Tag Archives: Writing

Apr 29 2012
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Writing

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blog of a published author this morning, where he shared that he has written four books, the first of which is still unpublished.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!

Done!  (For now…)

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Mar 14 2012
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Life, Travel, Writing

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!

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Mar 13 2012
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Writing

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.
——
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! 😀

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Mar 13 2012
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Writing

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.

If you’re writing a book, I highly recommend this guide, so much great advice!
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Mar 02 2012
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Teaching, Writing

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.

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Feb 28 2012
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Writing

Expecting Happiness

If you know me, you know that I change my mind a lot.  Here is my new, and hopefully improved, pitch for my book.  I would love to hear whether you like this one or the old one better, (see Better? post for the old version).  So far, the feedback I’ve received is that the first one was better…  I really can’t decide!  I’ve changed the working title from Six Weeks to Expecting Happiness, I also welcome thoughts there, (kind of a play on the pregnancy/family theme).

Expecting Happiness

Desire for Escape.
Desire for Adventure.
Desire for Something More…

Kristen and Jake are much like many couples in their late twenties. They were told that they could be anything they wanted when they grew up. The problem is, beside each other, they cannot figure out what they want. Somehow, they have found themselves stuck in windowless cubes, trudging to meaningless jobs, grasping for purpose. Most nights, they forget to even look at each other. However, after the loss of a pregnancy forces them to reevaluate their priorities, they decide to reclaim their childhood dreams of adventure by embarking on separate journeys. While Jake sets off across country by car, Kristen secretly chases an old flame to Europe. Both searching for something different, they find themselves on surprisingly parallel adventures that may or may not lead them back together.

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Feb 22 2012
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Writing

Blog Advice… Blogvice?

I’m reading a pretty cool book, The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published.  When I first heard the title from another aspiring author, I thought that it sounded useful, but bland, the last stop on my journey to finishing my book.  Instead, I’ve discovered it to be much more entertaining than I expected.  And, in exchange for purchasing the book, I now have a twenty minute “consultation” with its authors, the Book Doctors.

You would think that I would be all over this opportunity, but instead I had to talk myself into actually submitting the request.  The voice in my head kept saying, “It’s too early,” “You’re not ready to talk to anyone about your book,” “Is your book even good?” Even in a situation that has very little potential of yielding anything, I find myself afraid of failure, which is why I sucked it up, and made the appointment.  Kind of the story of my life.  Anxiety.  Suck it up and do it anyway.

One of my takeaways so far from their book is that I need to develop some sort of web presence for myself, somewhere to hang my writing hat, so to speak.  So far, my blog has just been a place where I muse about anything and everything, (happiness, travel, writing, teaching…), but they recommend limiting blog subjects to attract and maintain an audience.  I can see what they’re saying, but I also have a hard time devoting myself to just one theme… I love having a space that I can write about anything, audience or not.  And, no, a journal would not serve the same purpose!

What do you think?  You read my blog.  Would you rather I picked one theme and stuck with it?  I know that it’s a bit of a biased sampling since you’re undoubtedly reading this because you actually know me, but I am still curious of your thoughts.  Better if I only wrote about writing, traveling, teaching, or happiness?  Or, keep this blog and start another one that only has one focus for the goal of establishing myself as a writer?

***

On a random side note, and further underlining my inability to focus on just one idea, check out this movie trailer.  I found it extremely thought-provoking about the still-present need for feminism in our society.  Watch for the Fox News guy that says that women should not be president because of PMS.  He should be forced to live on an island without any women!:


Miss Representation 8 min. Trailer 8/23/11 from Miss Representation on Vimeo.

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Feb 11 2012
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Writing

Better?

As I wrote my book, I was pleased that the words poured out so easily.  Now, I feel frustrated that I cannot sum my book up into 200 words that I like!  It kind of reminds me of writing a personal statement for college.  I found that painstakingly difficult too.

Here is my most-current 200 word pitch.  As before, suggestions appreciated!

It began as just a drop.  One smooth drop of red blood running down her pale thigh.  She felt the moisture with her fingers and looked down to see the bright crimson stain emerging on the back edge of her linen skirt.  She felt an immediate wave of horror followed by, to her shock, relief.  

