Writing Quote

This is perhaps my most favorite writing quote of all time. I love that I can change what I write, smooth it, and polish it until it shines.

It also relieves the pressure of getting it right the first time. That phrase or paragraph that doesn't quite convey what I want it to can easily be changed.

What is your favorite writing quote?

Is Blogging Dying?

I admit it. I probably interact on Facebook with friends - writing and otherwise - more than I do on my blog. Why? It's an easier way to communicate. I haven't hit Twitter yet, as I'm not sure I like the format, and I also haven't tried out Tumblr (mostly because I don't understand this micro-blogging phenomenon).

But it got me to wondering: are personal blogs dying? I've posted less and less as the years go by, and that's a far cry from where I started out. I used to post every day. Now I'm lucky to get one a week.

However, I don't want to give it up because I have met so many amazing people through this form of communication. I still enjoy blogging, but now I only do it when I have a good post in mind. Sadly, I have probably lost followers due to my limited posts. But on the other hand, I don't want this blog to become another obligation. My plate is full to the brim with those. I'd rather it be a fun place for me to go when I have something I want to say.

What do you think? Is traditional blogging on the way out? Are you blogging more now than you did when you started, or less? Are there other ways you prefer to connect with people that blogging just doesn't facilitate?

You Know You're A Writer When...

Every day I leave work at 2:30 p.m. to go pick up my daughter. It's a nice time of the day to get out of the office for my "lunch break" and I only have an hour and a half left of work by the time I get back.

It's also a perfect time for me to connect with my writing.

On the drive to my daughter's school, I've thought through plot snags, rearranged scenes in my head, and mused how I can make my characters' lives worse. While waiting at the school, I've made lots of notes and done research for my WIP, madly scribbling away before my daughter arrives.

Yesterday, though, was a new one for me.

After I took my daughter home, I was driving back to work and had some amazing ideas that completely created a new aspect to my novel. The ideas kept coming and as I stopped at the stoplight, I grabbed my notebook and started scribbling.

Then I looked up and realized the light had turned green and I was about to make the drivers behind me very upset.

This happened not once, but twice.

Whoops.

What's your favorite "d'oh!" moment as a writer?

The Six Week Milestone

We went to see The Avengers movie for my daughter's b'day on Saturday. It was AWESOME. And so is this picture...

Yesterday was the magic six-week mark since my surgery. They say you will begin to feel back to your old self once this day hits.

And gloriously, they (whoever "they" is) were right.

I felt pretty darn good yesterday. Even though I was still at work, I didn't need my heating pad on my tummy, didn't need to eat copious amounts of chocolate (though I did eat my fair share), and didn't feel the need to crawl into bed and cry.

Of course, I am still dealing with withdrawal symptoms from Vicodin, the pain killer I was on, which isn't any fun. If you've ever heard of or dealt with Restless Leg Syndrome, you will have an idea what I'm going through - except it's not confined to my legs, but my entire body. Thanks, doc, for forgetting to tell me about that.

BUT.

We are thinking positive here.

Yesterday morning I received proofs for my next article that will be appearing in the magazine, America in WWII and that got me energized more than anything has in the past month. I'm researching two more articles for this magazine and I've had a swell time gathering sources and digging into them.

Last night, my daughter and I took a long, leisurely walk through the park, then I headed upstairs to my lovely office, turned on some good '40s big band music, and started working on my novel. I made a lot of progress (I'm still in the plotting stages) and didn't want to go to bed.

I'd say that's a good thing.

Today I get to visit my doctor to see how my internal stitches are healing, and to see if I can begin exercising again. Crunches have been a no-no (and believe me, there's no way I'd do them at this stage!), but lifting weights would be nice. I put on a few pounds since the surgery, which is no surprise considering I was bedridden and barely moving for a month, but now it's time to start getting rid of them.

So! That's the update from this end. Even though I'm still not 100%, I'm headed that direction!

Egads!

Bad blogger, bad!

I haven't been by many of your blogs, and I haven't been posting much myself. Which means I must be on hiatus without even realizing it.

I'm back at work. I wish I were back at home. But the bank account dictates where I go, and where I go now is the office. So.

I'm slowly recovering, slowly getting back energy. S-L-O-W-L-Y. This is truly testing my patience. I want to go exercise, go to the zoo and walk around, take a trip. Heck, I just want to walk at my normal pace!

All in time.

Shout-Out: Writer Unboxed

In my last post, I mentioned how the online writing community and blog, Writer Unboxed, has been a great source of encouragement to me in my fiction writing journey.

Not only does it have thoughtful, informative posts, but contributors include published authors, marketers, and even agents who offer their take on how this writing business works.

If you haven't visited Writer Unboxed yet, I highly encourage it. They also have a thriving Facebook community that is full of support. It's a place to ask questions and get terrific feedback.

