I'm on my way, but where to?

Starting my fingers moving across computer keys and into a story is an interesting happening. It’s like starting on a trip: I know where I want to go, but I’m not sure about everything I want to do, or what’s in stake for me at the end of my trip. It’s like I decided to go to Los Angeles and probably visit Disneyland, but I’m not sure where I’ll end up, or what I’ll be doing before I hit my main attraction.

I have come to a quandary in my writing. I thought that if I plot along the way, my muse will come along and gently guide my fingers and thoughts with wondrous new adventures. But this takes some sacrifice, some discipline every day to the task.

I could devote all my time to writing. Some people write for eight hours, a normal workday for most folks. But I’m not like that. I get up in the morning and tend to my garden, chickens and the dog. Then, I exercise on the elliptical machine (if I remember!), and I make breakfast for my telecommute husband and myself. Next, I climb into my computer chair and whiz through the myriads of email and check my blog. I drop into Facebook once in a while, picking up the latest scoops on what’s happening with my friends and relatives. If I happen to open my eyes, I find dust and dirt everywhere, then it’s clean, clean, clean! Not my favorite thing. I don’t know anybody who loves to clean every week, only to do the same chores again the next. It’s a heartless, thankless job, but it has to be done. Then there’s a whole mess of tasks waiting for my hands to pick them up and do them (this is after cleaning, or instead of!). I have a crocheting project – a blanket for my niece’s third child (the coming attraction arrives in September), a business I’d like to start (when?), and a whole lot of other to-dos. The list seems endless, yet what are my priorities?

One thing I haven’t devoted myself to but have taken baby steps to accomplish is starting my day in prayer and a little Bible reading. There is something exhilarating and infinitely exciting to know there is a creator in whom we can talk to and who guides our paths each and every day. Some writers wake up to the Word, giving them inspiration and hope for the day, for the hour in their lives. They ask God for guidance in the next twenty-four hours, and even request his leading of the way in their writing. And a lot of those writers are now authors!

I think this morning I will ponder through a few scriptures and pray to the One who put this earth into orbit, and ask Him to show me where my story should be going. - Linda

Over 8,000 words

I'm still plugging along, writing about a thousand words each time.  It's slow going, and I'm not up to the word count I should be this week (I don't know how much that is and I don't want to figure it out!), but at least I am writing!  That's something to say for myself.  I hope whoever has entered this marathon is still writing, as well. 

See you next time, Linda.

Update! FREE Children’s Online Writing Conference!

Check both of the subsequent websites to increase your passion for the writing you love to do.

Follow the link http://writeoncon.com/ and you will open the door to a free conference for aspiring authors of picture books, middle grade and YA genres in all sorts of subgenres. Register NOW because this conference commences August 10-12, 2010. You may ask any questions pre-conference, and this also gives you the time to dust off and polish that tucked away children’s book you had in mind years ago. This is an online conference during the day, but a lot of the work comes about in the evening (for those of you who have a 9-5 job).

Another link http://www.blueridgeagency.com/ opens the door to a fairly new literary agency that is willing to accept new authors, the Blue Ridge Literary Agency.

P.S. I have not checked out everything about these two websites, but I have already signed up for the conference. The conference led me to the agency, which explains that when “you open one door, another one opens!”

Where's my Muse?

Last week I went camping, and I wrote only one day. This week I am having a hard time getting my act together and running my fingers down the keyboard. My muse has left me! So, what do I do? I get off the keys and devour a book. Not just any book, but one that will inspire me. I’m already reading a book, and I will hunker down and let its words melt into my soul to foster words out of me into my own book! It’s a win-win situation, no doubt about it.

While camping last Tuesday I thought of a lot of ideas for stories. It was amazing! Probably this happened because on Monday I wrote a thousand words for my story, and I was reading this book that included a lot of metaphors and similes. My muse was working hard that day! But I didn’t write those ideas down.

When muse arrives, don’t let him in and out without writing down your time spent together. I observed nature living all around me, the birds singing and twittering back and forth with one another. I noticed one bird twitched its tail in beat with a fluttery song every time it twittered its song to another bird! It was so fascinating to watch.

Turn on some soft, easy classical music or piano recitals from the greats. The easy, listening music is what I prefer—no words, just gentle, flowing notes to revitalize the senses. Fast pacing rock-and-roll, reggae, salsa, anything with a beat and a rhythm to catch you up into the song may take your muse away. I also love to sing to songs, and then I can’t get back to my working haven.

If you have a writer’s book of prompts or musings or ideas, open it up and read some passages. They’re fodder for a hungry, writer’s soul and will quench your thirst for words.

