A Perspective on Patience - On the journey toward publication

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Ever get tired of waiting?

In all honesty, I've been struggling a bit more than usual with the whole waiting-game, so my imaginary friends and I have had to give myself a sound pep-talk.

There are many amazing things about the writing journey.
- the camaraderie one creates with fellow writers
- the amazing stories born from your creative mind
- the act of learning through refinement of your skill
- the opportunity to get work done while sitting in your pjs and drinking tea (;-)

So many pros.

But within those pros, there are some struggles, and 'waiting' is one of them.
Lots of waiting.
Waiting for the contest results, waiting for inspiration, waiting for your crit partner's reaction to your work, waiting for an editor's response, waiting...waiting....waiting.

What brought this topic to mind for me today?

I've been writing stories for a long time. I have my first 'illustrated and typed' story from when I was ten (seen with my daughter in the picture to the right) and I completed my first 90K novel when I was 18 years old.

This weekend, while doing some cleaning, I found my very first contest entry form....from 2004 - 10 years ago. Ten years ago I began the journey toward publication.
The awareness of that, hit me directly in the insecurity.
10 years?
10 years and over 10 novels (7 of which will probably never see the light of an editor's desk :-)

Yet, here I am - still unpublished and still singing with the longing of a Disney Princess, Someday My Prints Will Come....

So what's the point of my sad sob story? :-)

I want to give you two secret super powers to help you play the waiting game with positivity: perspective and joy.

http://brainden.com/face-illusions.htm#prettyPhoto

Focusing on what 'hasn't' happened is like seeing the 'witch' in this picture to your left. I only notice the bad things and my 'focus' gets stuck on the negative.

However, that's not the ONLY view I can take. If I change my 'perspective', I'll see the beauty in the picture.

A positive view.

Something that helps make sense of the journey in a way my negativity never could.

Perspective changes things - it leads us to realize at the bottom of all the waiting is an abiding joy in the journey
In the process of creating
In the adventure of that process
And in the purpose the process refines within us

When you are called to be a writer, you find joy in the journey. (even if you have to dig a little deeper sometimes to do it)

Is there frustration, rejection, anger, and sadness? Sure.
Have I wanted to quit before? Definitely

But here's the thing - deep down within us, stories keep forming. Characters keep developing, words dance, writhe, sing, and search through our thoughts waiting to be set free on the page.

Deep within our hearts, in a place where God kindles his gifts within us, there is a need to express this gift despite the frustrations, disappointments, and long waiting. To explode with creativity.

Why?

Because there is so much joy, wonder, amazement...almost a miracle, in the creative process.

If we jump way back to the beginning...and I mean the VERY beginning, God found joy in his creation. Lights, planets, animals, people... They were 'good'.

God's creative process flowed out of him in WORDS.
He didn't use a wand, a magical spell, or a potion.
He used words.
Like us. Writers!

I think at the heart of a writer, there is a particular calling to bring words to life. It burns so deeply within us, that even when we feel the ultimate discouragement, most painful rejection, or longest wait...the light of our inborn creativity still blinks into the darkness of our waiting.

It provides an element of hope to make the waiting bearable :-)

I may have to remind myself every day of the joy. Talk myself off the 'proverbial' ledge of quitting, or even find a good friend to remind me why I love what I do - but down deep, I know...it's a part of me. A pulsing life of imagination formed within me (and you) by a loving Creator.

Find the positive view by renewing your mind with the truth of the gift God's given you!

How do you manage the waiting? Where do find the hope to turn your disappointments into opportunities of creativity?

What's Up the Street for Next Week?

It's Superbowl Sunday!

Which team are you hoping will win??

After gorging on all the Superbowl Sunday food (or not) stop by here to the Alley for a great week of inspirational posts and guests!

Is your journey feeling long? Find joy in the midst of it all with Pepper on Monday.

Sherrinda will be your hostess with the mostess on Tuesday chatting about characterization.

Best selling, award winning author, Susan Meissner our guest on Wednesday with a giveaway of her latest release A Fall of Marigolds

Edie Melson will be our social media guest blogger guru on Thursday for more of her insightful info on making your social media presence pop!

Mary will be posting on the Great Internal Monologue Debate on Friday

May the Best Team Win!

What's Up the Street Next Week?

Spring is right around the corner. Are you ready?
I've heard of some nice spring books coming our way or ones that I've just arrived. In fact, I just received Siri Mitchell's newest, Love Comes Calling. ADORABLE cover!
And Melody Carlson's, Dating, Dining, and Desperation. 
Or what about A Heart's Rebellion by Ruth Axtell.
Oh boy! What fun!
Do you have any books your looking forward to reading this month?

