My Momentum Project goal from August, as stated a month ago: Get myself mentally ready for the school year. Granted, it’s the type of goal that’s hard to prove if it’s been reached or not, so you’ll have to trust me that it has. I’m not saying it was easy getting there. A big part of it was getting out of town for while. I was counting on this year’s trip to the Seattle area to be a big head cleanse, and it certainly got that done. It was a beautiful feeling to step off the airplane and walk through the concourse knowing there wasn’t a single thing that I absolutely had to do for several days. In retrospect, the only downside about the trip was I should have planned to stay longer than I did. (Melissa and Lynn, you were right. Next time.)
Here at home I finished off my writing for the summer, more or less... being back at school with new curriculum revisions being rolled out, I’ve heard the phrase “living document” used more than once. There is no truer example of what that is than an unpublished manuscript. Even though I’ve printed multiple copies and have shared several electronic versions since “finishing” the story, I’ve already made some minor changes as a result of proofreading. I’m sure that will continue to be the case right up until the possible day lightning strikes and my currently imaginary publisher sends the first edition to print. It helps having a piece of work that has held up well with all the revisiting it takes to thoroughly proofread it. And with the query letter almost ready to send out just as the school year begins, I’ll have that whole “job and career” thing to keep me distracted from wondering why it’s taking the agents I’ve submitting to so long to reply.
But like I said, I’m back to school now, and so much about my oncoming school year is going to be different than the last one. Since I’m someone very comfortable with routine, this much change wasn’t an easy adjustment. But once I found my way back into school life, I quickly switched over from “I’m just so overwhelmed by all of this I don’t know how I can look forward to the year” to instead thinking, “Oh, that’s right -- I AM unstoppable.” Which will last until about halfway through the third day of school, and then I’ll be back to running to stand still for the next ten months.
Which brings us to September’s goal: Stay on top of life. Having the summer off makes it easy to let priorities exist on a sliding scale. I’ll admit it -- during the summer, I can feel like I’ve had a day full of accomplishment if all I do is run the dishwasher and get the mail. The transition between summer break and the school year can be tricky, and sometimes things fall through the cracks. When all the normal daily stuff like cleaning and shopping and reading and bill paying and working out and getting the furnace checked and submitting agent queries and keeping up with TV and laundry and getting oil changes and etc. times ten has the epic chaos of the school year piled on top of it, life can get kind of nutty. This is probably why I tend to nap so much between 5:00 PM and 10:00 PM on September weeknights. But this year? No procrastinating. I’m going to try staying on top of it all, taking it as it comes, preventing the to do list from growing into a horror movie, and above all eliminating as much unnecessary stress from my life as humanly possible. As soon as I’m done writing this, I’m syncing my phone and reinstalling an app I haven’t used in some time: EPIC WIN. It’s both a to-do checklist and a role-playing game that will reward me for doing the stuff I’m supposed to do anyway. Since that philosophy has become a big part of my classroom management, I figure it’s worth a shot at turning that back on my own self and seeing how effective it is.
Thirty days from now, I’ll let you know how it worked. Until then, cross your fingers for me.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Infinity
I finished revising the manuscript for Following Infinity today.
I really wish I could convey what a huge thing this is for me. Unfortunately I only know of maybe three other people who have gone through the experience of having an idea, working tirelessly to turn it into a book-length story, having it read and appreciated, deconstructing the whole thing in an effort to improve it, starting over from the beginning and finally winding up with another version that is astonishingly better than what it was before. Reaching that landmark moment brings on an all too rare combination of pride and humility and inner peace.
I expect most people would see writing a book as something so ridiculously insurmountable that it's barely worth considering. For the most part I'd agree. It is impossibly hard work. There are a lot of early mornings and late nights, and there is very little, if any, "free time." Life becomes isolation and sacrifice. The world around you has to compete for attention and importance with the world constantly growing and evolving in your mind. The characters you struggle to create become interchangeable with the people in your life. You have conversations and arguments with yourself, and abuse your own fragile self-esteem when that one perfect word you need escapes you. From my perspective, the only real reason anyone would ever subject themselves to the physical, mental, and emotional challenges of writing a book is because you can't NOT do it. The story digs into you so deeply that you're compelled to tell it, and telling it exactly the way it needs to be told is the only way you'll ever find release. I know it's hard to explain that to other people if they see writing as just a unique or interesting hobby, but it really does become that defining.
