How to Change: Love What You Hate

I’ve been reading this great book lately, Change Anything: the New Science of Personal Success, by Kerry Patterson & co. Thus far, I have to say I’m impressed—both because of the scientific research they reference (yeah, I’m a science geek) and because the tenets they propose feel true.

Love what you hate.

That’s one of the paths to change they describe. Sounds counterintuitive, right? Until I start thinking about my life and the places where I have successfully created a change. Never once did I succeed because I browbeat, shamed, badgered, or guilted myself into it.* Nope, change occurred when I started to focus on the positive.

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Where (and How) to Find a Critique Group

This week, I’m blogging over at the Wild Writers on finding a critique group. Head on over for loads of resources on the how’s and where’s of finding like-minded writers to inspire and encourage you on your writing journey. Hope to see you there!

PS: Sorry the link was broken earlier today! It should work now :)

Tuesday Ten: Signs You’re Not Writing Enough

Since Friday’s post challenged you to take yourself seriously as a writer—by investing time, money, and energy on your career—this week’s list offers a list of signs that you aren’t spending enough time on your writing life.

And because I think quizzes are fun, I’ve included a the test-yourself component. Pick the answers that best it your situation—and feel free to use these oh-so-scientific results to support your Writing Diagnosis!

1. Daydreaming about plot problems is seriously impacting your ability to function in daily activities.

  A: Ouch, don’t let my significant other see this—totally me! 
  B: Occasionally, but I’ve got it under control.
  C: Daydreaming? What’s that?

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Community (from thewildwriters.com)

My friend and critique partner, Laura, wrote about community and how it helps as we wrestle with questions like Am I a real writer? Don’t “real” writers earn money? How can I justify spending the money to take another class/attend another conference/fill-in-the-blank when I haven’t actually published anything yet? I hope you find her answer as inspiring as I do:

Community

The long haul

For many writers, especially those who started seriously pursuing publication decades ago, the Holy Grail, the mark of being a “real” writer, is having a book published by one of the big New York publishing houses. Being a writer who’s been seriously pursuing this marker of success for twelve years, with a first attempt at it some twenty-five years ago, there have been many times along the way when I’ve felt like a failure. For the last four years people have been telling me I’m “so close.”

I doubt I would have stuck with it this long, no matter how strong the calling, if I hadn’t had critique groups along the way. I co-founded a group twenty years ago that offered primarily support and encouragement, as we were all beginning to learn our craft. Several years later, after finding the Rocky Mountain Chapter of SCBWI, I helped to start another group focused on children’s writing, which led me to the Wild Writers.

To read the rest of this post, please visit my critique group’s cooperative blog at www.thewildwriters.com.

Do You Take Yourself Seriously?

Earlier this week I wrote about the skills it takes to succeed as a writer—and the ability to take yourself seriously as a writer was #1 on the list. It’s the foundation on which everything else rests. If you don’t take your writing career seriously, it’s darned hard to justify spending the time and energy you’ll need to grow as a writer.

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Versatile Blogger Award!

Waaaay back in July, Kate over at My Next Life gave me the Versatile Blogger Award—and I’m apparently trying to set the record for longest-time-to-reply-and-participate, since I’m just *finally* (!) responding. Thank you, Kate!

Here are the rules for accepting this award:

1. Thank and link to the person who nominated you.
2. Pass the award on to five newfound blogging buddies.
3. Share seven random facts about yourself.
4. Contact the winners to congratulate them.

So here are the bloggers that I chose to receive my Versatile Blogger Awards, chosen because their blogs both inform and encourage me as a writer.*

1. Kathleen Doyle: Writing, Reading, and Life
2. Charissa Weaks: A Day in the Life of an Aspiring Author
3. Callie Kingston: Better Write Than Wrong
4. Sarah Pearson: Empty White Pages
5. Susan Gorley: Susan Says

As for seven random facts…hmm…

1. Over the years, my kids have had pet rats, mice, and guinea pigs—and I loved them all. I don’t love the smell, but small furry critters make me smile. At least, when they aren’t nesting under the bookshelf in my living room without permission.
2. I wrote one of my first novels longhand, in Geometry class, sitting in the middle of the front row. (It was a verrrrry slow-moving class.)
3. I’m diving to visit the NOAA Aquarius laboratory in October (yay!). A book proposal is in the works….
4. I know a fair bit of sign language and used to interpret—badly, but I was the only one available!
5. I broke my collar bone in college—because I was playing follow-the-leader with my younger brother. On a ski slope. He likes to do aerials; I, apparently, do not.
6. I grew up on a farm in Gettysburg, PA, and although I now live in a subdivision, I look forward to the day when I need a bike to reach my next-door neighbor’s house.
7. I love to sing. Love, love, love. As in, the resolution of a dissonant harmony makes me feel kinda floaty. In a good sort of way.

