A Manuscript or a Full-On Monet?

close up of a Monet

Tai: Do you think she's pretty?

Cher: No, she's a full-on Monet.

Tai: What's a Monet?

Cher: It's like the painting, see? From far away, it's OK, but up close, it's a big old mess.

Can you guess the movie? It might be a little on the silly side for some of you, or it might be a little "5 minutes ago" for others...but whether or not you or I gave the movie, Clueless a two thumbs up when it came out last century (ack!), I can never get the above analogy out of my head--and it's not for scrutinizing a person's looks! It pretty much runs through my brain for lots of scenarios I find MYSELF in.

One example, motherhood...like when I get that unexpected compliment for my parenting style or that I am so "together" regardless of my busy life with four kids.

Um, yeah...

THAT is so Monet compared to the mess that I truly am deep down with my many mistakes, my unwashed hair sprayed down with dry shampoo, and the fact that I hadn't brushed my teeth in the rush--that minty smell is from the Orbitz gum I'd stuffed in my mouth on the drive to an appointment that started...um...five minutes ago.

So Monet.

In my writer's mind, I find this dialogue pops up, too. Like, when a blog post tells me the list of things I must do to be a successful writer and I appear to be right on target but really I am just a big mess...like when I am told success is reading book after book in my genre. I am that perfect little writer when I give you a list of books I have...ahem.."read". But, in reality, that list of books also consists of a big ol' mess of half-read books. If I get right down to it, some of the "to do" lists thrown at me to get published can make me feel like I just showed up for the finals in a course I didn't know that I had signed up for. I hope that I am not the only one who feels like a "full-on Monet"...and not in the Louvre-quality masterpiece definition of the phrase, but in the very human, very not completely together, pixelated kinda way.

So, this past week I held a "Monet" in my hands. It was my first draft of my latest manuscript. To the average layman it was a thick stack of paper, nicely formatted, full of prose, dialogue, and properly placed paragraph indents. Even I caught myself admiring the view.

But then...I pulled out my pen, and I started to read, and...oh my...up close...

IT  WAS sooooo MONET--a BIG OLD mess.

 And like a person dragging their finger through a freshly painted Monet (yikes), I took my pen and scratched up that big old mess to an obvious sketchpad-only kinda manuscript...no masterpiece ready to look at!

The thing is though, unlike the harsh criticism of the teens in the movie Clueless, my manuscript's appearance up close was EXACTLY what it should look like. It might have been a big old mess...but it was a big old BEAUTIFUL mess. It was where it should have been at this stage, and it was not randomly placed brush strokes, but good intentioned splatters of potential.

As I marked it up, every once in a while I'd find my heart race at the magnitude of the task to brush away the mess and truly reveal the masterpiece from the very fiber of each brushstroke. And I'd catch myself worrying about the "what if" so and so saw it in this state, just like a teenage girl worries about going outside without makeup on.

IF you've seen the whole movie of Clueless, (and let me say, it has been a while for me!) you'll recall that the moral of the movie negates the scrutiny of the gals in snippet of dialogue I mentioned. They  discover that good looks are truly skin-deep and if they looked beyond the big-old mess...to the person's heart...they would find a masterpiece.

Water Lilies by Claude Monet

And just like in writing, if the author can scrape away the big-old mess by refining and polishing the words, they would reveal a beautiful story. A true Monet. A masterpiece.

Don't get discouraged at your "full-on Monets"...remember, they are just masterpieces-in-waiting.

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Angie Dicken is a full-time mom and lives in the Midwest with her Texas Aggie sweetheart. An ACFW member since 2010, she has written five Historical Romance novels, has a Historical underway, and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of The Steve Laube Agency. Angie also spends her time designing one-sheets, selling Jamberry Nail Wraps, and drinking good coffee with great friends. Check out her author page at www.facebook.com/dicken.angie and her personal blog at angiedicken.blogspot.com 

Guest Post: Thoughts on Drafting and Editing from Debut YA Author Jessie Andersen

Julia: Jessie released her first book, At What Cost, this year from Astrea Press. Although not in the Christian genre, her book was published in the young adult genre and covers the theme of abortion from a Christian worldview perspective.

You might think that being a published author, I would consider writing my strength, but in reality, writing is my weak point. Honestly, I stink at the drafting part. Editing. Now there’s my strength.

When I write, I have to allow myself some room to write crap. My fellow authors and I like to call it ‘word vomit’. Just let whatever comes out, come out without worry of grammar, dialogue, character development or the like. Now that doesn’t mean I totally ignore those things as I write, but I can’t let plotting get in the way of my story. I basically have my story plotted before I begin, so I know where I want to go with it, but it’s the drive to the end that’s difficult. I get stuck up on the rocks and bumps that are word choice and imagery. So as often as possible, I skip over them…at first. Get to the end—that first rough draft—then I can go back and make the story my baby.