Speaking of wonderful books! Our winner of 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life ebook is the fabulous Melissa Tagg. Congrats, Melissa!!

What's happening at The Alley this week?

Pepper's feeling a bit of blog post envy from Amy's fun Friday post on Puckering Up. So on Monday stop by the Alley to share your 'first meeting' posts. What makes a powerful initial romantic meeting?

Tuesday - Sherrinda is interviewing Caryl McAdoo about her upcoming release, Vow Unbroken. Stop by and comment for your chance to win a copy of her book.

Wednesday - Mary's getting us contest ready with a post called Why Bother Sending Thank You Notes.

Thursday - Krista's joining us for her usual fun-filled and thoughtful posts.

Friday - Linnette Mullin is our guest.

The Chocolate Cafe with Jody Hedlund

We are pleased to welcome the lovely Jody Hedlund to The Chocolate Café today to feature one of her favorite heroes. (I'm so tickled she's talking about Carl...swoon)

Jody's first two series (The Hearts of Faith and the Michigan Brides Collection) have come with rave reviews, and it's amazing the literary track she's covered in less than four years: 6 books since 2010 while raising a crew of 5 cute kids! What a lady, but I'd imagine her busy life has only added to the inspiration.

So, as we offer you guys some fresh-baked  Chocolate-Banana Hot Pockets, your favorite cup of breakfast java (for me it's hot chocolate extraordinaire) and pull up a seat!

Okay, Jody - who has been one of your favorite heroes to write?

 

 

 

I think that I fall in love with each of my heroes every time that I write a book! But I'd have to say that one of my all time favorites has been Carl from A Noble Groom.
 

 And WHY was he your favorite to write?
 

I love heroes who are slightly humorous (or at least can laugh at themselves). And even though I was continually throwing Carl into difficult situations, he was the kind of hero who didn't take things too seriously. He could bumble through learning how to work on the farm, make mistakes, and still keep smiling.
 

releases in July 2014

I also love heroes who are tender with children–that makes them even more heroic in my mind. And Carl stood out from the other men in his culture in that he wasn't too manly to hold a baby or give pony-rides to toddlers.
 

Finally, I love heroes who are self-sacrificial. Carl was willing to give up his own plans to teach in order to stay and help Annalisa. He was even willing to give up all of his money to help pay off the loan on her farm. And in the end, he was still thinking about her when he bought her a new crock and filled it with his invention money.
 

Yep! All the reasons I think Carl is ONE PHENOMENAL Hero!!

What about you guys? How does humor play a part in the heroes you love to read or write?

Quotes:
"Common sense and  a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humor is just common sense...dancing." - William James


"Joy in one's heart and some laughter on one's lips is a sign that the person down deep has a pretty good grasp of life." - Hugh Sidey

The Balancing Act

One of the things I love most about the Writers Alley is that we are all doing this together. Published, pre-published, novice, seasoned, single, married… we all come from different places but we all share a common goal... or LOVE. Creating stories.

While we hope to inspire, encourage, and even teach on occasion, sometimes we just want to bond over what we share. Dreams. Struggles. Successes. Rejections.

Since the grind is so universal, it was my intention this week to come up with strategies for balancing the general craziness of life—whether yours includes any combination of marriage, parenting, dating, working, ministry, school, ect—AND finding time to not only WRITE, but build a platform, work your social media muscles, blog, edit, critique, and for the love of books… READ!

How do you do it all? Wear all of those hats and somehow managed to do even some of those things well? At some point we all get scattered. Too many pieces to juggle and eventually you will drop the ball. Maybe just one. Maybe the whole lot.

Where is that groove? That sweet spot? How will I know if I get there? And even I somehow manage to have a successful day spinning all those plates, how do I keep it up without burning out?

Man, I wish I had some magic formula! Some swear keeping a schedule is the best course. Even planning their day down to the hour. Social media for one hour in the morning. Check. Email correspondence from nine to eleven. Break for lunch. Noon to four, write your fingers to the nub. Check, check, check. Get the kids off the bus. Make dinner. Have some family time. Tuck in the little terrors. Compose a witty and brilliant blog post before it’s late. Write some more until your eyelids collapse. Check, check, check. Day over. Wake up. Rinse and repeat.

How many of you know it’s not always that simple. Schedules are great, but they meet an undeniable force that sadly holds no regard for your best intentions. Life. The unexpected. Change. Shifting the pieces to accommodate the puzzle you’ve constructed doesn’t always work.

