells me you’re out there!).
Don’t forget, be brave too!
After all, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
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| If you’re writing a book, I highly recommend this guide, so much great advice! |
For you multi-tasking introverts!
Awhile back, I mentioned a book that I was excited to start– Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. Being a multi-tasking introvert myself, I have read only the first few chapters, while also balancing two other reads simultaneously. It is interesting, I’m just not in a hurry to get through it– it’s more of something that I pick up for fifteen minutes at a time, then let digest and inspire before returning for more.
Last night, my dear friend Tanya, shared a link to a talk with the book’s author, Susan Cain, allowing me to multi-task while also listening, perfect! If you’re interested in the book, this is a great place to start, just let it stream in the background while you’re doing your other browsing. It will leave you feeling reflective and proud to be an introvert, (if you are one!).
Luck & Hard Work
Luck and hard work can be very easy to confuse. I work hard, but I do not always feel lucky with the results. Teaching, in particular, often leaves me questioning the correlation between the two. Maybe it is true of anything that is a craft– that the hard work takes longer to pay off.
It is just so easy to think that successful people are lucky and forget the role that hard work plays in their success. I know that I often catch myself thinking that published writers are lucky. However, I also know that they put in a ton of work and refuse to give up, which ultimately matters more than luck. After all, you will never publish anything if you do not write it or pitch it in the first place. Maybe, then, the secret is not luck, but that successful people are the ones that do not give up.
I’m trying to remind myself of this, to keep myself motivated. The ironic part is that I remind my students of this all of the time. “This is hard!” they’ll say. “Yes, life is hard, and you have a choice. Either you can work hard at it and be successful, or you can give up and never succeed.” I’m pretty sure that I said this at least five times this week. Funny how sometimes we do not hear our own words.
I thought that you might also like the reminder to make your own luck. If, like me, you’re pursuing a creative endeavor that would benefit from online networking, check out this great post about making your own luck.
oliviaobryon 