With November being only a couple weeks away, many writers are preparing for NaNoWriMo.
Two years ago, I met the 50,000 words while taking the challenge, but last year I didn't even come close. I'm not sure why that is, but I suspect it was because my heart wasn't into it last year.
What I love, though, about NaNoWriMo is the opportunity to run with a first draft in a single wonderful swoop of a month. There is nothing better than getting a full story down in a relatively short period of time. It does mean doing some preparation, though, to make it really happen.
If you're a SOTP writer, you basically prepare your story in your head. You feel your main characters out. You figure out the main plot points and a few twists that you want to incorporate. And you know your story setting.
If you're a Planner/plotster writer, then you are probably filling pages of a binder with research notes, a full character sketch of each of your main characters at least, a detailed plot layout, and you might even have some pictures in that wonderful resource binder too. You may even go as far as a scene by scene layout. Oh, imagine how easy writing a full novel in one month would be with all that preparation. I'd be in my glory. But, unfortunately, I'm more of a SOTP type writer which leads to endless rewrites, I'm discovering. (More about that on Wednesday.)
So, if you're joining in on the NaNoWriMo challenge in a couple weeks, what are you doing now to give yourself the best chance at meeting your goal? If you're not taking the challenge, what other goal are you going to give yourself for the month of November in the writing arena of your life?
Surrendering to Him,
Eileen
Monday, October 19, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
Love Is...
A Battlefield.
Katie, thanks for this!! (For those who didn't notice, last week, Katie mentioned that my Love Is... Friday's always have her singing Love is A Battlefield.)
And some days it sure seems like one, doesn't it? I'm deviating from the romantic relationships in our lives with this post, though even they can seem like a battlefield at times too, but this week has posed a different kind of war zone for my family and I find myself relying on unconditional love to get me through.
Now, first, let me define my definition of unconditional love. It's loving even before you achieve any measure of bonding. It's loving despite anything, and I do mean, anything, because that's what makes the world a happier place!
Well, this week, my family, which is mainly me since I'm the one home alone all day, each day, has been working on integrating these two little rescued bundles
Noelle a.k.a. Bella & Emmawith these two well-established, well-loved, and very set-in-their-ways furs
Tucker & Tippy
As a result, there has been a lot of hissing, spine curling, spitting, barking, and chasing going on around our home. And all in the midst of my annual juicing. Oh what amazing fun! So, yes, love is a battlefield quite literally in our household as of late, and it's only love that is getting me through it!!
And praise God, it seems to be working. There are far longer cease fires between the open fires as the days pass by and so far no eyeballs have been plucked out, either. All's good when the animals still have their sight, even if their brains seem to be MIA!
So when was the last time you were involved in a battlefield? Did you have fun making up, or in our case, celebrating (what we hope to be doing soon with our integrated pets--oh, please Lord, let it be soon!)? And what did you learn from the whole experience? A better understanding of a loved one? Patience? How to use earplugs? That perseverance pays off? Oh, the list could go on and on...
Surrendering to Him,
Eileen
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Doctor Appointments Anyone?
This week and next pose several trips to doctor's offices for my family--me being the chauffeur. It made me think, since life is full of these mundane chores, why don't we see them as scenes in many novels?
Think about it, the tension is there, at least it is with my girls. With the exception of optometrist appointments, my girls stress endlessly over dental and family practitioner visits. Sitcoms do whole episodes on one visit to either of these lovely establishments, so the needed conflict and tension is definitely doable. So why don't we write these into our stories for authenticity of our characters being living, breathing creatures, and as a source of entertainment value as well?
I don't have the answers, I'm just wondering, as it seems to me it's been a very long time since I read such a scene, but I've certainly seen a lot of them on t.v. Just for the fun of it, I think I'm going to write one into my current w.i.p. and see just how entertaining I can make that loooooong waiting room scene with screaming babies, and old people nodding off with their heads bobbing, seeking a non-existent resting place, and youth fidgeting in those plastic-covered seats, and oh, don't forget the coughing, sputtering, blowing-their-nose clients only too happy to converse with you while you all crowd in the waiting room...waiting!
Just a thought, as my head feels as though it's about to explode on this chilly fall day.
