Vegas was weird...

Very, very weird.  Vegas is such an artificial place-- it seems designed to keep you trapped indoors, far away from fresh air and daylight.

I was there for the NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) conference a few days ago.  The people part was great-- Random House editors and sales folks, authors I adore, enthusiastic teachers and librarians, my wonderful agent.

Loved the workshop I was part of-- Social Justice and Kids/Teens Literature. I gave a talk about The Queen of Water and was on a panel, *and* I got to listen to other authors' speeches and teachers' ideas/reflections.  Fascinating.  Made me miss teaching! And I came home with a suitcase of free books!

But I gotta say, I was really, deeply craving fresh air and sunshine.  I'm the kind of person who goes on a long walk in the woods every day, and I spend my indoor time near lots of windows where I bathe in the sunshine like a lizard.  I came home late from Vegas and the next morning I practically ran to my favorite trails by the river and gulped in the sweet woodsy air.  Ahhh.

Hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving.  We had old friends stay with us-- lots of little boy energy and firetruck play (I counted six firetrucks at one point.)

I'm itching to get back to writing-- I took a week off for these various adventures, and man oh man, do I want to get back into my book-in-progress. (I'm about 2/3rd through a first draft.)

That will have to wait till Monday though. Life at the moment revolves around Lil Dude, whom I'm about to bathe right now.

Happy weekend,
Laura

Creative Writing Pep Talk

Hey guys! I was asked to write a pep talk for writers in my region who are doing NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month).  I thought I'd share it with you, too.  Even if you're not in the midst of a novel, it might motivate you to engage in any creative project... and it will definitely give you a sense of what goes on inside me as I write my books. Here goes: 

Hello fellow novelists,

Two weeks down and two to go… congrats! Right about now you might be feeling crazy and desperate, maybe craving a pep talk that goes beyond “Butt. To. Chair.”

I give myself pep talks almost daily.  I have twenty years’ worth of journal pages filled with variations of the same self-pep-talk: Yes, Laura, you can finish this book.  No, Laura, it will not suck. And where would I be without the inspirational quotes plastered all over my writing space?  My latest ones are from Einstein, whom I’ll quote in this particular pep talk (for you science-minded types who might roll your eyes at my Rumi quotes.)

Einstein Quote #1: “The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious.”

Writing a book is mysterious.  Even after seven published books, I feel this way. Just when I think I have the process all figured out, I fall flat on my face.  We writers yearn for step-by-step instructions on how to realize our dazzling and intricate visions. The mysterious can be exasperating.

Here’s my take on it:  Writing a story is a dance between your mysterious-deep-huge mind and your small-rational-ego mind... with the mysterious-deep-huge mind leading.  My small mind comes up with thousands of ever-shifting reasons why I shouldn’t delve into the depths, thousands of reasons why I should give up on my story.  My small mind is scared of relinquishing control.  It wants to quit.

What I’ve learned is this: Embrace the mysterious. This is your source.  Know that it is fearsome but beautiful.  Know that as a writer you must swim down into its darkness, explore it, and then return to the sunlit surface, laden with treasure.  Figure out your own metaphor for this.  Figure out your own way of humbly connecting with your source and showing gratitude.  (To do so, sometimes I put a vase of flowers on my desk or light a candle or get on my knees and give thanks.)  (Am I getting too mystical? Sorry. I tend to do that, which is why I started all this by quoting a scientist.)

#

Okay, back on track. 

Einstein Quote #2: “A human being is part of a whole, called by us “universe,” a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest… a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness.”

Why do you write stories?  I write stories because I have a strong urge to do so.  I hesitate to use the word “calling,” but honestly, that’s what fits best.  Writing stories makes me feel alive and purposeful in this vast universe. (Also, I get grumpy and head-achey if I don’t write.) 

All of you who have embarked on NaNoWriMo have this calling, too.  Maybe your reason for writing stories is different from my own… but to sacrifice sleep, a social life, and possibly basic hygiene for a month, you must feel a calling. 

Over space and time, certain humans have had this irresistible urge to tell stories and the courage to do it.  You are part of this sea of story-teller souls.  This is an incredible gift.  Humans need stories, and you – you-- have the calling to give them these stories.

Offering and receiving stories breaks down that “optical delusion of consciousness” that Einstein mentioned.  Stories let us exist in other skin, other minds, other lives.  They give us a sense of oneness with people—real and invented-- who might be, on the surface, vastly different from ourselves.  Isn’t that a miracle of sorts?  And you’re a key part of it.

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Einstein quote # 3: “There are two ways to live your life—one is as though nothing is a miracle, the other is as though everything is a miracle.”

During this month, your small-rational-ego mind has probably found hundreds of reasons why you shouldn’t finish, why your book sucks, why you suck. Your duty as a storyteller in this universe is to ignore that jabbering, and dive down deep, courageously, into the mysterious.  This month, you’re practicing the dance between the small mind and the big mind.  Honor this miracle. 

