Using Description

I finished reading Monica Wood's excellent book, Description, which is part of the Elements of Fiction Writing Series.

I can honestly say this is one of the best books on the writing craft I've ever read. Wood doesn't waste time, but gets right to the point and shows you how to use description through narrative, dialogue, point of view, and more. She discusses each technique, and then offers a summary at the end of the chapter called a "wrap up" that neatly ties it all together. I was impressed with her no nonsense style. So many craft books veer into tangents and never really get to the point. Wood cuts the BS and delivers the goods.

There were so many meaty nuggets of wisdom in this short book that I couldn't possibly name them all, but here are a few that really spoke to me.

1.  Don't use long, detailed character descriptions. For example, when a man meets his love interest for the first time, our tendency is to describe her from head to toe. Don't. Instead, do as Wood suggests: "Deliver physical characteristics a few at a time, and the character in question becomes much more seeable." And don't show us every single feature. That's just boring and plain irritating. A few solid, vivid details will do more to characterize your character than an entire paragraph.

2.  Use dialogue to describe a setting. Wood's example: "My God, this place looks like the dark side of the moon," Henrietta said. You can also use dialogue to show what something isn't. Wood's example: "It's not exactly Sesame Street," Brenda murmured.

3.  Get rid of melodrama and sentimentality. One of Wood's rules: "Avoid the pathetic fallacy." What is a pathetic fallacy? Wood describes it as "ascribing human emotions to natural phenomena or inanimate objects." Examples: "happy hydrangeas" or "grateful daisies." Just...don't. It sounds tacky. And bad.

4. Long, rambling descriptions of your setting are also a no-no. This is one we've all been guilty of doing. I've spent a lot of time describing the entire interior of a room before. To what end? Does it move the story ahead? Do we need to care that the window has priscilla curtains or the floors are polished oak? Maybe - if it is important to the story. As Wood says, "You must add details that remind readers that the setting has a purpose." Are the priscilla curtains dirty because the main character has developed a fear of cleaning? Do they mask cracks in the window from a gunshot? This is how to make your setting details fit the story.

This is Slick. He asked if he could be included in this post even though it has nothing to do with him. I didn't argue. He likes to head butt at 2 a.m. That's why I didn't argue.

This is just a very brief sampling of what you can find in Wood's book. This is really a must for your writing craft shelf, and as I have a HUGE shelf of books on the writing craft, I don't say this flippantly. It really is that good!

It's 12:11 A.M.

The funny thing about not having anything to do or anywhere to go is that time becomes your friend.

But it can also become your enemy.

Though I haven't felt up to writing yet, I think it's just around the corner - possibly even tomorrow - that I will dig out the file for my novel and start getting reacquainted with my characters.

I have three weeks of recovery time looming ahead of me and I keep thinking to myself, "Oh, you have plenty o time to work on the novel."

Yet there is a danger in letting that time get away from me. I know because I've done it in the past.

Before I began working full-time, I stayed home with my kids, and had oodles and oodles of time to spare. But I hardly got any writing done.

Now that I have this nice three-week window of recovery time where I can't do anything physical and can't work, this is the ideal time to write on the novel (in between naps). I don't want to squander this time. (And yes, I will not push myself to do work when I don't feel like it...no worries on that score!).

So I think I need to set some realistic, but do-able goals for myself for the next three weeks. These include:

1. Reading through my notes and getting familiar with the plot and characters again
2. Study the craft. I am reading a book called Description by Monica Wood that is excellent.
3. Write with abandon.

Jane Austen's desk at her home in Bath

The third is perhaps the most important goal. For too long, I've sucked the joy out of my writing by allowing the internal editor to shove my writer persona out of the way when I pen first drafts. That has to stop. The editor can come out and play after I've written that first draft. But for now, I need to write with abandon and write for the sheer joy of it. I believe only then can my true writer emerge.

So that's the goals for the next three weeks. I have this time and I intend to use it.

Recovery Time!

Greetings from the world of puffed pillows and pain pills, of naps and comfy clothes!

My hysterectomy surgery on April 3 was a success, and I am so blessed to have had wonderful doctors, a wonderful nursing staff, wonderful family, my wonderful husband and daughter, and of course, all of the wonderful prayers sent by you all. In short, it was, well, as wonderful as surgery can be!

My doctor was able to keep my remaining ovary, which means I won't be going into menopause, and that is a blessing, indeed! We still need to wait for pathology to come back on the uterus and cervix, but I pray it is all cancer-free and nothing further is needed.

I came home from the hospital on Wednesday afternoon and have been taking it nice and easy ever since. Yes, I'm in some pain, but it's not terrible, and is definitely manageable with pain medication. My two cats have been keeping me company and I've been doing my best to follow the doctor's orders: namely, to rest, rest, rest.

Thanks to my brother, I now have wireless internet and can stay in bed and surf the 'Net. Previously, we only had the 'Net downstairs and there's no way I'm up to navigating stairs at this point.

