Pay Yourself First

I have officially gone the longest time without writing forward on my writing projects--I think it's been a full month.

I came across this post by Anna Staniszewski, who quotes another rockstar author, Jo Knowles:

"Always make writing the top priority in your life even if that means other things have to slide."

Quite honestly, I thought that quote was pretty harsh. Maybe it was just my mindset at the time, but I thought to myself, "I can't put writing first." I'm a mom. A wife. I compete in races so I stay in shape (because deadlines and accountability work for me). I volunteer for a local educational non-proft, help organize a writing conference, help teach at our church Sunday school, and last March, I created a non-profit writing community.

My days start out with me trying to figure out what is the BIGGEST fire to extinguish. And I'm pretty sure that you are all just as busy as I am. I mean, there are only so many hours in a day, right?

So my writing slides to the back of the to-do list.

But the universe started whispering to me. With Anna's post, and then with this post by another of my favorite authors/mentors, Erica Orloff--and what a beautiful post it is!

We writers lament about time management. But maybe we should take a page out of the financial management world.

When talking about finances, experts tell us to Pay Yourself First.

In order to get a future as an author, we need to start prioritizing and paying into it. Paying into our future. And if you are a writer, but you are not paying into your future--into your dream--then that dream will never happen.

So, that's my goal. I'm going to start getting my writing done first--just a little, before I do anything else. Because if I put aside a couple hundred words here and there, pretty soon, it'll grow to be a whole book.

And that's my future.

(Also, I get really crabby when I don't write.)

How do you envision your time/project management? How do you protect your writing future?

TED Talk Tuesday (On Monday): Steven Johnson, Where Good Ideas Come From

(So that it will appear that Papa J has a friend...)

I received an email this morning in that old chain letter fashion (c'mon, fess up, you know you've done/started one at some point) asking me to do a blog hop type thing by answering questions about my writing. And even though I hate those things (no offense!) and even though this is the place where chain letters come to die, I decided I might as well comply, mostly because I really want to see a blog post specifically from the other people on the chain. If I do it, then the other participants Papa J picked have to do it, too.

I had already loaded a TED Talk into the works. So, I decided to mash the two together.

First let me talk about how I have recently had a shift in thinking about my writing process. I've always said stuff like, "writing doesn't happen in a vacuum," meaning that we need a strong support system in order to write. I've also been intrigued by collaborative writing projects, and a couple of times a year, I entice a few writers to do something out-of-the-box with me.

But, I think that I was wrong about my writing process. I mean, I do need a support system, but that it is secondary (or a smaller part of) the need to create a Petri dish for the growth of my writing, which includes other writers getting into the Petri dish with me on a daily basis and weighing in on an idea or a part of a novel.

Listen to Steven Johnson, and think about how writing in a rich idea environment could spark that great idea:



"Chance favors the connected mind."--Steven Johnson

Every part of writing is about ideas--the Shiny New Idea which is the tag line for that new manuscript, or that idea of how to write the first page in order to launch it into a reader's heart. Writing a novel is one new idea after another.

In a world where we talk about tribes and twitter followings and virtual communities, what does it mean as a writer to create an environment conducive to getting that creative work done? To reaching out for and making connections which spark the necessary ideas? This is a question I am going to be exploring on the blog in the upcoming weeks. I hope you join in, and talk about your thoughts, ideas, and community.

As a direct result of other writers mixing things up in my Petri dish, I am now dusting off and revising a MG ms that I haven't looked at in two years. (This is to answer another question in the blog hop--what I'm writing...) It's a story about a boy who wishes a wish so powerfully that it ultimately pulls a star down to earth.

I've answered two out of three blog hop questions--the third I am going to answer is: Who are the authors you most admire?

As writers, we have a different view of authors--and sometimes an inside view of how authors handle their writing. The two authors I admire most are Anna Staniszewski and Erica Orloff. Because of so many reasons, but mainly because of who they are as people, because of how they help everyone and anyone they come across, and also because they write pragmatically. Not that their subject matter is pragmatic, but that they believe they can do it, they do it, then it gets published. There is no room for existential crisis. They get the work done. Every single time. (Not to say that they don't have moments of doubts or writer-related-heartache.) But they will accomplish their novels one word at a time. And those words are great ones. :)

Who do you admire? Who's in your Petri dish? Do you worry about talking your works over with other writers? What does your community look like?