Others claim you should wait for inspiration to strike. Then, you ride the wave, forsaking all else until it ebbs back out to sea. Not very predictable but full of passion and productivity for a time.

None of this to say that the writing life is a drag. It’s one of the most amazing things you can do with your mind. Create! What a gift!

But as I have been flailing the past few weeks, struggling to get my groove back (if indeed I’d ever had one) I realized there is no one size fits all. So instead of feeding you some bollocks about how you can be efficient and stress free like me (HA!) I thought I’d opt for a discussion.

Lets chat Alley Cats and Friends! What works for you? What tactics do you employ to help you stay afloat that actually work? What time management techniques have failed you miserably? What is your best advice for being a spouse, a parent, a friend, a co-worker, a crit partner, a minister, a constant student, AND a hopeless dreamer---AKA a writer? J

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Amy Leigh Simpson writes Romantic Suspense that is heavy on the romance, unapologetically honest, laced with sass and humor, and full of the unfathomable Grace of God. She is the completely sleep deprived mama to two little tow-headed mischief makers and wife to her very own swoon-worthy hero. Represented by the oh-so-wise and dashing Chip MacGregor of MacGregor Literary Inc.

Keep the Spark Alive: Staying Committed to Your WIP

All writers have been there.

The giddy, filled-with-butterflies moment that a brand new story idea comes to mind.

Just like a wonderful first date.

For days, you can think of nothing else. You get up in the middle of the night as a new plot twist comes to mind. You open the pantry door and wonder what kind of cookies your heroine likes.  You see the world through fresh eyes, through the lens of this new, beautiful story.

It's like a new relationship. You have all sorts of dreams for where it might lead. The adventures seem exhilarating, the excitement, overwhelming. Nothing can crush the seed of this beautiful new dream.

But like all strong seeds and new relationships, growth inevitably comes. And with it comes change.

The excitement dwindles.

The confidence fades.

The doubt sets in.

Suddenly, this dream seems hard. The once-vibrant characters may feel drab and dull. The plot may seem weak. The day after day fifteen-minutes-here, forty-five there writing time requires begins to seem more like homework than a glitzy, glittering dream.

And our relationship with writing becomes like that of two people in a long-term relationship who have given up on investing in each other.

So, what to do?

Find a way to keep the spark alive!

All married couples hit periods of rut. It just happens. One day, you wake up and realize you've been wearing your flannel pajamas for the past twelve nights, and you can't remember the last time you shaved your legs (hey, don't pretend that's never happened to you!). When we commit to something or someone for any period of time, we get in a routine. But sometimes it's good to shake things up!

That said, here are some ways to keep the spark alive and renew your interest in your work-in-progress:

• Write in a different location. If you have money for a writer's retreat or even hotel/cabin for a couple nights, great! But if not, try going to a coffee shop for a few hours a week (or even a day, depending on your schedule). Spend $20 on some pretty new flowers, and write outside on your patio. You'll notice different details--like the song of the birds, or the pattern of the waves--when you change up your surroundings.
• Read, read, read. Every time I read a book by Denise Hunter or Jenny B. Jones, I want to sit down with my own laptop and figure out how I can be a better writer. Learn from the best by listening to their stories. Other books will help open your mind to new, creative possibilities for your own. If you need a recommendation, try Rachel Hauck's The Wedding Dress. 
• Set goals, and stay committed. You may get bored. You may be tired. You will want to eat more candy than you probably should. But stay committed to the goals you set. The only way to get through a rough patch is to keep on walking. If your first draft stinks, welcome to the world of every writer. Keep going until it gets better. It will. I promise. Sometimes you just have to stick with it.
• Get involved with writing groups. Attend conferences if you can, but at the very least, find an online group where you can engage with other writers. There are so many opportunities available, from local writer's groups, to large organizations like ACFW. Find and join with other people who will cheer you on.
• Write something unexpected. Let yourself think outside the box from time to time. Write scenes you may never publish. Consider an unexpected plot twist or locale. Write the first chapter of the story that follows this one. Even if no one ever sees these pages, they'll allow you to get your creativity flowing and will help you get to know the characters so much better.

Your turn! What do you do to keep the spark of interest in your story alive?

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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, Pinterest, and Twitter. She is represented by Karen Solem.

The Writer's Notebook

A few days ago I finished reading a book of interviews with writers. All of them are successful Australian authors who've written bestsellers, received critical recognition for their work, and in most cases, earn a comfortable living from their writing.

When you immerse yourself in the mind of writers for a solid 280 pages, patterns begin to emerge. In this case, the predominant pattern was not one I'd been expecting. It's a takeaway so simple that if I hadn't heard it repeated at least a dozen times by a dozen different authors, I probably would have just skimmed right past it.

