Tag: Daily Life

The Editing Game

Earlier this month, I decided I wanted to take another crack at submitting my novel to agents and publishers, which means I’m back at editing again! With that in mind, I decided I wanted to share a few of my usual editing tricks for anyone who is working on Self-Editing their current projects!

  1. Read to an Audience:
    This is probably my favorite recent editing trick I’ve had the chance to use. Reading out loud makes sure you read and hear every word in a sentence just a first time reader will interpret it. It can also be a good time to get some positive reinforcement. We aren’t all lucky enough to have a captivated audience on hand, so feel free to use whatever is available. Do you have a pet? They’ll love the attention. A plant? Plants do grow better when you talk to them. Rubber Duck? Well, at least it won’t tell you that you’re a hack! (Though it might say you’re a quack.) Currently, I’m using my owl egg-timer that doubles as my Writing-Spring timer (his name is Ap-owl-o…I’m not taking notes).
  2. Highlight the Lines You Like, Not Just the Errors:
    It’s good to have some positive notes when going through your manuscript. Whenever I’m in a workshop, I’ll point out the lines of dialogue or prose that I really like so the notes I give aren’t just critiques. The same has since been applied to my own editing to give Future-Nick something to look forward to. It also helps remind me that there is a reason I love the story so much.
  3. Editing Somewhere Other Than Where You Write:
    A change in scenery can often be great for writing, but it’s also really good for editing. I write at the same spot every day, but editing requires a different mindset in order to do it effectively. I will edit on the couch, so that I can have a different set of eyes while editing. It’s almost like going to a different office to work out a problem rather than looking at the same four walls. Granted, I have a view of my editing space from my writing space, but it’s different enough that I’ll be able to put myself in a better mindset.
  4. Give Yourself A Deadline:
    Like any sort of “Working From Home” experience, it can be easy to give yourself abstract deadlines and set things aside for too long. Procrastination, after all, is a form of perfectionism and that’s what writing is all about. Instead, I make sure a date to have my editing done by so that I can be ready when it comes. More often than not, giving myself a deadline encourages me to finish a project early rather than stretch it out until the last minute. It’s easier to finish things if you plan things in advance.

What are some of your favorite self-editing tricks and tips?

Lunch Time Novelist

Let’s be honest. Having a writing success land into your lap is unlikely. It takes effort, luck, and time, which are resources few people have in spades when it comes to starting their writing careers. So, the solution is to work while writing and hope for the big break to come along. I’ve often called myself a “lunch break novelist”, taking time on paid breaks to sneak in a little bit of creative time to up my word count (even if it’s a few frantically written ideas on a scrap paper that I’ll have to decode later). With all of the jobs I’ve worked, I’ve decided to go through them all and list the pros and cons of each of the jobs I’ve worked and determine which is the best for burning the Creative Oil.

  1. Library Assistant – Where better to work on writing than in a building surrounded by books! The quiet atmosphere, the literary osmosis from having so many books pass through your hands and a first person perspective on what people are checking in and out on a regular basis! Learn from the best and find new books to read regularly.
    Pros: Quiet space, lots of inspiration, people to talk books with, and access to just about research material you could need! And, unlike a bookstore, there’s very rarely an exchange of currency for people to get upset over.
    Cons: Breaks are often short, hours can be erratic, and weekends are often spent in the stacks. The timing isn’t ideal, but if you can start and stop the writing process easily, it’s not a bad fit. Keep a notebook on your person for ideas and new authors to read!
  2. Office Work/Data Entry – The truly romantic story of an artist wading their way through the corporate swamps is the classic tale for every new writer. The hours are pretty regular and you can plan your time accordingly. Most offices have a break room as well, which can give you a small space to work over the course of a lunch break.
    Pros: Regular Schedule that’s easy to plan around. Nights and weekends can be committed to creative endeavors. If you can find an isolated spot with your laptop, you can get a good chunk of writing done without distractions like internet or minor household chores.
    Cons: Soul sucking work that can be creatively stifling. Mindlessly pushing numbers around or doing basic procedural work can make the creative part of your brain lethargic and tired. Make sure it’s an office where you can leave the work at work and preserve the writing time for writing. Nothing worse than saying “Someday” over and over again until someday becomes yesterday.
  3. Dishwasher/Restaurant Worker – I’ve worked in quite a few restaurants and it’s always come with it’s fair share of characters! Customers and coworkers alike can make for some interesting character fodder.
    Pros: Easily separate work and creative time, lots of time to think about stories and get inspired, lots of social interaction for dialogue study.
    Cons: No real ‘Break Room’ (usually an over turned bucket in the back), hard to stop work to scribble down ideas, mostly working nights/weekends can be overwhelming very quickly when the dinner rush hits, physically exhausting.