In Other News...

Today is my last day off from work. Hard to believe more than a month has gone by since I had my surgery and worked at the day job. I could take another month off and be quite happy! While I am still experiencing pain and nowhere near back to normal, the bank account insists I return to work. So high ho, high ho, it's off to work I go on Monday.

Happy Friday!

Who Keeps You Going?

The creative life isn't an easy one. It requires a lot of discipline, strength, and determination. But there are times when quitting looks like the perfect solution. It's not, of course, because being creative is more than a job - it's who we are.

When the days get rough, when you look at your artwork or novel or musical composition and you think that nothing else has ever stunk worse than it has, we need encouragement. Most of the time, we need to find that encouragement from within ourselves. Other times, our well has run dry and we need to rely on others.

So who helps you when the chips are down, when you want to give up and chuck your manuscript down the garbage chute?

For me, I can always count on the support and encouragement of my family, and that is a true blessing indeed. They believe in me during those times when I don't believe in myself.

My two critique partners, who are also my good friends, are an amazing source of support. I also turn to the world of blogging, especially communities like Writer Unboxed, to keep me going.

And...I pray. I am a person of faith, so turning to the Lord is a huge relief to me.

What about you? Who keeps you going?

A Lucky 7 Meme

Denise Falvo tagged me for the Lucky 7 Meme post, and it's a fun game, so I thought I'd play along.

Meme: an idea, behavior or style that spreads from person to person within a culture.


The Lucky 7 Meme is a fun game between blogging authors, where the one tagged uses specific guidelines (see below) to select a tiny portion of his/her WIP (aka: work-in-progress) to share with their readers. Afterward, seven more bloggers are linked in a post to carry the torch forward.


These are the rules:
1. Go to page 7 or 77 in your current manuscript
2. Go to line 7
3. Copy down the next seven lines/sentences as they are – no cheating
4. Tag 7 other authors

So! Here's my contribution from my current WIP:

     The cake pan came down with a bang. “Absolutely not. You know I don’t give two figs for what the townspeople think. I’m hurt you’d even think I’d do that.”

     When would she learn to keep her stupid tongue still?

     “Oh, fiddlesticks,” Jenni muttered. “I’m sorry. Really I am. I shouldn’t have said it.”

Want to play?

The seven writers (who don't have to play if they don't want to) are:

Debs

Valerie

Daniel

Shirley

Patti

Anna

J.T. at .http://jtwebsterbooks.blogspot.com/

Since I could only choose 7 to tag, please feel free to play along even if I didn't tag you. :-)

We Don't Get Vacations

Do you agree or disagree?

The Perils of Impatience

Ahh. Recovery. A time when you are supposed to enjoy lounging around, having everyone around you be your personal servant and slave while you eat chocolate and take long, luxurious naps.

Reality is quite different.

I've had some good days and some bad days. Yesterday was a bad day. I felt like I'd taken an entire leap backwards in my recovery process. I was in pain, was shuffling around, and most definitely did not get out for my daily walk.

I think this was because I overdid it the day before.

Weeks 3 and 4 (I'm on week 3) are supposed to be the most difficult recovery weeks for hysterectomy patients because we feel like doing more, but our bodies have other ideas. Therefore, we usually do end up doing more and overdoing it.

Thus landing us back in bed, flat on our backs.

So today, I'm practicing patience. I'm moving slow. I'm reclining in bed and allowing my body to heal. After all, I only get one shot at this. I better make it count!

Let's Talk About Plot

One of the toughest parts of writing a good, solid novel is plotting. And it's something I struggle with on every single book.

I've tried a couple of different methods to find out which one "works" for me. Here's what I've discovered.

No outline. When I decided to write without knowing a single thing about my characters or about the plot, I had a great time - for awhile. But then it all came to a crashing halt when I didn't have solid goals or motivations for my characters, and I discovered what was supposed to be a "historical" setting was more or less window dressing.

Result? I wasted months revising it all.

Detailed outline. A few years ago, I had an idea for a modern-day novel (new for me since I write historical) that was set in my great-grandparents' hometown of Volpiano, Italy. I made lots and lots of notes. I plotted the entire thing out.

Result? I had pre-planned so much of the novel that I sucked the magic out of it all. I didn't even want to write it anymore, and I haven't looked at it in years. I hope to return to it someday.

So what's the solution? Middle ground, obviously. I usually like to know the basics about my character, but making an extensive list of their likes and dislikes is out for me. I discover those things through the story itself. But I need to have the bare bones of the plot, a sort of roadmap to where I'm going. But here's the thing - my course can change at any time. Detours are a part of it all. As long as I get from point A to point B, it doesn't matter how I get there.

However, I sometimes feel like I need a better process.

This is where you, my lovely followers and readers and lurkers, come in. What is your process for plotting? What books would you recommend?

Spill in the comments!