Tag: Writing

Care to solve a puzzle?

by Allie P., posted in Life as I know it

On the very last day of our recent beach trip, a large thunderstorm forced us back into the house several hours earlier than we would have liked. The rental unit was equipped with enough bedrooms to accommodate everyone at night provided everyone doubled up in a room, but during the day it was a wee bit cramped, especially with four small children on the loose. We had to find something to do, and find it fast.

Luckily my mom and sister remembered the puzzle we had packed away for just this sort of emergency. It was brand new, and we quickly dumped all of the pieces on the table surface, eager to get started. The cover was then propped up where it could be seen by all.

English: Puzzle Svenska: Pussel
English: Puzzle Svenska: Pussel (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When we solve puzzles, my family tends to focus on the edges first as they are the easiest pieces to identify and match up. Once the framework has been completed, we begin tackling the interior. We each focused on a section of the puzzle. If you realized that a piece you were staring at for the last several minutes belonged in the other corner, you gave it to the person who was working on that section so that they could fit it in to its appropriate spot. None of us had every worked on this particular puzzle before, but we were focused, determined, and it was finished within the span of Disney’s Little Mermaid.

Goals are a lot like puzzles. Each goal is comprised of several smaller tasks which, if identified properly, link together until the larger goal is achieved. Prior to this trip, my most recent goal was drafting a novel. When I began writing it, I started by defining the characters and the outline. This became my puzzle framework, but also helped me to envision the puzzle’s cover image. Only then did I start filling in the individual scenes, supporting each chapter. Eventually writing got a lot easier. There weren’t that many pieces left on the table to sort through.

When you first pour the pieces of a puzzle out on the table, they seem overwhelming whether there are 1500 pieces on only 300. Once they are out of the box, you have a decision to make. You can either sweep the pile back into the box where they will sit and wait for another rainy day, or you can pick up a single piece and look for its mate. If you are lucky, friends and family might see you working hard and will pitch in. But even if they don’t, know that the puzzle isn’t going to solve itself. The choice is yours.

 

 

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Ignorance may be bliss, but experience maintains paradise

by Allie P., posted in Life as I know it
The crystal water beaches that give the area i...
The crystal water beaches that give the area its name. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

My eldest son will join the school aged set in only a couple of weeks and we decided to celebrate this milestone by taking a trip to the beach along with my niece and nephews. It was the first time half of our group had ever seen the ocean.

While our rental has an ocean view, it was not beach front. Even though we had reached our destination, we still had to make our way over the dunes by way of steep wooden stairs. The kids, long since driven crazy by the car trip made their way eagerly over the hill. At the top they paused faced with the expanse of water before barreling down to the water’s edge.

They stood there, not sure what to do, until they saw my son, the experienced leader of the pack, boldly run into the surf. Everyone immediately followed his example. The next several minutes were spent either braving the ocean waves or hoping that a small child didn’t drown on your watch.

Oh to be a child once again and experience the pure joy of a sparsely populated beach and a limitless sea.

The adults watched them play without a care while we worried about things such as sunscreen, proper flotation devices, and whether or not we had packed enough sand toys. Dolphins were spotted swimming fifty feet away. My son thought this was the most wonderful thing ever. I however was busy verifying that the fin we spotted did not, in fact, belong to a shark.

I sometimes wish that I was able to let go and enjoy the moment; to forget about the consequences of my actions. But while I can have fun, when my kids are involved, I have to be responsible too. It’s one of those fine print details you agree to when deciding to be a parent. Nothing spoils a milestone moment such as your first experience at the beach like second degree sunburn, especially if that burn could have been prevented.

I am happy to report that I have finished the re-write of my second novel. While at times my motivation was tested, I had a great time writing it. I knew how it was going to end from the day I completed my outline, but it took a few twists and turns along the way. Characters who were supposed to be minor took a larger role. Whole scenes materialized out of nothing. But as much as I would like to frolic in the sea of my imagination, I recognize that I need third parties to help ensure I don’t get burnt when I attempt to get this story published.

