Strike the Balance Between Work and Play

I came across the following article the other day on Facebook:
  

To Work Better, Work Less  by Cody C. Dliestraty
posted in www.theatln.tc.com or The Atlantic in 2014.

I think the title sums up the point well enough - working too much decreases productivity.  I've read similar articles before, but for some reason this one spoke to me as a writer.  It reminded me to keep it real and enjoy not just work, but also life.

 How then does this philosophy apply to writers?  The same way it would any other profession.

  As writers we do need to put ourselves down and just write, but sometimes we also need to sit back and take a break from our work.  When we later come back to the piece, we are renewed and can look at the writing a little more objectively . . . well, in theory.

So dear followers find that balance - work, love, writing, play, etc.  Put those interests in any order that works for you, but instead of juggling think about balancing.

Good luck, laugh often, keep it real, and then write about it all.

 Looking forward to sharing many exciting adventures with you all.

Tales from the Trails - Keeping It Real - Setting

Okay, by now you probably know that too much or too little setting detail can frustrate readers.  So how can you make the biggest punch by using the fewest words?

Come on, you know what I'm going to say . . . . Keep it real, man!  If possible, go to the locations of your various settings and just observe.  Jot down notes about what you see, hear, smell, taste, and touch.  Remember to use as many of those five glorious senses as possible.  I promise it'll help bring your writing alive!

Bonus points if the location is a really fun place to be - like in the mountains!

Now for me, after this trip, I  will have all kinds of great ideas about sounds, smells, and sight. One my three days into the woods with the hikers, I was rained on, saw a fox, and camped by a waterfall. So yeah, I got some good ideas about sight, smell, and sounds.   Touch and especially taste are going to be harder to come by.  You try eating trail food for several days.  It's fun for a day hike, but you get bored of it quick.  Thank goodness for trail angels (like me) who make deliveries!

And in case you are wondering, I got my trail name - One Match.  Why One Match?  I can start fires with only one match.  So yes, I was the official fire maker and tender of the group.

Keeping It Real - The Answer To Why Are You Qualified To Write This Book.

You've written your book, you've written a practice query, and now you're looking for an agent.

 One of the first questions often asked by agents is why are you qualified to write this book.  Sigh!  Really?

 It's true; they ask it over and over again. That's just one of my reasons for "keeping it real."


So, my writing objective this summer is to "keep it real." My plan is to journal my three week experience acting as a "Trail Angel" this summer for a group of hikers setting out for the Rockies.  I call it "Tales From The Trails."  Cute, right?!  Next time I get asked why am I qualified to write this book, I can say well 'cause I did it.  Bonus, I get to have fun while doing it too!

Get out there.  Experience life.  Enjoy life.  Write about life.  Just keep it real!

FYI - a "Trail Angel" is someone who helps through hikers out on their trek.  For me that means meeting up with the group every few days, feeding them a meal or two, and then resupplying them before they disappear into the woods again.

Keeping it Real - Stephen King sytle

Stephen King gives 8 strategies on how to sell books, but two of them touch on the idea of keeping it real.

His # 1 strategy is to tell the truth - you know keep it real.  This makes the story so much more . . . well real.

His # 4 strategy also touches on the idea of keeping it real.  When writing, he suggests to pretend as if you are writing a letter to a person that you know.  This will help to make your writing more personal and help you connect with your target audience.

For more detail check out the article at:

www.inc.com?glen-leibowitz/8-simple-writing-strategies-that-helped-king-sell-350-million-books.html

Top Ten Wonderful World of Boys

Here's this seasons insight into how to keep those boy characters real.

1. Jumping is a perfectly acceptable mode of transportation. 
They will jump off the roof just as happily as they would jump on your furniture.  They have no problems have jumping off a rope swing into the pool, but don't be surprised if they won't jump rope.

2. Everything is a competition - even fastening seatbelts or using the restroom.

3.  Creative cleaning system.
Half of the spoons have been licked before sticking back in the drawer and the other half are just plain missing.  Time to look under their beds again.

4. Break everything.
This week they left my car door open all night while it rained and then flooded the upstairs bathroom which then flooded the kitchen.  This doesn't include even include the toy truck my son bought and broke within the first five minutes.  Ah,really?  So much for saving up for college. 