So, while I don’t think there’s a “Best Job” for writers, I think that each job has its pros and cons. Personally, I can’t see myself working anywhere other than a library and I think that it’s the best fit. There might be some writers who prefer having the consistent schedule of a desk job or the fast-paced environment of a restaurant. Any number of jobs have factors that can make them good or bad, but since no two writers are the same, there is no perfect job for all writers.

If you’re a writer, what parts of your job encourage or encumber your creative process?

Creative Combat

Every so often, when the stars align and timezones aren’t an encumbrance, I like to do creative things with other creative people. Whether it’s a battle for word count, a goal setting challenge or just doing something creative with someone to keep you accountable, I have a few friends I know I can count on for Creative Combat! If you want to feel motivated, here’s how you can do your own!

Everyone has their own project and they don’t always line up. Everyone has a project they’re working on: writing, editing, drawing, knitting, whatever! Everyone sets a goal, either as a time goal or something more specific like word count or pages edited. One friend and I like to add stakes to our little combat sessions (nothing serious beyond having to make our loss public on Facebook or Twitter). Then, the work begins. It’s best to set a timeframe, if only to check in with each other at a certain point.

I’m not a normally competitive person. I’m usually a fan of collaboration which makes writing an interesting choice, due to its solitary nature. However, having motivation with another person–even without stakes–is such a huge factor in my productivity sometimes. It can be hard when you’re working alone, so having someone else to work with is important. Accountability can be so hard (it’s half the reason I started working on this blog), but having someone you promised to work with can make that work more valuable. Even if it just means you have someone to consistently work with and share your struggles with, it beats sitting alone at the computer trying to will the words onto the screen.

Just Finish!

I’m pretty sure I’ve talked about this before, but I am a firm believer in finishing projects. Recently, I’ve been struggling to finish a project I started working on earlier this year. There’ve been a few natural hiccups (including getting all four wisdom teeth out), but I feel like my writing has been something I’ve had to wrestle every morning to get it going. I don’t think it’s burn out, but let’s be honest, I think everyone is a little burnt out more these days considering it’s been over a year since March 2020 started and it still feels like we haven’t gotten into April yet.

Still, I’ve been doing my best to write something every day. I’ve been tempted to put it away and start something, but I really enjoy the characters I’m working with and want to give them justice. The easiest way to keep writing is to just finish a draft and remember that you’re going to fix the parts you don’t like later. I feel like my first draft is really an opportunity to explore the characters in a situation and figure out what they should do or want to do. My current problem is pacing, so I have plans to work with that frame of mind and try to fix it all later. If I only ever wrote when I knew I what I was doing? I doubt I’d ever truly get the the work done.

There’s a saying about “You can’t polish crap”. The problem with that is that it’s easier to polish crap than it is to polish nothing.

What do you think? Agree or Disagree? If a project isn’t working for you do you still try to finish it or do you find it better to shelve things and let them stew a little?

Closing Chapters

This is a bit of a hard one to write. After almost 5 years in Seattle, I’m afraid that I’m leaving the city. Whether or not this will be my last time living here or not, I don’t know for sure. Regardless, this feels a bit like the close of a big chapter of my life, so I wanted to reflect on that a little here. So, this is equal parts update and journaling.

I came out to Seattle on–almost–a whim. I had just wrapped up Graduate School and wanted to try something very different from small town New England life. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for in the city, but the only way I could describe it was “an adventure.” The only person I knew out here was my second-cousin, so it was about as far from my comfort zone as I could go.

Since moving out here, I’ve lived in three different apartments of various sizes, worked four different jobs and made countless friends. I really came into my own when it came to my asexuality, my independence, and ability to improvise in difficult situations. I started playing Dungeons and Dragons. I (basically) learned how to cook. I really applied myself to my writing and my photography. I had my first serious relationship out here (I don’t know if that ties more into my asexuality or moving, but it’s included in this chapter for the sake of the chronology). I self-published my first book. There were some difficulties along the way, for sure. Being on the other side of the country from a majority of my family was difficult and I had to learn a few lessons the hard way. I was working multiple jobs to make rent (sometimes going 14 or 15 hour days to make everything balance) and none of them were really fulfilling or satisfying by the end.

