By Francine Puckly Here we are. Two weeks into the New Year. How’s it going? According to statisticbrain.com, only 68.4% of resolutions make it to the end of week two. And the percentage of people who report success in achieving their resolutions? A whopping 9.2%. Like soaring over a lovely green meadow, our goals and resolutions are colorful, pristine and doable when we’re flying at a bird’s eye view. But it looks a whole lot different when we’re in the trenches doing the work. There’s a lot of mud. So two weeks in, when one third of all people have given up on their goals for the year, let’s talk about some basic tools to keep us on track in 2017. CHALLENGING BUT DOABLE GOALS How do your annual goals look and feel now that you’ve launched the new year? Even the most thoughtful goals are set to challenge us. After all, it wouldn’t be a resolution to improve our craft or elements of our daily lives if we thought we were already perfect. But if you feel your goals are slipping away after a mere two weeks, it might be time to regroup and revise. It’s better to adjust than to abandon. Check out two of Annie’s goal-setting blogs: (Take Control of Your Goals in the New Year) and (The SMART Key to Your Carrots). Be sure your goals are completely within your control and not relying on divine intervention or other miracles from the publishing industry! ROUTINE Staying on track is tough work. Daily life can derail the best intentions. Children aren’t the only ones who benefit from routine! I’ve come off a very busy and highly disruptive ten weeks, but I realized last week that I had exactly 30 days without any scheduled travel or guests in my home. It presented the perfect starting point for a 30-day challenge to reestablish a routine that I crave and need. As Twyla Tharp insists in her book The Creative Habit: Learn It and Live It For Life, creativity is “augmented by routine and habit.” Our routines are repeatable and doable, and we’re far less likely to skip doing important daily tasks that feed our creativity, projects and goals. FOCUS Once we have a schedule it’s still difficult to stay on track with our goals if we’re constantly distracted by…well, everything. Phones and computers ding and demand our immediate attention. Laundry piles whisper to us. But, good news! We can shut them out. The Timer My number one go-to tool is the timer on my phone. Over and over, day after day, it is the one thing that picks me up by my plot-straps and gets me back to the page. With a clock ticking, I have permission to focus. And the timer works for everything from plotting to decluttering my workspace to free-writing to help me break through writer’s block. You can also time energy-draining habits such as Twitter, television breaks, or those cute little videos on Facebook that suck up precious time. Lockouts For laundry, you just have to shut the door. But for people trying to reach us about anything and everything, here are just a couple of electronic solutions:
TRACKING Research shows habits are formed in 21 days, and the best way to make a change is to hold yourself accountable. Pens, Stickers and Charts The easiest trackers of all—red pens, stickers, and the like—can be used to mark daily accomplishments and provide visual satisfaction of having completed your tasks. Good old-fashioned charts have come to my rescue more than a few times as well. I used a chart to track my progress during NaNoWriMo, and I have a 30-day chart for the next few weeks to make sure I’m re-establishing routine. Keep those goals in front of you. Apps While I prefer the paper method for tracking a streak, Kelly showcased Habit List in December (Make 24 Carrot a Habit - Get the Habit List App). There are several other tracker apps out there in the electronic world, including Twords, Productive, Coach.me, Momentum, and Habatica (which includes tracking your rewards! How cool is that?!). With appropriate and challenging goals, a conscious commitment to routine and focus, as well as a tracking method, you’ll be able to keep a tight rein on your goals. This year, let’s blow past the 9.2% success rate! ~ Francine
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by Francine Puckly A number of years ago, I began my illustrious side career as taxi driver. I shuttled my kids to school, various music lessons, drama, hundreds of soccer and baseball practices, student council meetings and friends’ houses. The numerous hours allocated to driving substantially cut into my personal reading time, and one-half of every roundtrip was spent alone in the car. After having exhausted every last FM radio station and my expansive iTunes library multiple times, I somewhat reluctantly turned to audio books for sanity and entertainment. There were fits and starts with this new form of story consumption. I was skeptical that I could pay attention to a story while driving, and I struggled when certain readers had voices and cadences that didn’t keep my attention, or worse, downright irritated me. But over time I tweaked my selections, and I have come to embrace this form of reading. I