So! I cannot wait to get to your blogs and read what you've been up to! It's been far too long since I've thought about much else besides this surgery and everythin that went along with it, so my brain is rather enjoying its ability to read and watch movies and sleep and yes, write (though that is probably a few days off yet...).

And as it is Easter weekend here in the States, a huge Easter blessing to all of you who celebrate!

T-Minus 8 Days

For the past month, I haven't thought about my upcoming surgery much as far as the actual surgery and recovery goes. I was too wrapped up in getting my finances in order, making arrangements for school pick-up and drop-off for my daughter, and figuring out work details.

But this morning, I had my pre-op appointment and it suddenly became real again - as well as a tiny bit scary.

My doctor said I'm one step away from endometrial cancer, so I'm very glad we're getting this taken care of now. But on the other end of the spectrum, there is a lot involved. Not being able to get out of bed by myself for a few days. No work. No exercising. No driving. No going up and down stairs. No wearing jeans (though really, that is not a big sacrifice!). No crunches! (Oh, the withdrawal I shall suffer...just kidding.)

And the pain. The last time I had surgery, I hardly had any pain. That was nice. The time before that, however, when they had to remove an ovary was very painful, indeed. I have an inkling this surgery is going to be similar in nature to that pain - and probably worse.

Then there's the pre-surgery stuff. I still have another post-op appointment to go to where they'll check my heart, take x-rays of my chest, take blood, and so on. Then I have to do that nasty bowel prep (gag!) the day before my surgery. Y'know what? After it's all said and done, I'm looking forward to them knocking me out!

Thank goodness my mom is coming to help for a few days. Sometimes, you just need your mom. Since she, too, had a hysterectomy, she'll know what I'm going through.

And thank goodness there is an awesome website online called www.HysterSisters.com that can answer all my questions. There's tips on what to bring to the hospital and how to cope those first few days, as well as lots and lots of other great information. It's been a lifesaver.

Creativity and Failure

While browsing through Pinterest today (yes, I got hooked on yet another social media site, but this one is lots and lots of fun!), I found this sign. I pinned it to my writing inspiration/wisdom board and wanted to share it with you.

Does the fear of failure hold you back from creating? It does me, and sometimes I have to whip out my trusty sword and slay that demon so I can get to work doing what I love.

How I slay that demon isn't always the same. Sometimes I'll just go for a walk and avoid the novel altogether. Other times, I'll eat chocolate. But I think perhaps the most successful strategy for defeating this demon is this: just write. Sit down and clear your head. Tell yourself that you're writing because you love to write, that you don't have to get it right the first time, that you can change and edit and play with the words to your heart's content later, after you've got those words written.

Then get to work. Have fun. Enjoy. Bask in the feeling of being a writer. Of creating.

And let fear slink back into its dark corner and sulk.

It's Spring!

Even though we had a relatively mild Nebraska winter, and I'm one of those weird people who loves winter, I'm ready for spring. Here in eastern Nebraska, flowers are blooming, trees have buds and beautiful white flowers, and the grass is already green. I'm loving it.

I'm also ready to get back to my writing projects. Going home over the weekend set me back a bit since I was involved in the alumni basketball tournament we had (I didn't play - I helped since my two brothers are the organizers).

My surgery is coming up April 3 - and I'll have four weeks off to recover. I'm hoping I'll feel well enough to go sit outside and enjoy the lovely weather!

Memories

I had to hook up my scanner the other day to my computer and while I was at it, I thought, why not scan in some old photos? What turned out to be a simple idea created an onslaught of memories. I found photos from my childhood that I had completely forgotten about.

As a child growing up in the 70s, I forgot just how, well, awful 70s fashions and designs were. Case in point:

Look at this kitchen! You can't see the other walls, but they were painted a bright, marigold yellow. My mom finally redid the kitchen in the mid-1990s when I went off to college and toned things down.

Check out the living room:

That's me and my older brother. We were "painting" the walls with our paint brushes. The living room was Americana at its finest, since 1976 was the bicentennial of America. We had red carpet in one room and blue shag carpet in the other. And that wallpaper! Oh my.

Look at me in these curlers. And the plaid! (If you look closely, you can see a tiny bit of the blue shag carpet...)

But the pictures I especially like are these of me and my grandfather, who passed away a few years ago:

I remember frequently falling asleep with grandpa in his chair. On the back of this photo, my grandmother wrote, "Another boring day at Grandma's house!" But it was never boring at their house. Never. I had the best time. They lived just a few miles from us on a neighboring farm. I remember picking fresh strawberries and playing with the dogs and butchering chickens and going for long walks on the county road. It was awesome.

This photo is of me, my big brother, our dog, Buffy, and my grandfather. This was at our farm.

This is how I remember my grandpa - with that blue shirt. He wore those a lot. When I saw this picture, I started crying. I miss him so much. But I find that I'm remembering him more like this, when he was healthy and vibrant and full of life, then how he was at the end, so sickly and frail. I like it better that way.