What normally mundane living experience have you exaggerated beyond experience in your w.i.p. lately? Let's have fun sharing how we made them entertaining.
Surrendering to Him,
Eileen
Think about it, the tension is there, at least it is with my girls. With the exception of optometrist appointments, my girls stress endlessly over dental and family practitioner visits. Sitcoms do whole episodes on one visit to either of these lovely establishments, so the needed conflict and tension is definitely doable. So why don't we write these into our stories for authenticity of our characters being living, breathing creatures, and as a source of entertainment value as well?
I don't have the answers, I'm just wondering, as it seems to me it's been a very long time since I read such a scene, but I've certainly seen a lot of them on t.v. Just for the fun of it, I think I'm going to write one into my current w.i.p. and see just how entertaining I can make that loooooong waiting room scene with screaming babies, and old people nodding off with their heads bobbing, seeking a non-existent resting place, and youth fidgeting in those plastic-covered seats, and oh, don't forget the coughing, sputtering, blowing-their-nose clients only too happy to converse with you while you all crowd in the waiting room...waiting!
Just a thought, as my head feels as though it's about to explode on this chilly fall day.
What normally mundane living experience have you exaggerated beyond experience in your w.i.p. lately? Let's have fun sharing how we made them entertaining.
Surrendering to Him,
Eileen
Monday, October 12, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving!
I'm busy whipping up pies and stuffing a turkey, but I wanted to take a moment to wish you all a very
Happy Canadian Thanksgiving, Everyone!
Whether you're Canadian or not, may today bring you much fodder for your seasonal stories! And I don't mean the conflict matter, but rather the resolution kind. Blessing to you all!
Surrendering to Him,
Eileen
Whether you're Canadian or not, may today bring you much fodder for your seasonal stories! And I don't mean the conflict matter, but rather the resolution kind. Blessing to you all!
Surrendering to Him,
Eileen
P.S. We got our first frost last night. I feel strangely exhilarated by it! Perhaps we'll turn the fireplace on tonight and curl up to a good movie, or even better, a great book! Care to join me?
Friday, October 9, 2009
Love Is...
Praying Together.
Many of my blog readers are Christian and might question the challenge in my putting this one out there because it's just always been done. But honestly, for this homegrown Christian, praying with others, even my husband, does not come naturally. You know the sufferer-in-silence type (not to do a recap on Twilight, but I love that phrase), well, I'm that too, but I'm also the pray-in-solitude type.
I'm sure I drive God to roll His eyes more than a dozen times in any given day with all my silent solitude prayers. I do hound Him a lot, but I figure, He's God, He can shut me out whenever He wants to, so I'll just keep talking, and when He has a minute, maybe He'll tune in to my frequency for a few seconds now and then, and the chances are pretty good that I'll be lifting something in prayer during those moments. But to pray out loud (with the exception of Grace before meals)with another person listening in, yes, even if that person is my amazing hubby, makes me tense inside and out. It is NOT NATURAL for me. Even though it should be!
There is a reason why I do so many revisions/edits on my manuscripts. It takes me forever to get to the point and find just the right words to convey that message, and I'm no different in prayer. To share a prayer with another, for me, is like letting them see my rough drafts that ramble, stumble, falter, and just plain stink. But I know that God hears prayers all the more that are lifted in numbers, and spilling your heart out to God with a loved one listening in and raising those same joys, concerns, requests, etc. is a gift that God wants each of us to receive and use.
So, if you're in the habit of praying aloud with your loved ones, awesome, keep doing it! But I will challenge you with this: Is there a care or concern that you've been hording in your solitude prayers? Might you be ready to receive the gift of sharing it with your loved one while raising it to our Heavenly Father?
Now, if you're like me, and just plain articulating a prayer vocally in the presence of your loved one is a growing experience, I challenge you to grab a few moments with him/her and just do it. Start a new and improved way of praying! The blessed rewards are sure to surprise us, not only in our relationship with our loved one, but in our faith journey as well.
Surrendering to Him,
Eileen
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Professional Editors--My Take
First off, I have hired a few professional editors through the years, but never for a full manuscript edit, so what my take is, is based on partial submissions only thus far. If I can ever afford to have a full manuscript edited, I'll be sure to update you all on any of my changing views.