So my biggest writing goal of the summer is done... sort of. There will be more proofreading for the typos I'm sure I missed. There has to be a query letter and two or three different versions of a synopsis to write before I send it to the publishing universe, and if lightning ever strikes and an agent and/or editor decides they want to work with it, everything will go back to the drawing board. This business and management end of writing is much more of a chore for me, but I'm now able to approach it knowing I have a work to present that I believe in. In fact, I'll go as far to say this revised version of Following Infinity is by far the best thing I've ever written.
And as promised in earlier posts, here comes the recruiting pitch. If you've found your way here to the Summer Vacation blog and have ever read one of my self-indulgent writer posts, or if you know me from the real world and we've ever had conversations writing, perhaps you'd like to read this. Because reading "Summer Vacation?" Not the same thing. If you've read any of the glorified first drafts I've accumulated from Nanowrimo... eh, maybe a little closer. If you've read Lake Emily or the previous version of Infinity, you've got some idea. But if not: Well, after all the writing talk going on here, aren't you a LITTLE curious?
If you are, please let me know. As a policy I try very hard not to ask individuals to read my writing because that introduces a dynamic of obligation that too often becomes awkward. But please understand, just because I'm not standing in front of you with a printed manuscript and a big needy smile on my face that doesn't mean I don't want you to read it. I'm very much hoping you'll be interested. And then I'm hoping you'll love it so much you'll tell me all about it and share it with your friends and tell any 9-14 year-old kids you know that, oh, they HAVE to read it because it's just that good -- that age group is the target audience, after all. I'll have printed copies ready to circulate very soon, and I can always send out electronic copies as pdf files to anyone who'd prefer to read it on their tablets or monitors.
So there's my pitch. Thanks to anyone who does ask to read it. It means a lot to me. And regardless of what happens with the manuscript from here -- it still feels pretty amazing to know I finally reached the peak.
I really wish I could convey what a huge thing this is for me. Unfortunately I only know of maybe three other people who have gone through the experience of having an idea, working tirelessly to turn it into a book-length story, having it read and appreciated, deconstructing the whole thing in an effort to improve it, starting over from the beginning and finally winding up with another version that is astonishingly better than what it was before. Reaching that landmark moment brings on an all too rare combination of pride and humility and inner peace.
I expect most people would see writing a book as something so ridiculously insurmountable that it's barely worth considering. For the most part I'd agree. It is impossibly hard work. There are a lot of early mornings and late nights, and there is very little, if any, "free time." Life becomes isolation and sacrifice. The world around you has to compete for attention and importance with the world constantly growing and evolving in your mind. The characters you struggle to create become interchangeable with the people in your life. You have conversations and arguments with yourself, and abuse your own fragile self-esteem when that one perfect word you need escapes you. From my perspective, the only real reason anyone would ever subject themselves to the physical, mental, and emotional challenges of writing a book is because you can't NOT do it. The story digs into you so deeply that you're compelled to tell it, and telling it exactly the way it needs to be told is the only way you'll ever find release. I know it's hard to explain that to other people if they see writing as just a unique or interesting hobby, but it really does become that defining.
So my biggest writing goal of the summer is done... sort of. There will be more proofreading for the typos I'm sure I missed. There has to be a query letter and two or three different versions of a synopsis to write before I send it to the publishing universe, and if lightning ever strikes and an agent and/or editor decides they want to work with it, everything will go back to the drawing board. This business and management end of writing is much more of a chore for me, but I'm now able to approach it knowing I have a work to present that I believe in. In fact, I'll go as far to say this revised version of Following Infinity is by far the best thing I've ever written.