actually look forward to driving now! It was a huge surprise to me to find that I remember plot and subplot structures, character flaws and descriptions, themes, clues, and imagery far better with an audio performance than when I read a paper version of the same story. I believe there are a few reasons for this. First, I can’t jump ahead. Ever read a suspense novel and can’t stand the thought that the character might be killed off? And then you find yourself peeking at who’s still alive on the last pages? Well, guess what? You can’t do that with an audio book! It’s maddening, but because I have to stay firmly in the current section of the story, it makes me acutely aware of how the author is teasing the story line and emotionally engaging me as a reader. Second, you read (or hear) every last word. There is no speed-reading or skimming or “let me see what’s going on at the beginning of the next chapter” sorts of cheating. By noting adjective and verb choices as well as passages of descriptions you love and those you might find tedious, you’re able to see what works for the story and how those techniques may or may not apply to your own writing. Third, pauses are emphasized. I can (and need to) shut off the recording for a few minutes between sections to analyze how the author has wrapped up phrases, chapters or complete sections. This reflection helps me discover how the author has left me hanging until she presents the next morsel for me to consume. If you’ve never tried audio books, here are a few hints to help you get started:
So whether you’re painting a room, taking a solo cross-country trek, or driving in circles dropping your kids at various activities, expand your reading time in the new year! Good luck and happy reading! ~ Francine by Francine Puckly For a few years now, I’ve been contemplating hopping on the NaNoWriMo bandwagon. I’ve held off for a number of reasons. First, I compose my initial drafts longhand, pen to paper, which makes tracking word count a bit tricky. Second, it’s No-School-November, a month in which school administrators conspire against writers by slotting in numerous half days or complete days off for everything from parent-teacher conferences to elections to holidays. The final reason, not to be taken lightly, is that immersing myself in an international phenomenon with social media chats, blogs, and the like would most likely make me less productive when I hear that hundreds or thousands of other people are writing faster than I am. That said, I had been researching my next book on and off for six months and had muddled over the plots, subplots, characters and setting. I was ready to tackle the next novel, and I desperately wanted to have a large chunk of the book on paper before the holiday season hit. There were no good excuses not to dive in. I decided to customize a NaNoWriMo challenge. As a longhand writer, I determined how many pages I could write in one day. I created a monthly calendar with the goals written in, first by week then by day, with an overarching monthly goal as well. Those goals were all well and good, but I knew I couldn’t go it alone. I’ve tried that. When things get tough, I fall off the writing. First one day. Then another. Then another. Instead, enter my accountability partner. Now, I probably should have asked her first before I made her my partner, but since we’ve been having weekly phone chats and setting goals together for three or four years, she gladly accepted the appointed position. I asked nothing of her except to receive daily texts stating that I had completed that day’s goal. Only eight days into my challenge, her presence has saved my writing day three or four times already. My energy is flagging. Small (and big) crises that have hit my life this week would have been excuses to adjust my goals. But my accountability to her is priceless. She responds to every text, congratulating me, encouraging me to keep going. It’s a beautiful thing to be on this journey with her. If you have aggressive goals for a future project, don’t go it alone. Ask a trusted colleague to be your accountability partner. Everyone benefits from having a cheerleader who understands the game. And the flip side of that, offer to be someone else’s rock for their project. Hold someone’s hand. Or ask someone to hold yours. You’ll be amazed at the “impossible” things you will accomplish when someone’s waiting for you to check in. Francine By Francine Puckly Beginnings. Everyone loves a good beginning. And, no. I’m not talking about the beginning of your novel or picture book, the one the reader sees. I’m leaving that to Annie.