Bear with me... for the first few lines, I'm going to sound like a student giving her disbelieving teacher an explanation for why her assignment was a day late (and it's going to sound like, "One Direction was on TV last night!")
My son, Paul M., received the Garth Brooks boxed set for Christmas (subtitled "Five Decades of Influences") and he and my husband decided that last night would be a great time to watch the Las Vegas concert DVD. I tried to block out the sounds from the TV room as I sat at my laptop, trying to think of a topic for my blog, but... well, to be perfectly honest, I'm a Garth Brooks fan from back in the day (heck, I'm the one who gave my son the boxed set!) and I thought I'd pop down and watch a few minutes.
Two hours later, I was heading to bed since I had to get up early to go to work, but at least I had my blog topic: influences (and, yeah, it was a pretty good show!)
All artists, whether musician, painters, writers, whatever, have been influenced by the work of other artists whom they admire. Just as Garth could point to his musical influences (as diverse as James Taylor and KISS), I could look back over the years and see where I found my influences as a writer.
Starting in my youth, I was always attracted to two genres: mystery and history. Of course, I read Nancy Drew (I think it's required reading for 8-year-old girls) but I really loved The Three Investigators best... I liked the diversity among the investigators. And I liked the fact that, unlike Nancy, they didn't have a vehicle of their own at their disposal--they used their bikes a lot!
I also loved the Little House books. I loved the way Laura Ingalls Wilder made the simple life of a pioneer girl interesting and engaging. I really cared about all her characters and often imagined myself in the stories themselves.
As I grew older, I started reading Agatha Christie's murder mysteries. While now I look back and see that they greatly resembled those story puzzles you used to see in Reader's Digest, I also saw how many times she really fooled me. I also learned about how to make characters interesting (not all of hers were, despite their fame) and how to go into the mind of each character. I also learned to pay attention to details. Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot were forever noticing minute things that no one else ever did. Maybe they were clues, maybe not. But they mattered.
Now I look back over the last few years and how other writers have shaped my writing: the way Mary Higgins Clark weaves romance into her suspense and how she builds that suspense; Mike Orenduff's way of injecting humor into dangerous situations and making a likeable character who can laugh at himself; Aimee and David Thurlo's treatment of setting as a character and making you feel you are at the scene while respecting the history and culture of the characters; Steven Havill's careful research into everything he writes about, whether it's guns or piano concerts, to make them as believable as possible.
Of course there are many others, but I think that every artist needs to take a moment to tip their hat to the ones who helped shape them into the artist they have become.
Thank you very much!
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Monday, January 6, 2014
Time Marches On
This morning I posted an inspiring message on my facebook page (kind of reminds me of those locker posters we used to have in high school with the inspirational messages on them.) It said:
A year from now you will wish you had started today.
A year always seems so long. Next year seems so far away. And yet, without trying to be facetious, last year was just last week. What was it that you wanted to accomplish by this year? Where are you now?
I won't make you answer that (yes, we're all squirming!) but let's think about it for next year. Where do you want to be next year? What do you want to accomplish by then? Lose 50 lbs.? Learn a new language or musical instrument? Write a book?
If you start today, will you have accomplished any of those things by next year? Maybe. But more likely, not completely. But even if you don't lose all 50 lbs., by exercising and eating better, you will still be healthier, right? And if you're not completely fluent in a new language or ready to play Carnegie Hall with your violin or piano, you'll still be better than you were when you started. And that book? Maybe you won't have a publishing contract or a New York Times best-seller, but 50,000 words or more than a blank page is a good start.
Yesterday was my one-year anniversary of signing my book contract with Oak Tree Press. It didn't happen the day I decided to be a writer. Many years, many pages, many rejections letters, and many disappointments and setbacks happened before that day came. But it never would have come if I hadn't made that decision that day, God only knows the date now, to begin. It's the same for anything else we want to accomplish,. We have to get started.
So whatever it is you want to have accomplished by 2015, start today. Yes, 2014 just started, but six days have already gone by. The next 259 are going to fly by. Be further by then than you are today.
Get started.
A year from now you will wish you had started today.