* I sorta cheated, because these blogs aren’t all *totally* new to me (although most are new finds through the Writer’s Platform-Building Campaign), but by scanning my entire blog-reading pool I came up with some terrific blogs to share. That said, my apologies for all the fantastic bloggers I *didn’t* include. It was so hard to choose!

Tuesday Ten: Tips for the Time-Strapped Writer

Writers: we have this tendency to be perpetually short on time.

Do any of these describe you?

• Writer + Stay-at-home parent (a full-time job)
• Writer + Teacher (another full-time job!)
• Writer + Full-time wage-earner (elsewhere)
• Writer + Writer—that is, you have a second (bill-paying) writing career
• Writer + Caregiver (okay, all of these “second jobs” can be full time)
• Writer + Full-time volunteer
• Writer + _____________ (I’m sure there are other possibilities I haven’t mentioned, so please fill in the blank!)

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Thirty Thursday: 30 Signs You're a (Children’s) Writer-Parent

I’ve had so much fun writing—and had such a great response to—the my recent list posts , I’m considering whether to make them a regular blog feature. I kinda like the sound of “Fifty Friday”…but I’m not sure I can come up with 50 useful tips or ideas on a variety of topics. “Thirty Thursday”, maybe? We’ll see…

Meanwhile, have fun with today’s list. I hope it makes you laugh as much as I did!

30 Signs You’re a (Children’s) Writer Parent

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Stylish Blogger Award!

A nice surprise awaited me on Monday—my first-ever blog award, gifted to me by Mel Chelsey over at Writings, Musings and Other Such Nonsense. I’m not sure my blog is “stylish”, exactly, but hey! I’ll take it!

The rules seem to be 1) I get to pass this award along to five other bloggers, and 2) I need to tell you seven random things about myself.

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Ten Gifts of Twitter

I consider myself a relative newbie to the Twitterverse, so it amuses me that friends and fellow writers ask me for Twitter advice. The #1 question I get is whether Twitter is worth the time investment—that is, what the heck do I get out of it?

So I figured I’d share my answer with you all, lovely readers and Tweeters. Feel free to chime in with thoughts on what Twitter gives to you!

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Monday Inspiration: First Sale Tales!

Last week, I got to participate vicariously in something wonderful and exciting: Twitter friend Jenny Torres Sanchez (@jetchez) on Twitter sold her first book! I read her announcement on Twitter and her blog recounting her initial reaction, and I basked in the shared joy.

On the road to selling a novel, “wins” can be few and far between. It takes a loooong time to write a book, and even longer to learn the craft required to write a good book. What keeps you going along the way? Jenny’s recent book sale reminded me that sharing other writers’ successes is a great way to stay energized and motivated, so I thought I’d collect tales of writers’ book sales here, stories of celebration for inspiration and encouragement.

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Computer games: the debate continues

I've written previously on computer games, their impact on kids, and their potential drawbacks and benefits. This is a hotly debated topic in my household, with the kids coming down firmly on one side of the fence (computer time should not be limited!), me on the other (no computer time!), and my husband, ever moderate, somewhere in the middle.

Here's the latest news to fuel the debate: scientists at the University of Bristol's Centre for Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences published results of a study of more than 1000 children (ages 10 and 11) in the November edition of Pediatrics, where they report that children who spend more than two hours watching TV, in "recreational computer use," or some combination of the two score higher in measures of psychological difficulty.

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Society of Environmental Journalists conference 2010: what children’s writers can learn from SEJ

I just finished my time at the 2010 SEJ (Society of Environmental Journalists) conference. My head is spinning with information and ideas—a good sign, since I wasn’t sure whether to come to this conference. I mean, look at the title: Society of Environmental JOURNALISTS? I don’t think of myself as a journalist: I’m a writer. A children’s writer, a medical writer, a science writer, a nature writer—but not a journalist.

This conference made me question that assessment of myself. I write for magazines (journals); I do interviews and research; I fact check and look for bias. My first day here, a fellow attendee quizzed me on what kind of writing I do. When I finished, she said “I think you are a journalist. You just don’t know it.”

It’s an interesting question, because in the past few days I learned that journalists receive different training than “writers” do—and I think we writers (yes, even children’s writers) can learn a thing or three from them. Here are a few for starters:

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Rocky Mountain Chapter SCBWI Fall Conference: Bruce Coville Wows and Inspires

I have a special place in my heart for Bruce Coville’s books. It’s not just that they’re lots of fun—which they are—or that they’re great examples of craft, plotting, and storytelling—which they are. His book Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher saved my life.

