Tag: Not Fiction

New Year, New Words

Last year, I started with a simple goal: 365 words a day, every day, for the entire year. The goal was to build up stamina and be consistent in forming writing habits. My goal was to go an entire year Raptor-Free (meaning that I don’t miss any days) and I actually managed to pull it off!

New Years Resolutions are always kind of hit and miss. I’m used to having a strong star followed by a slow decline. However, this resolution went very well! Below are some more elaborate statistics and facts.

Average Words Per Day: 1,092 Words
Best Day: August 20- 5,837 words
Worst Day: January 22- 376 words
Total for the year: 398,443 words

I feel like I learned two main things from the project. Firstly, I learned that consistency is a skill. Having accountability, in the company of other writing groups or personal family, was actually crucial in building my writing stamina.

The second thing is that there’s a difference between “Finding the Time” and “Making the Time” when it comes to writing. Even when I working full-time, I would wake up early to get my writing time in before going to the office. I know myself well enough to know that I wouldn’t want to write after working a full day. Waking up early to write was sometimes the best part of my day.

This year, I’m planning on doing more editing and submitting (gulp!) and I’m attempting to do all three things (Writing, Editing and Submitting) in a slightly more even distribution than just writing nothing but new material. I’m calling it the W.E.S.T. (Writing, Editing, Submitting Tally). I have a lot of raw ‘Novel Fodder’ to work with and I’m looking forward to tackling the new year with new opportunities to put my writing out there! If there are any other writers who want to join me in this (or attempt their own 365 for 365), feel free to let me know!

Thank you to everyone who’s stuck with me for 365 of 365! Stick around for more fiction, more thoughts and a lot more excitement in the coming year!

The Work Space

Some of you may have heard that I moved recently, but it occurs to me that I never told you about my new writing space. I have a bedroom with an actual door (which is a big upgrade) and I moved my kitchen table into the bedroom to try and make it a proper desk. The thing I love best about my new space is the window that lets me look out and see the big tree that’s starting to show it’s leaves now.

The biggest difference from my old workspace is that I have a little egg-timer at my desk now. I used to time myself on my phone, but it was a little awkward and my anxiety brain kept checking it and interrupting my writing. The new set up lets me check frequently and provides a regular drone for me to write to. I do my best scene blocking to music, but I’m finding I need quiet as I write.

When I’m not at my desk, I bring my laptop to work and tend to write on my lunch breaks. We have a few conference rooms and it’s rare that they’re all in use, so I can close myself off for an hour and get some writing done over a sandwich. When they are all used? I just eat and work at my desk.

It’s very important to me that I have a special place to get my writing done. The secret for me is that there’s a little splash of green. Whether that’s a real tree outside or a plastic ficus inside? I’ve had to be flexible.

Writers on the move!

Currently, I’m at 30,000 feet. Sadly, I have not inherited a zeppelin, turned it into my floating base overlooking the city below. That comes later.

I am currently on a plane to California where I’ll be spending the weekend away from work and with my wonderful girlfriend. But it does pose something worth noting. On the one hand, I am very glad to be away from the usual humdrum of work and the city shuffle. However, I also want to keep up with my usual writing goals. To date, I’ve been able to make at least 400 words a day (and sometimes even a1000). So I intend to make my minimums, at least.

How do writers continue to work on the go? What challenges do we face? Time? Space? Resources? For some people, it’s a question of what to do when you aren’t surrounded by your pens, reference books or away from Wifi.

  1. Editing- This one depends on your style of editing, but I like the idea of being stuck in the air without Wifi or any other distractions. I like to crack open my laptop and whatever my current project is and making some tweaks that I’ve been meaning to do. You might need a dictionary app (I have one on my phone that I can use) if that’s your style. Most of my travel editing time is spent with word choice and content, so it’s a good way to pass the time.
  2. Brush Up Your Query Letter- No one likes doing this, but frankly, it’s an important thing to do. If you got ten minutes in the morning, you can prepare your next Query Letter for your current project.
  3. Flash Writing- When I’m in a new place, I like taking notes in a notebook throughout the day and then use those notes to recall as much as I can later on. The ability to build scenes is the bread and butter of a writer. I like to describe places that I visit in as many details as possible, make stories for random people that I see and journal things I’ve done and seen throughout a day. It takes a few minutes at the end of the day (or beginning of the next day), but it keeps your writer brain active the entire time you’re out and enjoying new things.
  4. Rest Your Creative Brain- If you work a day job as your side hustle (like myself), having some time to rest your creative brain is just as important as resting your day job brain. Focus on the details around you, but really take time to experience thing.
  5. Make A Post For Your Blog- Patting my own back on this one, but writing out a post for your website to post for later is a quick and easy way to get some ‘real work’ done. It’s not the most fun way to spend part of your vacation, but it’s definitely a useful way to spend flights, train rides or road trips (Planes, Trains, and Automobiles…those are the big ones, right?).