Based on the typos and plot holes my brave early readers have already identified, my story wasn’t nearly as polished as I thought it was. But it is going to be a better story, and one I will be even more proud to share in the long run thanks to their knowing assistance.

 

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It is time to de-clutter the organized chaos

by Allie P., posted in Life as I know it
time for CHANGE ...item 1.. Déjà Vu in Gaza? -...
(Photo credit: marsmet546)

As part of my recent promotion I was invited to move into a larger office. Moving the computer was easy, but moving the rest of my assorted knick knacks and relics from projects I worked on two jobs ago was something altogether different.

I like a relatively tidy work-space. My stapler and tape dispenser are hidden away because I once heard that was a trick to make you appear more important to outsiders as it implied you have people to take care of your stapling needs for you. I get stressed out when the surface is littered with paper, but I don’t always have the time to take action on every page that comes my way. If the contents aren’t immediately important, it goes into a to-be-filed folder mixed alongside of several non-related subjects. There it waits, out of sight, until I have a chance to return to it.

But those things weren’t the only items I had held far beyond their useful date. Inside those drawers I also had a handful of baby blocks, a memento from the surprise baby shower my work threw me. I had a postcard a staffer sent me from France early in my tenure and a collection of other assorted thank you cards. I had a safety light, luggage tag, and various swag I received at a trade shows. I always intended to bring these home, but never did. I was even storing a PEZ dispenser that was always empty, because it made me smile. All of these things were associated with either positive memories or positive intentions, but did nothing for me professionally. All they did at my office was take up space.

I would like to tell you that I tossed everything out, but that would be a lie. While I sent many items to the garbage and recycling bin, I wasn’t able to bring myself to part with everything. I did however keep them in a box rather than restore them to their previous desk drawer status. I have to accept that as tidy as the surface of my desk looks, I am well on my way towards becoming a hoarder at work, albeit an organized one.  I’ve decided that if I haven’t opened the box in a few weeks, I don’t need its contents, and it will be to discard those items too.

Perhaps it is fitting that I am cleaning out the office at the same time as I am revising my manuscript. By taking a harsher stance on my physical belongings, I have been better able to take a more critical view of my manuscript. I like to believe that I’ve come along way since I started this project as a writer. It’s a much more positive reason for the amount of edits I’ve made to the early chapters.

Sure, I had fun writing certain scenes and dialogue, but as much as it pains me, if they aren’t working for the story they have to go in my computer’s virtual trash can or otherwise set aside for recycling. It’s time to get ruthless.

What has been interesting about this process is that although I have cut out sections of the manuscript, my word count has actually gone up rather than gone down. It is as if by removing those sections I allowed room for other, better scenes, to grow fuller.

I can only hope that my office space move proves to be as beneficial.

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Execution is equal parts dream, deadline, and determination

by Allie P., posted in Life as I know it
“A goal is a dream with a deadline.” — Napoleo...
“A goal is a dream with a deadline.” — Napoleon Hill (Photo credit: QuotesEverlasting)

Nine months ago, I was finalizing my debut novel, An Uncertain Faith. It was a story that I had toyed with in my mind for several years. I was fortunate enough to have a sabbatical from the day job during which time I wrote until my fingers hurt.  My youngest hadn’t started walking yet and was content to sit in a corner of the room playing with his toys.

I had dreamed of being an author and now I had a book to my name, but I wanted more. I didn’t want to be considered a one and done writer. I self published. I didn’t vanity publish. I was going to have to follow-up my first book with a second.

My next book idea hit me in a few months later. I eagerly fired up my computer and began plotting the outline and character notes. I had to record the dream while it was still fresh in my mind.

The problem is outlines don’t exactly fly off bookshelves. You have to actually add content. I knew how many words had gone into An Uncertain Faith. I was going to meet or exceed that quantity before I could say the work was complete. Unfortunately, if finding time to continue writing outside of the demands of the day job wasn’t difficult enough, I was also going to have to fit in time to promote the first book. Additionally I now had to keep up with two very mobile, and very active young boys.