It’s been a ride of ups and downs. Some of my friends I made within a couple weeks of moving out here and I still see them on a weekly basis to this day. I’ve made some really great connections here and I’ll keep those after I leave. I learned a lot of skills, both professional and personal. I learned a lot about myself and discovered the boundaries that I need to work on for myself.

I don’t know what the next step is now. It’s a bizarre and wild time to move, so most of my efforts has been focused on moving. When I get to my next step, I’ll decide then, but I know that my writing will stay constant. Right now, my writing has been a rock in all the confusion of the world right now. I feel like creating is my therapy and my writing has always been what brings me the most peace.

I move at the end of the week with a very early flight and, as sad as I am to leave the city behind, I’m excited to see what happens next.

If you haven’t yet, go and pick up a copy of Found Mysteries: The Rebirth of Violet Franklin and Other Tales. It’s been doing pretty well so far and it’s been exciting every time I hear someone else has read it.

Black Lives Matter

I’ve tried writing and rewriting this for most of an hour and can barely make it beyond the first sentence. Everything I say feels like it’s already been said and I don’t feel like I have much authority on the subject. It goes without saying, but Black Lives Matter and it’s our responsibility to act.

I’ll say please consider donating to a Bail Fund in your state if you have the resources. I also highly encourage you to donate and spread the word for the following organizations. With all the donations going around, we need to help as many groups as possible:
Reclaim the Block – Minneapolis community and city council members to move money from the police department into other areas of the city’s budget that truly promote community health and safety
The Okra Fund – NY based community and food for black trans people.
Black Trans Protestor Fund
Black Lives Matter
Black Visions Collective – similar to BLM, but Minneapolis base

I intend to read more books by black authors this month and consume more black media in general. It’s important to hear voices now more than ever, but it’s also important to listen to those experiences. Currently, I’m reading “The Fifth Season” by N.K. Jemisin which I’m thoroughly enjoying. If you’re interested in joining me in reading books by black authors, I would recommend purchasing through the stores in this article:
https://afrotech.com/this-mompreneur-is-launching-detroits-first-coworking-play-space-for-families
Support Black Owned Business and Still Keep Social Distance.

Stay Safe. Stay Well.

Home Office

First of all, I hope everyone is safe and healthy. Things are intense out there, but we need to work together to stop the spread of the virus as best we can. That means we all gotta be smart and work together. One of the biggest ways we can do that is by working at home as much as we can.

This is a good time to talk about the best practices for working at home. Since August, I’ve been (more or less) working from my kitchen table and I have a few suggestions for people who are struggling with the transition from a structured office to a productive Work At Home.

First, make a schedule and try to keep to it. I have an alarm for 5:30 and usually roll out of bed at 6:00. After I shower, I’ll make some breakfast, usually eggs and spend some time on Facebook and other social media to see what I missed. After that, I’ll settle into my current project (whether that’s editing or writing). Around noon, I’ll go for a walk outside (not too far and alone). I usually close up around 5 or 5:30, but I’ll keep going if I’m on a good roll. At worst, I’ll close up everything at 7:00 and go do some reading in bed before I fall asleep.

Which leads to my next point: Have more than one space to work in, if you can. If you have access to more than one space, you should establish one as your workspace and one as your recreational/sleep space. I have a separate bedroom than my living space, so it’s easy to close my door at night and leave my writing work at my kitchen table. I have the bad habit of working while eating other meals, but who isn’t a little bit guilty of that? I’m able to limit the overlap between Working Brain and Sleeping Brain by physical space.

Thirdly, drink a lot. No, I don’t mean that kind of drinking. Water and tea are my suggestions. It’s important to stay hydrated through out the day. I’ve been going through six or seven mugs of tea a day at this point. When working at home, it’s strangely easy to ignore our basic needs like water.

And finally, don’t forget to stop working! Yes, productivity at home is good, but don’t let that drive burn you out completely. When we’re working, it’s easier to keep track of our daily work schedule and clock out right at 5:00. When you’re already home, what’s five more minutes? Then ten minutes. And next thing you know, it’s dark outside already (which is shocking now that we’re entering the long, summer days).

Above all else, if you’re working from home? Stay healthy both physically and mentally. So, stay safe, stay well and don’t forget to relax once in a while.

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