Give Yourself a Break!

I don't know about you, but I jumped headfirst into the waters of my first manuscript and didn't come to the surface for, oh, like six months.

Then I realized I had a family who wanted me to feed them and talk to them.

But then the pressures of succeeding pressed in again, and I had to keep writing, keep editing, to prove to myself that I could do it. I could get an agent. I could get a contract.

I pushed through the exhaustion, the doubts, and the prose I'd drafted with one goal in mind. Get published.

Last summer I came one step closer to that goal when I landed an agent. And praise the Lord, my agent understands how difficult my current phase of life is...living as a stay-at-home mom with two young children. But not all writers find themselves in such a flexible situation.

I've recently talked to friends who are unagented who are facing the doubts and the pressures. They keep hearing that they should meet a certain word-count quota or they're placing self-imposed pressure to get to the next step. In all these interactions, one thing keeps coming to mind.

SLOW. DOWN.

Yes, I'm shouting those words. You see, in this pre-agented/pre-published stage of your writing career, this is one time when YOU get to choose your deadlines. You get to soak in all you can, to write for the pure joy of it, without time pressure or content expectations.

Obviously if your ultimate goal is to get published, you want to craft a story that will be publishable. And sure, plenty of people recommend sticking to a regular writing schedule.

But I'm here today to take the pressure off of you. If you have a family who needs you, throw the writing schedule to the wind for a while. If you're facing a tough emotional struggle, write something to soothe your hurts rather than pumping out drivel that you don't feel.

This is one time you are free to write whatever you want, whenever you want. So embrace it! And enjoy the moment. Because once you're published, you can never go back.

What sort of pressures do you place on yourself or your writing journey? Do you find yourself anxious to make it to the next step of your career? How often do you slow down and just enjoy where you're at?

*Water photo by Koratmember / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
**Odometer photo by Arvind Balaraman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Sarah Forgrave is a stay-at-home writer-mom who feels blessed to pursue her calling and passion. She writes contemporary romance for the inspirational market and is a regular contributor to the webzine Ungrind.

To learn more about Sarah, visit her personal blog at:
http://www.sarahforgrave.com/blog

How's It Going to End?

"Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb."-Sir Winston Churchill


And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.-James 1:4


Today I received a cute little black and gold badge from ACFW. It will sit in my inbox for a little while, so I can take it out on discouraging days and remember.


Because one year ago today, finishing my novel was a joke. I didn't think I would ever accomplish it. I was discouraged by my first year of homeschooling and all that entailed. I didn't make the time to write. I didn't think I had the time.


Yet somewhere along the way I discovered I needed to make the time. Writing is a ministry and even if I don't ever show my work to anyone else God has used it in my own heart to craft changes in me. 


ACFW 2011. My homeschool group was starting that week. It keeps me quite busy with teaching and serving, I didn't think I would have a minute to miss the fact that I wasn't at ACFW. The truth was...I didn't deserve to be at ACFW, right? I didn't even have a manuscript finished. That night I decided to watch the ACFW awards streaming. Our dear Alley friends were sweet enough to send those of us at home pictures from their phones, and Sherrinda and I were able to chat online from our homes.


That night I broke down bawling. I told my husband, Chris, I really didn't think I would finish my manuscript. Maybe it just wasn't my time for writing and maybe I should let go of the dream. Maybe someday I would finish my book, but I was skeptical. 


My husband reminded me of all the "accidents" that had happened in the short time since I had started writing. He knows we don't believe in "accidents." 


Then he gave me an ultimatum. "I want you to write every other day for one hour for at least a month. If you do, I'll buy you the ACFW conference CDs."


It wasn't about the CDs. It was about the challenge. I needed to prove to myself that I could finish this book.


Shortly afterward I talked to my dear Alley mate, Casey, on the phone. Y'all know that Casey is a bonafide cheerleader!! She told me about #1K/1hr on twitter. Now I had a challenge and a goal. Casey held my toes to the fire (just kidding, of course), the truth is the Lord knew I needed accountability to finish my book and so he gave me a persisent online pal and a husband who wanted me to reach my dreams.


So this novel I started a year and a half ago has been finished in 1K/1 hour segments several times a week from September through February 4th. 


Do you have to give something up to reach that goal?


I loved blogging and book reviewing. I still review for the Title Trakk on a regular basis, but I've given up my personal blog and the rest of my book reviewing. I do not get on Twitter or Facebook. (Although I do click on the bottom of the post to "tweet" my Alleymates posts when I can). I no longer keep up on blogs. 