#

Einstein quote #4: “The distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.”

I wrote one of my favorite self-pep-talks in the early nineties, over a decade before my first book was published.  In my journal, I told myself, “Laura [um, yes, I often address myself by name in my journals], your book already exists, somewhere, in a future time. All you have to do now is write it.” 

Your book already exists.  Trust this.  All you need to do is write. Now.

(Well, and then revise for a few years… but that’s the topic of another pep talk.)

For the next two weeks, as your butt is in the chair and your fingers on the keyboard, may your insides thrum with wonder and gratitude and courage.

Warm writing wishes,

Laura 

*Also, quick reminder: for those of you interested in participating in a live online chat with me about The Queen of Water on Nov 28 2012 as part of Global Reads, please go here for more details.   This is a really cool, free program, and everyone is welcome!*

                                                                    (Another Einstein quote... couldn't resist!)

Tips on Revising your Novel...

Hey guys,

Here's the third installment of my novel-writing tip sheets, in honor of NaNoWriMo-- hope it's helpful!  This is something you'll want to use after your first draft, but it can't hurt to look it over now, and let your unconscious mind start working its magic...

Laura’s Revision Checklist

• Storyline, Pacing, Structure

• Are important transformational moments and revelations given in scene, not summary?
• Does each of the subplots have a clear narrative arc or a storyline that corresponds with characters’ changing feelings?
• Are the central story questions established early on?  Are all the threads and subplots developed and resolved?
• Are suspenseful moments as suspenseful as possible?  See if you can make them more suspenseful—perhaps by slowing them down, perhaps by clarifying or raising the stakes.  Remember that suspenseful moments need play-by-play narration in scene, not in summary.

• Characters, Relationships

• Is each character’s voice distinct?  Pay attention to each character’s way of expressing her/himself—the unique cadence, sentence structure and length, word choice, metaphors, etc.
• Are all characters—even minor ones-- three-dimensional, with their own motivations and quests?
• Do characters act in ways consistent with their personalities (and if they diverge, is it clear why)?
• Is there enough back story to understand the characters (but not too much)?
• Do all important relationships grow and change?  By the end, is there clear evidence of how the main characters have changed?

• Theme, Language, Style

• Is the language rich with sensual details and imagery (but not over-doing it)?  Is the setting vivid?
• Is there a good balance of scene and summary? Are you showing rather than telling whenever appropriate?
• Does every scene have a point?  When possible, does each scene ask a question, then answer the question, then ask a new question at the end?
• Does every scene resonate on several levels? Have you cut irrelevant parts and any repetition of words, phrases, or content? 
• Do scenes open strongly?  Are the scene breaks powerful? Active, (not passive) verbs when possible? Tenses clear and consistent?

 *Stay tuned for next week-- I've been asked to do a regional NaNoWriMo pep talk, which I'll plan on posting here, too. I'm having fun writing it...*

xo,

Laura

Practical Writing Strategies for your Novel...

Hey guys,

First and foremost, I hope all of you friends and family and readers on the East coast are weathering the storm.  My thoughts are with you and all my favorite places in coastal Maryland (like the Chesapeake Bay area where I went to college and the trailer park in Fenwick Island, Delaware, where we'd visit my grandparents every summer during my childhood and teen years. ) (This is the same trailer park where my now-husband used to visit his own grandparents, just across the street in the same trailer park. Our grandmothers were friends from way back when.  We played together as young kids, never guessing we'd some day be married to each other one day.)

I digress!  So here's the next installment of my tip sheets for writers doing NaNoWriMo (or anyone embarking on writing a novel).  (See my last entry for the first tip sheet.)

PRACTICAL WRITING STRATEGIES: At different points in your manuscript, you'll get stuck and feel despondent.  Here are some common obstacles, and suggestions on how to deal with them.  (Caveat: These are strategies I've found useful, but different writers have different approaches, so do whatever feels right for you!)

o   If you feel there's a big problem with some element of the story and you don't know how to proceed, then write about the story in your journal.  In fact, this is something I constantly do, and it always gives me a useful, big-picture perspective. This can be done in a stream-of-consciousness way.

o   Periodically, you could do a rough outline of what you have, and where you think you're headed with the story.  During revisions, I find it useful to make a list of scenes and the point of each scene, including which questions are resolved in the scene and which new questions are asked.  I also note what tension the reader is feeling in every scene and what's motivating them to continue reading. I ask myself how the scene furthers the story, develops characters, and relates to the themes.

o   If you're having a specific problem, for example, with weaving in flashbacks or alternating narrators, find books you love that do this well  and write in your journal about how exactly the authors manage this. 