Losing the baby was symbolic of something greater, of letting go of a flailing dream of happiness, a jolt back to reality that something needed to change.  Instead of allowing their discontent to fester, Kristen and Jake decide to say “Fuck it all” to their meaningless jobs and sell their house to embark on individual journeys of self-discovery.  Both aware of the ambiguity of this mission, as well as the risks to their marriage, the late twenty-somethings find themselves experiencing parallel adventures.  While Jake heads off on a road trip across the country, Kristen departs for Europe, secretly intent on visiting an old flame.  Certain that there must be something better, they forsake the predictable for the unknown, escaping on journeys that may or may not bring them back together.
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Feb 09 2012
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Writing

200 Words to Sell Myself!

Oh how I love Nanowrimo… It really has changed my life, pushing me to write copiously and quickly. Today it pushed me into action with its newest challenge: pitch your book in 200 words or less. February is Pitchapolooza month and the winner gets hooked up with an intro to an agent. Now, I realize that my chances of “winning” are slim, but pitching needs to happen regardless, so this afternoon I set to work putting my book into 200 words.
I found this pretty tricky. I don’t know how much to reveal and how much to keep as vague hints about the contents of my book. The pitch that I ended up with below errs more on the vague side and I am curious of opinions. Better to give more actual details? Did I put you to sleep with not enough action and too many esoteric thoughts? Online advice was pretty slim and ranged across the board in suggestions, so I turn to you instead, my sweet little online audience. I welcome any thoughts, emailed, texted, commented, whatever. I’m not fishing for compliments, so real thoughts expressed kindly, please! Writing a pitch feels harder than writing a book! Help!

CAUTION: Before you read the revelation of my book soul, please know that the characters and experiences therein are fictional!

Attempt Numero Uno at a Pitch (And, a transforming work in progress!):
Six Weeks

At first it began as just a drop. One smooth drop of red blood running down her pale thigh. She felt the moisture with her fingers and looked down to see the bright crimson stain emerging on the back edge of her linen skirt. She felt an immediate wave of horror followed by, to her shock, relief.  

Losing the baby was symbolic of something greater, of letting go of a flailing dream of happiness, a jolt back to reality that something needed to change. Instead of allowing their discontent to fester, Kristen and Jake decide to say “Fuck it all” to their meaningless jobs and sell their house to embark on individual journeys of self-discovery. Both aware of the ambiguity of this mission, as well as the risks to their marriage, the late twenty-somethings find themselves in Europe, experiencing parallel adventures that may or may not bring them back together. Intent that there must be something better, they forsake the predictable for the unknown, trusting in themselves to manifest their own destinies on the other side of the world.
***

For some reason, that still feels off to me. Like maybe I need to give more actual pieces of what happens in the book? Or, better yet, maybe I should re-read it when I have not just spent ten hours at school!
Welcome to my brain.
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Jan 22 2012
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Life, Teaching, Writing

The Mixed Emotions of Sunday

Each week, Sunday brings mixed emotions for me.  My job as a teacher can be all-consuming, so Sunday reminds me that it’s time to gear back up and get ready for the week to come.  It requires grading, planning, and refocusing to minimize my stress during the week.  It is also the day that I visit my family and attempt to catch up on my book.  Writing is requiring a lot of patience because I have so little time to do it and so much desire to lose myself in it…  Not to mention grocery shopping or making sure that our house is clean for the week!

In short, Sunday is full.
I know that life is full too, not just Sundays, but for whatever reason Sundays often feel like the fullest day of the week.  I find myself trying to cram everything that I want to accomplish into Sundays because the week days are monopolized by teaching and Saturday is the day that I let myself relax, do less, and generally spend my time with Alex, (since it’s the only day off of the week that we share).
I want to learn how to achieve more balance while also holding onto all of my priorities.  I guess prioritizing is a part of life, I just wish that I had time for everything!  What a lovely world it would be if I could get everything done that I need to be a good teacher, have plenty of time to write my book, keep a clean house, get enough exercise, and still have enough time for my friends, family, and Alex.  I can’t even imagine what it feels like when you add children into the equation.  I guess your priorities shift.  
For now I just want to figure out how to fit all of my priorities into the picture!  I think that is why Sunday is bittersweet for me; I have so many things that I want to do with this one precious day and only 12 hours or so to do them!  I’m sure that there is some Zen teaching that would help me about now, but no time to look– happily off to the next Sunday priority but also sad to be putting my writing away for the day!
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Jan 03 2012
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Writing

I wrote a book! A book, I tell you!

I just finished the first draft of my first book!  Those firsts are important, I have a lot of editing, revising, and augmenting to do, but it’s still a pretty darn cool feeling to have a complete story at my finger tips!  Calling it my first book is also key, because regardless of what happens to this one, I’m determined that it will not be my last attempt.

So, blog world, here is my new goal:  An edited, revised, and slightly longer version ready for marketing by summer 2012!

Btw, do you know any book agents?

Just thought I’d ask.  😉

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Dec 27 2011
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Writing

40,082 Words!

I met my goal for the new year!  Well, my revised goal… Tonight I surpassed 40,000 words!  I’m going to do this– I’m going to finish a book!  Whether or not it is any good, that’s a whole other issue, but, not my current concern!

Only 10,000 to 20,000 more words to go!

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