Possibly I have missed some great contacts that will help me later on. I know I have missed catching up with online friends I have met. 


But writing is just one piece of my pie. I prefer to spend that time on my novel, as per Jody Hedlund's advice here ("How Much Time Should Writers Devote to Social Media"). 


There are other things I've had to give up along the way. That's just part of the journey. 


I don't know how its going to end, this writing journey. In the end I just keep pressing towards the mark. Falling far short at times. Many times. 


If you've finished a manuscript or even if you haven't, I challenge you to take the time to thank someone who has helped you along the way. 

What has helped you reach your writing goal? Who has helped you along the way? 

(I hope you'll permit me the indulgence to post my badge here, since I no longer blog on my personal blog).

Julia enjoys writing women's fiction whenever she can find a chair free of smushed peanut butter sandwiches and lego blocks. She is a wife and homeschooling mama of two littles. She also enjoys reading and reviewing books for The Title Trakk, a Christian review site.

After You Hit SEND

Recently, I sent off a proposal. It was a big feat for me, since I had just come off of a writing break. While I worked on getting the proposal together, things came into place—I am scared of proposal writing, so when I stepped back and realized I had completed all the elements of my proposal (with a huge help from my crit partner!) I was thrilled! I read through it several times, thanked God for each error I found and corrected, then took the plunge and pressed SEND. AAAAHHHHHH!

Now, I am facing pressing SEND for Genesis, and I am sure many of you are too. Over the past year of querying and sending, I have learned a few things about what to do after you SEND:

1.Don't Look Back-- Remember how I said I read through my proposal several times before hitting send?? Well, when I went back and read through it again, I cringed at some minor, but obvious typos that decided to hide themselves from my eyes before. I can't do anything about them, just pray, pray, pray. The only thing looking back did for me is chip away at my confidence. Sure, if you use the same proposal or entry for another agent or contest, DO look back...but just like when you're climbing a ladder you shouldn't look down, don't look back to find mistakes that you can't fix.

2.Keep on Writing-- Sometimes the euphoria of hope in your submission catching an eye, or your entry moving to semi-finals, makes you puff out your writing feathers and strut around waiting for the phone call. Don't forget, writing is a journey! You don't want to hang out at the pit stop and munch on pork rinds and hot tamales thinking your “it” before you are. KEEP WRITING AND LEARNING. It's not etched in stone, it's not finished, you can always improve your game...hey, maybe I just negated point #1...but if you feel yourself getting this way, then do look back!

3. Remember Who You Are-- Yes, you are a writer, but before that, before any dream, you are a child of God. He cares for you regardless of the competition, regardless of the stellar agent signing you on. Nothing can change His love for you, and if you don't win or sign a contract, remember, everything happens for your good and His glory. You are right where He wants you to be, and if you're not, He's big enough to get you there!

I have struggled with these points, and it's been a lot of thinking and praying to get me to understand the importance of these tips. I'd like to share a song with you that every writer needs to hear after pressing SEND.

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Angie Dicken first began writing fiction as a creative outlet during the monotonous days of diapers and temper tantrums. She is passionate to impress God's love on women regardless of their background or belief. This desire serves as a catalyst for Angie's fiction, which weaves salvation and grace themes across cultures. She is an ACFW member and CEO of a family of six.

What's Up the Street For Next Week?

Happy Weekend Everyone!


Since Groundhog Day was this week – AND since he saw his shadow- it looks like we’re going to have 6 more weeks of winter.

If you can call it winter.

In most parts of the U.S. the temperature has been unseasonably warm.

So what are your thoughts about the weather? Do you like a cool winter or are you enjoying the spring-like temps in January and February?

Let’s find out what’s happening on The Alley this week.

Monday – Are you getting ready for a contest entry? Maybe an agent or editor submission? Then check out Angie’s post about what happens “After you hit send”.

Tuesday and Wednesday- Julia and Sarah are brewing up some great posts for Tuesday and Wednesday, but you’ll have to stop in to find out what they are. No doubt it will be the perfect blend of humor, talent, and creativity.

Thursday – Give our newest Alley Cat another welcome as Ashley talks about sprinkling humor into your fiction. (Is Ashley CUTE or WHAT?!?)

Friday – Cindy strikes a more serious chord this week as she discusses when is the right time to lay aside your manuscript.

A GREAT contest update at Seekerville yesterday, including the Genesis final judges’ list. Follow this link to check it OUT!

Critique Partners: How the Heck Do You Find One?

So, you've decided that you want to take the plunge and join a critique group.

Um, that's find and good and all.

But how are you going to find one?