And as promised in earlier posts, here comes the recruiting pitch. If you've found your way here to the Summer Vacation blog and have ever read one of my self-indulgent writer posts, or if you know me from the real world and we've ever had conversations writing, perhaps you'd like to read this. Because reading "Summer Vacation?" Not the same thing. If you've read any of the glorified first drafts I've accumulated from Nanowrimo... eh, maybe a little closer. If you've read Lake Emily or the previous version of Infinity, you've got some idea. But if not: Well, after all the writing talk going on here, aren't you a LITTLE curious?
If you are, please let me know. As a policy I try very hard not to ask individuals to read my writing because that introduces a dynamic of obligation that too often becomes awkward. But please understand, just because I'm not standing in front of you with a printed manuscript and a big needy smile on my face that doesn't mean I don't want you to read it. I'm very much hoping you'll be interested. And then I'm hoping you'll love it so much you'll tell me all about it and share it with your friends and tell any 9-14 year-old kids you know that, oh, they HAVE to read it because it's just that good -- that age group is the target audience, after all. I'll have printed copies ready to circulate very soon, and I can always send out electronic copies as pdf files to anyone who'd prefer to read it on their tablets or monitors.
So there's my pitch. Thanks to anyone who does ask to read it. It means a lot to me. And regardless of what happens with the manuscript from here -- it still feels pretty amazing to know I finally reached the peak.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Seven Down / Light at the End of the Tunnel
Another Momentum Update: First I’m just going to allow a self-congratulatory moment for sticking with this “month at a time” deal up until now. This doesn’t mean that my life has changed in any significant long-term way as a result, but at least I’ve managed to keep the goal alive.
My most recent goal was to finish revising one of my older manuscripts, Following Infinity. Did I finish it? No! But I have no problem with this because even if I didn’t get all the way through, I have gotten a significant amount of work done on it so far. In fact, I plan on having the revision work (including one quick pass at proofreading) finished within the week. And I could not be any happier with how well it’s going, so I still consider July a big success.
It was hard to get into a regular schedule as the month began since it was an unusually busy July for me this year. I started out forcing myself to get a certain number of pages done or to work for a certain amount of time, just to make sure I accomplished something. I’d start with a very broad overview to determine what I didn’t think was working and then tried to isolate the problems down to different parts of the manuscript, or what happened in which chapters, or which characters needed work, or what scenes were completely unnecessary, or so on. There was a lot to do, and in the beginning that can be overwhelming.
As the month went on, I started to notice the story working its way into my divergent thinking. I worked on mental outlines while on the treadmill. I started digging out music to listen to that I thought captured a certain tone I was going for and would let that steer me. I started walking around the house talking to myself when I was trying to work through a section of dialogue I wanted to add or change. Eventually sitting down at the computer to work became less of a chore and more of a release. It was something I looked forward to doing and made the time to do. My favorite days of the week became the days off I had from my workout schedule, because on those days I’d be able to start working two hours earlier than usual. When I reached the point where I had boxed myself into five or six or seven hour days of working, I knew it was paying off.
Revision is really hard work, but when it’s going well it feels great. The whole writing process is a lot like a jigsaw puzzle, when you start with an overall idea of what you’re trying to accomplish but you’ve got two thousand tiny pieces you somehow have to fit together perfectly. What plot scenes don’t work, or aren’t necessary, and what needs to be done to fix them? Who are the characters at their core, and are they consistently who they need to be? Do they progress through an arc that the readers will be able to follow? Are there continuity problems or chronology gaps in the story? Can specific sentences be better, or is good enough really good enough in some cases? Am I using words that would sound natural coming from my narrator? Am I achieving a balance between my narrator’s (hopefully) subtle exposition and giving the readers opportunities to fill in some of the story blanks themselves? Knowing that these issues have been identified and addressed and knowing the overall story has been significantly improved as a result is a huge, huge rush.
Sometime in the coming days I’ll be posting here again, as well on Facebook I’m sure, to recruit an opening round of volunteers interested in reading the revised manuscript when it’s done. I know I have a small, faithful group of beta readers who will be ready and willing to step up for me -- and they all know how much I appreciate their help -- but I hope this one gets to go a little wider.