o   If you feel that your characters aren't deep enough or that their stories and backgrounds aren't real enough, interview characters in your journal.  I do this all the time.  I ask my (imaginary) characters about their earliest childhood memories, what they buy at the grocery store, their favorite article of clothing, their deepest fears, the happiest day of their lives, how they feel about other characters, what they think happens next in the story.  This nearly always gets me unstuck!

o   If you're really, truly stuck, don't be afraid to consider some major changes—maybe structural changes, maybe eliminating some characters or adding new ones, maybe eliminating or adding a storyline, maybe changing the point of view.  This can feel heart-breaking, especially if you feel attached to the story as it is, but you could always tell yourself you'll just give it a try and see what happens.  Just copy the manuscript into a new document file and give yourself freedom to experiment with some drastic changes.  You can always go back to the old document if the new one doesn't work.  It's really useful to have trusted critiquers to give you feedback on major changes like this.

o   If you're feeling lost and overwhelmed, try to represent your story visually—through mapping or charting or graphing it.

o   If you've finished a draft of the novel, but you feel it could be better, and you're not sure how, try going through the revision checklist that I'll post next week.

Happy writing!

xo,

Laura 

Strategies to finish your novel!

Anyone doing NanoWriMo? I've never *officially* done it, although I realized that I've pretty much been doing the same word count requirements the past couple months, and I plan on doing it next month, too. (1500 words a day). Of course, this is my job, so I admit I have it easier than all the courageous NaNoWriMo-ers who are juggling work/school/family as they squeeze in a few hours of dedicated writing time every day.  In honor of NaNoWriMo, I thought I'd share part of a "Finishing Your Novel Tip Sheet" that I made a couple years ago for an event.  Hope it helps!

PSYCHOLOGICAL STRATEGIES: The main obstacle to finishing your novel is usually self-doubt, so you need to figure out ways to deal  with this. Understand how your creative process works, identify the glitches you'll probably encounter, and have tools ready to deal with this.   Possible strategies include:

o   Join a writers' group that requires you to submit regularly and gives you frequent encouragement

o   Give yourself a daily pep talk in your journal, remind yourself that you're capable of doing this. Find a useful way to conceptualize the novel-writing process—e.g.  maybe the story exists in its entirety in your unconscious mind, and your job is simply to bring it into the world.

o   Set small goals—like chapters or scenes—and celebrate little successes.  Set bigger goals every year as well.

o   Perfectionism usually does more harm than help until the very last stages of novel-writing.  Accept the inevitable messiness of a novel-in-progress.  That's the beauty of accepting that you'll do many revisions—it takes the pressure off.

o   Disconnect the Internet during your writing time.  ("Freedom" is a great

    program that I use on my PC-- it's available for Macs, too. $10 to download.)

o   Read books about creative processes that will cheer you on—The Artist's Way, Bird by Bird, The Writing Life, etc.

o   Don't get lost in little inconsequential  details as a form of procrastination. Move on to the big stuff.

o   Don't wallow in research for years as a form of procrastination.  Make sure you're actually writing.

o   Keep a list of reasons why you love your story, why it's important to bring it into the world, etc. Refer to this list and add to it often.

o   If you feel you can never find time to finish, schedule writing time every day or week that you honor as a priority.  This might mean hiring a babysitter to give you writing time.

o   Have a writing space devoid of distraction (like a trailer in your driveway!) or go to a café—whatever creative atmosphere works for you.

*Lots of good wishes to you on your writing journey!  Stay tuned for more tip sheets that I'll be posting over the next few weeks...*

xo,

Laura 

 

Things that make me SMILE!

 

Many things have been making me smile lately.... here's the first, which gave me happy shivers along with my smile.  It's a poem from the dog Star's point of view, inspired by my book Star in the Forest.  The poet is Orlando, a dazzlingly talented elementary school student:

My chain traps me from the world.

It locks my smile from my face

but I think

Zitlally has the key to unlock it.

Yes.

She has the key. 

I can't tell you what an incredible feeling it is for an author to see the marvelous creations her story has inspired.  I feel deeply moved seeing readers' unique connections with the story. Beautiful poem!  Thank you, Orlando!

Here's another thing that makes me happy-- 

The golden fall light at the Poudre River near my house.  I walk along it nearly every day and love watching how it changes with the seasons.

Yet another happy little thing... the Princess of Water... Leslie Nayeli.  She's the adorable new baby of my co-author of The Queen of Water, Maria Virginia Farinango.

Caught in the act!  This sneaky critter has been feasting on the apples from our tree every night along with his two buddies.  They're really fat and funny little bandits... Ian and Lil Dude and I go outside with flashlights to watch their antics, which make us smile and laugh.

My rickety blue vintage cruiser bike that I'd had for years finally broke down to the point where I couldn't justify pouring more money into fixing it... so we went out and found this gently used cruiser... and it's pink! It's so very pink that I can't help smiling when I ride it...

Thanks for coming by!  Hope you're finding lots to smile about, too!

xo,

Laura