Hello, 2011!

It's great to see this blog revitalized! And we're starting things off right talking about setting goals and focusing on attaining them, aren't we? I mean, that's what you do in January, isn't it? — figure out what you want to accomplish in the coming year and put it out there for the whole universe to see. I don't know about you, but it always makes me feel organized and somehow virtuous after I've listed all those important things I plan to achieve.

Of course, there's the flip side of goal setting at the beginning of the year (I refuse to call it a new year's resolutions) — the inevitable accounting at the end of the year. I don't know about you, but there have been more than a few years that I've cringed in December at having to admit that I didn't quite meet my own expectations from the previous January.

Sad to say, 2010 was one of those cringe-worthy years. In January I started off raring to go, ready to tear into my writing projects and finish them ahead of even the ambitious schedule I'd set for myself. And then...Life Happened...and 2010 became the year I'd rather not talk about for many personal reasons.

In December—dear God, was that only last month?—I found myself lamenting the fact that I hadn't managed to accomplish a single writing goal that I'd set for myself in January 2010. My husband, patient and supportive man that he is, asked me an unexpected, albeit honest, question that quite took me aback.

He asked me if I really wanted to write.

You know that sinking feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when something isn't right or you know something bad is about to happen? Yep, that's how I felt. But it was a very good (and well-meant) question. Had I been secretly sabotaging myself? Did I really not want to write? What if I'd been fooling myself all along?

I sat myself down and had a long, serious think. The answer I came up with surprised me a bit. Not only did I want to write, I couldn't not write. And, while in some ways I'd let fear hold me back, I concluded that most of my problems in 2010 really were things happening that were out of my control. I just needed to find a better way to deal when life happens, because life is always going to happen.

Whew!

So, here's what I decided to use as my single writing goal for 2011: 2011 will be the year I finish my first novel. That's it. I plan to finish at least one novel in 2011. If I write more than one, yay, me! I'm going to check-in every Monday on this blog with my progress, and perhaps make a weekly goal (though not always). And by the end of this year I have every confidence that I'll be able to raise my head high and proclaim that I met my writing goal for the year.

How about you? Do you have a love-hate relationship with writing goals? If you always meet your goals, how do you manage to stay on track? If you don't, what tends to trip you up? I'm always on the lookout for tips and tricks—even ideas about what not to do!

Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer

You may have noticed the virtual tumbleweeds blowing through the blog last week. It seems that even writers need a break now and again from talking about our favorite subject. Summer has finally arrived in the Mid-Willamette Valley and after the long cold wet spring, we're all enjoying the weather while we can. It's time to go outside, have some fun, and recharge our creative batteries.

This blog is officially on summer hiatus. Be sure and check out our individual blogs to find out what we're up to and check back here every now and then—you never know when one of us might pop in for an update.

Have a great summer, everyone! Catch you on the flip side!

SATURDAY CHECK-IN

Current Project: Unnamed Fantasy
Status: See Below :-)

I have to admit I've been feeling a bit underwhelmed by my progress lately. However, this morning as I was trying to figure out what to put down for the status of my current project, I realized I'm further along than I'd been giving myself credit. The world I've been building is fleshed out enough to allow me to start writing—I'll fill in details as I need them. I've got the main characters thought out enough that I'm ready to get to know them better by seeing how they handle the trials and tribulations I throw at them. I've thought about and discarded several plot points, paring down to just a couple of seemingly unrelated ideas. And yet I've been kicking myself because there's still a big fat ZERO when it comes to words written.

Except...I realized that's wrong. I have been writing, just not typing on the keyboard in an "official" document. As ideas have simmered and I've been building the world, I've also been writing snippets of dialogue and small scenes in my notebook as they occurred to me. Some I've discarded for this project (though I've saved them for possible use in another story). In fact, two of the larger scenes have become the basis for the beginning of the plot. It's weird, too, because as I wrote each of them, I firmly believed that I was writing something that would go in a different story, but that I wanted to get down while the idea was fresh. It wasn't until later that I realized the scenes were connected, not just to each other, but also to the current story.

So, it looks like I'm further along than I'd let myself believe. I've written about 800 words, all told, and still have two more scenes already planned out that I just need to get down on paper. I think it's probably time to start that "official" document and begin writing on a schedule again. I'm ready. Who knew?

How about you? Any surprises this week, good or bad? Are you feeling stalled or are you racing through your story, eager to get to the end? Inquiring minds are dying to know!

Storytelling At It's Finest

Current Project: Unnamed Fantasy
Status: Still Worldbuilding

My husband and I went to see Gone With The Wind last night at the Elsinore Theatre. The Elsinore has an amazing classic film series they present in conjunction with a local community college—other films we've seen include The Maltese Falcon and Forbidden Planet. This is the third time I've seen Gone With The Wind in a theater and each time I've come away with something different.

