Well, eventually that time arrived, and our little son was born on August 13th, 10 days early. They say that's unusual for a firstborn, being born almost 2 weeks early. They also said that it's unusual to feel the really early labor pains that I had to tolerate for 23 hours before being admitted into the hospital for the "real thing". Exciting! LOL. However, it wasn't really that laughable at the time, mostly just torturous, especially since being admitted only meant that I then had a few more hours of much more intense labor before delivery since I opted out of the drugs...
Either way, the painful part is all over and done with, and we are off on a new adventure in our little family! Like they say, it's worth it. It's been 12 days with a newborn needing feedings every 2-3 hours and attention at random times both day and night, so my writing schedule has been basically nonexistent. Fortunately, I have had a little time to get prepared for my online teaching job these last few days, but I haven't been using baby's nap times for writing just yet. I'm still adjusting and trying to catch up on lost chores and business matters. Hopefully, life will get into a new and improved routine shortly, and I will be back up and writing in no time. For the time being, I think about how this new experience will lead to new ideas that I will likely pen to paper in the months and years to come. Watching a newborn experience even the most simple things with a fresh perspective makes you see the world with a new perspective, as well. A walk around the block becomes an epic journey. A simple mobile becomes symbolic. It's all brand new, and I hope to soak it all in. Experience is everything for writers, and it appears that that's true for mothers, as well.
Monday, August 25, 2014
Monday, August 11, 2014
Favorite Genres
At a writers' conference that I attended back in April, one of the speakers said that writers should pick a genre and stick with it. "Nobody wants to see a chick lit written by Stephen King," she said in way of explanation. Her comparisons were quite humorous, but I could see the point she was making. Writers become associated with the genre and style of writing they do. (I guess it must be the same for actors. For example, I would be very creeped out if I suddenly saw a new serious action thriller starring Will Ferrell.)
I think, for the most part, this idea only applies if you are already a successful, published author. I mean, if nobody but your friends, professors, and family have read your books, poems, or stories, why shouldn't you feel free to write whatever you like? Still, even if you do become successful and published, I think you should have the right to write what you like. Sure, your fan base will change, and marketing your work may become more difficult, but if the writing is superb, I like to believe that everything will work out eventually.
Of course, I'm still in the process. I do love to write in multiple genres, however. My favorite is young adult literature. I love the creative power that you can have with writing for that age level. It's just fun! Plus, as a high school English teacher, I am used to reading and writing YA lit. You can imagine yourself expanding their vocabularies and imaginations as you write your novel, nerdy as that may sound. I also love action and mystery. I recently started outlining a mystery series that I would love to write, and I can't get my ideas on paper (er, Microsoft Word, I should say...) quickly enough!
I think it's completely awesome to expand what you might consider your genre limitations. Don't be afraid to challenge yourself. What genres do you like to read? What ones do you write in?
I think, for the most part, this idea only applies if you are already a successful, published author. I mean, if nobody but your friends, professors, and family have read your books, poems, or stories, why shouldn't you feel free to write whatever you like? Still, even if you do become successful and published, I think you should have the right to write what you like. Sure, your fan base will change, and marketing your work may become more difficult, but if the writing is superb, I like to believe that everything will work out eventually.
Of course, I'm still in the process. I do love to write in multiple genres, however. My favorite is young adult literature. I love the creative power that you can have with writing for that age level. It's just fun! Plus, as a high school English teacher, I am used to reading and writing YA lit. You can imagine yourself expanding their vocabularies and imaginations as you write your novel, nerdy as that may sound. I also love action and mystery. I recently started outlining a mystery series that I would love to write, and I can't get my ideas on paper (er, Microsoft Word, I should say...) quickly enough!
I think it's completely awesome to expand what you might consider your genre limitations. Don't be afraid to challenge yourself. What genres do you like to read? What ones do you write in?
Monday, August 4, 2014
Finding Time to Write
Perhaps my greatest downfall as a writer is not setting aside enough time to write every day.
During the school year, I easily fall into the pitfall of saying that I don't have enough time; being a full-time high school teacher these last two years, I was incredibly crunched for time during the school year, and free moments were spent just trying to keep the house clean, pay the bills, or go about the other necessities of daily life, like sleeping or eating... It didn't help that I had several additional after-school (and sometimes weekend) duties that went along with my job and a daily commute of about 1.5 hours eating away at my non-working hours.