MAKE A NEEDS LIST

The first step is to make a list of what your own personal needs/wants are in a critique partnership.

• Do you want a bigger group, or just a one or two-person partnership?
• How much time do you want to devote to this? 
• Do you want a local in-person group, or would an online group suffice?
• Do you want to "meet" to discuss at a set increment of time, or keep it informal?
• How often do you want to submit?
• What "level" of critiquers are you looking for?

SEEK AND YE SHALL FIND

Once you know what you want out of a critique group, it's time to look for one. This is easier said than done.

Some tips:

• Join writer's groups, both online and locally. Many already have modules in place to help place you in a critique group.
• Network, Network, Network. And then network some more. Visit writer's blogs. Like them or Friend them on Facebook. Follow them on twitter. Generally, just stalk them. (just not in a creepy way, thank you very much.) Some of the BEST critique relationships are grown organically out of relationships built.
• Be bold. (but not too annoying.) It doesn't hurt to ask someone if they are looking for a crit group. Or, just put it out there that you're looking for one. There is a distinct possibility that someone else in your "realm" is looking for the same thing.
• Once you find someone interested, don't be afraid to discuss it before jumping in. Make sure your goals and expectations match. Exchange a chapter and make sure you are comfortable offering feedback. It is totally okay to say, "You know what, thanks so much for being willing to critique my stuff, but I don't think I'm the best person to critique your work." 
• Have a trial period. Say, try it out for a month, and if it isn't working with your schedule or if it just isn't clicking, you can walk away. Granted, you can ALWAYS walk away from a critique partner, but this give you an easier out if the good-vibes just aren't there.

 My story:

I've gone through a few groups. The thing is: I don't regret any of them! They all served a purpose for the time I had them, and I'm a better writer for them.

My first group will always be dear to my heart. They took a fledgling author that didn't know ANY writing rules and taught me the basics. They read through my whole manuscript that first year and allowed me to cut my teeth on it, so to speak. I learned about POV and adverb usage and, wow. Pretty much every elementary writing guideline there is!

But eventually we outgrew each other, and some got busy, and we naturally went our separate ways. We still e-mail from time to time.

After that, I was in a group from ACFW's new critique system. The ladies in this group where fabulous, but I realized quickly that I was way in over my head. There were 5 of us submitting frequently I believe, and it was just way too many for me to keep track. I was spending more time critiquing than I was writing. In my stage of life and writing, it just wasn't conducive.

Next, I tried a local writer's group. I LOVED these women, and still do, but after a few months, it was clear that while our critiques were great, timing wasn't fabulous for any of us.

Then last year, I mentioned to my fellow alley-cats that I'd decided that a crit group was not for me, and would rather start looking for a crit "partner" as I felt that, since I was now contracted and agented, I really didn't have time for much more than that.

Low and behold... Sarah, my fellow alley-cat, e-mailed me, saying that she'd been looking for a crit partner too! She already had one, but was wanting to add one more separate partner.

I said, YES YES YES!

Well, first we talked about what we wanted out of the group. We both didn't want "a chapter a month" but to be able to send larger chunks as needed, and to be flexible. We wanted to be able to brainstorm ideas and just in general be a support to each other.

It was a match made heaven... er, the alley!

Discussion: Do you have a crit group/partner? How did you find one? Are you currently looking?

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Krista is a follower of Jesus, a wife, a mother, and a contemporary romance author. She recognizes that life can be frustrating and just plain not fun sometimes, but believes that laughter and smiles can make the not-so-fun a little better! She blogs about the amazing things God has been doing and her journey as a busy momma of 4 and caregiver to a daughter with a rare congenital heart defect at http://reflectionsbykrista.blogspot.com. She is also a contributor at www.wordservewatercooler.com. She is represented by the fab agent, Rachelle Gardner, and her debut novel, Sandwich, With a Side of Romance, releases in September 2012.

Nixing the Passive. On With the Active!

I recently read through my second contemporary novel’s first draft. Wow. Mess is one way to describe, but passive is a more correct adjective. And I realized that along with too much character introspection, my writing was much too passive to truly draw the reader into the scenes.

As readers we want to become invested in action. We want to feel the drama of the characters and join their world. Passive writing won’t do that. You can’t feel the thump of a heartbeat in passive description. You can’t smell the fried foods or taste fear on the back of your own tongue when the writing doesn’t paint that vivid picture.

What can you change to take your writing from passive to active?