Which brings us to August. School will be coming back to life by the end of the month so of course it’s going to be a presence again soon. I have a variety of significant challenges waiting for me this school year, but fortunately I’ve found reasons to be more at peace, if not slightly optimistic with them than I was even a month ago, but I’m not all the way there yet. So even though it isn’t the most tangible of goals, I have one pinned down for August: Get myself mentally ready for the school year. I see a pathway on how to get there now and I hope it will work, but a lot of whether or not it will falls back on the whole concept behind this Momentum project: Not just knowing what needs to be done, but following through and doing it.
And speaking of doing, I think I still have a little fuel left in the tank tonight, and some revising that needs to be done....
My most recent goal was to finish revising one of my older manuscripts, Following Infinity. Did I finish it? No! But I have no problem with this because even if I didn’t get all the way through, I have gotten a significant amount of work done on it so far. In fact, I plan on having the revision work (including one quick pass at proofreading) finished within the week. And I could not be any happier with how well it’s going, so I still consider July a big success.
It was hard to get into a regular schedule as the month began since it was an unusually busy July for me this year. I started out forcing myself to get a certain number of pages done or to work for a certain amount of time, just to make sure I accomplished something. I’d start with a very broad overview to determine what I didn’t think was working and then tried to isolate the problems down to different parts of the manuscript, or what happened in which chapters, or which characters needed work, or what scenes were completely unnecessary, or so on. There was a lot to do, and in the beginning that can be overwhelming.
As the month went on, I started to notice the story working its way into my divergent thinking. I worked on mental outlines while on the treadmill. I started digging out music to listen to that I thought captured a certain tone I was going for and would let that steer me. I started walking around the house talking to myself when I was trying to work through a section of dialogue I wanted to add or change. Eventually sitting down at the computer to work became less of a chore and more of a release. It was something I looked forward to doing and made the time to do. My favorite days of the week became the days off I had from my workout schedule, because on those days I’d be able to start working two hours earlier than usual. When I reached the point where I had boxed myself into five or six or seven hour days of working, I knew it was paying off.
Revision is really hard work, but when it’s going well it feels great. The whole writing process is a lot like a jigsaw puzzle, when you start with an overall idea of what you’re trying to accomplish but you’ve got two thousand tiny pieces you somehow have to fit together perfectly. What plot scenes don’t work, or aren’t necessary, and what needs to be done to fix them? Who are the characters at their core, and are they consistently who they need to be? Do they progress through an arc that the readers will be able to follow? Are there continuity problems or chronology gaps in the story? Can specific sentences be better, or is good enough really good enough in some cases? Am I using words that would sound natural coming from my narrator? Am I achieving a balance between my narrator’s (hopefully) subtle exposition and giving the readers opportunities to fill in some of the story blanks themselves? Knowing that these issues have been identified and addressed and knowing the overall story has been significantly improved as a result is a huge, huge rush.
Sometime in the coming days I’ll be posting here again, as well on Facebook I’m sure, to recruit an opening round of volunteers interested in reading the revised manuscript when it’s done. I know I have a small, faithful group of beta readers who will be ready and willing to step up for me -- and they all know how much I appreciate their help -- but I hope this one gets to go a little wider.
Which brings us to August. School will be coming back to life by the end of the month so of course it’s going to be a presence again soon. I have a variety of significant challenges waiting for me this school year, but fortunately I’ve found reasons to be more at peace, if not slightly optimistic with them than I was even a month ago, but I’m not all the way there yet. So even though it isn’t the most tangible of goals, I have one pinned down for August: Get myself mentally ready for the school year. I see a pathway on how to get there now and I hope it will work, but a lot of whether or not it will falls back on the whole concept behind this Momentum project: Not just knowing what needs to be done, but following through and doing it.
And speaking of doing, I think I still have a little fuel left in the tank tonight, and some revising that needs to be done....
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