However, this summer, I started with a fresh slate, telling myself that I would write every day. For the first month, I wrote 2,000 words a day (except for Saturdays) in any of the three novels I'm currently working on. I was dedicated and motivated. Then, the summer became busy. Relatives' weddings, friends visiting from out of town, baby showers for our soon-to-arrive little bundle of joy (and all the doctors' appointments, baby-proofing and planning that goes along with that little bundle), and my search for a new, more flexible teaching job all began to bog down my Summer of Writing. Fortunately, the best thing about goals (at least in my personal opinion) is that you can readjust and get yourself back on track even if you fell off of your original course. I have about a month left of the summer, and I intend to once again dedicate myself fully to my Summer of Writing. I am setting daily goals, even if they aren't as grand as my original goals, with the full intention of meeting them. I can do it! I hope that any of you other writers out there will take that advice, as well. Even if life gets in the way and drives you off track, you can pull yourself back up and put your pen to paper once more. I think the best motivators for me have been the following:
1. Setting a realistic and specific daily goal. For example: I will read/edit what I wrote yesterday and then write 1,500 new words.
2. Giving yourself rewards for meeting your goals. For me, I like to promise myself a half-hour of reading after an hour of writing or maybe a trip to the local coffee shop to finish up my daily writing with a tasty reward.
3. Post a longer-term goal for your writing in addition to the daily goal. For example, I have goals of the word counts I would like to see for each of my manuscripts by the end of August. As I see myself getting closer, it is even more of a motivator!
During the school year, I easily fall into the pitfall of saying that I don't have enough time; being a full-time high school teacher these last two years, I was incredibly crunched for time during the school year, and free moments were spent just trying to keep the house clean, pay the bills, or go about the other necessities of daily life, like sleeping or eating... It didn't help that I had several additional after-school (and sometimes weekend) duties that went along with my job and a daily commute of about 1.5 hours eating away at my non-working hours.
However, this summer, I started with a fresh slate, telling myself that I would write every day. For the first month, I wrote 2,000 words a day (except for Saturdays) in any of the three novels I'm currently working on. I was dedicated and motivated. Then, the summer became busy. Relatives' weddings, friends visiting from out of town, baby showers for our soon-to-arrive little bundle of joy (and all the doctors' appointments, baby-proofing and planning that goes along with that little bundle), and my search for a new, more flexible teaching job all began to bog down my Summer of Writing. Fortunately, the best thing about goals (at least in my personal opinion) is that you can readjust and get yourself back on track even if you fell off of your original course. I have about a month left of the summer, and I intend to once again dedicate myself fully to my Summer of Writing. I am setting daily goals, even if they aren't as grand as my original goals, with the full intention of meeting them. I can do it! I hope that any of you other writers out there will take that advice, as well. Even if life gets in the way and drives you off track, you can pull yourself back up and put your pen to paper once more. I think the best motivators for me have been the following:
1. Setting a realistic and specific daily goal. For example: I will read/edit what I wrote yesterday and then write 1,500 new words.
2. Giving yourself rewards for meeting your goals. For me, I like to promise myself a half-hour of reading after an hour of writing or maybe a trip to the local coffee shop to finish up my daily writing with a tasty reward.
3. Post a longer-term goal for your writing in addition to the daily goal. For example, I have goals of the word counts I would like to see for each of my manuscripts by the end of August. As I see myself getting closer, it is even more of a motivator!
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Sci-Fi Dystopian Novel Excerpt
Be sure to check out excerpts from my young adult science fiction dystopian adventure, New Pangaea. I will be posting parts of the novel on the new page of this blog; I hope you enjoy it. The novel takes place 200 years in the future and involves an evil government infiltrated by a dark enemy bent on destroying the world. My main character is Zinthia, a low-key type of rebel who ends up becoming a rock' n' roll diva in a time when music has long since passed away. Will she and her friends be able to save the world?
