Wednesday's Writing Prompt — Layover

Your character is flying to his destination and has to switch airplanes along the way. Because of a delay in his first flight, he has to rush to make the connecting plane. The scanner is broken at the counter, and the stewardess is just about to close the door when your character runs up to board the plane. He hands her the ticket and rushes down the hallway to find his seat.

Once he settles in, he pops his earphones in his ears and closes his eyes. As the stewardess begins the announcements, he unplugs one of his headphones, but the speaker is muffled. He shrugs and settles in for the flight. But when the plane is about to land, he hears the announcement again. The plane is not landing in the city he thought. He got on the wrong plane!

What does he do next? How does he react?  What important events will he be missing in the process? Does this affect a relationship? A job? A vacation? Does he have the money to get to the right place? How will he get to his original destination?

Announcement!

Hello friends! I just wanted to let you know that I will be going on vacation tomorrow for the next week, and because of that, will not be posting my normal Sunday blog post this week. Certainly I will be thinking about all my writing and yours, and will be sure to come back with a great new idea for the subsequent week's blog post. But I just wanted to let you know that with my much anticipated vacation, I will not be here to write my typical reflection on my last week's writing.

Thanks so much for reading my blog and encouraging me along the way. My writing is so much better for it! You will be missed! Have a great week :-)

Letting Go — The Road to Trust

This week, I completed my manuscript — yay! — and have started rereading my story in its entirety for proofreading and simple revisions. It was definitely exciting to finish the writing phase and feel that I have a whole, complete story to work with now. Getting to the end of the story and seeing the entire story arch are great platforms from which I can now leap into my revision.

As part of my MFA program, I have been matched with a wonderful editor to work on my manuscript throughout the semester.  The founder of two publishing companies and an incredible editor who has worked with many talented authors, I could not have asked for a better editor than Stephen Roxburgh. I am truly excited to be paired with this mentor, and so, starting September 1st, or really Tuesday, as that is the day I will be sending him my manuscript, I will begin working with him to revise and polish my manuscript. In place of a traditional class, during this mentorship I will work with my editor to do five complete manuscript revisions and hopefully bring my work to the place where I can begin sending it out to publishers. So now, as the summer draws the a close and school is just around the corner; as I complete my independent portion of the writing and move into collaboration; and as I prepare to receive the first round of feedback on my story, I find that I am feeling kind of nervous.

Of course, I've workshopped my writing many times before. But this is different. Unlike workshopping, where you typically show portions of your manuscript at a time, this is a complete manuscript turnover. He will be reading start to finish, without having seen any piece of the work before. Yes, he knows of the premise and the characters, but he doesn't really know anything else. So unlike a workshop setting, the problems he might identify in the beginning could still be very present in the end, and I cannot improve upon certain aspects of the novel before he might get to them.  

So I'm feeling slightly apprehensive about what Stephen's opinions will be, and how he will react to my manuscript. To be honest, I just want him to like it. I want him to say, "Hey, you've really got something here." Regardless of whether he says that or not, I know that my mentor will be critical and honest, and tell me exactly where the manuscript stands. He will identify the weaknesses and the strengths, the inconsistencies and missing components — and all for the betterment of my work. But as I wait to receive his feedback, I still find myself a bit anxious: anxious that perhaps the manuscript is not good enough, and anxious about all the work I have ahead.

I definitely have a tendency to anticipate and worry. I mean, I haven't even turned over my manuscript yet. So instead of sitting in anxiety, I need to just take a deep breath, finish my small revisions, and hand my manuscript over. This type of blind reading will provide both great, honest feedback for Stephen, and a great life experience for me. This format is much like the real world in which I would send out my work to an agent or an editor anyway, so this will just provide good practice. During my writing career, there are going to be people who say they don't like things, or that this manuscript or another manuscript just isn't good enough. And if or when someones says that, I just have to accept their opinion, and continue working hard to make my manuscript shine.