A year always seems so long. Next year seems so far away. And yet, without trying to be facetious, last year was just last week. What was it that you wanted to accomplish by this year? Where are you now?
I won't make you answer that (yes, we're all squirming!) but let's think about it for next year. Where do you want to be next year? What do you want to accomplish by then? Lose 50 lbs.? Learn a new language or musical instrument? Write a book?
If you start today, will you have accomplished any of those things by next year? Maybe. But more likely, not completely. But even if you don't lose all 50 lbs., by exercising and eating better, you will still be healthier, right? And if you're not completely fluent in a new language or ready to play Carnegie Hall with your violin or piano, you'll still be better than you were when you started. And that book? Maybe you won't have a publishing contract or a New York Times best-seller, but 50,000 words or more than a blank page is a good start.
Yesterday was my one-year anniversary of signing my book contract with Oak Tree Press. It didn't happen the day I decided to be a writer. Many years, many pages, many rejections letters, and many disappointments and setbacks happened before that day came. But it never would have come if I hadn't made that decision that day, God only knows the date now, to begin. It's the same for anything else we want to accomplish,. We have to get started.
So whatever it is you want to have accomplished by 2015, start today. Yes, 2014 just started, but six days have already gone by. The next 259 are going to fly by. Be further by then than you are today.
Get started.
Monday, December 9, 2013
Baby, it's COLD outside!!!
I've never been a fan of cold weather. Growing up in El Paso, Texas does that to a person! While we might complain about the heat in the summer, we sure wish for it in winter.
To that end, I've hauled out the warm clothes, the extra blankets and afghans, we've loaded up the wood rack... and I've heated up the kitchen. This time of year is when my urge to cook goes into overdrive. Perhaps it's because my kitchen gets so warm in the summertime (no air-conditioning... if we ever admit to it being too warm in the house, we turn on the ceiling fans and open all the windows!) that I make my warm-weather meals with as little heat inside the house as possible (that means a lot of grilling, which makes Paul the cook!)
But in the cold weather months, not only does cooking and baking help keep the house warm, it also keeps us warm... and in more ways than one. This is when the holiday baking begins, to prepare the gifts I give to family, friends and co-workers. And it's when I go all-out on the meals I prepare for the family. Somehow, despite the shorter days, I find the time and energy to make the big meals that are so much more appreciated in the colder days.
One dish I've recently acquired came from a good friend in San Antonio. Those of us from El Paso fondly remember Jaxon's Restaurant and their signature chicken tortilla soup. I can't swear that my friend, Sonja's, soup is the reason Jaxon's closed its doors, but the timing is suspicious!
Here's the recipe:
2 chicken breast halves, bone-in with skin
4 quarts water
1 whole white onion, quartered
2 Tablespoons chicken bouillon (Knorr, if you can find it)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder (more or less)
pinch of ground cumin (not too much)
Combine the above and bring to a boil. Simmer until chicken is cooked through (do not cover; evaporation makes the broth more concentrated.) Remove the chicken from the broth and let cool. At this point, I usually refrigerate the broth, in the pot, overnight and remove the hardened fat from the top.
Bring the broth to a simmer and remove the skin and bones from the chicken breasts. Coarsely shred the chicken meat and add to the broth. Add 1 green bell pepper, finely diced, along with 3 stalks celery, finely diced (chop the leaves and add them, too) and 3 green onions, thinly sliced. Add one 15 oz. can of petite diced tomatoes with the juice (you can also chop fresh tomatoes, enough for two cups, and add along with their juice). Simmer until vegetables are tender. Add 1-2 teaspoons dried oregano to the soup along with 1 bunch of chopped cilantro (about 1/2 cup chopped.)
Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with the following toppings: diced avocado, sour cream, shredded cheese (cheddar or jack), and crisp fried tortilla strips (cut corn tortillas into thin strips, fry in oil and sprinkle with salt... make plenty, everyone likes to snack on them!) You can also add diced jalapenos or green chile and have lime wedges to squeeze over the soup. This is a perfect cold weather soup and no matter how you top it, it's delicious!