(hook-em-into-your-book.html) I’m talking about when you begin anew: take on that new challenge, go after that dream or bucket list item that’s been nagging at you for months or years, or start that new manuscript that you know, deep in your soul, is what you’re supposed to be writing next. Launching a new project makes us both a little scared and dizzy with excitement. The energy is electrifying. For a little while, anyway. But when the meat of the work begins—when you take inventory of the skills you currently lack, but must acquire in order to bring the project or endeavor to fruition—the energy wanes and you are left with the sobering reality that you don’t have a clue what you’re doing. It takes courage to continue when we inevitably falter along the path. I began four new and intimidating projects all in the same week this fall. What fanfare! Bands played, banners waved, and confetti rained down on me as I sprinted toward my figurative playing fields. But that only lasted a few weeks. Because what I did was begin a new historical fiction novel (something I said I would never do because "I don’t know how to write historical fiction”); took on a sewing project for which I have no skills, no pattern and no training; started alto saxophone lessons which has included trying out various reeds and mouthpieces, none of which sound like music but rather just ear-piercing noise and squeaks; and signed up for a Ladies’ Tap dance class when I’ve never danced a jig in my life. The “good for you!” enthusiasm from family, friends and other spectators only carries you so far. At some point you realize, “I really stink.” And the next thought might be, “Maybe this was a bad idea.” Followed quickly by, “Maybe I should quit.” Energy ebbs and flows. And now that it has ebbed big time, I’ve pondered the following questions: How can we sustain projects when we’re fearful of the next steps and doubt our ability to finish? How do we stare down our fear and intimidation and increase our odds of sticking with a project when the going gets tough? Here are a few suggestions I’ve put into play. 1. Pull the fear into positive action. I’ve become an expert at recognizing my fear. It makes daily appearances in the form of procrastination, edginess or looking for a quick fix elsewhere such as social media, online shopping, chocolate or whatever else will take away what I’m feeling. One of the quickest ways for me to wrestle it to the ground is to set my timer. For 8, 10, 15 or 20 minutes or whatever, I say, “Don’t think. Just do.” I race toward one unsavory task that I’ve been kicking forward with the clock ticking. 2. Care for yourself. Wait. What did I just say? Yep, that’s right. Take proper care of yourself physically and mentally. You can’t continue a project if you run yourself into the ground with negative self-talk, or by skipping balanced meals, proper hydration, sleep and exercise. Because this is the first thing out the window for me, I have to track it daily in writing. If I stop tracking, I stop doing. “Have you been walking, Francine?” is the first thing my 24 Carrot family asks me when I’m in a mental and physical slump. It’s rhetorical, of course, because we all know the answer. 3. Seek out support from trusted sources. A shoulder to cry on is essential. Those cheerleaders in life must be sought out and embraced when you are tackling something new. Likewise, don’t trust a naysayer with what little energy you have left on a project. Pause before confiding. Will this person be helpful or just convince you to quit? 4. Sometimes it’s okay to quit. What?! Yes, it is okay as long as you quit for the right reasons. Sometimes this means quitting entirely, like I did with the afore-mentioned sewing project. After spending nearly 8 hours on it one day, I wasn’t even close to being done. It was going to be expensive from a financial standpoint, and even more importantly, it was going to be costly from a time standpoint. I decided I would rather write than sew. So I called my favorite seamstress and let her take over. Someday she’ll read my book, and someday I’ll happily sit on her cushions. It’s a win-win for both of us because we’re both doing what we love. Other times we only “sorta” quit. Like I did with a novel a few years back. I loved my characters but after three drafts, I hated the actual story. I knew the project didn’t hold enough joy for me to spend another year or more revising and rewriting until it was polished. So I lassoed those characters and superimposed them into a new plot! Problem solved. I kept what I loved and abandoned the rest. I’m by no means out of the woods with my three remaining projects. Days when my fear is front and center are exceptionally hard. That’s when I try my best to focus on the basics—respect myself mentally and physically, reach out to friends, and set the timer and force myself to complete something. Anything. Whatever new project you’re venturing into, take your fear with you but be sure to keep it on a short leash. Throw a few of these tools in your hip pocket and keep going! ~ Francine by Francine Puckly Two weeks ago I dropped my daughter off at NYU. Going from a small high school in Massachusetts to a university with a worldwide enrollment of 57,000 and a freshman class just shy of 6,000 students, it shouldn’t be a surprise that this is a huge adjustment. But it’s not the size of the school that’s disconcerting. It’s the feeling that she’s not quite sure she belongs. As I wrote her a letter this morning, I realized her journey into a film career mirrors mine as