I've come to realize that I have to trust in my work as it is. I know that my manuscript as it stands is not awesome. It is a first draft. Is it good? Yeah, probably, but not ready to go anywhere other than to my mentor for sure. But even knowing that I have lots of work ahead, I also need to know that no matter what the feedback, I will be able to handle and work through the criticisms that I will receive. I need to trust that even if its not good enough right now, I can make it good enough through hard work. I need to trust that my story has potential, that I will be able to hear and accept the revisions, that I have the talent and work ethic it takes to be a writer. 

I need to know that I might not be there yet, and I might not even get there with this manuscript, but I am on my way. Unfortunately, writing a good, ready manuscript doesn't happen overnight, or in a week, or in a month. It takes revision and the help of others like my editor, and just basic hard work. Writing is a journey. I need to trust in the journey. The feedback will be what it will be. But until I actually have it in hand, there's nothing I can do but wait, and trust that I worked really hard. I just have to let my work go and see what happens. Ultimately, there's not really a choice. This is what writers do, right? Write and revise, turn it over and see what happens, and then do it all over again?  

I'll be sure to keep you updated on the journey! 

Wednesday's Writing Prompt — Airplane

Take your character on a trip. She arrives at the airport and has to go through security. What happens next?

When she finally makes it onto the plane, seat her next to someone undesirable. This could be a relative, friend, or complete stranger. What are they doing to annoy her? How is she going to deal with this for the next however-many hours? Is she going to address the problem, or simply try to close her eyes and ignore it? How does this difficult travel situation affect her view of the trip? What can she do to help herself get through the torture of a bad traveling experience?

The Importance of Finishing Strong

I've been working on my manuscript for just under ten weeks now, and after committing to write five pages a day somewhere around four or fives weeks ago, I am almost done my first draft. The end is in sight, and all I need to do is cross the finish line. But suddenly, writing has seemed a little bit harder, and my motivation a little weaker. Instead of writing, I feel more drawn to the TV, or maybe some extra sleep.

Why is this? I wondered. After all this work, shouldn't I be racing to this finish instead of wanting to walk instead of keeping up with my normal run? I'm on the last day of important events in the story. I know that I am almost at the end. Of course I want to see my character through his journey and wrap things up. But yet, sticking with it suddenly seems harder. I've forced myself to stick with my five-page-a-day rule, so it's not like I'm not doing it. But being so near to the end of my first draft, I am definitely feeling ready to take a bit of a break.

I ran through the list of reasons that perhaps I am feeling this way. Sometimes, when it is time to finish a story, like the experience of reading a good book, you don't want the end to come. You want to stay in the world and just aren't ready to part with the characters. But I quickly crossed that off the list. I'm not letting my story go because I have lots more work to do with revision. My characters are still running across my mind and I still find myself very present on that soccer field or in my character's school. So perhaps it's that as I think about my upcoming projects, I have become more excited about starting fresh in a new world of fiction, instead of working through the revisions of my current story. I've had a lot of new story ideas lately for a project I plan to work on in the spring, but I don't think it's about being more excited about that story rather than this one, either. I still believe in my story, and don't want to abandon it to move on to something that might feel more flashy and exciting in the moment. Of course starting new things are fun. But I know I am still committed to this story, and all the excitement it holds deep within it, even if I, the author, am not feeling the same newness as I was at the beginning.

The truth is that I think I am tired. Plain, simple, and honest. I am tired of working a full day and then coming home to work for an hour or two or more. Just like any other intellectual activity, writing takes a lot out of me, and while some days it is easier than others, on the whole it requires a lot of energy that is constantly flowing out of my brain and onto the page. My life has revolved around writing for the past several weeks. I plan all my days around how much I have to write. And I think I am just a wee bit spent. Not with my story, but just in myself.

So as I approach my deadline for my editor/mentor, and reach the last pages of my manuscript, I have to dig down deep and know that not only will it all be worth it, but that I can do it. I need to honor the commitment I've made to myself and my work to see the manuscript through.

