Writing Challenge Wrap-up

I’ve met a milestone on my work in progress today: 20,000 words! I am proud to say that all of these words were put onto paper during this month, as a part of my June Writing Challenge. The hours of brainstorming and typing are starting to pay off, and the novel is certainly taking shape. Cue the celebration!

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                Naturally, I didn’t meet all of my goals this month. For instance, I haven’t spent time on my third Jordan Nimsby book; I’ve neglected her in favor of two new protagonists in the WIP, and I feel a little guilty. She’s a fun character to be around, and I do intend to continue my Northwoods Barista Mystery series. I’ve also skipped writing altogether a few days this month due to travel or other obligations. 

                On the bright side, on the days that I did write, I surpassed my daily writing goal. Still, as all writers know, writing is about much more than word counts and daily challenges. The number was simply a guide to keep me focused this summer and to get me back into the flow of purposeful writing. But, should writers write each day? YES! There are probably countless reasons why, but here are some benefits I have found this month: 

1. Expanding Creativity. I feel more creative when I’m taking time to write every day. I’m creating and developing characters and plot, describing settings and actions, and forming dialogue and details. I’ve felt more creative and energetic in my everyday actions this month (more playful with my kids, more efficient in getting tasks done, etc.), and I’m chalking it up to targeting that right side of my brain every morning via writing.  

2. Building Focus. At times, I feel very scatterbrained. I’ve found that my most scatterbrained times are when I’ve gone too long without writing. Whether writing boring old to do lists or freewriting stories and lyrics, I find that the action of writing (or typing) strengthens my focus. It also gives me a great sense of accomplishment that makes me feel more effective in other parts of life. 

3. Having Fun! Duh. It’s tempting to leave this out in favor of more romantic sounding accolades, but writing is fun. Hanging out with your characters is fun, and so is seeing your thoughts in print. Maybe that makes me sound a bit crazy, but I am a writer, so I’m pretty sure that goes with the territory.

4. Moving Toward the Dream. I always tell my students to keep trying and to keep working towards their dreams, so it would be hypocritical if I didn’t follow the same advice. It isn’t that teaching or raising my kids isn’t enough for me (both are incredible experiences that I wouldn’t trade for anything), but I have always had the dream of seeing my published novel in Barnes & Noble. I almost reached that goal when Decaf & Drones was scooped up for publication by Three Worlds Productions three years ago; however, when the company closed shortly afterward, I was left with a well-edited manuscript, a cover, and no formal publisher. I’ve since self-published both Decaf & Drones and Lattes & Loony Lights, and I’ve had a few short stories appear in journals and online, as well (you can check out one of my favorites at Thrice). Still, that one dream still hangs over me: seeing my published work in a mega bookstore. When I write, I see tiny footprints in the sand moving toward my ultimate goal. If I stop writing for a period of time, they wash away. If I keep it up, those steps will take me somewhere.

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                I see with some of my students that they are quick to quit if they don’t see immediate progress at a sport, a job, a class, etc. When I tell them that I have been working toward this particular goal since high school, they are amazed. But I tell them the realities of life: some years you may be working so hard just to get by that you don’t have time to work on your goal; other times, you may need to focus on other activities that will bring you closer to your goal; all the time, small steps are leading you in the right direction. You just need to keep walking.

June Writing Challenge

After going through a serious writing drought this winter and spring, I’m making myself write every day this month. My goal for each day is 500 words. So far, I’ve met or exceeded my goal every day except for one, and I’m proud to say I’ve reached 7,000 words this morning on my newest work in progress. This new project is a young adult novel told through two different perspectives (I like to say that I write really small – flash fiction – or really large – novels—but nothing in between). It’s realistic fiction…mostly. There is definitely a science fiction element going on, a little bit of weirdness and mystery that I’m pulling in. I don’t want to say too much just yet, since it is very fresh and still forming in my brain, but I am so excited to be starting on something new!*

Since I’ve been struggling with making time for my writing lately, and I’m sure others do, too, I wanted to share some techniques that have been working for me this month.

1.       Achievable Writing Goals. 500 words a day is not too overwhelming. (This blog post will likely top out at 600 words...and 5 or 6 awkward gifs.) Picking a word count that I can easily handle (and complete in less than an hour, if needed) has been enormously helpful.

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2.       Writing in the Morning. I find that if I get my writing out as soon as possible (certainly before noon; before 10am if possible), I don’t struggle with as much writer’s block and I don’t forget to do it.