5. Miss the toilet seat but are nice enough to clean up using perfume and hand towels.  Gee thanks.

6. Mom's makeup makes for great camo paint and Halloween makeup.  Again thanks guys.

7. Love to do artwork!!!  Why, I have their sticky handprints all over the walls and windows.  I even have a few nose prints too.

8.  Good at redecorating.  I hear furniture being dragged around all the time only to find sheets and bookshelves now make for instant forts.  Socks, shoes, jackets, backpacks, and toys are strewn all over the place the minute they walk through the door, but don't bother to clean up, but they had it there for a reason. 

9.  Silence is golden right?  Um, not so much with boys.  If it is quiet, better investigate.

10.  Good news is that boys give some of the best hugs!!!  It is a competition right?!

Wonderful World of Boys

Writing a story that has little boys as background characters?  Here's this month's Top Ten List of how to Keep It Real when writing about the Wonderful World of Boys.

 1. Dig holes in the backyard just for fun.
 2. Can't keep socks on.
 3. Don't mind strange smells.                                                           

 4. Love pranks!!!
 5. Bath is a four letter word.
 6. Lick spoons and put them back in the drawer.
 7. Anything is a weapon - even scrambled eggs.  
 8. Ignore mom, but comes running when the doorbell rings.
 9.  Will fight to the death not to have to clean.
10.  Must have nitro!!! 

Keeping It Real - Let's Give Them Something To Talk About

What happens on vacation stays on vacation or ends up on facebook or so the joke goes.  For writers though, what happens on vacation could very well end up in a novel!!

So vacations are not only restful, but can also be invaluable to a writer's growth.  Trips are a great way for writers to be spies and gather information on a new place.  Talking to or even just observing people expose writers to not only new ideas, but also new ways of speaking.  So that means writers can use vacations to help improve their ability to create interesting dialogue.

Other authors have done the same thing in the past.  Hemmingway, a master of dialogue, used his real life experiences to help create many of his stories.  He was a master at keeping his writing authentic and his dialogue sometimes reflects that reality.

So next time you go on a trip, get your gab on and see who responds.  And if you are shy, then that is okay too - just observe.

Once again dear writers, use your imagination, but remember to keep it real - just a little at least.  Have a great summer. Enjoy your life and have fun with your writing.  I hope to read about your stories one day.  Until then bon voyage!

Keeping It Real - The Vacation Setting

It is summer time and that means vacations.  Regardless of whether the vacation is relaxing and reflective or fast paced and adventuresome, vacations are a great way for writers to keep it real.  These travels (even if they are only just across town) can expose writers to new experiences, provide writers with firsthand knowledge of new places, and enhance writers' powers of observations. Thus, trips are a great way for writers to develop settings that are rich and insightful.

Vacations, though not as extensive of research as living in certain places, can be invaluable to writers as they struggle to create settings that are alive. Trips often have the magical ability to awaken writers' senses. With all the new sights, sounds, and smells, writers are bound to break out of their routine and find new ways of expressing themselves.

I personally use vacations as inspiration for many of my settings.  Relaying on my firsthand knowledge of a place, aids my writing and helps me keep track of everything.  My son and I use National Parks as the setting for my middle grade adventure series and  we try to go to as many as we can. We love our research!!! It feels like cheating sometimes, but hey. . . whatever it take to keep it real, right?!

So, yes traveling really does help writers keep their writing real.  I know that I am not alone in this believe.  Take a look at Jack London's writings.  He is a descriptive writer who has drawn from his own experiences in the harsh Alaskan frontier to paint realistic and yet almost hostile settings that seem to work against his protagonist. His stories are so memorable because of his authentic knowledge of the environment. His settings are so alive that they are almost a character into themselves. Jack London is such a powerful writer because he kept it real and drew from his real life experiences.

So dear writers, this summer remember to keep it real.  Seek out those adventures, experience new things, observe people, and then write. Just remember to use your imagination, but do keep it a little real - just a little!  Happy trails!!

Keeping It Real - Food For Thought

We are what we eat. . . or so the saying goes. According to scientists, this statement may be true. Apparently, bacteria inside our guts affect how we think and even behave. Interesting!  Food affecting personality. Huh?!  What a fun way to add another dimension to our characters by pairing their personality to the types of food they eat.