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Reviews: The importance of being honest AND nice
Over at the OTP (Oak Tree Press) author connection group, we've been having a discussion about negative book reviews... and how necessary they are. It seems that someone ran across an article deploring negative book reviews, calling them unnecessary and mean-spirited.
As a writer, there is a part of me that secretly agrees... the part that was raised to believe that if you can't say anything nice about someone, don't say anything at all. But there's another part of me that firmly believes that negative reviews are necessary and probably essential.
That's the part of me that is called "book buyer".
Several times I have purchased a book on the glowing recommendation of a fellow author or friend who posted a review on amazon.com or some other site that made me feel that I was missing out on the best reading experience of my entire life. Once I had the book in hand and had begun reading, my eagerness dissipated until I was left with a half-finished book, extreme disappointment, and a measure of anger at having felt betrayed.
The reviewer, I'm sure, meant well. Understood that writing is a hard endeavor. That many hours of work and a lot of true feelings and heart went into putting those words together. That the author had high hopes and a dream that was coming true and that surely they deserved an "A" for effort and, anyway, it really wasn't bad. Well, not THAT bad.
So they ignored the misspellings, the inconsistencies, the inane dialogue, the confusing jumps in point-of-view, and the forced or improbable plot. They applaud the author's weak and misguided attempt at imitating the writing style of a famous author though it seems obvious and contrived. And with a clear conscience, they give it a 5-star rating, feeling good about having bolstered a fellow human being who had undertaken the gargantuan task of writing a book.
Or, maybe they figure, "Why should I be the only one to suffer through this???"
For the record, let me define "negative book review": it means that the book does NOT deserve lavish praise, is not highly recommended, or it scores a dismal one or two stars. It does not mean that the reviewer gets to BE negative and declares open season on the author.
There have been some reviews posted that make me cringe. Some people enjoy being mean-spirited and snarky and nothing works up their creative juices like excoriating someone who has dared to take the steps necessary to reveal their innermost thoughts and dreams to the world. That is certainly NOT the negativity that I'm endorsing!
But it doesn't help the writer to be told that there is no room for improvement. Or that they sacrifice quality for quantity in padding their prose with excessive detail and description... or bail at the crucial moment and simply gloss over deep thoughts and feelings rather than explore them fully and allow the reader to truly feel what they feel. The reader feels cheated as well. We know when the author chickened out and left us with a sense of unfinished business or, worse, assumed that we aren't capable of reading between the lines and explain everything in minute and even condescending detail.
So as much as I hate criticism (and who doesn't?), I appreciate the time a reader takes to point out problems in my stories or in my writing skills. It helps me to improve. What some reviewers forget (or ignore) is that there is a difference in criticizing and insulting. Everyone can use some constructive criticism. What no one needs is to be insulted and made fun of in a public forum.
So when one takes on the task of writing a review, remember that one can point out the problems with the author's work without being vicious. A good reviewer will refrain from personal attacks and will stow their envy, pride, and attitude away and focus on the writing and the story. They will look for the good and emphasize it and also recognize the not-so-good and give an honest, but kind, appraisal. And the author has the responsibility to recognize that there is always a potential for growth and learning and not take honest criticism as an affront to their writing skills. No one is perfect and no matter how much success and experience one has, falling short is always a possibility. And, yes, sad to say, there ARE some writers whose enthusiasm far exceeds their abilities. Maybe everyone can write, but not everyone can write well. Sometimes, the best thing a reviewer can do (if they really can't bring themselves to be honest) is bow out as gracefully as possible and decline the opportunity to post a public review.
The readers are the ones who matter. They make an act of faith every time they pull out their wallets in exchange for our written words, so they deserve our very best. It's up to us to give it to them.
As a writer, there is a part of me that secretly agrees... the part that was raised to believe that if you can't say anything nice about someone, don't say anything at all. But there's another part of me that firmly believes that negative reviews are necessary and probably essential.
That's the part of me that is called "book buyer".
Several times I have purchased a book on the glowing recommendation of a fellow author or friend who posted a review on amazon.com or some other site that made me feel that I was missing out on the best reading experience of my entire life. Once I had the book in hand and had begun reading, my eagerness dissipated until I was left with a half-finished book, extreme disappointment, and a measure of anger at having felt betrayed.