My process looks something like this: Word vomit a draft. This takes me about six to ten months. I hate that I write slowly, but with kids and house and life, I can’t devote as much time to the computer as I’d like. Once I get my first draft, which usually tops out at around fifty thousand words, I move to my favorite part: the editing. I say ‘editing’ but what I mean is the process of both editing and revising. I head back to the beginning and start reading. As I read, I expand, work on that imagery, add a character description or a new line of dialogue. If I happen to see some poor grammar, I fix it. If there’s a plot problem, I revise it as early as I can spot it. It’s a lot easier to do this sort of thing in the first draft or two. There’s less to change later on in the manuscript that way. Once I make it to the end of my draft, I’ve probably added a few thousand words or so. Then, I start again. And repeat. Again and again. Until I’m satisfied with the story. After about ten to fifteen drafts by me, I send it to a beta reader or two and wait for feedback. Then I revise again. Another three to five times until it’s perfect…absolutely perfect—at least until an editor finds more mistakes. J

Believe it or not, this part is fun for me. It’s the challenge of finding that perfect word that gets me excited. It’s overcoming the difficulty of creating a believable and interesting character. But I can’t do any of that until I have that first, horrible draft. So, I must leave you all now to head back to my work in progress and get to the end of that pile of word vomit. 

Author Links:

www.Jandersenbooks.com
www.Therabidwriter.blogspot.com 
www.readbetweenthelinesbookclub.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/jandersenbooks
www.twitter.com/jvdlandersen
http://www.goodreads.com/jvdlandersen

Beating the First Draft Blues

Every story has a first draft. Most of them stink.

Encouraging, right?

I've been talking about first drafts a lot lately on my personal blog, and after reading comments, I've discovered how universal that "my story is awful, what was I thinking?" feeling seems to be among writers.

Does this scenario sound familiar? Someone asks you what you do. "I'm a writer," you tell them, although you likely have other jobs as well, whether it's being a mom, a teacher, a scientist, or a barista. Let's face it. Being a writer is way cooler, so that's what we always say. And then they respond, with an enchanted sort of look in their eyes, "I've always wanted to write a book." And you say, "You should. It's really not so hard. Just a matter of sitting down and doing it, one chapter at a time." But meanwhile, you're internally chastising yourself, thinking, "If it's really not that hard, why have I rewritten Chapter 5 six times?"

The first draft of a book can be a terrible experience. We're embarrassed by our own story. It's betrayed our original idea for the book and turned it into our worst nightmare--something boring. The characters have taken on a life of their own and are doing irrational things. The plot we so neatly laid out in our minds has changed so many times we don't even know the ending. And the black moment? Forget about the characters--we as writers are having the black moment now as we think to ourselves (and let's face it--we've all had the thought!), "I'm a sham of a writer. Everyone is about to find out I'm a sham."

But we trudge through, then go through several editing rounds, and poof! Our confidence is back as our story once again turns into the fabulous idea we once imagined, only better. Everything is happy and cheery again. Until the next book rolls around...

So what can we do to keep this cycle from occurring? To beat these first draft blues?

1) Have realistic expectations. I had such a hard time beginning my WIP. I literally rewrote the first chapters three times. I decided I needed to start sooner and sooner. I kept thinking, "I thought I had grown so much as a writer through my last book. My last book was so good. It shines. This book could never compete with that." Um, hello self! My last book turned out well because I edited it somewhere around four or five times. It's important that we look at the first draft for what it is: a chance to tell the story. It's not a polished manuscript, and it's not a finished book. That is okay. Give yourself permission for that to be okay. Stop playing the comparison game.

2) Enjoy the storytelling process. If you are a creative writer, you enjoy storytelling. So give yourself permission to really indulge in the fun behind your story. Imagine what your characters might do in everyday scenarios. What would they might say if they were behind you in the Starbucks line? You might be surprised how much easier this makes the process of writing your first draft... and how much fun you have in the process. Just don't talk out loud to your characters... at least when anyone's watching.

3) Don't edit until you're done with the first draft. Okay, I admit it. The phrase "epic fail" comes to mind when I think of my own track record with carrying out this rule. But editing too early can be detrimental to the creative process. You're trying to figure out if your character's purse should be red or green while she's still trying to figure out her innermost fears. Give your characters and your plot room to breathe. Editing too early can be very limiting because you don't yet know the patterns that will develop as your larger book takes shape. I've heard of people editing the last chapter they've written before beginning the next one, but for most people, I don't think this is a good practice. If memory serves me correctly, I believe James Scott Bell recommends in his fabulous book Plot and Structure that you shouldn't edit at all (or at least very minimally) until your first draft is totally complete, and I think that's great advice.

4) If all else fails, organize. I took a poll on my blog asking authors how they make it through the first draft. I was surprised how many of them said they use variations of an outline technique. Some make an actual outline, others make a detailed synopsis, and others just figure out the bones of the story before they begin writing. Regardless of whether you're a seat-of-the-pants writer, sometimes it's very helpful to know your basic character arcs and turning points so that you know what direction everything in the story should be heading.