This time, part of the experience for me was my awareness of the responses of the audience around me. I heard more than one person say they'd never seen Gone With The Wind before, even on DVD, before the movie started, and only a few said they'd read the novel. I was surprised at the first statement, but not at the latter. I'd imagine that at a little over 1000 pages, Gone With The Wind appears daunting to most people, and how many people out there assume a Pulitzer Prize winner must, by definition, be dry and/or difficult to read? It's a shame, because Gone With The Wind is pure entertainment. And while the movie trims and focuses in on only certain aspects of the novel, the entertainment value loses nothing in the translation to the big screen.

The first time I saw the movie was shortly after I'd read the novel (in the early '70s). What I remember most about that viewing was that while I loved the movie, I was a bit distracted by the differences—the things they edited or cut. Still, it was one of the most memorable movie going experiences I've ever had, the others being seeing revivals of Lawrence of Arabia and Ben-Hur. The second time I saw Gone With The Wind was in the mid-'80s. I was far enough removed from the novel to just sit back and let the story on the screen flow over me. Wonderful.

This time I found myself analyzing the story, the characters and the audience reaction. Times are different—our lives have been irrevocably changed by the ubiquitousness of the internet and instant access to information and entertainment. I was amused by how many people immediately turned on their cellphones as soon as the last scene faded from the screen at 11 o'clock at night, because, my God, what they must have missed by having to be disconnected for 4 hours! (Yeah. Right.)

So what struck me most this time around? The incredible story-telling, for one thing. How about how GWTW managed to convey the utter devastation of the Civil War without ever once showing a battle (i.e. a movie can be thoroughly entertaining without resorting to an "action scene")? And then there's character development. Vivien Leigh had the part of a lifetime and she makes Scarlet O'Hara come to life; she is Scarlet O'Hara. At the beginning of the movie, Scarlet is only 16 years old, a pampered, spoiled child who expects the rest of her life to be just the way she wants it to be. Watching Scarlet meet the tragedies and challenges that life throws at her while still clinging to her self-centered ways, and yet oh-so-subtly changing as well, even though the most important realizations only come when it's too late. Gah! There's too much to try to describe in this post. Suffice it to say, it's a tour de force performance and an incredible character arc.

The other thing that struck me was the audience reaction. So many people had never seen the original, but everyone has seen the parodies ad nauseam. So, when certain scenes—such as the "curtains into dress" scene—first arrive on screen, there were unexpected titters of amusement as if people thought they were watching yet another parody. By the second half of the movie, though, these unexpected outbursts had disappeared as the audience became completely engrossed in the story. Pretty amazing, really.

And finally, there's Clark Gable. There have been a lot of good looking actors over the years and a lot of actors who can really, well, act. But very few have had the sheer presence on screen that Clark Gable had. I'd take Mr. Gable, shirt sleeves rolled up and devilish glint in his eyes, over just about any actor around today. He was the perfect Rhett Butler to Leigh's Scarlet O'Hara.

Margaret Mitchell refused to write a sequel to Gone With The Wind, and I, for one, am content to leave Scarlet as I last saw her—alone on that staircase, vowing to return to Tara and figure out a way to get Rhett back. I believe she'll somehow manage to do just that.

SATURDAY CHECK-IN

Current Project: Unnamed Fantasy
Status: Working on Plot

Welcome to the all-new SaturdaySunday Check-in!

Ahem.

I could blame the permanent time-warp that seems to have descended on my head. Or, I could say that I was stuck in an iron suit while a TDESPHTL* replayed Friday. Or, I could claim I got caught up in the first beautifully sunny day we've had in oh so long. Or...I could just admit that I lost track of the days and didn't realize yesterday was Saturday until this morning. Yikes.

I am, once again, struggling with Plot Creep. My initial idea has grown from a tiny sapling "Save the Prince!" scenario into a giant "Save the World!" sequoia. And while it's a very attractive tree, I'm not sure I'm ready to tackle the forest that goes along with it. (I could struggle along with more forestry analogies, but let's just say I did and skip it, okay?)

You know what I mean though, right? It's never just saving the world. Oh, no. There's political intrigue and spying, strategy and battles. Good vs. Evil. *sigh*

The question is, would I be biting off more than I can write? Is it too ambitious to attempt a Big Book when you, technically, haven't finished any book yet? Should I pare it down and write a simpler story? I don't mean "simple" in a negative way, but as in "fewer intertwining threads."