a writer. And I believe it’s important advice for me to remember everyday, as well as anyone else in a creative field. It ain’t easy, people. But there are two fundamental pieces of advice I gave my daughter that I believe we all should follow. First, in the big, bad world of anonymity, when you’re lost in the sea of humanity, when you find yourself in a business that feels large and impersonal, it’s very important we seek out mentors, friends and supporters who will validate our creativity, help us feel welcome, help us to trust our instincts, help us make good choices personally and professionally. The ironic piece of this is that we must step out of our comfort zone in order to step into our comfort zone. We have to knock on doors, attend workshops and socials where we know no one, introduce ourselves over and over until we find those three or five or fifty people who will be our professional family going forward. When I first set off into the publishing world, it was big and scary and I didn't know where to begin. I didn't know how to meet people, how to get started, where to find a critique group, or how to write a synopsis or a cover letter. I began this journey of building a community by attending an awards presentation and schmooze. After getting lost four or five times and circling on one-way streets, I arrived quite late. A bit frazzled and nervous, I dove into the swarm of strangers and proceeded to ask Lois Lowry if she had ever been published. (She had, in case you were wondering.) Having gotten the worst, most humiliating network experience out of the way, things took a turn for the better after that first night. I persisted meeting new people and, consequently, I turned the big, bad world of publishing into a smaller, family community through workshops, socials, SCBWI conferences, author signings and local bookstore events. I've met great people, made lifelong friends, and have found out that most people are just as scared as I am and are looking for friends and community too. As I told my daughter, we’re all looking for community. That’s the human experience, right? We’re all looking for reasons to get up in the morning and go to work. And the people I assumed would be the least approachable are the ones who were most approachable, and they have turned out to be trusted friends and mentors. The second piece of advice I gave her was to trust her instincts. It’s often the hardest thing to do. We must trust our instincts and never look back. We shouldn’t wish to be more like "X" unless we truly believe being a little more like "X" will make us better writers, better people. Just as she may think she’s supposed to be like another student in class who receives an abundance of praise for a film style that’s not comfortable to her, we writers are often guilty of the same second-guessing. The biggest mistake writers make (and I made it early on) is trying to follow the market or trying to be someone we're not. We hear what publishers are buying and what they're sinking huge marketing dollars in, and we think, "Crap. I don't write that." And then the next logical thought is, "Maybe I should write that instead." And we try to do that, and we fail. We fail because we don't follow our own voices. Not one publisher out there is publishing what I’m currently writing. Not one. And I'm pretty sure if you were to say to them, "Hey, how about a YA novel about XXX?” they'd spit their coffee out all over their desks. But I've never been prouder of something I've written (and I’m sure they just don’t know they’re looking for it yet!). I believe in this manuscript. I believe in the story. I believe in the characters. I believe in my voice. And I will ride this book to the end of my days, until I find the agent, the editor, the publisher who believes in it, too. My last piece of advice that went along with that is don't ever apologize for being different. Don't ever think that your voice isn't good enough, isn't polished enough, isn’t incorporating fancy words. Your voice, your vision, your perspective on a story (and life) is one of the most important things to trust. Hone it. Listen to it. Never, I repeat NEVER, apologize for it! Let other people do those other things that you think are more glamorous or sophisticated or whatever. You're not that person. You're something different. You're something better. Good advice, right? Now we have to follow it ourselves. If you haven’t found your community, the people who make your world feel smaller and more tangible, get out there and shake some hands and kiss some babies...you'll find your small comfort zone one hello at a time. And if you’re still questioning your worth, your voice, your instinct, to that I say, STOP. Believe in your voice and don’t look back. One of my favorite quotes is by Rabbi Zusya and his concern about his first conversation with God after he died. “When I die,” the Rabbi said, “I know God's not going to ask me 'Why weren't you more like Moses?' or 'Why weren't you more like King David?' But I'm afraid that God will ask 'Why weren't you more like Zusya?' And then