One of the most important characteristics of being a writer is the ability to commit to your work. Now I'm not highlighting myself as an embodiment of this quality, for I totally struggle with it, too, clearly. But this is what will ultimately make the difference between someone who is published and someone who is not; or someone who writes with extreme passion, and someone who treats writing as a casual hobby.

There are a myriad of inspirational quotes that say success is always proceeded by rejection. And I would say that in order to achieve success, you must first achieve completion — and completion is always proceeded by struggle. Of course we will struggle to finish a manuscript. Of course we will struggle to carve out time from our busy lives or say no to people who might not always understand why writing your daily number of pages is really so important. But as writers, we have to commit to seeing the project through. We have to remember why we started, and where we want to go. This is where I am right now. Tired and spent, but still moving forward. I am almost there, literally, so now is the time to just stay committed.

When you see the finish line, do you sprint ahead or do you start walking? I don't want to be someone who walks, or worse, sits down. I want to sprint ahead and see the race through. Perhaps this post is to motivate myself to reach the quickly approaching end of my manuscript, but I hope it motivates you a little bit, too!

Wednesday's Writing Prompt — Sick

What is your character like when he's sick? Does he complain and drive other people mad? Does he tough it out and goes until he drops? Who takes care of him, or is there nobody to help? What is his response to this care? Does he feel like being sick or needing help makes him weak or helpless? Does he push back against this perceived weakness? Or does he love the extra attention and special treatment he receives?

Think about the way certain parts of his personality come out when he is sick; parts that he might otherwise try to keep hidden. Explore what his sick behavior reveals about him as a character. How can you use these discoveries in the rest of your story?

Inviting People Into Your Process

People often think that writing is a solitary experience. And in many ways, this is absolutely true. You think by yourself. You sit by yourself. You type by yourself. Most people want to work in a quiet, isolated environment. But yet, as I have been finding with my writing lately, inviting people into your process, and allowing others to share in and enrich your writing, yields a far better product than you could create on your own.  

These past few weeks, I've done a lot of writing. It feels like my life revolves around it, in fact. And in being so submerged in my projects, doing research and constantly jotting down ideas and working out story lines, I found myself developing questions that I wanted to bounce off others. For example, with the novel I am working on (the one with the deadline), soccer has become a large part of the storyline. Because of this, I did a lot of research — not being a soccer expert myself — making diagrams, listing soccer formations, studying different types of skills. And while I felt very comfortable with the knowledge I had amassed, there were certain moments when my wording didn't seem just right. Or when I wasn't actually sure if this thing would happen in a middle-school soccer game. So instead of moving forward and just hoping I was correct, I reached out to my friend Sean who knows almost everything about the game of soccer. And not only did he help me verify and correct what I already knew, but he gave me great new facts and ideas that will greatly improve my book. 

Similarly, a few weeks ago, I went to hang out with a friend of mine from work, Richard, and his good friend Justin, to talk about a future project. This novel idea arose from Richard one day talking about what Justin does. It is a job I had never given any thought to in a setting that was just perfect for a story. Something I never would have thought to explore on my own, up until that point, I didn't even really know it existed. So when interviewed, the details, description, and intricate knowledge given to me by Justin provided a richness to the setting I would never be able to achieve on my own.  And while I went in with a few ideas of my storyline, by sharing my vision and asking him to share of his knowledge, I came out just bursting with possibilities of a story I would never have pursued on my own. 

I think there is definitely a fear of sharing your ideas with others. And certainly there is a time and place to do so. I wouldn't advocate going around and telling everyone everything you're working on. Sometimes ideas need to be protected — from other's opinions or rejections, or simply so that your idea doesn't get around or taken by someone else. But at the same time, hiding your ideas could mean closing yourself off to the enriching stories of others. It could mean closing yourself off to different possibilities that might not come from your mind alone, but will only come through a collaboration with another.  

People have infinite amounts of knowledge to share. They also have infinite ideas. Each person has a unique set of expertise; a unique imagination; unique life experiences. My life will never be the same as yours, just as my imagination won't take me to the places yours does. I think it is important to develop your own ideas and to be the sole writer of your work. But at the same time, asking for help, talking about ideas, and being open to different opinions can enhance your work in a way nothing else can. 