I do recognize that this is one of the things I've been battling in my ideas--my tendency to want to throw every plot idea I've ever had into the mix. I know I can't do that. Well, not and have a story that makes any kind of sense. But can I handle a story that's complex (rather than just...complicated)? I don't know. I guess there's only one way to find out. Wish me luck, Ma, I'm going in!

Yeah, I'm in one of those moods.

So, how did your week go? You had an extra day--did it come in handy? (oooh, I shoulda used that as my excuse!)

* Gratuitous Tin Man reference—that's a Tri-Dimensional Energy Stored Projected Holographic Time Loop.

SATURDAY CHECK-IN

Current Project: Unnamed Fantasy
Status: Creating Maps

I had a hard time with this post. Not because I don't have anything to say. Nope, quite the opposite—for once I have too many topics rambling around in my head. Since that's sort of my problem with my current project, I thought I'd stick to talking about where I am right now. And where's that, you ask?

I'm stuck in Worldbuilding 101*.

I'm currently doing the Fluctuating Fox-trot with my story's setting. Here are the things I know. The story is a fantasy; Magic exists, but so does Science. I have a good idea of the inciting incident, though I'm leaving myself some wiggle room on the details, some of which will depend on, you know, the setting.

In some ways, the traditional High Fantasy genre would fit, but I really don't want to write yet another story in a world stuck in Medieval Stasis. Nor do I want to create kingdoms/societies that are really just a bunch of Planets of Hats. Okay, I thought, do a paradigm shift and set it in a more recent time frame, like the Victorian era (though I actually prefer the US period name of the Gilded Age), but then I realized to my chagrine that I'd be careening perilously close to writing Steam Punk. Don't get me wrong, I adore that genre—I just have no interest in writing it at the moment. So Victorian times, it seems, are out.

I (very) briefly toyed with using a contemporary setting, or even the near future, but the story that seems to be gelling in my head really doesn't work in those settings. I'm also not sure I want to write a story where the Real World(tm) is oblivious to the magical stuff happening right under it's nose.

I know, there are still a lot of possibilities I haven't explored. One setting I'm toying with is the Edwardian era, either at the start of or just before WWI. Another is the late 1920s-early 1930s—I've wanted to try my hand at Decopunk for awhile, though I think I may hold off on that for now.

Ah, well, at least it's a nice day, with clear skies and no rain. I think I'll go take a drive and mull things over. Maybe some fresh air and sunshine will air out my brain.

How was your week? Inquiring minds want to know. And if you have any suggestions on setting, they'll be cheerfully accepted!

* Why yes, I have been spending a lot of time lately reading TV Tropes. Why do you ask?

SATURDAY CHECK-IN

Current Project: New Project!
Status: Shiny!

I started a new project last week. It all started, as a lot of my ideas do, from a brief flash of a scene I had in my head just before I dropped off to sleep one night. It really was a flash — a 2-line conversation between two men on horseback. It stuck with me, though, because I woke up the next morning wondering who they were and what happened to bring them to that place and circumstance.

I was just fooling around; I didn't know it would be the start of a new project. I couldn't stop thinking about them. I thought about them when I went shopping and cleaned the house. I thought about them when I drove the car to Lake Oswego for a three hour career assessment class (and I thought about them during the class!). I realized they weren't who I thought at first and their story wasn't the obvious one I'd thought it was, either. And when other characters started showing up, I realized I might just have something worth getting excited about.

Right now I'm in what I call my "cautiously excited" phase. I've got a rough idea of the beginning of the story—maybe the first two to three chapters—and I know where I think it's heading, at least for now. As soon as I've finished meeting the characters and figuring out their names, I plan to dive right in and start writing.

I feel like I imagine Dorothy must have when she stepped from her sepia-toned world into the glorious technicolor of Oz. I didn't know that my world was becoming gray and washed out. Everything feels more alive and vivid at the moment and I can't wait to get started.

How'd your week go? Tells us your good news and share your troubles. We're all interested, and speaking from experience—it really does help!

SATURDAY CHECK-IN

Deborah and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day*

Confession time. I've been struggling for the last few weeks and I haven't wanted to admit it, to myself or anyone else. You see, I'd convinced myself that when the day job was gone that I'd be ready to blast away at the keyboard. I had grand visions of writing a gazillion words every day, easily finishing one book this year (if not two!). But the problem is, the day job deserted me—I didn't choose to leave the day job.

I've been ignoring (or trying to) most of the negative feelings that are natural to have as a result of this. Because while it's true that what happened really is the way that I was (mostly) hoping it would go, it still wasn't my choice. And it stings. More than I thought it would.