what will I say?” Don’t let that be you. ~ Francine by Francine Puckly Ah, summer. <sigh> I savor the long, warm days and the hum of my fan throughout the night. Sunscreen-smudged issues of Time and Coastal Living are packed with my notebook in my “portable office” tote, along with my pink sun hat and fluffy beach towel. I crave summer days and the pause in my usual, jam-packed schedule. The break is necessary to sustain my creative work through the cooler and more grueling months of the year. Yet… Today I find myself adrift, gazing back over my shoulder to the shores of writing, longing to drop anchor in the waters of my writing community. While I’m not ready to resume full-tilt, it’s time to reconnect with friends and writing partners. Fortunately, events and workshops abound, and I don't have to look far. For those of us In MetroWest Boston, we can tap into workshops and events hosted by Indie bookstores, such as An Unlikely Story (www.anunlikelystory.com), The Blue Bunny Bookstore (www.bluebunnybooks.com) or Tatnuck Booksellers (www.tatnuck.com). Author events, writing workshops, or just sitting amidst other bookish people is tonic for my soul, and I can partake in events that last a few hours, a day or even for several weeks. Check your local bookstores for events. It might just be what you need to get back to the page. In additional to booksellers, various writing organizations also offer events during the summer months. In my area, I can tap into The Writer's Loft (www.thewritersloft.org) or Grub Street (grubstreet.org). And I'd be remiss if I forgot SCBWI (www.scbwi.org)! As Assistant Regional Advisor for SCBWI New England, I’m thrilled to be involved in the Meet and Greet events scheduled for August. If you, too, are bobbing around on open seas with a broken compass and need to find your way back to your people, be sure to check out our events (or SCBWI events nearest you). I'm already feeling better about seeing my friends again. How about you? Happy chilling! And happy reconnecting! ~ Francine August SCBWI New England Meet and Greets: Portsmouth, NH Seacoast Tuesday, August 30 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Portsmouth Book and Bar, 40 Pleasant Street, Portsmouth, NH Contact: Joyce Shor Johnson at thewritejoyce@gmail.com Western MA Wednesday, August 10 6 p.m. Packard’s Restaurant, 14 Masonic Street, Northampton Contact: Sera Rivers at writeloudly@me.com North MetroWest MA Tuesday, August 16 7:30 p.m. Kimball Farm, 400 Littleton Road (Rt. 110) Westford, MA Contact Kris Asselin, palara@nescbwi.org Central/Northern Vermont Saturday, August 13 2:00-4:00 pm Park at 64 State Street (beside Christ Episcopal Church) Montpelier, VT Get a Gelato from Chill or an iced tea from the Long Branch Café, both right across the street. Rain site: The Long Branch Café. Contact: Katherine Quimby Johnson at NorthernNERA@nescbwi.org Metro West/South Tuesday, August 16 7 p.m. West End Creamery, 481 Purgatory Rd, Whitinsville, MA. Contact Francine Puckly at EventsARA@nescbwi.org Concord, NH (Illustrators) Tuesday, August 23 6:30 p.m. BAM, 76 Fort Eddy Road, Concord Contact Denise Ortakales at denise.ortakales@gmail.com by Francine Puckly I sit and write this blog, iced tea in hand, on the summer solstice. Another sacred season of idleness is ushered in with a rare Strawberry Moon to boot! My love for this season’s promise of idleness dates back to my carefree youth and the endless and languid summer days. I spent warm, breezy afternoons roaming the vast countryside and exploring my parents’ Pennsylvania farm, biking from house to house with bells dinging and streamers flying in the wind, and lying on the lawn, the sweet smell of fresh-cut grass intoxicating me as I gazed at the clouds passing by. Unfortunately, the past several summers have lacked this lackadaisical nature for me. I long for dolce far niente, an old Italian expression that translates literally to ‘sweet doing nothing.’ This summer I’m determined to take a break from crashing hard drives, unnecessary appointments, and requests on my time that can be ignored, or at the very least, postponed. We recently hosted my daughter’s high school graduation party. Seven hours of friends, family, laughter, tears and love. My phone had been set aside and I realized at the end of the party that I hadn’t taken one picture. It was, to be perfectly frank, refreshing. For the first time in weeks, I had lived in the moment without thought of recording, sharing or learning from it. All of us balance stress, juggle multiple demands, and manage tight schedules, and sometimes these rigid schedules help our writing. We are driven and focused, and we are extremely efficient with our creative time. But sometimes our normal pace puts a stranglehold on imagination. And that’s where idleness comes in handy. The astonishing thing about the recent graduation party is that the details flood to me with astounding clarity: word-for-word conversations and jokes are vivid, and moments when friends hugged me or held my hand are as if captured on a video in my mind. These crystal clear