The reviewer, I'm sure, meant well. Understood that writing is a hard endeavor. That many hours of work and a lot of true feelings and heart went into putting those words together. That the author had high hopes and a dream that was coming true and that surely they deserved an "A" for effort and, anyway, it really wasn't bad. Well, not THAT bad.
So they ignored the misspellings, the inconsistencies, the inane dialogue, the confusing jumps in point-of-view, and the forced or improbable plot. They applaud the author's weak and misguided attempt at imitating the writing style of a famous author though it seems obvious and contrived. And with a clear conscience, they give it a 5-star rating, feeling good about having bolstered a fellow human being who had undertaken the gargantuan task of writing a book.
Or, maybe they figure, "Why should I be the only one to suffer through this???"
For the record, let me define "negative book review": it means that the book does NOT deserve lavish praise, is not highly recommended, or it scores a dismal one or two stars. It does not mean that the reviewer gets to BE negative and declares open season on the author.
There have been some reviews posted that make me cringe. Some people enjoy being mean-spirited and snarky and nothing works up their creative juices like excoriating someone who has dared to take the steps necessary to reveal their innermost thoughts and dreams to the world. That is certainly NOT the negativity that I'm endorsing!
But it doesn't help the writer to be told that there is no room for improvement. Or that they sacrifice quality for quantity in padding their prose with excessive detail and description... or bail at the crucial moment and simply gloss over deep thoughts and feelings rather than explore them fully and allow the reader to truly feel what they feel. The reader feels cheated as well. We know when the author chickened out and left us with a sense of unfinished business or, worse, assumed that we aren't capable of reading between the lines and explain everything in minute and even condescending detail.
So as much as I hate criticism (and who doesn't?), I appreciate the time a reader takes to point out problems in my stories or in my writing skills. It helps me to improve. What some reviewers forget (or ignore) is that there is a difference in criticizing and insulting. Everyone can use some constructive criticism. What no one needs is to be insulted and made fun of in a public forum.
So when one takes on the task of writing a review, remember that one can point out the problems with the author's work without being vicious. A good reviewer will refrain from personal attacks and will stow their envy, pride, and attitude away and focus on the writing and the story. They will look for the good and emphasize it and also recognize the not-so-good and give an honest, but kind, appraisal. And the author has the responsibility to recognize that there is always a potential for growth and learning and not take honest criticism as an affront to their writing skills. No one is perfect and no matter how much success and experience one has, falling short is always a possibility. And, yes, sad to say, there ARE some writers whose enthusiasm far exceeds their abilities. Maybe everyone can write, but not everyone can write well. Sometimes, the best thing a reviewer can do (if they really can't bring themselves to be honest) is bow out as gracefully as possible and decline the opportunity to post a public review.
The readers are the ones who matter. They make an act of faith every time they pull out their wallets in exchange for our written words, so they deserve our very best. It's up to us to give it to them.
Monday, November 25, 2013
Two Things
As the scintillating title states, today's blog deals with two different things. Let's take them in chronological order:
First thing: Thanksgiving Day. Literally translated, it means a day to give thanks. Though its historical roots have been debated and muddied by political correctness and romanticized history, it still remains a uniquely American holiday whose sole purpose is to spend the day with a "gratitude attitude" for all the blessings we've received.
Some might question how blessed they've been when all the setbacks and losses they suffered through the year are taken into account, but one can't count a loss without having had a blessing to begin with. This year, our family has suffered the loss of a beloved uncle. It's hard to feel "thankful" knowing that our dear Uncle Sonny won't be at the table this year, sharing our meal, but we are thankful for the many memories we have of previous Thanksgivings--and Christmases and summers and other times we spent together. That will be our focus.
Some people have setbacks for which thankfulness evades them. Losing a job or facing a serious illness are situations where it's hard to be thankful for what you had before. I hope that for them, Thanksgiving Day is a day of hope for better times ahead... and things to be thankful for.
Second thing: Small Business Saturday. Yeah, laugh it up, since everyone knows I work at Walmart, but it's thanks to two small businesses that I have an interesting and fun-filled life and have the opportunity to do something I really love to do!