Well, gotta go! Have fun writing! - Linda

On vacation

Sorry, everybody, for not posting my word count and count for the week yesterday.  I left for a 5-day vacation along the coast yesterday and failed to post before leaving. 

I'm slowing down too much and editing a lot, so my word count only came to 5,400 words last Saturday night.  This week the minimum count should exceed 13,855 honest-to-goodness, silly and straight-laced, organic and manufactured words by 11:59 p.m. Saturday.  Have fun writing!  - Linda

Smaller is Not Always Better

Recently, I was asked about writing while traveling, and how some of us do not have laptops or notebooks to carry everywhere (and besides, they are cumbersome!). But last year the mini-version of a laptop came out called the Netbook. My husband, being the techno-savvy that he is—immediately devoured as much information as he could about the little, portable brain. He convinced me to buy one because it would help me to take notes in class or write anywhere I wished to write. So far, though, my husband has used it 99% of the time, while I have preferred my larger home PC in the armoire. In September 2009, however, we did bring it along on a weekend camping trip.

We got to the campground in only an hour and a half, and set up a quick camp with our self-contained trailer without full hook-up, and the water came out of a faucet close by. No problem with a two-day visit, though. Anyway, after setting up camp, I pulled out a camp chair and searched for an even, regular terrain in which to plant my seat supporter. There were plenty of smooth spots without shade, and my eyes grabbed onto a small stream flowing close by with trees gracing overhead. The stream was a good dip in elevation, and I found a spot and teetered on a semi-even ledge with my Netbook. It was a little uncomfortable, but I soon swung into motion on the keys. Unfortunately, the keys were a little too close to one another, and I discovered a lot of mistakes I was making. I realized the Netbook is best used for small ideas and thoughts. After a while, I gave up trying to utilize the small keyboard for a jog through story land. But maybe I needed to practice at pulling in my fingers closer together, I don’t know. I still like the idea of using a tiny computer for other things like email, watching DVDs and online movies, catching up with homework, and somewhat for note-taking. I guess it could be okay for the small fingers of children.

Today, Netbooks have gotten larger, a little more useable for the writer in you. Maybe I’ll run out and buy one? Well, I don’t see a need yet to replace the old one, and I’m not going to school right now, and our present one will have to do for traveling or getting alone in a sanctuary, garden, library corner, or whatever. I have a park bench in our backyard shaded by an assortment of trees, with ivy and bark coloring the ground beneath its place, and on a cooler day I’ll venture out with my Netbook and cover some more “ground” tapping out more of my story.

Happy writing to you all! - Linda

Writing marathon – an update!

Ever have one of those fuzzy days when things do not seem as clear as they should be? When you get up and you teeter-totter because the world looks a little off-balanced? Like, maybe there was a giant earthquake during the night and you didn’t know it but had dreamed you were on a tiny raft in the ocean during a rocking storm? Well, thinking about this writing marathon I realized my intent is good, by my organization is a little scattered!

From now on, all word count for the week ends at 11:59 p.m. on Saturdays, but the postings will take place the next day. I will post the following week’s goal on my blog as well. (I originally stated that I will post my word count before 11 p.m., which is before the ending time.)

Have a good 4th of July! If you can do it, try writing a little today to keep those juices flowing. Maybe you won’t be able to write the minimum 815 words today, but a page or two might not be too bad. Actually, I can’t wait to get back to my writing! I want to know what happens in the next chapter! lol, Linda

P.S.  The book shown here is one in which I started using years ago, in fact, as you can see, it doesn't cost much now to purchase it.  But it's a good instructional book on writing for beginners.

Writing Marathon

The minimum word count this week is 2,445 (815 x 3). Unfortunately, I did not quite make it to the minimum, but I did write 2,015 words.  Since this is the first week and I gave little notice beforehand to come up with an idea for a story, there is some leniency here for us. 

Next week, though, we must put in a minimum 5,705 words plus 2,445 to total 8,150 words by next Saturday.

More sparks to light your flame!

Pausing to reflect in the midst of my busy day, I thought of several key ideas in which to spring forth leads toward a story. Whether short or long, the main theme should be your primary focus in developing your novel.

1. Communication. Whether watching TV, reading a newspaper or magazine article, or passing along tidbits of the grapevine from your neighbors, we hear stories every day for enjoyment or to keep up with current events.

2. Our own drama. Bring up the past, the present or the future to garnish those happy/sad times and alter your own history into a renewed hope of the future or a twisted bleak misery of a life. The choice is yours! Sometimes our current problems in our own lives may add up to reveal a delicious ending or a crippled result, whichever your story may prefer to finish.