Vivid Verbs

Your words pack punch. Or they can. Chose the strongest verbs, the best descriptions and put yourself in that scene. What would you think or feel or touch or smell or taste? All of the senses in some way play a role in every scene, in every emotion. What one different sense can you use for your character in each scene to make it come alive? Think along the lines of taking an emotion and giving it a personality.

Dialogue

Dialogue is always active. A lot of mistakes can be made with dialogue, but no matter what, it is always forward action. Tell the story between the quotes (via Rachel Hauck). One of the best pieces of advice I was given this year at the ACFW conference was from Cynthia Ruchti. Cynthia told me to take my characters’ thoughts and put them into dialogue. Instantly your character will look less self-centered and move the plot forward in a natural way.

Action

When in doubt kill a character.

Okay, so that Mary Connealy advice doesn’t work for all writers, but therein lies the truth. When writing your story—or actually as you go through and edit your story, look for every opportunity to give your characters an action to perform. Even something as simple as grocery shopping can produce tension when you utilize the right emotions and verbs to make an active scene that is indicative of their inner emotions.

Passive writing is not hopeless. Rather, look at it as a palette that still needs a splash of color. You have laid down the ground work for the story. You’ve got the characters, the basic emotions, the motivations and where you want the story to go. Now you need to take that great beginning and craft it. One thing I love to do is take each scene and leave it up in a neighboring window. Then start re-writing it in a second window, but this time, don’t settle for the easy and push beyond the passive to write in the active.

What suggestions do you have to conquer passive writing?

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Casey Herringshaw is a homeschool graduate and has been writing since high school. She lives in rural Eastern Oregon in a town more densely populated with cows than people.

Amazing Descriptors

When you think about it, a book is a descriptor. It describes a situation packed with joys and sorrows, friends and enemies, crises and triumphs. That situation has chapters which serve as sub descriptors leading the reader through the the book.

Each page paints even greater detail.

But the greatest, power packed descriptors are the individual phrases and words.

Finding unique ways to explain an image to readers is difficult. We find our words falling into inescapable ruts. The same phrases sound worse than a broken record: he smiled, she laughed. BORING.

Sometimes we use a metaphor or simile to rescue the scene. But after time, the page has a Valley Girl sound (like, like, like).

Recently, I stumble on a new vat of unique descriptors. With the help of two fanatic football co-workers, (Ben and Marc) I was able to research devotee football commentators whose descriptors paint unique, specific, sharp pictures of "up to the moment play action":

Sunday's Superbowl

Giants vs Patriots

 

I started watching football as a child with my dad. Not until recently did I notice the rich descriptors given during the game. Whether you're a viewer or a listener, you'll have instant video images in your head thanks to the announcers/commentators.




This Sunday, a wealth of vivid descriptions will nuke the sauerkraut taste of football away for non football folk.


Here are some amazing descriptors gleamed from recent games: (I turned down the crowd noises to help you hear the announcers/commentators)


He's about a third grader shy of what he should weigh
...But not losing his feet (player ran close to the sideline)
He pinballed him backwards
He sledgehammered that play
They need to stop this Juggernaut of an offense. (I had to look that up!)

Look at the real estate! (referring to the open space the quarterback had to throw the ball)
Pin point accuracy
He's got a convoy with him (a pack of opposing players trailing)
He just took him and fork lifted him.
With a buck fifty three left on the clock

Smith, their burner (fastest runner)
The safety came down like a robber
It's like Ali punching Frazier
The high fives are so firm no one better miss or they'll take it in the face.
Williams blasted into him.

The Ravens are knocking on the door
An electric stadium
He's not taking his foot off the gas
There's a nice gaping hole there
This defense is playing lights out (sleeping on the job)
That's a first down in traffic
He got waffled


What a great way to amplify and clarify words like: tackle, pass, running, fumble, audience excitement, and etc.


Grab your tacos, Cheetos, Doritos, Fritos, Tostitos, or burritos and laptop. Sit with the football fans in your life and gleam a storehouse full of vibrant descriptors not only from the announcers but also from the body language of those in your living room.


Warning: Do not watch a football game alone. Excitement unshared may not be good for your health. 4 out of 5 doctors recommend joining a spouse, brother, social group, father, sister, husband, neighbor, or someone else special in your life while viewing football.


How about you--what creative situation have you found amazing descriptors lurking?


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This blog post is by Mary Vee- a foot ball fan.

Mary lives in Montana with her husband and loves to hear from her three college kids. She writes Christian young adult fiction (pirate tales, missionary and Bible adventure stories).

She thinks of writing as: Stepping into Someone Else's World.

To learn more about Mary, visit her blog http://www.mimaryvee.blogspot.com