Oh, yeah. The chain letter dies here. :)

Monday Meeting: Super Powers

So, I gave a birthday shout-out for my daughter, but didn't yet for my hubby. His birthday recently passed, and I have to mention it on this thanks-giving week.

One thing you must know about my husband--he's an amazing gift giver. He gave me a gift this fall to meet Erica Orloff, a writer whom I consider to be a mentor, at an amazing conference:

This picture is of me, Joe Williams, and the amazing Erica Orloff, at the James River Writers conference. It was one of the most valuable experiences in my writing career. Truly priceless.

He's that good.

You see, gift giving is his super power. My super power? This game. Yup. Totally useless super power.

I gave him what he asked for on his birthday. Because gift giving is not my super power.

This week, he gave me a dress from the show Project Runway. This dress. (It's the simply delicious cream dress, in case a different one pops up when you click over.) It wasn't my birthday (in fact, it was right after his), and there wasn't any rhyme or reason to give me a gift. Other than he had been waiting for the dress to be stocked so he could buy it for me. And that he loves giving people gifts. And that it's his super power.

What an awesome super power--to bring joy to people. He uses it quite well.

So, on this week of giving thanks, I will thank him for all the wonderful gifts he brings me--the experiences, the special things, his support for my writing, and the gift of him in my life.

Happy birthday, babe. And THANKS.

:)

Do you have a super power? Is it useful? Do you use your super power for good or evil? What are you thankful for?

At Least You Don't Have Burrito On YOUR Face

Let me set the stage for you. Wintertime in New England. A gravel walkway, preventing us from ever completely clearing the snow. An abnormally fluctuating temperature, beginning a cycle of melting and freezing of that walkway snow. Then, a freakishly warm night and morning, complete with a rain storm. Now the walkway is covered by an inch of snow, two inches of ice, and an inch of water. Perhaps the slickest surface on all of Mother Earth.

But. We're not ready to brave that front walkway yet. Just know, it's out there, waiting. No, first we have to make ourselves very late for our walk to school. We have forgotten a museum field trip for Superman, and now, upon remembering, have to repack his lunch in only disposable containers. Then, we fix him his second breakfast. You see, Superman lost weight in the fall from a bout of swine flu (yes, really!), and so now we feed him all sorts of fatty foods at every turn. This morning, a burrito. Which he eats from the end of a fork. Meat on a stick. For breakfast. Yum.

Now, time to race out onto the front walkway. Does this sound like a good idea? Racing out onto the slickest surface on the face of the earth? Well, hindsight is twenty-twenty. But in the brain of a mom, trying to get her kids out to school (and a field trip) on time, the 'hurry' synaptic connection is the only one firing.

So, we race out, supporting Superman by the back of his jacket, and we slide across that skating rink. Superman loses his balance. His feet fly out. His hands jerk back. His feet slide back to support him. He doesn't fall (he's Superman, after all). But the burrito flies from the fork. Splits in mid air. And lands squarely on my head.

Erica talked about this a few weeks ago at her blog. No--not burritos in the face. But the Perfect Storm. The perfect intersection of circumstance, personality, and past that makes your novel ripe to happen.

The set-up for me to be standing in my front yard, burrito meat dripping down my face, and watching my neighbors walk past, trotting their kids off to school, was indeed, a perfect storm.


Things that conspired against me that morning:
The physical landscape.
The weather--repeatedly.
My son's earlier illness.
My switch to writing in the morning, which made us a few minutes behind our normal schedule.
My son's field trip plans that day, which which made us even later.
My son's sensory quirks, which makes him someone who wants to eat his burrito on a fork.
My mommy personality which makes me want to protect my son from falling on the ice.



What conspires against your characters, until they have burrito on their faces?