I've been all over the map emotionally and I haven't been making things better by constantly reminding myself that I'm not meeting the writing goals I set for myself. "Hey, it's been three months. Get over it, already!" Yeah, that helped. Things came to a bit of an emotional head yesterday. I won't go into the whys--they're boring and irrelevant. Let's just say I had a really—no, really—bad day and leave it at that.

The bright spot is that I finally acknowledged the elephant in the room. Getting him out in the open (and letting him wander off in search of romance) allowed me to take an honest look at what I've been writing lately. Let's just say that the current story is going on the back burner (way, way back) for now and leave it at that.

I'm allowing myself a bit of time to decide what I really want to write, right now. I already have a couple of ideas bubbling that I'm kind of excited about, but I'm going to think about things for a bit more before jumping right back in. I've given myself permission to do this without feeling guilty. I'm not sure why that was necessary, but, trust me, it was.

I doubt that it'll take long before I decide on a story. And I haven't changed my ultimate goals for the year: 1) finish a book, and 2) submit to the Golden Heart. But it's funny how free I suddenly feel.

How was your week? Tell us your ups and downs, your victories and stumbles. And if you see my elephant? Let me know if he's found romance yet.


* Maybe I should move to Australia

Historical Accuracy in Fiction

Or, hey, nobody remembers the 13th century anyway!

If you haven't seen the new Robin Hood movie, you may want to skip this post. I'll do my best not to go into any real spoilers, but you may not want to be spoiled by my opinions, either.

My husband and I went to see Robin Hood yesterday. I was hoping it would be another Ridley Scott/Russell Crowe actionfest. I was hoping they'd do something different--like set it in the timeframe of the earliest legends (the time of Edward Longshanks, rather than Richard the Lionheart/John Lackland). I was hoping to love it. What I got was one out of three. It's frustrating, because I really wanted this movie to shine.

There was plenty of action, no doubt about that. One thing this movie didn't lack was a lingering, loving look at the grit, blood and horror of medieval warfare. Real? I'm no expert, so don't ask me. Grim? Well, it came very close to my own personal limit of grimness. There's only so much I can take before I wonder why I'm still watching.

Fortunately, there were moments of relief. I loved the scenes between Robin and Marian. It would have been a much different movie if they'd expanded those moments and limited the battle and gore--a movie not made by Ridley Scott. Que sera, sera.

Still, that's not what bothered me. What bothered me were the things I was being asked to suspend my disbelief about. The loving detail with which the movie tried to portray the "reality" of 13th century life created the false expectation that, a) the characters would act in ways "true" to the way life was then, and, b) historic events would be portrayed at least somewhat accurately.

If this is the "real" 13th century and not some fantasy world? Give me a better foundation to believe a common archer in Richard's crusading army would know how to read and be able to impersonate a nobleman. And while we're at it, stop with the handwaving of history in order to make your hero more Heroic. Wasn't there enough of a reason to find Robin Hood heroic when he was saving the people of Nottingham from oppression? Maybe if it had been done with more finesse, I wouldn't have had a problem with it. I don't know--I'm still trying to figure it out.

YMMV, but I just couldn't take that leap. Don't get me wrong, I'm not sorry I saw Robin Hood in the theater. I (mostly) enjoyed it. I just didn't love it. I don't doubt that in a few months the most I'll remember about it is a vague sense of disappointment. Heck, even Kevin Costner's disaster gave us Alan Rickman's delicious scenery chewing turn as the Sheriff of Nottingham--a performance I still remember with glee.

And that brings me around to writing. If you write about historical events--ancient or otherwise--how do you prefer to handle them? I know some of this will depend on the story, whether your characters are inserted in the event or the event is part of the background. Or do you try to avoid real events at all costs? The question for me is, how far can you go before you risk throwing your reader out of the story? Or maybe that's the wrong question to ask?

SATURDAY CHECK-IN

Out with the old, In with the new.

Did I mention a few weeks ago that we'd had a couple of trees removed in our backyard a few weeks ago? They were large trees: a 70 foot maple and a volunteer cherry that had to be nearly 50 feet. The maple had root problems (rot of some kind) and we decided to take it out before it took out our house or our neighbor's house. Preventive medicine and all that. The cherry was just a messy nuisance, though a decent shade provider. Not to worry, though, we still have the giant fir tree and a second (now trimmed) volunteer cherry.

Removing those trees opened up the backyard and allowed the morning sun in. We still have plenty of shade, especially in the afternoon, but that little bit of sun has made all the difference to the other plants in the yard. The rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas are thriving as never before and the lawn actually has a chance to grow grass instead of moss.