Doing a little research, this is what I came up with for snacks and ice cream:

Snack Foods and Personality

 

(www.nytimes.com/2000/01/03/weekinterview/word-for-word-junk-food-psychology-triscuit-cheez-doodles-window-into-soul.com)
  
1. Tortilla chips - ideal house guest, concerned about others, strive for excellence
2. Pretzels - energetic, Life of the Party, likes novelty and challenges, starts new projects without  
                    finishing old projects
3. Snack Crackers - thoughtful, shy, avoids confrontations, doesn't want to hurt people's feelings,
                     diverse interests & has multiple projects going on at once
4. Cheese Curls - formal, proper, conscientious, high morals & sense of justice, planner
5. Meat Snacks - social, generous, loyal, self-sacrificing

                                                           Ice Cream and Personality

(www.buzzfeed.com/joannaburns/what-your-favorite-ice-cream-says-about-your-personality)

 1. Vanilla - classy, wise, respectful
 2. Strawberry - kind, but bold
 3. Chocolate - smart, loved, talented
 4. Mint Chocolate Chip - jovial, but complains about social injustices
 5. Coffee - laid back
 6. Cookies and Cream - smart & loves reading
 7. Butter Pecan - old fashion values, classic
 8. Green Tea - calm on the outside, personal strengthen on the inside
 9. Rocky Road - risk taker
10. Cookie Dough - child at heart & charming
11. Chocolate Chip - know what you want
12. Peanut Butter - rowdy, go after what you want
13. Chocolate Peanut Butter - hugger
14. Pistachio - sophisticated

For some more fun with food, try out these sites:

www.playbuzz.com/what-kind-of-food-describes-your-personality
www.divinecaroline.com/lifestyle/food-drink/eating-habits-and-personality-surprising-connections.com
www.timigustafson.com/2009/different-personality-types-different-eating-habits

And remember, it doesn't matter whether a character is sweet or salty.  In the end, readers just want a character who is real.  Happy snacking . . .  I mean reading!

And in case you are wondering about my ice cream choice, then yup, I'm jovial and I totally complain about social injustices.  I am Mint Chocolate Chip all the way!!! 

Author's Platform - Keeping It Real

In honor of Stacy's book coming out, I thought I'd revisit ways to promote.  For awhile now, the publishing world has been buzzing about platforms.  But why?!  Well, connecting with readers is important.  But how?  There are many ways, but I am all about Keeping It Real and Keeping It Simple. 

So let's begin:

* Networking or building contacts is important.  Word of mouth is HUGE in promoting yourself and your book.

* Put your story telling talents to work and tell your readers not only about your book, but about you.  This will build connections and generate interest.

* Think Visual.  Get great pictures of yourself and of items relating to your book.  Today's world is all about short, sweet, and pictures! 

* Pick two or three social media forms and post regularly as a way to limit your time on social media, but still engage your readers.

* Adopt a cause.  This was a new one to me.  The principle behind this idea is similar to joining organizations or starting a hobby as a way to build contacts.  For more ideas on how to adopt a cause, check out Mary Keeler's post at www.booksandsuch.com/blog/adopt-a-cause/.

Writing and promoting are both loads of fun, but can be time consuming, thus finding a balance is essential for authors. It is all too easy to get wrapped up in our projects, but don't shut out the world.  Life is inspiration after all.  Get out there and find your spark.  Keep it real and your readers will love you for it.  Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to a crawfish boil. 

                Ugly little guys aren't they, but apparently many people think they taste good. 

Keeping It Real - The Rejection

Rejection can leave you feeling broken, but don't let it get you down.  I've had two broken bones this year and several rejections, but here's what I've learned from the experiences:  What doesn't kill you does make you stronger.

For example, when I broke my arm, I still wanted to play football with my friends, so I did.  Before breaking my arm, I could only catch the ball using both my hands.  Unfortunately, I couldn't use my broken arm to catch, so I had to learn to catch the ball with only one hand.  It took some practice, but I eventually learned to catch the ball with only hand.  This made me a better player. 

I now think of the dreaded rejection the same way.  If I am lucky enough to get feedback, then I make the changes.  If am not so fortunate to feedback, then I figure the market isn't ready for me or my story just yet.  No biggie.  My time will come and in the meantime, I plan to grow from the experience.