From my experiences so far with freelance professional editors, though, I do have some benefits to share. And my number one benefit is:
1) Continuity: In the average critique group you send out a given number of pages at a time to go the rounds. Usually it amounts to a chapter or two at a time and then you have a couple weeks laps before your turn comes around to send in the next few pages for critiquing. You can imagine that in that interim time, each partner has viewed several other partial manuscripts of totally different stories if you're a member of a group, so the continuity of yours is definitely broken to an extend. This has it's benefits for a line-by-line type critique/edit, or for micro tension spotting, etc., but it has its drawbacks for a good picture of the overall flow and ebb of the manuscript. Do all those nibbling questions you posed in the early part of the manuscript really get answered, or at least tied up satisfactorily? If you're depending on your crit. partners to answer that, you probably shouldn't. Too much time lapses between the starting and finishing chapters of any given novel, with too many other stories interrupting the read in your usual critique group.
But, with professional editors, you generally send the whole manuscript, or at least a larger portion than would normally be submitted in a single critique group round, and thus you have far more continuity type edits being observed and checked.
2) They're professionals!!! Yes, most freelance editors are either editors for publishing houses, or have been at one point, or are published and presumably know what the market is looking for and what a well written book looks like, or they just have that highly intelligent editor's eye that we as writers who are way too close to our story need.
Are there dud freelance editors out there? Sure there are, but do your homework (get references), shop around, ask for a free sample edit, and pick yours with care, so that you do gain from the experience. And there is much to be gained!
3) An Unbiased Opinion and Direction: If you've done your homework and picked a reputable editor (and they aren't your best friend), and you're paying them for sound advice and direction then you'll likely get exactly that. And that means no tap dancing around, no spine bending, no praise when it isn't warranted, and most importantly, a fresh set of eyes on your manuscript with a good set of fingers that can articulate in writing what you need to fix in your ms. to make it sing!!
Critique partners can lose their toughness from time to time, and so a weak chapter can slip by them in an off week, but when a professional is being paid, they don't want to be associated with a weak manuscript, they want to be the source of making it better! In turn, they'll attract more business, right!
So that's my take on hiring professional freelance editors. But I will also say this, a good freelance editor will tell you upfront when your work is not yet ready for their eyes--when there is just too much still needing to be learned and applied before their efforts are worth both of your time and especially your money. Don't jump into hiring a freelance editor too early. Be sure your work is showing much promise first. Now a mentor or writing coach is a whole other story on that subject, though. They can be beneficial at any stage in the writing journey.
What about you? Do you have any concerns or further benefits to add to this list regarding freelance editors?
Surrendering to Him,
Eileen
From my experiences so far with freelance professional editors, though, I do have some benefits to share. And my number one benefit is:
1) Continuity: In the average critique group you send out a given number of pages at a time to go the rounds. Usually it amounts to a chapter or two at a time and then you have a couple weeks laps before your turn comes around to send in the next few pages for critiquing. You can imagine that in that interim time, each partner has viewed several other partial manuscripts of totally different stories if you're a member of a group, so the continuity of yours is definitely broken to an extend. This has it's benefits for a line-by-line type critique/edit, or for micro tension spotting, etc., but it has its drawbacks for a good picture of the overall flow and ebb of the manuscript. Do all those nibbling questions you posed in the early part of the manuscript really get answered, or at least tied up satisfactorily? If you're depending on your crit. partners to answer that, you probably shouldn't. Too much time lapses between the starting and finishing chapters of any given novel, with too many other stories interrupting the read in your usual critique group.
But, with professional editors, you generally send the whole manuscript, or at least a larger portion than would normally be submitted in a single critique group round, and thus you have far more continuity type edits being observed and checked.
2) They're professionals!!! Yes, most freelance editors are either editors for publishing houses, or have been at one point, or are published and presumably know what the market is looking for and what a well written book looks like, or they just have that highly intelligent editor's eye that we as writers who are way too close to our story need.