Tuesday Monday Meeting

Since it's my blog, and I'm all powerful here, I am able to make today Monday. And yesterday was Superman's birthday. Every superman deserves a supermom to create a super birthday. In that spirit, there was the driving to far away IKEA, the buying of the new bed, the putting together of said bed, the cake baking, the gift-wrapping, and the party hosting. But no blogging.

Now there is blogging.

I thought I would start out with some thanks. Thanks to all the wonderful writers who contributed so much to this blog with their insightful interviews. Thanks Erica, Bryan, Paul, and Casey! All the interviews are under a link to the right, if anyone missed one.

Thanks to all of you followers for all your supportive comments. I love the respectful community that we're building here. I appreciate that you take the time to visit.

Thanks to my critique partner for all that he has done and been for me this year. Thanks, R! I would not be here, in my writing world, without your pushing, pulling and support.

Thanks to all the supportive writers and agents and publishers who blog and make me feel a part of this world.

And, one more thanks, wrapped up in a progress report:

Last week my writing was derailed (again, or still) due to all sorts of things, including being supermom for three kids during the holiday season. Just when I decided to turn my back on my writing, I clicked over to Erica's blog and her recent post, "Today, You're a Writer." It got me right back on track. Thanks again, Erica, for always being there, even when you have more than your fair share on your plate. Everyone, go check it out, and then come back and tell me what you are doing this day, this week, as a writer.

What am I going to do? I am going to write. I think that is going to be my only goal during the holiday season.

Torn in Transit

Yesterday, Erica's blog post got me thinking. Nothing out of the ordinary in that. But it also made me remember. I remembered the first piece of art that really spoke to me--this piece. It's called Torn in Transit, by John Haberle (1890). I saw it at a local art museum, the Brandywine River Museum, when I was growing up. I didn't know much about art; I still don't. I didn't know if it was 'good' or not. But it spoke to me. Haunted me. I couldn't keep my eyes from it. I'd try to leave the room to see other paintings, but it called me back. I wanted to keep it--to own it--but alas, there were no postcards of it at the museum. And now, here it is.

In Erica's post, she posed the question: Is art a conversation?

I thought of the conversation that I had with this painting, over fifteen years ago. And I thought about what I'm writing now, and I realized that this painting is there, in that writing. Not literally, of course--but the idea of why this painting fascinated me is in my writing. And yet, I didn't remember this painting at all, until I read Erica's blog post. And the best thing? This painting will be in Connecticut in the beginning of December, at the New Britain Museum of American Art. I don't have to trek back to PA. It's traveling to me. Coincidence, I think not.

Continue the conversation. What art has inspired, questioned, stretched you? Anyone want to road trip to Connecticut?

Friday Feature: Journeys Toward Publication and Beyond: Erica Orloff

I love to find out where writers and authors are on their journey of writing. So, this is a new semi-regular post on the blog--featuring writers all along the journeys towards publication and beyond.

I am kicking this feature off with a bang, with an interview with the fantastic, versatile author, Erica Orloff. She has definitely made it to the category of "beyond publication".

Perhaps backwards, I found Erica's blog first, discovered what a warm and knowledgeable person she is, and then found all of her unique books. Many days her blog is like a master's class in writing--with thought provoking blog posts and many knowledgeable writers who stop by to comment.

Today, I am spotlighting her recent award winning MG book--Magickeepers. But check out her website for a complete list of titles. Erica's books move at a splendid pace, and are populated by characters quirky enough to exist in real life--reclusive writers, blues singers, mafia members, FBI agents, drag queens, shock jocks and angels. And she balances her writing world with characters of all different races and backgrounds and sexual orientation. Erica makes a living with her writing. No small feat in today's publishing climate.

Magickeepers was her first foray writing for the Middle Grade audience. It was such a hit at my house that we had two copies floating around at once, to satisfy the three readers. Nobody wanted to wait for their 'turn'. Magickeepers is a fantastic story about a boy who discovers that he belongs to an actual magical family.

Thanks, Erica for doing this interview for the blog!

Erica, briefly, tell us about the road you took to first get published.