This happened a few years ago, when I made one of my overly optimistic cross-country drives from Colorado to Pennsylvania with two kids in tow. Just before Christmas. In horrendous weather.*

After three days of driving and too many hairy moments to recount, we made it to PA late at night, in the middle of a snow storm. We were supposed to spend the night at my sister’s house with her husband and kids because my parents were at the hospital, where my dad had just had surgery. I’ve been to my sister’s house. It’s a large white farmhouse with a red barn only just off the road and, theoretically, it’s not that hard to find. At least, it’s not that hard to find in the daylight. At night, in a snowstorm, in one of the darkest counties in PA, when one’s brain is theoretically addled from WAAAY too many hours on the road, it’s another story. I drove up and down that road without seeing it.

Meanwhile, the snow is getting heavier, my eyelids are dragging, and both kids are awake and pathetic in the back seat.

What does this have to do with Bruce Coville, you ask? Well, it was his story, performed by his audio book company Full Cast Audio, that kept me awake and kept the kids and I sane for much of the cross-country drive and for ALL of that stressful night. We listened to it as we searched for my sister’s house. We listened when I finally gave up and headed to my parent’s house, even though I knew it was empty. We listened to it as we slipped and slid our way down their very long, very snowy driveway and I left it on for the kids while I stomped through snow drifts trying to find an open door and, when there wasn’t one, breaking into the house. We listened to it over the next week every time we drove from one house to another, because this was rural PA, where the minimum driving time between any two locations is 25 minutes. We listened to it when the cousins joined us in the car and we needed entertainment (so that I didn’t go crazy in my stressed-out, overtired state.)

So: it was with great interest that I sat down Saturday morning for Coville’s Keynote address. I came to the conference seeking inspiration and encouragement—and he didn’t disappoint. But more on that in a few days…

:) Cheryl

*Yes, I know. The weather is BOUND to be horrendous somewhere along a cross-country drive at that time of year. See overly optimistic, above…

Writing Friends…

…are the best antidote to writing stress. I met with my writing buddies Chris and Laura at the Huckleberry this week, where we enjoyed freshly-brewed chai and scrumptious breakfast creations like their salmon omellette with fresh herb cream cheese, seasoned potatoes, and buttermilk biscuit, all in this cute lavender building in the Louisville Historic District.

Two hours of talk and food and de-stressing. Yay! We have to do this more often!

:) Cheryl

The Secret Identity of Writers

I’m starting to wonder if all my writing friends have secret identities.

It started with my friend Chris. Chris writes very interesting nonfiction that requires lots and lots of research in very thick books with small print. She’s an amazing conference planner and retired co-RA of the Rocky Mountain SCBWI. She’s well-versed in Chinese culture and history, Socratic seminars, and how to engage a room full of squirmy middle schoolers.

In other words, on the surface, she’s a dyed-in-the-wool writer.

When no one’s looking, though, she becomes:

Okay, so maybe she doesn’t actually wear a cape, but she does adorn her walls with intricate fabric artwork, quilting pieces of the sort you expect to see in art galleries.

Another writer friend, Laura, likes to create elaborate fantasy worlds with cool magic systems. In them, she weaves tales of love and betrayal, discovery and redemption. She’s also a certified dream worker and knows more about dreams than you can shake a stick at.

But under the cover of the evening sky, Laura mixes multihued oil paints on swaths of blank canvas, like Van Gogh in hiding. And she’s good! Really, really good.

This makes me wonder about my other writing friends…

I get it, though. Even if you adore writing and can’t live without it, once you enter the publication game, it’s hard to shake that feeling that someone is looking over your shoulder, judging your words. Everything you write has to be “good enough.” There’s pressure, where once there was only the joy of creation.

When a writer takes up another art form, she can create without the pressure to produce something marketable. The only person she has to please is herself.

Wait—what’s that? Do *I* have a secret identity? Of course! Shh—don’t tell anyone, but outside the public eye, I become…

 

But it’s a secret. :)

Challenge #3, cont: Strategies to Stay Motivated

Here are some more of my strategies for staying motivated:

1. Writing Contests: A writing contest—and its deadline—is a great motivator, plus a contest win provides a nice pat on the back, an addition to your writing resume, and potential feedback from contest judges.
2. Blog: (I had to mention this one, right?) Keeping a blog encourages a regular writing practice, involves you in conversation with the online writing community, and helps develop your platform for future marketing efforts. For more thoughts on blogging, read this post.
3. Conferences: Where better to regain your fire for writing? Conferences bring together writers, both experienced and inexperienced, editors, agents, and other industry professionals. Attend a conference for a dose of inspiration mixed with craft and market info.
4. Smile File: Also known as a brag box, this is a collection of affirming feedback. I keep an email folder where I store glowing letters from freelance clients and the occasional message from a fan. (Okay, one letter from a librarian who read my short story in Cricket and wanted to know if I wrote a book based on it…and I treasure it!) I also keep a running list of things I proud of. I look at it when the going gets tough or I start to feel discouraged.
5. Ignore everybody (negative): See The Creative Penn for a review of Hugh MacLeod’s “Ignore Everybody and 39 Other Keys to Creativity”—which, apparently, includes blogging as a creativity booster.