Monday, June 9, 2014
Questions about Place
In my novel Hometown Girl, Claire grows up in my own hometown- Minocqua, WI- and goes through some experiences that were similar to my own. Growing up in a small town that is known as a tourist paradise in the "Great Northwoods" can be interesting... In the winter, it felt as though the "Island City" was sleeping under its blanket of snow and ice, watching the locals go by. Every summer, the town awoke to the hubbub of chatting tourists, honking cars, and the whines and roars of boats and jet skis circling the Chain of Lakes. As if the two seasons weren't distinct enough by the vast change in weather, the atmospheres and personalities of people seemed to alter drastically as we made our way once again through spring, summer, autumn, and winter. I always loved the finality of autumn- the chaos and bustle is over, and now is the time to settle in with books around the fireplace or to pull up to my notebook or laptop for some writing with a cup of strong, hot coffee. You could truly rest and think in winter. Now that I live in a community that seems relatively unchanged by the passing of the seasons (besides the fickle weather; I am still in Wisconsin, after all), I wonder about how much of a role community really plays in one's writing and/or in one's childhood. How has your own hometown changed your life? How has it made you who you are? Was it someplace to retreat to later in life, or someplace to escape from at the earliest possibility?
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Efficient Writing
When I was at my first-ever writing conference last month, an editor and agent asked me if my novel New Pangaea had "sharp dialogue". I wasn't exactly sure what she meant, but I assumed it had to do with being efficient with the dialogue; avoiding unnecessary dialogue and using it to carry the story, in other words.
This idea of efficiency had me thinking about the way that I speak and act and how I am as a (real life) character. Overall, I am a fairly efficient person in many aspects of my life. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing, I'm not entirely certain, but it does make shopping a lot quicker and easier. Take, for example, my mission to find Mother's Day cards for my mother and grandmother last week. A quick scan of the pink and flowery Mother's Day section let me eliminate all of the ones that played music, allowed personal voice recording, were 3D, covered in 20 pounds of glitter, waterproof, glow-in-the-dark or edible. (If I had the money, I would spend $1,000 on my mother, but a card for $5.99? That's just ridiculous, and she would agree.) Another glance and I eliminated all of the ones with cartoon characters, kittens, and overly mushy sentiment. Within 20 seconds, I had efficiently narrowed down my selection to about 5 choices. Then, I merely had to pick the one I liked best for the best price. It took all of 1 minute. That's usually how my shopping trips go. Unless I have to try on things like jeans or shoes...there's a reason I don't like shopping for those...
While looking back through my completed novel this weekend, making final edits per recommendation of the professionals at the conference, I kept this idea of efficiency in mind. With that word pounding in my brain, I hope my characters' voices are unique, to-the-point, and entertaining, as I've had fun getting to know all of my characters, including Claire in the latest work, Hometown Girl. If you haven't already, feel free to check it out on the Latest Work page. You're welcome to provide feedback, as well.
This idea of efficiency had me thinking about the way that I speak and act and how I am as a (real life) character. Overall, I am a fairly efficient person in many aspects of my life. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing, I'm not entirely certain, but it does make shopping a lot quicker and easier. Take, for example, my mission to find Mother's Day cards for my mother and grandmother last week. A quick scan of the pink and flowery Mother's Day section let me eliminate all of the ones that played music, allowed personal voice recording, were 3D, covered in 20 pounds of glitter, waterproof, glow-in-the-dark or edible. (If I had the money, I would spend $1,000 on my mother, but a card for $5.99? That's just ridiculous, and she would agree.) Another glance and I eliminated all of the ones with cartoon characters, kittens, and overly mushy sentiment. Within 20 seconds, I had efficiently narrowed down my selection to about 5 choices. Then, I merely had to pick the one I liked best for the best price. It took all of 1 minute. That's usually how my shopping trips go. Unless I have to try on things like jeans or shoes...there's a reason I don't like shopping for those...
While looking back through my completed novel this weekend, making final edits per recommendation of the professionals at the conference, I kept this idea of efficiency in mind. With that word pounding in my brain, I hope my characters' voices are unique, to-the-point, and entertaining, as I've had fun getting to know all of my characters, including Claire in the latest work, Hometown Girl. If you haven't already, feel free to check it out on the Latest Work page. You're welcome to provide feedback, as well.
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