I had been in writers' groups since I was 20 . . . but never actively tried to get published. I worked as a book editor . . . and I was at a conference and ran into an agent I knew from attending the Book Expo in L.A. with a client of mine. I mentioned I had completed a novel . . . he asked to read it. He sold it to the fifth house he submitted it to (Red Dress Ink). That was 20 books ago . . . I HATE telling my "path to publication" story because it sounds too easy and wasn't fraught with rejection. But I had worked at craft for ten years before I even thought I had something to show an editor.


In the past, you have written a bunch of adult books. Please tell us what was different about writing a Middle Grade book. Was it harder? Easier? Were your children involved in the process?

It was harder, I think. Just making sure I was in the mindset of a 13-year-old boy. My kids helped name characters . . . and would read over my shoulder sometimes. There has also been some arguments over a few plot points.

The locales of your books are almost another character--New York, New Orleans, and for MagicKeepers: Las Vegas. How do you bring them to life--do you visit the settings, do you do Internet research, do you rely on memory?

If it's New York, then that's my hometown. The other places I have never been to. I rely on talking to people who live there or have lived there in the past, the Internet . . . and "vibe." I know jazz, for example, so that was a huge part of my New Orleans thing. I know the energy of a place like Las Vegas, how it never sleeps. So I rely on both instinct and research.

Your main character Nick can read the future--What magic skill would you want to have if you could?

I already have a magic skill. As a mother, I have eyes on the back of my head and uncanny listening skills, as well as a sixth sense when the house gets "too quiet."

One of my favorite things about Magickeepers is the history involved--while the book is fantastical, it is anchored in Russian history and magical history, with cameos from Houdini and historical figures. How did you choose these elements, and what kind of research was involved?

My father's family is Russian and I grew up listening to my grandmother tell me about her life there, plus Russian history sort of being "pushed" on me in the form of books and things. So I had a lot of it as a part of my background. As for specific characters, like Rasputin, that was research. The other thing was just how Russians are . . . you know movies like My Big Fat Greek Wedding are stereotypes, but if you are Greek, you SEE part of your family in it. It was the same way with the Russian elements. It's just traits and things that bear an uncanny resemblance to people I know.

How much of your own children live within the characters in the book?

Nick is not like my son very much. My son is a motivated student, something Nicholai is not. But the fact that Nick like anime (a couple of obscure references here and there) is my nod to him. And Isabella is VERY much like my younger daughter. She is spunky and can be bossy, and also fearless about protecting animals. Their appearances mirror my children almost exactly, and the cover is fun to see because of that.

How has being a mom influenced the writing in this book?

I wanted to protect Nicholai. He is a lonely boy who doesn't have a mother. Something about that is very poignant to me. Being a mother is everything to me, and I think not having a mother would be crushing. So there is this element to that of his loneliness and my maternal feelings toward him.

Aside from the Magickeepers series, do you have any other children's books in the works?

No, but I have a YA coming out in 2011 called Star-crossed . . . and after my final Magickeepers, I am sure I will try to write another middle-grade series again.

How do you find the time to write, while raising a spirited family? Do you have any special writing routines?

No routines. Lots of coffee. And I also had to learn to give up what I thought I "needed" to write--silence, long stretches of uninterrupted time. I write when I can, very intensely, and KNOW I will be interrupted.

How about any superstitions-- do you have anything that you do when you send off a manuscript, or when a book is released?

No. But if I feel blocked, I talk to my late grandmother, whose picture is on my desk. Sometimes I will put on a lucky bathrobe that belonged to my grandfather. I light candles, too, and keep them burning to signify creative energy.

What is your favorite thing that a child has written or said to you in the aftermath of Magickeepers?

Oh gosh . . . it's so hard to even pick one because the letters are great. I have one girl who writes me every week about her life. But one boy . . . he wrote me to say he was a reluctant reader and HATED reading and Magickeepers made him not hate reading. That made me cry with happiness.

You are a dedicated blog writer--I actually picked up your books after following your awesome blog. What does writing a blog mean for a you, as a writer?

It's my journal of life as a writer. I write it without editing, first thing in the morning. I don't think when I started it, 1,000+ entries ago, that I expected it to become part of my "discipline" (or lack thereof) of being a writer. But I like it as a way to clear my mind in the morning.