But the best part is that now we have the opportunity to put our mark on the yard. My husband has always wanted a japanese maple, so off to the nursery we went! No one will ever accuse us of thinking small--we ended up ordering seven trees. They were delivered on Thursday. I should mention that only two of them will be planted in the ground; the rest are destined for containers. The two we plan to plant in the ground are a beautiful Bloodgood and a Sango Kaku (Coral Bark). The others are a Autumn Moon (which may end up in the ground), a Golden Full Moon, a Katsura, an Orange Dream, and a Shaina (which came already planted in a wooden box). Even though planting is a bit of work, I love the smell of the rich loamy earth.

So far I've planted the Katsura:

and the Golden Full Moon:

What does this have to do with writing? Well, spring always makes me think of new beginnings. Of possibilities. Of change.

Change.

I know I'm generalizing and over-simplifying, but isn't change at the heart of most compelling stories? Finding the right change--or the right reason for change--for our characters is one of the things that makes story telling fun. And while I'm still getting used to thinking of myself as a writer, I have no problem at all calling myself a storyteller; human beings have been telling each other stories since the dawn of history.

This week I did a lot of thinking, mixed in with the planting (I planted other things, too, during the week). Not a lot of writing (again), but the characters are taking shape in my mind.

How did you do this week? Boast about your accomplishments, or let us commiserate with you on your setbacks. But either way, enjoy the lovely spring day!

SATURDAY CHECK-IN

I tried writing this post last night, but my brain was too mushy from the cold that's decided to take residence in my head. I waited for inspiration to strike this morning -- no such luck. So I'm afraid you're stuck with this rambling, non-sequitor, goofy stream-of-consciousness that are the thoughts rambling through my brain at the moment (and that I wish I could blame on my cold!).

I was (and still am) sick with the aforementioned cold. Even so, I managed to eke out over 1200 words. I imagine many of those words were barely coherent and will get re-written sometime in the future, but still! It felt good to move forward, albeit on shaky ground. I was reminded that I can't fix what I haven't written, so it's all good.

I thought a lot about dominoes last week. About how I hadn't realized that's how I thought of plot until I mentioned it (offhandedly) in my last check-in post. It's true, though. I used to think of plot as linear; as a line of dominoes ready to fall. Set everything up and tip the first block and everything falls neatly from there. If that's the case, I should be able to plan the line. Even if it meanders, I should know where it's going, right?

Turns out I'm more of a hindsight girl. I can't know where I'm going until I get there and look back at where I've come. (Yeah, I'm hoping that makes sense.) Thing is, I'm hoping once I get to the end, I'll be able to look back at that line of dominoes and make sure they don't peter out unexpectedly in spots or clump up in others. Plotting in reverse. I'll have to think about that some more when my brain doesn't hurt.

It's a beautiful sunny day here. I think I'm going to take the laptop outside for awhile. Who knows? Maybe I'll actually write a few more words before I fall asleep under the trees.

How was your week? Let us know how it went--great, good or indifferent. Hopefully I'm the only one who was laid low!

SATURDAY CHECK-IN

I started to write that this week has been a strange one and then I realized what a redundant thing that was to say. It seems that every week is strange for me these days. On the writing front, I didn't actually get any words down. I did do a lot of mental work, thinking about the direction the story has taken and whether it makes sense or if it's taken a wrong turn, that sort of thing.

We had more work done around the house this week, having the old tub/shower combo in the master bath replaced with a larger walk-in shower (without a tub). That meant taking the cats to the kitty hotel for a couple of days, which meant having to go to the vet to get flea treatment medication before that. It's funny looking at events in reverse, isn't it? I always get a mental image of an orderly line of dominoes with the first one getting tipped over so they all fall one after the other, just so. Funny how it never feels like that when you're living it!

The other thing that happened—the thing I really wanted to talk about—was that I started taking advantage of the career transition services that I received as part of my layoff package. Right now I'm in the "assessment" stage, figuring out my strengths and interests. One of the things I needed to do before my next appointment was to complete a couple of "self-assessment" exercises. I've done things like this before at various times and expected these to be similar, but the first one I took was new to me. It's called the Birkman First Look and it's supposed to help you "understand your strengths, motivational needs, and stress behaviors."

When I've taken other tests like this, I've always scored high in the analytical/technical areas and that's what I expected to see with the Birkman test. What's different about Birkman, though, is that they also score your areas of interest, not just what you may be good at. For the first time my scores in creative areas were very strong — artistic, literary and musical were all solid bars, scoring far higher, for example, than in scientific and numerical (where I usually score the highest).