First off, a tip of the hat to Noisy Water Winery. Up until about four years ago, my knowledge and taste for wine was defined by Boone's Farm and Arbor Mist (if I wanted to be sophisticated, I went for Beringer White Zinfandel.) Thanks to Noisy Water, and many other small, family-owned and operated wineries in the state of New Mexico, my taste has expanded and blossomed. What you get in a bottle of wine from a small vineyard or winery is more than just fermented grapes: you get a lot of love for the craft and art of winemaking, a history of the families who have cultivated the earth to produce it, the faith needed to undertake the task and business of producing wine. And in Noisy Water's case, I also got a second job with wonderful people who love what they produce and love to introduce new people to it.
Second, there is Oak Tree Press, a small, independent publishing house who took a chance on a new, unknown writer (that would be me) and brought her dreams to fruition. It's the small publishers who are most likely to help a fledgling author see their work in print, who encourage and nurture beginning writing careers, who say "I believe in you" with a contract, not a Hallmark card, and help another voice be heard over the cacophony of thousands of competing authors.
So this coming Saturday, after you count your blessings and then turn your thoughts to Christmas shopping (hopefully you're doing those things in that order!), remember the small businesses. They are run by dreamers and doers and put their heart into the things they produce and sell.
Here is my shameless plug for my favorite small businesses:
www.rellenobros.com
www.oaktreebooks.com
Visit in person or visit us on-line. You'll find specials there to rival any "Black Friday" sale and the best part, you'll be giving a gift produced with love and care and pride, something worthy of the recipient! As a bonus, you'll be helping to keep the dream of these small business owners alive and healthy!
Have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving!
First thing: Thanksgiving Day. Literally translated, it means a day to give thanks. Though its historical roots have been debated and muddied by political correctness and romanticized history, it still remains a uniquely American holiday whose sole purpose is to spend the day with a "gratitude attitude" for all the blessings we've received.
Some might question how blessed they've been when all the setbacks and losses they suffered through the year are taken into account, but one can't count a loss without having had a blessing to begin with. This year, our family has suffered the loss of a beloved uncle. It's hard to feel "thankful" knowing that our dear Uncle Sonny won't be at the table this year, sharing our meal, but we are thankful for the many memories we have of previous Thanksgivings--and Christmases and summers and other times we spent together. That will be our focus.
Some people have setbacks for which thankfulness evades them. Losing a job or facing a serious illness are situations where it's hard to be thankful for what you had before. I hope that for them, Thanksgiving Day is a day of hope for better times ahead... and things to be thankful for.
Second thing: Small Business Saturday. Yeah, laugh it up, since everyone knows I work at Walmart, but it's thanks to two small businesses that I have an interesting and fun-filled life and have the opportunity to do something I really love to do!
First off, a tip of the hat to Noisy Water Winery. Up until about four years ago, my knowledge and taste for wine was defined by Boone's Farm and Arbor Mist (if I wanted to be sophisticated, I went for Beringer White Zinfandel.) Thanks to Noisy Water, and many other small, family-owned and operated wineries in the state of New Mexico, my taste has expanded and blossomed. What you get in a bottle of wine from a small vineyard or winery is more than just fermented grapes: you get a lot of love for the craft and art of winemaking, a history of the families who have cultivated the earth to produce it, the faith needed to undertake the task and business of producing wine. And in Noisy Water's case, I also got a second job with wonderful people who love what they produce and love to introduce new people to it.
Second, there is Oak Tree Press, a small, independent publishing house who took a chance on a new, unknown writer (that would be me) and brought her dreams to fruition. It's the small publishers who are most likely to help a fledgling author see their work in print, who encourage and nurture beginning writing careers, who say "I believe in you" with a contract, not a Hallmark card, and help another voice be heard over the cacophony of thousands of competing authors.
So this coming Saturday, after you count your blessings and then turn your thoughts to Christmas shopping (hopefully you're doing those things in that order!), remember the small businesses. They are run by dreamers and doers and put their heart into the things they produce and sell.