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3.       Double-timing Brainstorming. I spend a lot of time with my sons. I find that I can let my brain wander when building Hot Wheels race tracks for the hundredth time with my 3-year-old or while breastfeeding the baby. This helps me think through scenes, characters, and plot issues so that I can come to my laptop ready to let the words loose rather than stumbling through these brainstorming elements during my writing time.

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4.       Scheduling that Works for Me. I’m not sure if this is a legitimate diagnosis, but I swear my brain is more creative during the summer and early fall. I do my best writing and lesson planning during these times. Attempting a writing challenge at a time like this works best for me. (As opposed to, say, April, when I’m burned out, or November, when I’m super busy —I know, I know, NaNoWriMo, I love you, but your timing is flawed for my teaching schedule.)

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5.       Playing Games. I like to play little writing games with myself. For instance, I’ll set a timer to ten minutes and make myself write that entire time without any breaks. I might put down some bizarre or low quality writing on the page, but at least the words are out there: it’s a start. Or I’ll tell myself that I need to finish a certain scene today; regardless of where it is in the novel, I’ll only work on that scene. Outside of my writing time, I try to take my sons to new places or try out new games and adventures as a family, hoping that it will spike that summertime creativity I mentioned above. 

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I’m taking my writing challenge one day at a time, and I’m hoping to have a ton of beautifully-crafted prose by the time I’m done. Just kidding! I anticipate at least a pile of decent, re-workable stuff with some quality nuggets to build off of. First and foremost, I love writing, and I needed something to get me back into it after a busy school year. I’m hopeful these techniques will make June a fun and fulfilling month of writing.

*A note about my Northwoods Barista Mystery Series: Jordy fans, don’t worry—I’m not giving up on the series yet! The third book is in progress—right now, it’s a rough collection of an outline, notes on the suspects and crimes, and about 10,000 words of the typical sarcastic comments, over-caffeinated thoughts, and questionable detective skills that are a trademark of my narrator Jordan Nimsby. It’s coming together, and I will definitely spend some of my June challenge with Jordy, too. I hope to have the next book ready for release in Spring of 2019, if not sooner. I will keep everyone updated on this blog.

Post-Partum For Reals

Yesterday I tried on my jeans from last year. That was a mistake. I couldn’t get them halfway up my thighs. Eli (bless his heart) told me, “It’s too soon. Don’t worry about what clothes fit.”

Since my second child isn’t even five weeks old yet, my husband has a point. I am just getting tired of (still!) wearing maternity pants and whatever baggy shirts are breast-feeding friendly. It’s also rough because I feel like we see so many images of women on the media bouncing back to perfect shapes after childbirth—and social media is no better! The online pregnancy and baby group I follow has a bunch of women posting not only their adorable April babies, but also about how they’ve “only got 5 pounds left to lose!” It’s been one month, ladies! I have…well, let’s just say a few more...

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Fortunately, weight usually doesn’t bother me much. I’ve never been one of those people who can diet. I would rather eat healthy, if possible. I try to eat more fruits, veggies, and whole grains, but I can’t deny my soft spot for cheese and ice cream. And baked goods. And dark chocolate…
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Ideal weight aside, I feel a lot better after this pregnancy, and I think there are things I’m getting right this time around. After my first son was born, I felt incredibly worried and anxious, and I dealt with a lot of pelvic floor muscle problems. Overall, I felt sore and exhausted for weeks, despite a relatively easy delivery (well, I did suffer through over 30 hours of labor, but I had no complications). This time around (15 hours of labor and a few pushes), I felt much better much sooner, and, besides having been a faster process, I think these are some of the reasons why:

1.  Physically taking it easier on myself. I’ve been trying to spend more time lying and sitting with my feet up, both during pregnancy and post-partum. When I walk or go out of the house, I make sure to limit myself. I will work up to more activity, but I’m taking it slowly this time. 
2. Eating better. A few years ago, my diet consisted of way more salt, carbs, and sweets. Probably about the same about of dairy, but I’m balancing it with way more fruit and fiber than I used to eat. 
3. Avoiding harmful exercises. If you’ve had a baby, seriously, do not do traditional sit-ups or planks. They are bad for you, and there are other movements you can try. This is coming from two legitimate physical therapists I’ve worked with in the past, not from me, so it’s credible. ;)
4. Having a positive labor and delivery experience. I know this isn’t always a choice—sometimes, far from it. Last time, there were some issues with the hospital and my doctor that made things a bit rough, and I know other women who dealt with real emergencies. This time, I had the same amazing doctor I’d seen all nine months, a comfortable labor room, and a wonderful nurse who talked me through my options at every step. Being in the hospital for a much shorter time beforehand and doing everything naturally helped a lot, too, and gave me more confidence and strength.
5. Taking a chill pill. I’ve learned that everything is not going to work out the way you plan, and that life is different with a newborn in the house. I’m not stressing out over things that stressed me last time around (like breastfeeding in public—I use a cover anyways—or baby not reaching milestones at the “right” time). I’m also getting more comfortable with just being home and not needing to be somewhere all the time. Our home is out in the country with relaxing scenery, which also helps. 

Overall, I’ve been benefiting from taking life one day at a time. I joked with Eli on Mother’s Day that a great gift would be the boys growing up and being more independent, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t love this time—awkward moments, sleepless nights, and all.
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Pregnant Workaholic Mothers of the World Unite

Sometimes, because I wear so many hats, I’m not sure what to call myself. The rebel in me groans at the labels Stay-At-Home-Mom, Work-From-Home-Mom, Working-Mom, etc.… In reality, I am all three of those at different times of the day and year. In the summer, I get to be at home with my son (soon to be sons) and write (usually in the early mornings, late evenings, weekends, or during the occasional Curious George marathon). In the school year, I get to run around like a headless chicken because I teach both online, at Cameron Academy of Virtual Education, and in person, at UW-River Falls.  

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The weird fact is that teaching doesn’t feel like work. (Okay, I have to qualify that sentence.) It doesn’t feel like work most of the time. With my virtual students, I enjoy hearing about their unique ideas, especially when they take on new projects and writing challenges; with my college students in Reading Circles this semester, I spend Tuesdays involved in their engaging and (often) amusing discussions. Plus, call me crazy, but I enjoy reading research papers. (Usually.)  

The downsides are the times when I feel overwhelmed, and the fact that my writing has, effectively, been shuffled to the back burner during the school year. Life can be especially overwhelming these last few weeks of pregnancy, when every annoyance seems amplified by 3^rd trimester discomforts: back pain, insomnia, heart burn, constant bathroom trips, and basically feeling claustrophobic in my own body. (I’m convinced these last few weeks are the worst to make us mothers almost eager for the pains of labor.)

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Rayden was born in August, probably not the most relaxing time in a teacher’s schedule, but still, it was summer. Adding a second child, in April (possibly the most chaotic time of the school year), is not ideal, but I’ll roll with the punches. Bonus: since I’m only in a physical classroom environment for about 6 hours a week, the odds are in my favor that I won’t go into spontaneous labor in front of my students.

Unfortunately, since adjuncts don’t enjoy sweet benefits like maternity leave, one can hope my second child will follow my lesson plans and avoid making his arrival for another week at least. Everyone knows babies are so good at following orders.

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I do know it won’t be easily juggling the end of the school year at two schools, as well as two kids. However, I am feeling up to the task. I think I can chalk up my superpowers to two feelings.

The first is that it seems like others are in the same boat—if people of our generation want to do cool things, like take a family vacation, or…pay off a mortgage before we die…we sort of need to work a lot. I’d rather those jobs not feel like work, if I have a choice, even if that means doing extra since teachers don’t exactly rake in the Benjamins.

The second feeling is that I sort of enjoy the chaos. Switching my hat every season, even every day of the week, is oddly appealing. I could never sit at the same desk five days a week all year long. I can do this balancing act much better. And my brain enjoys it. (I swear it’s not the pregnancy hormones!) I’ve always been a multitasker. I guess it’s just coming more in handy these days.

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Even this summer, I plan to keep myself busy. There is our garden to plan and trips to take. I want to play in the backyard with two kids. And, after cooling off the front burners, I can finally braid the bits of unfinished stories that have been waiting far too long to be woven together. It will be a different kind of busy, and those evolving seasons are what I prefer.

Despite loving my busy days, though, I've come a realization this year. I need to plan for down time. Relaxing time. Friend time. I’m in a new town, but I know this is one area I need to work on: taking time away from the chaos to meet and chill with others. Maybe I can even find a local compadre (com-madre?) in the same scenario—someone else who is shredding the typical mom labels and juggling life with open arms. I know there must be more of us out there, and I think we need to start a club.