The results were a bit of a shock at first. How could it be true? I've always been the science/math/tech geek! After thinking about it for awhile though, I realized that these results reflect how my interests and my focus have changed. Yes, I'm still interested in high tech, but my real interest—my burning passion, if you will—is in being creative...in writing.

Yes, I know what you're thinking: "Duh, big red truck!" Honestly though, even though I've been talking about writing as a, well, career, it wasn't until now that I understood just how strongly I felt about it. I hadn't really been looking forward to doing this career transition thing, but now I can't wait to see what else I learn about myself!

How about you? Did you experience any revelations this week? Was your week productive or did you run into roadblocks? Share your news, good, bad or otherwise, and let us cheer you on!

SATURDAY CHECK-IN

Today's Subtitle: "Help! My characters sound like actors in a 1930s screwball comedy!"

This week I seemed to be channeling my inner Howard Hawks*. Every bit of dialogue I wrote somehow morphed into words that would have felt at home in any screwball or British drawing room comedy of a certain era. I kept expecting my characters to break out with jolly good or pip-pip at any moment. Okay, so maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but really, what do you do with a character who insists on saying things like, "Say, I’m being an absolute dunce."??

The saddest part? I wish I could say I was writing the kind of witty repartee you'd find in those old movies. Unfortunately, my version is more the kind of stuff you wince at. Ouch.

Still, there's something about letting a character talk and say what they want that reveals certain things about them. For instance, I had no idea that my heroine was a master thief who only steals high end, high profile and very expensive objects at great risk. Not until, that is, she started talking to one of her rich "clients" at a party and her inner thoughts betrayed her. What started out as an easy way to have her introduced to the hero turned into a revelation that had me scrambling to rewrite my earlier scenes. Like tipping a line of dominoes, other things started to fall into place.

Now if I can only get them to stop sounding like they need to be walking their wire-haired terrier on the deck of the Queen Mary as they cross the Atlantic... Asta! Heel!

So, while my word count hasn't really budged, I'm satisfied with the progress I've made this week. How about you? Did things go your way this week or did you encounter any unexpected roadblocks? Fred and Ginger and Nick and Nora and I would all love to know!

* his early comedies

"Oh, For a Muse of Fire..."

With humble apologies to William Shakespeare, I'm afraid I don't believe in divine inspiration when it comes to writing. If you're someone who firmly believes that you must wait for an ever-fickle muse to visit before you're able to write anything worthwhile, then you may want to stop reading this.

Look, I'm not trying to offend anyone; I'm only speaking for myself here. External inspiration can come from many sources, but true inspiration—the kind writers are really talking about when they mention a muse—comes from within. There's no fairy godmother or magic wand that will produce the kind of results we all want as writers—to be paid to publish our books.

I don't believe in a muse in the same way I don't believe in the Tooth Fairy or writer's block. Heresy, you say! How many of you believe that writer's block is real? Come on, raise your hands. Don't be shy. Okay, you can all put your hands down.

How can I say I don't believe in writer's block? Does that mean that writing always comes easy for me and that I've never struggled to. Get. Each. Word. Out? Oh, pshaw! Of course I've struggled and will continue to struggle. I just don't believe in attributing my struggles to something I can't control.

What do I believe in, then, if I don't believe in muses or in writer's block? Well, I believe in hard work; in writing as often as possible. I believe in fear and doubt—emotions I can recognize and do something about—and in powering on through when I feel them, writing whatever comes to mind just so I'm writing something.

The other thing I believe is that we make our own luck. Just consider the terrific things that have been happening recently for my fellow writers of this blog and in our RWA chapter—all of it the product of their own hard work and determination. Now that's something I can really believe in.

SATURDAY CHECK-IN

Good grief, it's Saturday again! I think the earth must be speeding up in its rotation, shortening the days just enough to give truth to the old saying...time flies.

Did that sound like the intro to a littany of excuses? Well...yes and no. It's true that I didn't write as much as I'd hoped this week. I did write, though not quite every day. Some of what I wrote isn't reflected in the total yet, because I wrote long hand and still have to transcribe those words to the computer. I'm quite satisfied with my progress in the past week and feel inspired for the coming week.

Last week was a week of spring cleaning, getting organized and fixing things. First, we had a new furnace and air conditioner installed. The old ones were the original units from when the house was built and were barely limping along (the AC wouldn't have made it through the summer, if it came on at all). So we decided to take advantage of tax credits and rebates and get them replaced now.

That prompted cleaning out the garage. It wasn't so much that we had a lot of stuff to get rid of (though we do have quite a pile for the junk run), but that we needed to get things organized. We cleared everything out, put up new shelves and repacked the contents of cardboard boxes into plastic bins. Whew!