Other peoples stories enrich mine. This is something I'm learning, and something I want to embrace. And as I share my process with others, as I invite them to partake in even the smallest bit of the experience, I am finding that not only are people interested, but they are enthusiastic. They are excited. They encourage me and help me find the drive to continue even on the days that might be the hardest.  

So thank you to those of you who help me. I am better for it, and so is my story. 

Wednesday's Writing Prompt — Sports

Place your character in the middle of a sporting event. What sport is it? What position does she play? Is she naturally talented? A hard worker? Or do would she rather be anywhere else but there? 

Imagine that your character has a crucial role to play in this particular game. What kind of pressures does she feel? Does she believe in herself, or is she a wreck with worry? What's on the line? What will the consequences of a good, and bad, performance be?

Sprinting Toward the Finish — A Word on Deadlines

I have until August 29th to finish my manuscript. A little stressed, you ask? Yes. Definitely. It is not that I can't do it, for I know that I can. But this deadline has a way of placing just enough pressure ot keep me on my toes, and is close enough that I have begun to watch the days tick by. In other words, my upcoming deadline makes every day count.

As I thought about this post, I wondered where this word came from. Sure, I get the connotation of a hard and fast line that cannot be moved, because it is "dead", but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed that the word suggest that if you cross this 'line', than perhaps you die. So, I did a little research as to the origin and came up with this answer: During the Civil War, a deadline referred to a line around an army barracks that no prisoner could cross. If they crossed the line, then they would be shot. A deadline thus wasn't originally about crossing it, but rather not crossing.

Luckily for us writers, deadlines no longer instill a fear of certain death. But while I won't be dying once I cross the line (and hopefully won't die if I don't), deadlines provide a real and tangible cutoff for the time a work needs to be completed. For me, this deadline for completing my novel has become real, and fast approaching. My work is due to my awesome new editor on September 1st, and since I am going out of the country on the 29th, my cutoff has been bumped up a few days. But regardless of whether my deadline is the 29th or the 1st, a deadline creates a sense of urgency that cannot be denied.

Deadlines can be a great way to muster up some motivation. Some people work best under pressure, and some might just need that extra kick to get started. But especially in terms of self-imposed deadlines, I think it is best to give yourself a little bit of wiggle room, and keep the reality of your abilities within your reach. Some people can comfortably pump out two thousand words per day, while others may feel more comfortable at five hundred. Some people revise as they go; others whip out a first draft and never look back until the end. Some people write every day of the week, while some write only three times per week. We all have different patterns. We all have different creative processes. So keeping this in mind as you plan for a deadline — or set one for yourself — is an important part of helping you successfully achieve your goal.

Just as it is important to maintain an awareness of your process when thinking about deadlines, it is equally important to realize that deadlines go a long way in helping to stretch us as writers. Deadlines provide a way to push us to do more than we might have otherwise thought possible, moving us beyond our common word counts or the time it takes us to revise. There is a fine line between being realistic and underestimating ourselves. When faced with a certain cutoff, we often realize we can do more than we ever thought. And this is something we should all embrace.

So as my deadline approaches, I am trying to be both realistic and aim high. I am embracing the pressure and embracing the stretch. All there is to do now is move forward toward the goal, without stopping and without getting hung up on the fear of incompletion. I hope you do the same, too. Because no matter how hard it feels, I know you can do it. And in the end, if you don't, you will just end up with a whole lot of great work that you didn't have before!

Wednesday's Writing Prompt — The Train

Inspired by my friend Karen's awesome blog, TrainWrite:

Your character is running for the train. The doors are about to close. What does he do? Does he try to leap into the car? Does he stick his foot in to prevent the doors from closing? Does he give up and make no effort at all?

Now think of those around him. How do they respond to his actions? How does he relate to them through body language or speech? Imagine there is someone else also trying to make the train. Does he try to hold the door for her? Does he even notice, or is he only focused on getting to his destination?