I expect that no one would have faulted me if book two never made it past the outline stage, or if I continued to work on it as the mood hit until I was gray and the kids were out of school. My dream of being a multi-credited novelist would remain that. An unrealized dream.

I had to transform my dream into a goal.

I set myself a deadline. Combined with my word count total, I was able to determine how many words I needed to write per writing day. I will admit that the juices flowed better some days than others, but I kept writing anyway until I hit my daily quota, otherwise I feared writer’s block might set in.

My deadline for the first draft is June 1st, and I am pleased to say that while it is definitely still a rough draft and lacks a sticking title, my manuscript has a beginning, middle, and end.

Now I am ready for my next challenges. I need to polish this draft up, re-writing whole sections. Then I need find another batch of readers willing to see past the grammatical errors and run on sentences, but just as willing to tell me exactly where the story needs more work. I will have to remember that just because I spent the last six months living with these characters, others might not see them quite the way I do. This last step is never easy, but typing the first chapter wasn’t either.

It’s time to reset the clock.

Determination
Determination (Photo credit: Dana Lookadoo – Yo! Yo! SEO)

 

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Are you a supporter or do you truly believe?

by Allie P., posted in Book Stuff and Publishing News, Life as I know it

When I was in high school I played basketball in a church league. I have to qualify my league of play because I am not exactly what anyone would describe as being tall. My high school’s coaches would have laughed me off the court had I shown up for try outs. My team was made up of several other like-minded individuals. We were there out of friendship rather than talent.

In other words, we were awful. I fouled out many of those games because I had a better chance of preventing the other team from scoring than actually making a shot myself.

We were so bad that the opposing team’s fans cheered for us when we managed to score a basket.

You might think that other teams would have been made up with the same caliber of misfit and be equally terrible, but you’d be wrong. Our opponents were also affiliated with religious organizations, but were religious high schools. They had access to the cream of the crop rather than just making do with random volunteers. My poor coaches didn’t stand a chance.

Washington Generals, I feel your pain. We went into each game knowing that we were going to lose, but determined to have a good time anyway. We would call out words of encouragement to each other from the bench. Good Hustle! Nice pass! But it was never enough.

Then one season some new recruits joined our little team. These girls had game. We started lose only by single digits. Then only by two points. Suddenly we were ending games in the W column. It was like every single feel good sports movie you’ve ever seen, only it was my reality.  The opposing team’s parents stopped cheering for us when we made our shots. We were a real threat. Our coach no longer allowed us goof off during practice. She tasked us with working harder we accepted. We began to believe we had a chance.

We finished my last season second in the league.

When I first published An Uncertain Faith, I heard a lot of people say, great job. I wish I could do something like that. I sold early copies to friends and acquaintances willing to support me in my dream. Then months after it was published one of my friends told me, “I read your book, and it was good. I mean, I would have liked it even if you weren’t the author.” She supported me, but her surprise, while extremely complimentary, proved she hadn’t been a true believer up until that point.

Co-workers began to ask me how far along I was with book project two. I gave status reports such as when I hit the 50% and 75% mark on my first draft. I started telling them how I was doing with the blog and what I was learning along the way. I can tell you the exact moment when many of my closest friends, family, and co-workers stopped merely supporting me and started to actually believe in me. I saw the change in their face and in the tone of their voice when they asked their questions.

Their tone became sharper, harder, but not in bad way. Just like my old basketball coach, they were more serious in their interest. I returned the tone in kind. I wasn’t talking about a hobby. I was telling them about my business. I was working hard and it was showing.

I am now only a month away from finishing up the initial first draft of my second novel. I am no longer only shouting words of encouragement at myself from the bench. Cheering my efforts, but not visualizing the win. I believe in myself. I believe that I have the determination to accomplish my goal.

 

Believe in yourself, push your limits, experie...
Believe in yourself, push your limits, experience life, conquer your goals, and be happy. (Photo credit: deeplifequotes)

 

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