Which author(s) or books have influenced your writing or world view?

The Little Prince, for its whimsy. Neil Gaiman for a sense of possibility. Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl . . . for how I live my entire life as a human being.

What is the most difficult part of writing for you, and how do you work through that difficulty?

In all honesty, I think it's become, sad to say, fatigue. I am a mother of four and it feels like my personal life is very full. I work through it with coffee. The other difficult thing is self-doubt. Sometimes I just . . . hate what I write. And I just have to push through and pep talk myself. As someone once said . . . get the words down. You can always fix crap.

You are a full time writer--how many books to do publish each year?

Anywhere from one to four. It depends. Right now, I am completing my YA rewrite and then it will be time to do new proposals . . . plus Magickeepers III.

When can we expect the next Magickeepers book to come out?

April for the trade paperback version. May for Book II, The Pyramid of Souls. Expect to meet Sir Isaac Newton, P.T. Barnum, and others. :-)

Thanks so much for the wonderful interview, Erica. Blog readers, please make Erica feel welcome by posting a great question or comment for her--she'll be stopping by to answer.

Little Truths

I read a ton. I suspect that most writers do. And I read a good variety, in different genres to suit my mood. Right now I have 26 books out from the library--although some of those are titles for my kids to read. And some I know I won't get to. I just like to be prepared for whatever mood strikes me. The three on my nightstand right now are: DIARY OF A BLUES GODDESS by Erica Orloff; WILLIAM S. AND THE GREAT ESCAPE by Zilpha Keatley Snyder; and RIVER SECRETS by Shannon Hale.

One of the best general tips that I got from my writing partner (thanks, R!) is to keep a reading journal. I can flip through and remember specific quotes and plot lines from books that I read days, weeks, months ago. Things that touch me. Things I never want to forget. Like this:

Sometimes we have little truths in our hearts, in dark corners where we never shine a light. Then someone comes along with a candle and lights up that corner with something he says or something she does...and we know we can't ignore the truth that's hiding in the dark. Even if we blow the candle out, we know. The truth is there.
Excerpt from DIARY OF A BLUES GODDESS

Erica-- You Rock!

On the weeks that I don't have high word count, I find that I am shining lights through my story, looking for little truths and exposing weaknesses. That is what I am doing this week--ruminating with a candle.

What are you reading (or writing) that resonates with you?

Seeing Things

So, I was having coffee this morning with the gang over at Erica Orloff's blogspot (my favorite morning virtual cafe), and Erica blogged about how she wonders if people see colors differently. Is the blue that I see the same blue that you see? Immediately my mind wandered, and I had two thoughts.

Can someone have simultaneous thoughts?

One: It reminded me of Wendy Mass' book, A Mango-Shaped Space, one of my favorite middle grade books. The book is about a girl, Mia, who thinks that she is normal until math class one day, when she tells the teacher that it would be easier for her to get the correct answer if she wrote the numbers in their proper colors. She actually sees numbers and letters and sounds with different colors.

"Everyone thinks I named my cat Mango because of his orange eyes, but that's not the case. I named him Mango because the sounds of his purrs and his wheezes and his meows are all various shades of yellow orange."

And in real life, it is a real thing-- called synesthesia. In the beginning of understanding synesthesia, doctors thought that maybe there really is a color signature attached to different letters, numbers, sounds and tastes. For example, that the letter 'G' is always bright blue. However, there was no consensus of color signature. Different synesthetes experienced different colors for 'G'--and everything else. I imagine that experiencing life with this added sense is both disruptive and amazing all at once. Naturally, there are artists and authors who have experienced life in this fascinating way.

Two: My second thought was about how everyone has a blindspot in the center of their vision. The brain unconsciously fills this in, so we never know what it is that we aren't seeing. I have been kicking this idea around for a while--there is a main character in my head who is blind, but thinks he can see. (I've been trying to change him to a female, but he won't budge. He's stubborn as well). But, that character is going to have to wait-- he's two books down the queue of books that I'm writing.

But I have to ask, what do you think is in your blind spot?