Here is my shameless plug for my favorite small businesses:
www.rellenobros.com
www.oaktreebooks.com
Visit in person or visit us on-line. You'll find specials there to rival any "Black Friday" sale and the best part, you'll be giving a gift produced with love and care and pride, something worthy of the recipient! As a bonus, you'll be helping to keep the dream of these small business owners alive and healthy!
Have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving!
Monday, November 18, 2013
Downtime: What This Writer Does When She's Not Writing
Perhaps a better title would be "What this writer would LIKE to be doing when she's not writing".
The truth is that this writer has two other jobs in the "real" world and both jobs take a lot of my time away from home (including travel time) and other activities in which I'd like to engage when I'm not sitting at the laptop or with a notebook and pen (yes, I still use those!) Here's some things I'd like to do more of:
1) Read. Yes, I already read voraciously, but if I had more time, I'd read even more! I barely get to scan the news headlines on-line and I've cancelled magazine subscriptions because I just don't have time to read all the articles anymore. Books are in piles waiting to be read. I'd definitely read more!
2) Travel. Not actual vacation trips, but road trips to various nearby places, just to get a change of atmosphere or satisfy my curiosity. Even a drive in the mountains on a Sunday afternoon would be a real treat (especially at this time of year!)
3) Cook. Most days I barely have the time and energy to pull together a real meal for dinner (protein, starch, and two veggies), which I love to do, and have to make do with pre-prepared food or rely on the goodness of my family who lives nearby and often wants to share part of their meal with us... or else hit the only local restaurant in the area, five miles down the road.
4) Bake. I love to bake and I'd do it year round if my kitchen didn't get so darn hot in the summertime! But with the holidays approaching, the baking bug is biting hard and I just don't have time to do all that I'd like to do. Like this:
4) Spend time with my family. Yes, even though I live (literally) next door to Paul's family and less than two hours away from my family, the work takes a toll on my energy and time to spend with them. I'd surely love to find a way to be with our families even more!
What do you like to do when you're not working "the job"?
The truth is that this writer has two other jobs in the "real" world and both jobs take a lot of my time away from home (including travel time) and other activities in which I'd like to engage when I'm not sitting at the laptop or with a notebook and pen (yes, I still use those!) Here's some things I'd like to do more of:
1) Read. Yes, I already read voraciously, but if I had more time, I'd read even more! I barely get to scan the news headlines on-line and I've cancelled magazine subscriptions because I just don't have time to read all the articles anymore. Books are in piles waiting to be read. I'd definitely read more!
2) Travel. Not actual vacation trips, but road trips to various nearby places, just to get a change of atmosphere or satisfy my curiosity. Even a drive in the mountains on a Sunday afternoon would be a real treat (especially at this time of year!)
3) Cook. Most days I barely have the time and energy to pull together a real meal for dinner (protein, starch, and two veggies), which I love to do, and have to make do with pre-prepared food or rely on the goodness of my family who lives nearby and often wants to share part of their meal with us... or else hit the only local restaurant in the area, five miles down the road.
4) Bake. I love to bake and I'd do it year round if my kitchen didn't get so darn hot in the summertime! But with the holidays approaching, the baking bug is biting hard and I just don't have time to do all that I'd like to do. Like this:
4) Spend time with my family. Yes, even though I live (literally) next door to Paul's family and less than two hours away from my family, the work takes a toll on my energy and time to spend with them. I'd surely love to find a way to be with our families even more!
What do you like to do when you're not working "the job"?
Monday, November 4, 2013
NaNoWriMo: Does it really work?
There is a never-ending quest among writers to find "the key" to getting published.
You can find articles, essays, and whole books and magazines devoted to ways to get published. Very rarely do any of them mention NaNoWriMo as one of those ways.
This is my twelfth year competing in NaNoWriMo. For those of you in the dark, NaNoWriMo is shorthand for National Novel Writing Month, an idea born of a genius by the name of Chris Baty back in 1999 who wanted to encourage creative writing. The goal is to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. This is where I question Chris' genius in choosing November for NaNoWriMo instead of, say, April which also has thirty 30 days and no major holiday (except for Easter, occasionally) in it or immediately after it that seems to require immense preparation.