At any rate, I’m off and away! Some well earned Rest and Relaxation.

How do you keep your writing brain a little active during times when you’re on vacation? Let me know your strategies for writing on the go!

Creative Slump

It has been a week, let me tell you. I was sick on Monday and couldn’t get as much done as I’d like, followed by the usual stress at the office job. On top of all of that, I’ve been hitting a creative slump more than usual.

I’ve still been able to keep my 365 words a day (61/365 as of today). Don’t know how much of those words I’ll end up keeping, but I’m proud that I’ve been able to use those muscles every day (yes, even on sick days). There are some days, however, where I worry that I’m writing isn’t very good or creative. So, I’m trying to pull myself out of a creative slump.

Rather than trying to force new ideas, I try to let my brain work through the problems on their own. I’ll take some time to identify what needs work and then leave it to stew. I try to get as far from my work as possible, rather than forcing it. The office job sometimes helps with this division, letting my creative brain work while my rational brain is distracted. But sometimes, even a desk job doesn’t let my brain work through the problem properly.

When that happens, I’ll do one of two things.

First thing is I’ll go out and do something. It might be a walk in the woods, a trip to the zoo, or just a walk to get groceries. I need to get out of my head and let the ideas work themselves out. It’s important to let the brain go through the motions without forcing things onto paper. I usually take my camera, so I’m focused on the area around me rather than my brain still focusing on the problems in my creative slump. Sometimes the act of looking at things more carefully gives me a better creative jumping point for when I get back to the keyboard.

Alternatively (or additionally), I’ll bake. My coworkers call it ‘Rage Baking’. During a particularly bad snowstorm, I brought cookies for everyone at the office who braved the weather (snickerdoodles, by the way). When they asked about why I bake, I said it helps relieve stress. I find baking (and cooking) to be systematic and methodical. You have to follow the instructions of the recipe: measure things out, mix them correctly, and cook them at the right temperature. It’s simple and allows my creative brain to do its own thing.

What are some of the ways that you get creativity flowing again?

The Silver Screen

In early January, I started taking a screenwriting class. It’s very different from the writing I’m used to (mainly short fiction and novels). It requires more focus on dialogues and visuals than the normal tools of prose writing. It’s made me think a lot about movies and the differences, but I think it’s still storytelling at the core. It got me thinking about some of my favorite movies, a surprising amount of them are based on books. So, here’s an attempt at listing some of my favorite movies that don’t have book or tv show equivalents (which turned out to be harder than I thought).

  1. Mad Max: Fury Road- Admittedly, I haven’t seen any of the other movies in the Mad Max franchise, but I thought this movie was fun and had really good worldbuilding in a very short amount of time. For a two-hour car chase, it has a lot of material worth dissecting for the minor details that make it interesting.
  2. The Rock- Sean Connery and Nicholas Cage in a reverse heist? What’s not to love? It’s a simple prospect, but the adventure is still a lot of fun and it’s a movie that has a lot of rewatch value.
  3. Alien- This is a classic of science fiction movies. Frankly, I think it’s one that everyone should watch. It’s one of the few cross-genre movies that really works out. It’s a haunted house thriller with a science fiction twist. And the dinner scene is a classic of film making.
  4. The Incredibles- For what it’s worth, this is probably my favorite Pixar movies. I’m a sucker for a good superhero flick, but the idea of a retired superhero coping was great. It was quick-witted without being overly comedic and had a lot of heart without being too sappy.
  5. Young Frankenstein- This one is just pure humor. It’s so abundantly fun and occasionally absurd, but the dialogue is so well done and has one-liners that I used to run through with coworkers when I worked at the library. It’s also, to be honest, the best sick day movie that a person can have in their collection.