Simple. Elemental. And yet, it's something I don't do.

Do you want to know the one thing that most of these authors have in common?

Well, let's use a process of elimination. It's NOT any of these things you may be thinking:

• Their path to publication. Some had agents, some didn't. Some self-published first and were discovered through that avenue. Some wrote for years before breaking in; others wrote a couple of chapters and were contracted on that basis by the first publisher they submitted to (one at the age of fourteen!)

• Their chosen genres, which were varied - from crime thrillers to literary works.

• Their approach to research, which ranged from the extreme dedication of one author who learned French in order to be able to read primary sources for her novel set in France, to another author who said "the joy" of writing science fiction is that "you don't have to do any research."

• The amount of words they write per day, or even the requirement of writing a certain amount of words in a day at all. (John Marsden, author of the multi-million bestselling "Tomorrow" series for young adults, surprisingly said of his writing time, "it may only happen twice a week or it may not happen at all some weeks.")

• Their approach to platform and marketing, which varied from "out there" to "really not my thing - my publisher does it all."

• Even their love for the craft. (One award-winning and prolific author cynically remarked, "I mean, there are important things that people can do in the world. Writing more novels in a world that doesn't need any more novels is not one of them.")

So what on earth could it be?

The answer surprised me.

The one thing most of these authors had in common is this: 

They use a notebook to record their observations of daily life.

Image by Stoonn, freedigitalphotos.net

So simple it's easily overlooked, and yet actually - the more you think about it - so fundamental.

We're not talking about a notebook where you jot ideas for your WIP - plot twists, character descriptions and the like. That probably comes more naturally to all of us, out of necessity. 

By comparison, the observation notebook seems almost... trivial. Non-essential. 

But when a dozen successful authors, interviewed independently of each other, all cite this one common habit as a foundational element of their work, it sure made me sit up and listen.

It also made me think. What's the big deal? Why is it so important? This is what I came up with. You could probably add more to this list.

4 Benefits of using an observation notebook:

• It will breathe life into your characters. The personality quirks, physical appearance, facial expressions, modes of dress, habits and reactions you observe in the people around you are rich fodder. If you want to create characters who seem real, instead of cardboard cutouts, observe real people everywhere you go - and record those details.

• It will enrich your settings. How often do you sketch a setting in a line or two, using the same stock-standard phrases - because you really can't visualize the setting with any certainty in your own head? Our memories are unreliable. We forget the pungent, particular details of the places we've been - unless we write them down.

• It will keep your writing brain in gear. Many of us compartmentalize our writing and non-writing time. I know I do. But this makes it harder to switch gears when you do have time to write. The habit of keeping an observation notebook has the power to change your daily mindset, so that you approach the whole of life with the curiosity and keen observation of a writer. To use another metaphor, keep your writing brain simmering away with ideas instead of turning off the heat once your writing session is over - it'll be that much quicker to bring it back to a rolling boil when you next sit at your computer.

• It's an endless source of ideas and inspiration. In an interview with novelist Louise Zaetta, she was asked whether she ever experiences writer's block. Her answer? "No, and I'll tell you why not. There's a beautiful way to avoid writer's block, and that is to have a notebook with you at all times where you endlessly record the things that happen in life. Out and about. Anywhere. At someone's place for dinner. I once interviewed Claire Astley, who said she does that. She has her little basket of bits of paper on the floor. Whenever she gets stuck she just pulls one out, and it may have something on it that she observed a year ago and she'll write about that. Somehow or other you can fit everything you have observed into your work. There's hardly anything you'll ever have observed that you can't use. So if you have a good notebook you should not have to suffer from writer's block, because you can just use something from there. Write that and it will lead you on to something else. It's a marvellous resource." (Literati: Australian Contemporary Literary Figures Discuss Fear, Frustrations and Fame, 2005)

Image by greenphile, freedigitalphotos.net

I don't know about you... but I'm inspired.

I've used an observation notebook in the past, but only very sporadically, and never for long. It was a habit that didn't stick, because I never fully internalized the value of what I was doing, and therefore didn't prioritize it.

From now on I'm making a commitment to carry a notebook with me everywhere I go, and take a minute here and there throughout the day to jot down the rich and colorful details of daily life, which will otherwise be forgotten.

Who'll join me?

TWEETABLES

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Karen Schravemade lives in Australia, where she juggles writing with being a SAHM to three small kids. She's had short stories published in two literary journals and is represented by Rachel Kent of Books & Such. Find her on her website, Twitter, and getting creative on her home-making blog, A house full of sunshine.