What about you—have any tricks to staying motivated through the ups and downs of the writing life?

:) Cheryl

Ganging up on Isolation

In my last post, I talked about isolation as one of the four challenges we face as writers.  Hopefully I’ve convinced you that even introverted writer-types need the occasional human contact for our well-being—especially contact with other writers.

And no, four legged furry friends don’t count!

But how do you find writerly humans to contact? Step #1 is to step outside your comfort zone and start looking. Here are some possible places to connect:

SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) offers a myriad of resources for connecting writers.

• Local conferences and other events offer opportunities for you to meet other writers living in your area
• National conferences are a great place to meet like-minded writers and form your own online critique group

Classes: check out your local Continuing Education program for a writing class that interests you. In addition to learning something, you’ll get to know other local writers—this is a great place to recruit critique group members.

Online Resources such as news groups, listserves, blogs, and Twitter provide a spot for writers to touch base with one another. You’re not necessarily going to manage full-length conversations via blog comments or Twitter chat, but it’s a great place to connect for encouragement, accountability, and reality checks. Here are a few of my favorites:

• For accountability and encouragement:
  • Inkygirl’s daily word count challenge
  • Book in a Week: challenge runs the first week of the month—set your own goal and keep motivated with daily check-ins and writing prompts
  • National Novel Writing Month: provides word counter and plenty of daily encouragement during November
• For industry and craft discussions:
  • The “Blue Board” - Verla Kay’s message board for Children’s Writers and Illustrators
  • Children’s Book Insider’s message boards (aka the famous “Yellow Board”; you must be a member/CBI subscriber to use this feature)
  • Children’s Writing listserve: on Yahoo groups; must sign up with Yahoo (free) and join group to participate (also free, but prevents SPAM)
  • NFforKids listserve: also on Yahoo groups, discussion group for all topics related to nonfiction writing for children

Challenge #2: Isolation

 

Isolation is another one of those big challenges we face as writers. Let’s face it: most of us work alone, avoid the telephone, and spend more time with our favorite pens than our favorite people. With a large number of introverts in the writing community, many of us cultivate alone time. We thrive on it.

But.

Even the most introverted of us all still needs occasional contact with other people—especially with other writers. Other writers can provide us with:

• Support and encouragement: Every now and then, everyone needs to hear that they’re doing a good job. And no, your cat can’t actually provide the needed reassurance.
• Normalization: things don’t look so bad when you realize you’re not the only one receiving six rejections for the same book on the same day…from the same publisher. It happens to everyone.
• Networking: there’s a reason people network. Friends and colleagues help us to connect with future writing partners, business associates, and editors. It’s not about using people (which is why I disliked the term networking for a long time); networking is about helping people make beneficial connections.
• Shop Talk: Whether you’re looking for someone to vent with about the current state of the publishing industry or a critique partner or someone who knows a bit more about social media than you do—talking shop is a great way to hone your ideas and knowledge, and collect info from colleagues.
• Accountability/Motivation: There’s nothing like a writing buddy to help you make that word count goal, finish revising that project, or send out the novel you want to protect from the big, bad world. Accountability partners come in all styles, from Boot-Camp Billie to Sweets and Sympathy Sylvia. Find someone and team up with them!

People need other people—in small doses, perhaps, but even introverted writer-types need to rub elbows with others traveling the same road.

Maybe you know that—and don’t know where to go from there. More on tackling isolation in my next post….

:) Cheryl

The Happy Writer

Despite the once-common stereotype of the tragic writer creating heartbreaking literature whilst drowning her sorrows in port, I think most writers would prefer a happier route through our writing lives. And yet, the odds can seem stacked against us:

• Creative people are more likely to suffer from depression.
• Writing is (usually) a solitary pursuit, which means we lack the day-to-day support and feedback provided in a more conventional workplace.
• Writing is a VERY TOUGH field in which to succeed, with many writing novel after novel for years on end while collecting piles of rejections—positive feedback can be few and far between.
• During the long writing apprenticeship (check out Justine Lee Musk’s excellent post on the writer’s apprenticeship process), most of us have to work at other jobs. After all, those rejection slips don’t come with paychecks.

So here we are, struggling writers, overworked, underpaid, prone to depression, and, unless we do something about it, creating in the void, with little feedback or encouragement. Makes you wonder why we do it!

Don’t worry. Writing is hard, but for some of us, it’s also the most wonderful occupation in the world. So how do we get past the inevitable bumps in our writing road? I think the first step is to recognize the challenges listed above.

And then? Then we can start to DO something about those challenges! More coming tomorrow….

:) Cheryl