Are there dud freelance editors out there? Sure there are, but do your homework (get references), shop around, ask for a free sample edit, and pick yours with care, so that you do gain from the experience. And there is much to be gained!
3) An Unbiased Opinion and Direction: If you've done your homework and picked a reputable editor (and they aren't your best friend), and you're paying them for sound advice and direction then you'll likely get exactly that. And that means no tap dancing around, no spine bending, no praise when it isn't warranted, and most importantly, a fresh set of eyes on your manuscript with a good set of fingers that can articulate in writing what you need to fix in your ms. to make it sing!!
Critique partners can lose their toughness from time to time, and so a weak chapter can slip by them in an off week, but when a professional is being paid, they don't want to be associated with a weak manuscript, they want to be the source of making it better! In turn, they'll attract more business, right!
So that's my take on hiring professional freelance editors. But I will also say this, a good freelance editor will tell you upfront when your work is not yet ready for their eyes--when there is just too much still needing to be learned and applied before their efforts are worth both of your time and especially your money. Don't jump into hiring a freelance editor too early. Be sure your work is showing much promise first. Now a mentor or writing coach is a whole other story on that subject, though. They can be beneficial at any stage in the writing journey.
What about you? Do you have any concerns or further benefits to add to this list regarding freelance editors?
Surrendering to Him,
Eileen
Monday, October 5, 2009
Benefits of Critique Partners/Groups
After a long break, I'm excited that my critique group, The Pearl Girls, are getting back into the swing of critiquing. It got me thinking about what I've missed.
1) Their stories, and the unique voice that each of them has.
2) Mini-brainstorming--When it's not your own story, brainstorming is all the more fun. When a section's pace is lagging, or conflict seems to be weak, that's when critique partners tend to pull out their brainstorming hats and offer ideas in those cute little comment boxes. I love receiving them from my critique partners, because often they are the answer to prayers.
3) Grammar guru. I'm bad with grammar, but one of my critique partners is the master. Thanks Patti!
4) Keeping a schedule. By making rounds of submissions, we know when our own fifteen pages need to be ready.
5) Growing as a writer. Through editing other's work you do hone your craft, just as much probably as you do by receiving constructive criticism from those who may be eons beyond you in this journey. Seeing what works and how it works is as educational as learning how to fix your own writing. And by looking at in small sections, you have the opportunity to do some dissecting and really see how it works.
6) Sharing the struggle. Writing is a solitary endeavor by large, but when you work with a critique group, friendships form, and they form with people of like minds and like understanding. It's a gift!
There are many more benefits to having a critique partner/group to work with, but what about hiring a professional editor? Is there value in that? I'll talk more about professional edits on Wednesday.
If you're a member of a critique group, what is the greatest benefit you receive from yours? If you don't have a critique partner or group, are you hoping that changes soon, or is writing solo the best way for you?
Surrendering to Him,
Eileen
1) Their stories, and the unique voice that each of them has.
2) Mini-brainstorming--When it's not your own story, brainstorming is all the more fun. When a section's pace is lagging, or conflict seems to be weak, that's when critique partners tend to pull out their brainstorming hats and offer ideas in those cute little comment boxes. I love receiving them from my critique partners, because often they are the answer to prayers.
3) Grammar guru. I'm bad with grammar, but one of my critique partners is the master. Thanks Patti!
4) Keeping a schedule. By making rounds of submissions, we know when our own fifteen pages need to be ready.
5) Growing as a writer. Through editing other's work you do hone your craft, just as much probably as you do by receiving constructive criticism from those who may be eons beyond you in this journey. Seeing what works and how it works is as educational as learning how to fix your own writing. And by looking at in small sections, you have the opportunity to do some dissecting and really see how it works.
6) Sharing the struggle. Writing is a solitary endeavor by large, but when you work with a critique group, friendships form, and they form with people of like minds and like understanding. It's a gift!
There are many more benefits to having a critique partner/group to work with, but what about hiring a professional editor? Is there value in that? I'll talk more about professional edits on Wednesday.
If you're a member of a critique group, what is the greatest benefit you receive from yours? If you don't have a critique partner or group, are you hoping that changes soon, or is writing solo the best way for you?
Surrendering to Him,
Eileen
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