3. Write down your ideas. Don’t hesitate to write down those ideas that pop up fresh and inviting into your mind, no matter how ridiculous they may seem at the moment. You can work out the details later when you start writing. Some writers leave a notepad and a liquid writing pen (they flow easily at any time) on their nightstand, and wake up in the middle of the night to write down their dreams.

4. Outlines. Some writers prefer to draw out their story in a simple, numbered outline to assure themselves of a balanced body and clearer aim for their novel’s target.

5. Write fast. Still others like to get their one idea down fast and hard, including simple words into their story’s main focus, and expounding upon the frame with more sweet verbs and adjectives and nouns, interspersed with dialogue to flow the story along.

6. Quiet, please! Next is getting a very, shhhh time for thinking. No children clinging to your legs, no spouse whining for dinner. All is quiet in the household as you are all alone. Don’t let this alone time slip by; take advantage of it. Now sit up straight, breathe heavily in an out several times, and watch the stress flow out of your body. Lovely, isn’t it? After all this, now think up an idea or a problem or circumstance that has hit you between the eyes and you can’t see for anything ahead of you except this one problem. Let go with the words. Don’t stop to fix anything, just let those fingers fly over the keys and your soul weep out the truth.

Sparks to Light Your Fire!

If you need help getting started with a new story, try my webpage, “Writing Prompts.” There are a few writing prompts of my own listed there, but you may also access the web for more ideas. Just a couple to name:

• Creative Writing Prompts http://www.creativewritingprompts.com/

• Creative Writing Solutions http://www.creative-writing-solutions.com/creative-writing-prompts.html

One of the creative writing books I studied in the past suggested playing a game called, “What If.” It is a game one can play most any time of the day, depending on circumstances that arise. You’re driving your car and someone pulls out with their car onto the same street, almost hitting them. If you had been looking down, fiddling with the radio or your CD player, looking up into your rear view mirror or watching a person jogging down the sidewalk, you might have hit the car. With the “What If” game, you visualize what might have happened. Playing the “What If” game is easy, but writing your ideas down soon after you think of them is just as important!

• The newspapers or magazines are full of stories that you can alter and use to your advantage.

• Write a quick description of something. Now play the “What If” game, what if this should happen to the item, or that.

• Don’t try for something too bizarre that has never been done before! Readers like to relate to the stories they read, but if they can’t find a niche or a little scratch of something similar with it, they may bypass your novel and bring back their old favorites. Yes, it’s true there are many popular sci-fi reads out there, but first plant the idea in your head so it rings of a sensible tone before attempting it in front of the populace.

If you have any other ideas on ways to prompt your writing adventure, please feel free to promote them here! - Linda

The Writing Marathon Guidelines!

What’s a small contest without a few rules (the nasty word)? Remember that the whole point of this marathon is for YOUR novel to be written in the next three months! Unlike National Novel Writing Month’s (November) goal in 30 days is 50,000 words with the average daily word count at 1,666, pen-n-quill’s average daily word count is only 815! This leaves a few of us who have extra time to polish some of those words, embellish the blasé areas, plop in descriptions where needed. You can also try an outline this week while real writing the rest of the time, or highlight in color those words you must not forget (like where did Sam hide the skeleton key to the attic door?).

Without further ado, here are the guidelines:

1. Sign up as a Follower to this blog, and bookmark it or send it to your desktop for easier access.

2. Write at the minimum 815 words per day, adding up to over 5,705 words per week.

3. At the end of the week, I will post on the blog my word count before 11:00 p.m. (2300 hrs) Pacific Savings Time (PST), encouraging you to do the same. Please reply as a comment to my post your word count before midnight. Always reply with the same name you gave when you signed up as a follower. The additional word count in subsequent weeks will be the minimum total count for all preceding weeks.

4. The contest will end on September 30, 2010, and writers with a minimum of 75,000 words will be given the chance to elevator pitch their story on my blog the following week!

During this time I will interject posts about writing. If anyone would like to add comments about your own writing or my posts, feel free to do so.

After the contest, the next three months work hard at chiseling your story just right for an agent’s eyes. If you need help editing your work, try joining a critique group to get feedback for your work. An excellent grammar book is “Rules for Writers” by Diana Hacker. Googling dictionary.com can reach you definitions, synonyms and antonyms of words. Although I have a “Chicago Manual of Style,” it is somewhat difficult to find answers to grammar problems, but a few of you may be picky writers and this is a good one for that! Writer’s Digest has a simple “Formatting and Submitting Your Manuscript” book to assist you further before submission to an agent. Writer's Digest puts out a “Writer’s Market” book, which lists most of the publishing houses and some agents’ listings, to address your queries. You can find this book at your local book store.

I wish you all the best in your writing days to follow. Now, sit down and tap away at those keys!

- Linda