What are some of your favorite movies? Were they a book or a movie first?

New Year, New Goals

It’s that time of year again! Gyms are bustling with newcomers (welcome!), people are finding lost treasures in an attempt to get organized, and we’re all writing the wrong year on tests, checks, and calendars. It’s January and that means preparing the year with new goals! I always try to do some writing specific goals for every year. Here are some of mine:

  • 365 for 365: This one is an exercise I started working on recently. The idea is to write at least 365 words every day for 365 days (hence the name). Nanowrimo is wonderful for building writing endurance and getting things down on paper. 365 for 365 has habit and stamina in mind. So far, I’ve been doing pretty well by working on the same project every day. I do my 365 in the morning and can manage to squeeze out a little more over my lunch break, which brings me to…
  • Use Free Time for Writing: Since I work at an office job, I don’t have the luxury of being able to have a set, firm writing schedule. I usually will write for 45 minutes before I leave for the day, but what I do afterward depends a lot on how bad the day was. I started bringing my laptop with me to work, working on my projects over lunch or going to the downtown library branch to write after the day is over. Frankly, some of my best writing is done away from home so I want to start taking time on weekends to go work at the local library branch or coffee shop, etc.
  • Submit More for Publication: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” -Wayne Gretzky.  Admittedly, I’m a yellow-bellied coward when it comes to submitting. This year, I want to submit more to magazines, agents, publishers. It’s hard, but I have to put myself out there a little more. I don’t always believe in luck, but I do believe in opportunity. I need to work harder to make more opportunities for myself to improve my chances.
  • Focus on Craft: Writing is fun. Studying? Not so much. However, I do want to take more time to work on some of my weaker points. I want to particularly focus on self-editing and being more aware of shifting from present to past tense. Lots of other things to work on, either through personal study or classes and workshops. I am taking a screenwriting class later this month and I’m pretty excited to give that a try since my dad has told me that my strongest writing comes from my dialogue (why not try a writing format that’s mostly dialogue?).

I have other personal goals for the year, but these ones are more writing specific than a lot of the others. What are some of your writing goals for the new year? Any hopes, dreams or aspirations that you can focus on?

Finding Family

One of my favorite group dynamics–whether it’s a movie, TV show or a book–is the Found Family dynamic. When a group of friends, and sometimes strangers, come together and form something stronger. It’s one of the few tropes that I actively strive for when I create a group of protagonists because there’s something very comforting about making and finding your own family. I think it stems from a few of my favorites.

  1. Firefly- This is one of the first encounters where I started to get a sense of what a Found Family entailed. Despite the (very) short run of the TV series, it was clear that this was a group of strangers who came together with a common goal. Anytime the crew was together, whether it was a one-on-one interaction or all of the crew gathered in the cargo hold, there was a lot of subtext to their interactions. It was a family, from annoying little sisters to overbearing father figures.
  2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer- Another great TV show with a found family. You had Giles metaphorically adopting about half a dozen young adults by the end of the show. And there were really strong family dynamics within the show. Despite the constant forming and breaking of love triangles and relationships, there was always a familial love underlining everything. The heart of the show was a group of strangers who were working toward a common goal and finding love in that goal.
  3. Lord of the Rings- Both the books and the movies give an example of an odd, estranged found family. From the moment the Fellowship was formed, they treat each other like brothers, willing to lay down their lives for the others in the Fellowship. Despite overwhelming odds, dangerous adventures, and leagues between them, the Fellowship all work together for each other and the fate of the world.
  4. Critical Role- I’m a long time fan of this D&D show and I’ve seen the players form a family from strangers twice. The beautiful thing about the show is that we can see so much of the love the cast has for each other come about in their character interactions (even if they’re only joking around half the time). The cast does a wonderful job of blending story with character development and the core of that is in their interactions with one another. And over time that develops into a family unit, whether they want to or not.
  5. The Muppets- OK, hear me out on this one. The Muppets are this strange collection of birds, mammals, amphibians and felt humanoids that seem to have no real connection (aside from their dream of stardom and some apparent relationship in college). I feel like this was my first exposure to what a found family was, even if I didn’t realize it. They certainly weren’t related, but there was more love there than expected!