experiences are what bring my writing alive. It is through living and soaking in the moments of human interaction that we writers and illustrators fill the well and rediscover our hearts. It is only then we are capable of telling the story. So as the heat and humidity climb these next few weeks, shelve your to-do list. Be. Take time to welcome a sunrise, be cleansed by a warm rain, read a captivating book, share meaningful conversations with loved ones, or split a chilled bottle of wine while gazing at the Milky Way. Watch the clouds, lie in a hammock, and soak in the sun and details around you. We’ll be doing ourselves, and our readers, a great service! - Francine by Francine Puckly Much has been written on development of characters when setting out to write a novel, a short story, or even a picture book manuscript. Advice to complete character interviews, profiles and arcs abound. I’ve used them all to delineate the early aspects of my characters and note the differences between characters. Despite the use of all of these techniques and tools, I still came up short in a review of my latest novel. In last month’s manuscript critique with Delacorte’s Kate Sullivan, we discussed the need to put the final polish and finesse on my characters, one in particular. Because I have alternating narrators, two distinct stories are being told. And while the stories intertwine, they must stand alone in detail and distinction. One protagonist is a quiet, introspective teen who picks up on a wealth of detail, while the other is a “quit-your-whining-and-get-on-with-it” personality. Each protagonist must be equally complex to the reader, even if the core of the character appears to be outwardly simple. And just as plots and subplots need to be tightened and mined for nuggets of gold, so must our characters. Everything our characters do must be deliberate and refined. I returned home after the critique, high on motivation and energy to make these changes. I quickly realized that my self-taught world of novel writing did not provide guidance to finesse and tweak a character in the final stages of revision. But I discovered two methods that have been invaluable. Beyond-the-Questionnaire Questions Picking up what I had once believed to be my last draft, I combed through the manuscript scene by scene and made notes in the margins as to what each of my narrators might observe in that particular moment. This setting-specific questioning brought my characters into focus with what made them tick in very specific circumstances. What the character feels, says, and observes will differ from scene to scene. A character might be driven by odors and temperatures in one scene, and sights and feelings in another. Does tension get ratcheted up because the character is self-conscious about an outfit or sees a nemesis in the corner of the room? And what happened that day to drive the behavior in the character? This level of understanding my characters rarely came through in those beginning character profiles and explorations. Just as humans might react differently in any given situation on any given day (lack of sleep, hunger, fights with loved ones or the threat of a layoff at work will drive different behaviors than if we’re rested, fed and in our happy place), our characters will behave erratically at times as well. Each scene (and the details the narrator presents to the reader) must be thoughtful to that particular moment. Photo Collages The second technique I’ve used is creating photo collages of the landscape, houses, schools, cars, clothing, décor, and character images. I had already completed this exercise for earlier drafts of the manuscript, but this time I faced off with my protagonists. I studied the collage through each of my narrator’s eyes and wrote down what each would see. My introspective narrator extracts entirely different details than my get-’er-done protagonist. And it is in these unique observations that the manuscript comes to life. By mining these rich nuggets of description, I have refined the voice of the story. And it is in the subtle detail of voice that we hook the reader. So the next time you’re stuck trying to make the last draft or two of your manuscript pop into life, tackle a new photo collage and plow through your scenes with specific detail in mind. If you listen closely, your characters will show you what’s important at that moment in time. by Francine Puckly My fellow 24 Carrot Writing bloggers and I just returned from the SCBWI New England spring conference. Having seen each other all weekend, we were tempted to postpone our monthly goal-setting meeting scheduled for the next morning. But knowing re-entry to regular schedules can be tricky after a jam-packed weekend, we kept our monthly appointment. We convened over a cuppa, and Kelly had the brilliant idea to list our top three takeaways from the conference. If you recently attended this conference, a long workshop, or a webinar geared toward your writing and illustrating life, this exercise is invaluable. It might take weeks—and possible months—to employ all the new tricks and tips discovered at the conference and even longer to practice and hone all the new skills learned. But what are three new goals you can enact today to get an immediate bounce from the conference? Kelly calls these your do-it-today takeaways!
