Growing Up

I recently took a giant leap in my writing life.  Most of you know (my faithful readers) that I wrote a book last November, and that I was beginning revisions a few months ago. After doing two rewrites, I decided it was time to send my book out to be read -- well this is huge for me. I rarely ever let anyone read my work, especially a novel!   However, I know that I will never grow as a writer if I don't let my work get torn to shreds.  Choosing who to send my book to was tough, and it's been hard waiting as she reads it.  The person I decided on has a lot of experience with both reading and editing. It's someone I respect, and I look forward to her feedback. 

I feel a little outside of my comfort zone, but as each day passes, I forget that my little piece of artwork is on someone else's desk, being read by a different set of eyes.   I cringe at the thought of something that I might have left out, or an inconsistency that I might not have corrected.  Now I wait -- I wait to hear what she thinks, I wait to discover how my writing looks to someone else...  I guess you could say, I'm growing up?

Nano Day 9 - Kicking and Screaming

I love the fact that I can get lost while I write. The daily stress can quickly dissolve into the scene that I am writing, and for moments at a time, I can be the puppet-master of my own world.

Lately, two of my main characters have interrupted my peaceful writing. One of them, the youngest, feels that his age is too young. The other, well she can't decide on if she wants to be referred to in her full name, by her last name, or three different nicknames. It's exhausting! I will think that we have settled on an effective nickname, and then along the way it changes. 

The great thing about Nano, is they can kick and scream all they want, but I don't have to change anything right now. I don't have to worry if one character is acting way older than he should, or if another character has three different nicknames. I am confident that by the end of the story, he will know exactly how old he is, and she will have decided on her name. Until then, I will remain calm and peaceful, and continue to lose myself among the river of words. 

Do you find that your characters rebel mid-story? How do you handle it?

Finding the Time to Write!

It is 5:00 in the morning, and I am wide-awake. It seems that my internal clock has chosen this as my new wake up time. The house is quiet and the birds outside are making the neighborhood aware of their existence. (I am happy to report that after waiting a month, I finally have birds coming to my new bird feeder, YAY)

I started on a new WIP yesterday. What I thought was going to be a possible short story series quickly turned into a novella or novel series. I love the feeling of starting something new. My heart races and my fingers type as if they are on autopilot. The world stops around me, and I completely submerge myself into the new world that I am creating. When it’s good, it isn’t work—it’s pure enjoyment!

Someone asked me yesterday, “between going to College, being a mom, working, and taking care of the house, how on earth do you find time to write?” My response, “writing is my outlet from all of those things. It’s not a task, but a sense of strength in my life. I find the time because I love it!”

I don’t mind when 5am rolls around and the characters in my head are awake and ready to start their day—now if I could just convince myself to work out at that time!  Oh well, another day maybe J   

Do you find it a struggle to find the time to write?

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Unleash Your Inner Muse!

My Muse visited me this morning with a completely new plan. She wanted me to write a short story as a different challenge for myself since finishing the first draft of my novel. I spent the morning going against her and telling her “no way!” After much debating back and forth, I am pretty sure she swore at me—can a Muse do that?

I decided it was in my best interest to listen to her, so I sat down and wrote my very first short story. I finished within an hour, and it is sitting on my lap as I type this. Is it the best short story ever written? No, and it needs a lot of well-deserved attention, which it will get. However, this short story is a symbol of my getting past the limitations that I have set upon myself somewhere along the way. Statements like “I am horrible at short stories!” or “I could never write a short story!” crushed my ability as a writer to listen to my Muse, and create work that captures the essence of who I am as a person. 

I am sharing this, because I know that I am not alone with this type of negative self-talk. So stop it! Start believing in your writing abilities. Try something that you have been telling yourself you would never be able to do. You might actually find out that you are capable of a whole lot more than you have ever imagined!