The reason I entered NaNo the first time, back in 2004, was because I had one major obstacle in becoming a novelist... lack of discipline. I was a world-class procrastinator (Who am I kidding? I still struggle with this.) and had a hard time finishing anything I started. I worked better with a deadline and since I was just starting out, toying with the idea of a novel, no one was really expecting anything of me--I certainly did not have a publisher waiting impatiently for me to finish my novel so they could publish it--there was really no "good reason" to finish the novels I started. It was way too easy to put off writing time as well.
So in October of 2004, I registered and on November first, with the encouragement of my ever-patient husband, Paul, I began. I think I got as far as 25,000 words before I tanked. But somehow, I still managed to find the optimism to try again the following year. And the following year. In 2007, I finally managed to finish. Not the novel (How many novels actually stop at 50,000 words?) but I "crossed the finish line" in that I wrote 50,000 before midnight on November 30. And the overwhelming feeling was that of accomplishment. I did it. I finished writing 50,000 words in 30 days. And a few weeks later, I picked up that manuscript and continued working on it. And because I had developed confidence from meeting that 50,000 word goal, I knew I could actually finish the novel. And I did.
That was the beginning.
Somewhere I have that first finished novel. And the second one I finished the following year (yes, I actually "won" NaNo twice in a row!) And with those two "wins" under my belt, I realized that I can do this; I can actually BE a novelist. I can start something and finish it. And that was what set me on the road to writing for publication. It doesn't matter how talented a writer is or how interesting the characters and plot might be; if you don't finish the project, whether it's a novel or short story or essay, no one will ever read it. Especially a publisher.
So whenever anyone asks me, "How do you become a published writer?" I always respond with "Have you ever heard of National Novel Writing Month?"
It's a testament to the power of persistence.
You can find articles, essays, and whole books and magazines devoted to ways to get published. Very rarely do any of them mention NaNoWriMo as one of those ways.
This is my twelfth year competing in NaNoWriMo. For those of you in the dark, NaNoWriMo is shorthand for National Novel Writing Month, an idea born of a genius by the name of Chris Baty back in 1999 who wanted to encourage creative writing. The goal is to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. This is where I question Chris' genius in choosing November for NaNoWriMo instead of, say, April which also has thirty 30 days and no major holiday (except for Easter, occasionally) in it or immediately after it that seems to require immense preparation.
The reason I entered NaNo the first time, back in 2004, was because I had one major obstacle in becoming a novelist... lack of discipline. I was a world-class procrastinator (Who am I kidding? I still struggle with this.) and had a hard time finishing anything I started. I worked better with a deadline and since I was just starting out, toying with the idea of a novel, no one was really expecting anything of me--I certainly did not have a publisher waiting impatiently for me to finish my novel so they could publish it--there was really no "good reason" to finish the novels I started. It was way too easy to put off writing time as well.
So in October of 2004, I registered and on November first, with the encouragement of my ever-patient husband, Paul, I began. I think I got as far as 25,000 words before I tanked. But somehow, I still managed to find the optimism to try again the following year. And the following year. In 2007, I finally managed to finish. Not the novel (How many novels actually stop at 50,000 words?) but I "crossed the finish line" in that I wrote 50,000 before midnight on November 30. And the overwhelming feeling was that of accomplishment. I did it. I finished writing 50,000 words in 30 days. And a few weeks later, I picked up that manuscript and continued working on it. And because I had developed confidence from meeting that 50,000 word goal, I knew I could actually finish the novel. And I did.
That was the beginning.
Somewhere I have that first finished novel. And the second one I finished the following year (yes, I actually "won" NaNo twice in a row!) And with those two "wins" under my belt, I realized that I can do this; I can actually BE a novelist. I can start something and finish it. And that was what set me on the road to writing for publication. It doesn't matter how talented a writer is or how interesting the characters and plot might be; if you don't finish the project, whether it's a novel or short story or essay, no one will ever read it. Especially a publisher.
So whenever anyone asks me, "How do you become a published writer?" I always respond with "Have you ever heard of National Novel Writing Month?"
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