I’ve always loved the idea of finding a family in friends. You fight and argue, but only because you know you love each other at the end of the day. What are some of your favorite Found Family dynamics?

Strength in Numbers

A few weeks ago a friend asked me if I was interested in joining their writing group. Well, that’s not entirely true. We met up to talk about their writing once and we decided to forge a writing group. She brought one of her friends, I brought a couple of mine, and after two meetings, things are going pretty well. Unlike a lot of writing workshops I’ve been in, we decided this would be a working workshop. Most of us are doing some variation of Nanowrimo or just working on our own projects. The point is we’re doing it together.

Writing is a solitary act. Unlike sports, music or theatre, writing is something that is done solo. In some ways, it’s very freeing, but it’s also very lonely. It’s important to find people who we can talk with about our projects with or even just help us remember a word. I have a number of people who I talk to online about my work, but it’s nice to be able to directly talk with people the minute I have an idea (no matter how stupid it is).

My writing group helps each other, but we also motivate and push each other. We’ve started doing word wars, the prize being bragging rights and permission to use a bad pun nickname. It adds an extra element of fun to our word sprints (not to mention I’ve won twice). Will we use all the words? No. But my philosophy is if I use ten out of a thousand, that’s ten words I didn’t have before.

Having a writing clan is important. Having any kind of support network in a very lonely art gives an author a place to work through problems with simple (and sometimes silly) questions. Working in public makes the devastating distractions of the Internet or household chores (which seem so much more important when we sit down to write).

Do you have a writing clan? Where do you go when you’ve hit a creative wall?

And, hey, if you’re doing Nanowrimo? Good luck and have fun!

Trunks

So recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about trunks. Not elephants or swim trunks, but storage trunks. I’ve heard the phrase ‘Trunk Book’ tossed around a lot and have been thinking about the purpose of a trunk.

A Trunk Book, by my understanding, is a book or story that’s written and tossed into a trunk. It could be poorly written or needs more research or was just an idea that needed to be written down so you can focus on the current story. Trunk Books are, more often than not, tucked away and forgotten.

So, why keep them? If the book or story is no good, why write it in the first place?

Honestly? I feel like there are no bad ideas, just undeveloped ideas. Tucking a book away for later because it needs time to cultivate is a totally valid method. For me, the hardest part of writing is just getting the words on a document. Getting that initial pressure off my chest? Feeling like the book just needs to be edited? It makes the second draft process that much easier.

Having the first draft finished, even if it’s something I can lock away and forget about until later, is a huge relief until I’m ready to tackle the project more thoroughly.

Granted, we don’t all have room for a trunk or briefcase, so I just have a folder on my computer for such projects. Just cause a project isn’t working or well-written doesn’t mean it’s hopeless. Sometimes backing away from a story (locking it away) gives a fresh perspective when it’s ready to be tackled again.

Feeding the Muse

When I tell people that I write, one of their first questions is where I get my ideas and how I keep my creative spark active. Anyone who creates art knows how hard it can be to keep the creative juices flowing, whether that’s drawing, writing, creating music or cooking. So how does one keep the creative spark active? In a world that is constantly demanding attention and brainpower to just function in the day-to-day activities, keeping creative is a challenge for anyone with a creative side hustle.

Repetition helps, doing the thing until it becomes muscle memory. The random word doodles that I do (and sometimes post) for this blog can often lead me to “What if…?” or “Imagine this character in…” trains of thought. The creative part of the brain is a muscle and muscles only ever get stronger through work (and often resistance). Even if one out of every one hundred things you write is tolerable, you increase your odds of creating something you like.

I found that letting the mind wander is as important as having intense focus on a creative endeavor. Sometimes, doing menial chores or just walking around the city, I’ll have ideas for stories, characters, settings, and even plots. I have a special note on my phone for ideas I have while out walking about.

Paintings, music, and physical movement also keep the creative juices flowing. Other art can sometimes be the best inspiration. I have images of old maps and paintings saved on my laptop that I look at when things feel a little stale, trying to reinvigorate the mood of whatever I’m working on.

And, of course, a good cup of tea is a good energizer at the end of the day.

How do you feed your muse? Music? Art? Power nap? Tea? Let me know!