5) Do. Not. Quit. This is my biggest piece of advice. When you feel like you're writing the most boring story known to mankind, keep on keeping on. Remember that the editing stage is there for a reason, and you can rewrite that little thorn in your side as many times as it takes to make it shine. As I said on my personal blog last week, a poorly written story can be edited. An untold story is of no benefit to the reader at all.

I want to close with a verse that I hope will bring you encouragement as you work on your drafts. Philippians 1:6, "Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." It's like a piece of pottery. Your story might feel like a big, cold lump of clay right now. And maybe it is. But God has gifted your hands to be a potter, to craft a vessel He fill with His grace and show off to the world.

If God has called you to write, you can be sure He has not forgotten about that calling. It might take seventeen books or six rewritten drafts, but there is a purpose for every season we are in. If we give up when we feel discouraged, if we stop before we ever make it to that stage of refinement, we will never know the glory of our true calling in Christ.

You can find the extended list of responses to my How Do You Beat the First Draft Blues poll at http://ashleyclarkwrites.blogspot.com/2012/05/poll.html . Feel free to add your own response to the list.

I want to hear from you! Have you ever felt like giving up in the middle (or maybe even the beginning!) of your first draft? What keeps you going? What do you do to keep your goal in sight?

Photos from http://nandinibajpai.blogspot.com/2012/04/first-draft-in-sixty-days.html, http://www.motlministries.com/2012/03/ability.html, http://www.theblazingcenter.com/2011/02/god-isnt-finished-with-us-yet.html

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Ashley Clark writes romantic comedy with southern grace. She's dreamed of being a writer ever since the thumbprint-cookie-days of library story hour. Ashley has an M.A. in English and enjoys teaching literature courses at her local university. She's an active member of ACFW and runs their newcomer's loop. When she's not writing, Ashley's usually busy rescuing stray animals and finding charming new towns. You can find Ashley on her personal blog, Facebook and Twitter. She is represented by Karen Solem.

Ten-Hut! Forward march!!

OK, so I'm going to get gut-level honest here.

Some of us need a good kick in the pants when it comes to our writing life. Yours truly is one of them.

I regularly struggle with the "mommy martyr" syndrome. Oh, some of you know this all too well. My life revolved around homeschooling. I convinced myself that my writing was a selfish outlet.

Only God had shown me all along the way that for whatever purpose he wanted me to write. I was ignoring part of my calling. Because no one sees my writing except my critique partners I convinced myself that it wasn't ministry. Not like teaching Sunday school...or homeschooling...or serving in my local homeschool group.

I forgot something important. God had been changing my own life through writing. Writing keeps me in check and keeps me real. Writing is therapeutic, touching my life in new ways. Showing me things about myself as I glimpse myself in the weaknesses of my characters.

As I researched and wrote a little bit, God began to bring members of a certain religious group into my life in some strange and interesting ways. I had an opportunity to share my research unexpectedly. Not only is this exciting, but it let me know even if my story is never published...God has a purpose for it.

As I listened to the ACFW convention banquet I must admit I was struggling with the green-eyed monster Pepper talked about yesterday. It was exciting to receive phone messages from the gals at Writer's Alley and really neat to be able to talk to fellow Alley Cat Sherrinda from our homes during the banquet! But I was still struggling.

My world's best supporter, AKA my husband Chris, gave me a big hug. Then he told me he was going to buy me the CDs, but he was making a bargain with me. "I want you to go after this wholeheartedly." He made me promise to write for an hour at least three times a week.

Then one of the Alley Cats upped the ante for me in a phone call. She challenged me to a 1K duel. She offered to join me and help me reach my goal!! What a gift!!

Are you failing to reach for all God is calling you to as a writer?

If you don't schedule it, it won't happen. This sounds elementary, only it wasn't to me. I somehow convinced myself that the writing time would ooze out of my busy mom schedule. Are you convincing yourself that your writing time will come like magic?

Get accountability. This is where my fellow Alley Cat has helped out. Find someone who will hold your feet to the fire. Your spouse might be a perfect choice if he is supportive of your writing time. Also having your spouse on your side sure helps make it happen if you have kids. My husband was willing to take up the slack so that I can write for a set amount of time on certain days.

Play the numbers game. Know what's realistic for you. I used to think it was great to reach 800 words in an hour, now I've discovered its not that difficult to hit 12K or 13K if I'm on a roll. The times I am writing more regularly my numbers go higher. Now, I'm not saying you have to become obsessed with the numbers...but its important to set a goal.

Small rewards. I love to light a nice smelling candle while I write, this may be TMI but since my cat's litter box is hidden in the corner of the room where I write, it can also prevent unpleasant odious distractions. I also love to have a cup of hot tea or cider and a fire going on these Fall days in the snowbelt.

Write your goals on the calendar. I can almost smell victory as I look at the numbers on the calendar. It's very encouraging.

Do you have any tips that have helped you to get motivated and finish that story? I would love to hear them.