So instead of stuffing your notes into a drawer, comb through them! Glean nuggets of advice that will help you strengthen your writing. Capitalize on the energy and optimism you bring back from meeting with colleagues and peers. It’s easy to slip back into former routines if we wait too long to take stock. So don’t wait! Capture those do-it-today ideas now! - Francine by Francine Puckly With a chill in the air and notoriously unpredictable weather, Opening Day is upon us. Hot dogs, popcorn and peanuts, new lineups, and impeccable turf await. A few years ago Ted Berg penned an article entitled, “The 10 Best Things about Opening Day” (http://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2013/04/01/10-best-things-about-opening-day/2041583/). There’s nothing quite like a new baseball season, and there’s nothing quite like the feeling of beginning a new project or novel. And here’s how Berg’s Top 10 applies to starting a brand new novel! 10. Fresh Looks In baseball, this means it’s time to sport new uniforms, but for me and my new novel, we’re showing off new software (Scrivener), flashy new composition notebooks, my favorite pens and Sharpies, and a multitude of jewel-toned post-its I purchased in the off season. My reusable foam plot-planning poster board is ready to take the field. This is the best my writing space will look for months and maybe years! And wait! What’s that sound? I think the organist is playing the first few bars of “Take Me Out to the Book Store.” 9. Ballpark favorites again available Berg said that, “opening day provides an opportunity to eat hot dogs without being judged.” And for writers, the first draft is our opportunity to slap down all of the crazy ideas that come to mind as we crank through the what-ifs of a new story littered with a cast of new characters. No limiting expectations, no reviews, no analyses. It might be the only time in our writing process we’re not worried about the agent or editor, the reader, the critic, missing story parts, or the dilemma of what stays and what goes. 8. Spring training is over So is your research. At least for now. It’s time to play ball…er, write the draft. That means don’t stop to research. Flag any missing pieces of information with those pretty little post-its you bought. 7. Bunting As MLB and various ballparks roll out elaborate décor, you might look to playlists with songs that suit your characters or intended plot, a collage of magazine clippings or photos that depict character and setting, or Pinterest files to inspire your writing. Adorn your workspace with helpful details. I have a collage of photos I’ve taken and/or downloaded from the Internet posted in my writing area. Whenever I feel stymied on plot, I study those for inspiration. 6. The pageantry First pitches, national anthems, and introductions of every player, coach and trainer. Writing pageantry is introducing each room, character and supporting character. We plunge into detail the way Milwaukee’s Bernie Brewer plunges into a huge mug of beer. We immerse ourselves in detail. The rooms of the house. The landscape. The shingles and siding. Every character. 5. Ridiculous “pace” stats “For one day in 1994,” Berg wrote, “Cubs outfielder Karl ‘Tuffy’ Rhodes was on pace to hit 486 home runs in a season after a three-homer opening day outburst.” Nobody hits 486 home runs in a season. And those 50,000 words for NaNoWriMo? That’s 600,000 words a year, or ten+ middle grade novels a year. Woo hoo! And those 41 ideas you had for PiBoIdMo last year? You’re going to write over 400 picture books this year! NOT. They’re impossible numbers to sustain, but that doesn’t mean we can’t rejoice in getting off to a ridiculously fast start as we leave our inner critic behind. 4. Skipping school or work Playing hooky to do what we love is easy at the beginning. At the start of a project we are willing to decline other opportunities so that we can take our laptops and notebooks off to write in seclusion. But eventually life’s demands creep in and the next thing we know we’ve missed four days (or maybe even four weeks!) straight. What we can learn from playing hooky or skipping other commitments is how to make our writing a priority year-round, not just at the launch or as we approach the finish line. Set some goals, people! And reward yourselves when you hit them! (http://www.24carrotwriting.com/-blog/give-yourself-a-carrot). 3. All of the aces Who are the heavy hitters in your story? Make sure you have a great team of characters to support your plot. 2. Every team is undefeated. So is your project. No rejections. ’Nuff said. And the number one thing about Opening Day? 1. They play baseball. And we write novels. Or illustrate books. We have the coolest jobs on earth. Now get out there and throw the first pitch! |
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