I know what you're thinking. Yeah, that's lots of work, but what does it have to do with writing—other than taking up time you could have been at the computer. Well, for one, it's a chore that had to be done at some point—now it isn't looming over my head, freeing me to concentrate on writing. But I also discovered something while going through all those boxes. I came across folders I haven't looked at in years. Inside one was a stack of typewritten pages—bits of dialogue, character descriptions, and lists of plot ideas. When I say "typewritten" I really do mean "on a typewriter." I wrote those pages long before personal computers were available. I had forgotten all about them.

Memory is a funny thing. I know I've said that I've been writing for about 10 years. It's obvious that I've had writing (professionally) as a dream for a lot longer than that. I guess I put aside that dream for something "more practical." Well, I did the more practical and now I'm ready to go after that original dream. Discovering those pages I wrote so long ago was like filling up my gas tank with rocket fuel. I'm ready to go, baby! Check-in with me next Saturday and see how far I fly next week!

Time for you to share! How did your week go? Did you soar high or stall out of the starting gate? Inquiring minds want to know.

SATURDAY CHECK-IN

As you can see by the graphic, I didn't quite make my stated goal of 10,000 words this week. C'est la vie.

If that sounds like I'm shrugging things off—I'm not. In truth, the word count doesn't completely reflect the actual progress I made this week. It was another one of those "thinking" weeks, where I spent a lot of time mulling things over while doing other (non-writing) things. I worked out some initial motivations and backstory, most of which I wrote down in my notebook, but some of which is still just in my head. I've decided not to go too far with backstory, motivation, and plot at this point. I'd like to get to know these characters as the story unfolds (i.e. while I write it) in order to keep things fresh. Slowly, but surely, I'm learning what my "process" is—and detailed plotting it ain't!

My goal for the coming week? Well, this week I'm trying something different. I'm not setting a word count. Instead, my goal is to write something every day. I need to get back into the writing habit, you see.

How'd you do this week? Any news you'd like to share?

SATURDAY CHECK-IN

I don't know about you, but this last week went by way too fast for me. As you can see by the graphic, I didn't manage to write at all (and yes, that is my computer mocking me). So much for my 7150 word goal.

In the past, if I'd had a week like this I'd be beating myself up for missing my goal. I'd flounder around, trying to figure out if I'd set too high a goal or not high enough. I might even start questioning whether I really have what it takes to be a writer.

Care for some more melodrama, anyone?

Not this week. Perhaps it's because several things cropped up that I hadn't planned on that I had to take care of. Or maybe it's because I've written the next couple of scenes in my head and just need to get them down in the computer. Whatever the reason, I have an odd confidence that I'll make up the words and then some in the coming weeks.

Am I completely fooling myself? Should I go back to wailing my frustrations? Nah. I think it's time for a new song. This week was just a blip in a long process. There will be weeks when I write far more than my goal and weeks, like this last, where I don't write a single word. I'll still get to "The End," no matter how many words I write in a single week.

Now it's your turn. How'd you do this week? Did the course of writing flow true and sweet for you? Or did you hit a snag? Inquiring minds want to know.

My goal for the coming week: 10,000 words. Check-in next Saturday and keep me honest!

One Pill Makes You Larger...

Current Project: Untitled Project #1
Status: Join me on Saturday's Blog for my weekly status

True story. My love affair with books began when I was little—by which I mean somewhere pre-kindergarten—fueled first by my parents reading to me, then by reading on my own (I love you, Dr. Seuss, wherever you are in the cosmos!). Books were magic and somewhere along the way, I got it into my head that authors were magic, too—that they were some rarified form of human being and that writing books wasn't something just anyone could do. Years later in school when we would discuss books and "what the author meant," I knew in my head that a person like you or me wrote those books, but somewhere in my soul I still believed that authors were magical creatures. Aspiring to be one was as foolish as trying to catch a leprechaun to make him give up his pot o' gold. Better to stick to something down to earth, don't you know.

Fast forward *cough* years past several twists and turns in my life, past the degree in Computer Science and the career in IT (all of which I've loved, by the way), past the years of writing stories for myself—all the way to today. I joined RWA because I'm serious about writing as a career (i.e. writing for publication). I'm working hard at learning all I can about writing, about publishing, and at improving my craft. And yet there's been an invisible wall holding me back: I'm still trying to shake that long-held belief. Not so much the belief that authors are magical, because I still think they are. No, it's the corollary to that belief that I've been trying to get rid of. Leprechauns and unicorns, after all, are born that way. They didn't wake up one morning and become magical; they just are. If authors are magical...well, you see the problem.