Today, I can catch a football one handedly and maybe tomorrow I'll catch the interest of agent.  In the meantime, I plan to keep it real.  Maybe today's passes will turn into tomorrow's touchdowns.  Rejections is just an opportunity for growth. 

Keeping it Real - POV

 

An incident happened the other day in my community that has everyone rallied up.  A man shot a dog while at the dog park.  My community is by no means sleepy, but it is peaceful, so this incident came as a shock.  Now everyone is talking and everyone has an opinion.  Some are against the man, some neutral, some support him, and some say lets wait until all the facts are available (that would be me).  So in other words, everyone involved has a different POV and then of course there is the truth.  Hmm?!

 This got me thinking about POV.  The topic of point of view is a big deal in the pub world lately.  Or maybe it always has been.  Recently, however, there seems to be all kinds of toying around with POV.  A few years back the industry wanted books written in first person, but now gears have shifted.  Lately, it is all about multiple POVs.  Even the movie industry is embracing the multiple POV.  It has been said that there are two sides to every story, but now it looks like stories have way more than just two sides and story tells are chomping at the bit to explore this whole new world.

 So POV is indeed very important to our writing and it can be hard for writers to know what exactly the industry may want. A writer friend of mine is currently writing a novel with multiple POVs and asked my opinion on how many POVs to include.  I told her that the best advice I've seen is to tell the story from the POV that works best for you and your story.  Trust your instincts.  The industry changes, but if you tell the best story possible, then the story will do just fine.  But then that's just my POV.  So writing community what is your POV?  How do you like your stories to be told? 


And for those of you with more than one POV to your stories, here's a site that you might find useful:
www.inkpunks.com/2013/02/22/mastering-point-of-view-a-guest-post/

Keeping it Real Even During the Holidays

I think revising is like decorating for the holidays.  I spend hours scouring pinterest looking for ideas for home décor. I do the same with ideas on how to revise.  I don't know why, but it inspires me.  Or maybe it is just procrastination.  But eventually I do get motivated and take a look at my house or my writing.  I make a list and I check it twice to find out what will work or not.  Then it is time to spruce up the house or my WIP with some final touches.

I put away everyday items (or clichés, adjectives, and adverbs) and replace them with something unique or festive. Sometimes I set out all my decorations or throw in all kinds of extra writing ideas.  I then stand back and start to edit so that only the really good pieces shine.

Next, it is time to show off that hard work.  I'll throw a party (or handout my WIP) and wait for the feedback.  With any luck, I'll have a nice present to unwrap and I'm done.  If not, repeat the process and try again.  Valentine's Day is just around the corner after all.  Funny how life reflects so much on writing.  I guess that is why it is important to keep it real.  Happy Revision Days!!

Keeping it Real Even When Broken

The other day, I'm out enjoying a nice fall day and playing a little football with a friend.  I jump to catch a ball and BAM, I land on it wrong.  Oh snap, something inside snaps.  The pain spreads like wildfire.  Right away I know it is broken.  I've done this before.  I go to the doctors and yup, my ankle is fractured.  I'm in a cast for the next three weeks and then the boot for another month.  So much for my off-season football training.  I'm spending the next two months hobbling around on crutches.  Maybe I can  get some writing done.

Writing?!  I haven't done much of that lately with school, football, and all.  Now that I'm laid up awhile, I see that broken bones and writing go through much the same process.  BAM a story idea hits you.  It spreads like a wildfire inside you.  Consumes you.  You have to write, but you also have to contain it. Mold it even. Once the cast comes off and you're done, you need another pair of eyes to diagnose the writing's status.  Maybe some beta readers or an editor.  Usually you need some more time to fix the problem.  So revise, revise, revise.  Polish that writing.  Once again you go back to an expert for another round of probing and if you are lucky, then you pass. It sounds like a lot of work.  It is.  But you know that.  It sounds painful.  It is.  But you know that too. But in the end it is fun and it is worth it because you and your writing come out stronger.  Broken bones and writing - each have a story to tell, but for a good, healthy one - it takes time. Don't rush it. 

In the meantime, here's a list of some of my favorite "doctor" sites:

www.writersdigest.com
http://writershelpingwriters.net -