I'm headed home this weekend and I hope to grab a lot more old photos and scan them in. They've reminded me of what a wonderful childhood I had and how I am so incredibly blessed to have my family. It hasn't always been easy - lots of ups and downs - but I wouldn't trade those memories for anything.

Creative Cooking

I don't like to cook. Traditionally, I've only liked making one dish and that was lasagna. Otherwise, cooking was just a means to an end. My husband likes to cook and therefore our deal was that he made the meals, I did the dishes. I was completely fine with that. I do like to bake; however, my penchant for devouring sweets without regard to portion control is well known.

But then I got on Pinterest and started seeing all these lovely recipes. And then I realized that I was really tired of eating the same frozen dinners for lunch every day of the work week. Really tired.

So I started finding some healthy recipes that weren't too difficult to make. The more I found, the more excited I got, until I began to wonder, is this really the girl who doesn't like to cook?

Turns out, I do like to cook - if it's simple, doesn't require a lot of time, is healthy, and most importantly, tastes good.

Yesterday, hubby and I went grocery shopping and I had a list of ingredients to get for my new cooking ventures. I decided to make three different recipes, and here they are:

Skinny Chicken Enchiladas

Zucchini Turkey Burgers

Healthy Homemade Granola Bars

I was in the kitchen all afternoon. I made every single one, and every single one turned out fantastic. I had so much fun and such a sense of accomplishment that I wondered why I didn't do this all sooner. One reason, perhaps, is that my health has been such that I simply didn't have the energy and motivation. But I'm feeling much better lately and that was definitely a factor in this new endeavor.

While I doubt I will be doing this every single week, I have to admit that it's a lot nicer to bring a homemade meal to work (along with a homemade snack in my granola bar!) than a prepackaged dinner loaded with ingredients and preservatives that I can't even pronounce. That is a winner in my book.

Do you like to cook or bake? Got any great, easy, healthy recipes to share?

All You Need...

There's something wonderful about having another writer to talk to about writing.

It's even better when that other writer is your daughter.

Last night, we were relaxing in the living room. I was trying to describe to her how I had this mental block that I couldn't seem to get through with my latest novel. She kept nodding her head because she understood.

Then she said, "I have a problem with delay. I always delay writing. I want to write but there are other things I do first."

I replied, "You procrastinate."

"I like the word delay better."

I agreed. It did sound better than procrastinating.

Her eyes suddenly lit up. "I know! Let's light all the candles in the living room, turn out the lights, and write."

Even though I wasn't sure this would break down my mental block, I said yes. After all, who doesn't want to spend time writing with their daughter?

We doused the lights, lit all the candles, and we each started working on our respective laptops (her grandpa gave her a used one for Christmas which helps tremendously since we don't have to share mine any more!). I fiddled with my manuscript while she typed away, and I thought about retreating to my "fun" project instead of tackling the current novel. Yet something held me back, and as I kept fiddling, suddenly, it happened.

The words broke through.

I was delighted to be typing again, and was once more invested in my characters and their drama. Glorious.

And all I needed was a little prayer, a few candles, and an awesome writing buddy.

In the Mood...Or Not

Question of the day: what do you do when you're not in the mood to write...at all?

Further, what do you do if this mood stretches beyond one day and into a week?

Because I'm really, really tired of not being in the mood to write...

Thoughts? Opinions? Commiseration?

Writing Thoughts

Even though I've been inundated with preparing for my upcoming surgery, I haven't been completely out of the writing game. I'm nearly finished with my next history article. This one is on a World War II combat artist named Ed Reep. He is nearing 94 years old and lives in California. He served in Italy as an artist, painting and sketching what he saw around him. His story is amazing and since I have corresponded with him, he is also an amazing man. I would love to write his complete life story and may get the chance if I can ever get all my ducks in a row. I have an invitation to visit, no less, and I really want to accept!

I'm also embarking on a "fun" writing project - one that I turn to whenever I don't want any pressure whatsoever. When I sit down to work on this project, I am actually forcing myself not to feel any type of self-recrimination, i.e. This stinks! Who let you think you could write?. I'm also not allowing myself to edit, but just writing, writing, writing, even if it sounds bizarre and crazy. It doesn't matter. There are no rules in this particular story.

It got me to thinking how I need to use this type of mindset in all of my writing endeavors - at least for the first draft. For some reason, when I'm working on something that I know will go to an agent or editor at some point, I am not as loose with my writing. Therefore, that's why I decided to make this particular novel a fun project only. Will it ever be seen by the public? I don't know. At this point, it doesn't matter. It's just for fun.

Hopefully I can start diving into the next novel, though. Since it's part of a three-book series and the first book is completed, I need to write it. It's a good story, but a bit dark. Which leads me to another reason I'm writing the "fun" project - it is as light-hearted as can be. Comical. Carefree. I tend to write novels with weighty issues, so having an "outlet" is definitely needed.

In other writing news, my daughter has surpassed the 100,000 word mark on her novel. I am in awe.

If I haven't been by your blog lately, please accept my apologies. I will try to visit soon!