I'm sure there are lots of ways to modify behavior and break long-held false beliefs. But I think, in my case, I've found the solution. I've been looking at this from the wrong angle. It isn't that authors, like leprechauns and unicorns, are born that way. It's that they've found the magic elixir that can transform them into a magical being. If that's true, why is it, then, that it takes some authors longer to be published than others? Shouldn't a sip of the elixir instantly transform them? Ah, but you see, just like with modern medicine, so with magic potions—some authors need more of the elixir than others before their transformation takes place.

I know you're dying for me to tell you all about the elixir, aren't you? I'll tell you a secret—you already know what it is. Authors have never tried to hide it. It's free to anyone who really wants it. Are you ready? You're sure? Okay, then, here it is. The magic elixir to becoming a published author is...to write!

See, I told you you already knew it.

The thing is, it's easy to forget that those magical creatures called "authors" are really writers who continued to plug away at their writing until they finally reached the point where a publisher wanted to buy what they wrote. I suppose some people would say that's a bit mundane for a magic potion. I don't think so at all. Writer's write. Sounds pretty magical to me.

SATURDAY CHECK-IN

Welcome to Saturday Check-in!

I'll be your host for this soiree going forward. I'd like everyone to give a big cheer of thanks for Alice. She's been maintaining the check-in with little fanfare for a long time now. Even when I didn't get time to actually, er, check-in, I was always happy to read about everyone's progress. Even a lack of progress was an inspiration to get motivated (guess I'm a glass half-full type after all). So, Thank You, Alice, for being a rock and posting 'most every Saturday! You deserve a break--though I hope you'll check-in with your own progress whenever you can.

Some of you may know that I've been going back and forth between two writing projects, trying to make a decision about which one to work on exclusively. As you can see by the graphic* at the top of the post, I've made my choice. And it isn't the one I thought it would be when I was at the writing retreat in February.

I imagine some people would think the logical choice would be the novel I've written the most words of so far. In this case, though, there's a different kind of logic at work in my head. Time away from the first project has given me a chance to see where I was going wrong and to envision a reworked (and hopefully stronger) beginning. Therefore, I'm going to concentrate my efforts on project #1 and power my way forward to the end.

Then I'll be free to go back and work on project #2. In a way, I'm a bit relieved to know I have something waiting in the wings so I'm not floundering for what to write next. I know I'm getting a bit ahead of myself, but I honestly feel that this is my year to finish what I've started.

Not only that, but since I've taken on the Saturday Check-in duties, I won't have an excuse to shirk reporting my progress--or lack thereof. Just a little added incentive to keep my fingers flying over my keyboard!

Your turn. Let us know how your week went! Share your good news and triumphs so we can applaud. Let us commiserate with you on your difficulties and maybe someone will have some words of wisdom that will lift your spirits. So, how'd it go?

ETA: Ooops! I forgot to add my goal for the coming week! To stay on (my own) track, I need to write a minimum of 7150 words this week. Check back next Saturday and see how I do!

* Get your own free progress meter at http://www.writertopia.com/toolbox/meters

Theme

Current Project: Dueling Projects
Status: Deciding which one to focus on!

I'd like to talk about theme as it pertains to writing for a moment. Wait! Don't run away! This isn't your high school or college English class--I promise there won't be a quiz later. Okay? Good.

Theme. I can't deny I still shudder whenever someone brings it up in a conversation about writing, or, say, at a writer's conference. I never enjoyed that part of my English classes when I was in school (and I'll confess in college I only took the minimum number of English courses required to graduate). So why in the world would I want to talk about theme in this blog?

Well, I'll tell you--I've been going through all my office stuff the last few weeks, purging what I no longer need and trying to organize what's left. One of the more interesting aspects of this has been looking through my stacks of writing journals. I've only been writing with the goal of publication for about three years now, but I've been writing for myself for a heck of a lot longer--well over 10 years--and I've kept most of the journals and files for all that time. Not everything, mind you, but enough to get an idea of not only how much my writing's improved, but also about what kinds of stories have interested me over the years.


Does it surprise anyone else that I recognized patterns, common...wait for it...themes, running through the majority of my stories? I'm not sure why, but I didn't expect it. It isn't that I'm telling the same stories over and over. It's that most of my stories seem to end up being about the same core things: the nature of good and evil, and discovering one's true self when the chips are down. (I also discovered a couple of old story ideas that I may resurrect one day, but that's a blog post for another day.)

Thinking about story themes still makes my head want to explode. But at least I'm beginning to recognize that themes exist in my writing, even if I didn't consciously plan it that way. How about you? Do you like talking theme? Or do you prefer to avoid the topic, too? Do you recognize the themes that run through your own writing? Care to share?