Where Now?

Thank you for all the encouragement about saying yes to the surprise of a new project. It's especially helpful to remember that committing to a novel is not all or nothing. This new novel might make it all the way to a full draft and then a second draft and then multiple drafts. Or it could slide away as another, better idea rises to the surface. It's all part of the process, it all helps our writing, and it's all good.

This past week I've been marveling that the narrator in this new project and his voice are so different from what I usually write. This is new territory, new language. Oddly, it's easy. This novel and this voice are just pouring forth. For now.

My question - what do you do when writing about someone or something far outside your experience? Do you research? Watch movies? Hang out in parts of town where the characters would but you wouldn't? Journal as the characters? Trust that whatever compelled you to enter this different place will carry you through? All of the above?

At the moment, I trust that I'm where I'm supposed to be. But writing a novel is a long journey. I'm wondering what I can do now to prepare.

Oh, and here's a shout out for tomorrow's game on W.I.B.I.J. Prizes! Thank you to Tina, Heather & Jon for keeping us nimble through the blogosphere!

Surprises

I guess going with the flow means not being in control. For me, part of what that means is trying to say yes more often than no. So I said yes to attending two conferences last week, first in Seattle then on the other side of the Cascade Mountains. A part of me was frustrated that I wouldn't be writing (or blogging or doing the crit I was/am excited about), but a better part of me thought I'd just let the week happen. Maybe I'd see something beautiful and bliss out and this week's writing would be more grounded.

Maybe... but the flow is leading me somewhere new. My first priority is the same - getting Romeo, Romeo, ready for the agent quest. But the next book? I've temporarily shelved it even though I had been enjoying the character sketches and had a killer first paragraph (and an okay few pages). For some reason I decided to reread a 10-page novel prospectus I'd written two years ago. And then I started writing that novel during spare moments at the conferences. And soon there was an entire chapter one, part of chapter two, a chapter-by-chapter outline and a narrator with an unexpected and compelling voice. Coming home, I boxed what I'd thought would be my next project in order to make room for this novel. Huh? I thought I had a plan.

I am choosing to think this is going with the flow and is the right thing to do. But how do we know? How do we know when it's right to shift from perseverance to something new?

Is It Time?

Thank you to my fantastic crit partner who today blogged about our working together. Heather is amazing and keeps me focused on what's important and our weekly Skype meeting brings the right sort of rhythm to this writer's life. And thank you for waking me from my cocoon.

So... I've been enjoying the safety of just editing. Just the pages and feedback from readers and tweaking and rewriting and adding and deleting. Just working on that one task of making the novel as good as it can be. For me, it's easier to keep my head down and surround myself with words rather than look up into the blogosphere and research agents and do all the things that bring the writing career to the next level.

I love editing, but when to stop?


Last week we went to the tulip fields of Washington state's Skagit Valley. At first I thought the fields and fields of tulips were for the tourists. Very cool, but what an extravagance. Uh, no. All those fields were working farms and this east coaster learned how tulips are harvested. First the bulbs must bloom, then the flowers are cut, but the leaves and stalks and all the green remains so the nutrients can travel back down into the bulbs. A few months later the bulbs are then dug up and shipped across the world. We saw some of the cutting. It's done by hand and not all blooms are ready at the same time; there will be another pass through.

Which made me think of editing. Helping our words bloom, knowing when to cut them and how long to leave them alone. When go to go back with fresh eyes and, yes, when to ship them out.

I think I'm getting ready to ship out Romeo, Romeo, my YA novel of three high school guys. It began as a screenplay several years ago and morphed into a novel. I've been editing a complete first draft for a year and a half. Not that the time itself matters, but now it feels right.

How do we know when we're ready for the next step?

Soaring

Almost every day from the kitchen window I see bald eagles soaring above the bay. What a difference, the air filled with gulls and crows and then this large, creature soars above them all. It seems to float. An occasional wing flap when changing direction or gaining speed, but mostly coasting, so elegant, so relaxed, so effortless...

But I'm so wrong. Those stunning bald eagles soar so elegantly because of their strength. Because of their powerful muscles and ligaments and the whole of their complex physical structures working together.

Why do those eagles make me think of writing?

Because sometimes I simply want to be able to soar. For it all to be effortless. To write and edit and blog and research the industry and do all those things that would be good for my writing. One simple flap of my wings and I'd be doing it all.

But that's not how it works. Maybe some of us are born eagles, quickly ready to soar, but many of us might be more like sparrows, lots of busy wing-flapping, branch to branch, rarely in a straight line or an elegant arch. But some sparrows migrate as much as 2,600 miles... Not to shabby. We'll get there.

But still, I look at those eagles for inspiration.

What inspires you?


Goals for the week of 3/9/10 - stunningly similar to last week's goals... lots of flapping and flapping and bouncing from branch to branch...

YA novel

• New draft incorporating reader feedback
  

Nonprofit

• Finish all web content
• Tech plan for launch
  

Strengthening the center

• Meditate every morning
  
• Two walks in nature

A stream is more direct than mist

Science was never my thing. I very much respect well-rounded people who can write beautifully about things scientific... but that's not me. So, I don't feel bad that I didn't get this very simple rule of fluid dynamics until now. Mist puts lots of water in lots of directions, but a stream flows further and faster. No disrespect to the Olympic Peninsula rain forest that thrives on constant mist, but, for where I am, I need to write in a stream, which means that I'm putting my energy & writing in one direction.

So I'm streamlining my focus: my YA novel (+ launching the website for the nonprofit I've founded to make films for LGBTQ youth). The middle grade novel is still there waiting it's turn, as is YA novel number two. But this week at least, I'm going to see how things go with four hours of YA work + four hours of website launch work. With a swim or workout between them.

This reminds me a little bit of a way past writing partner who came up with all sorts of elaborate rules to make him write (including moving abroad), but nothing really helped. He just needed to write. Anyway, I'm going to try this 4 + 4 approach for a little bit.

Any suggestions for streamlining & keeping at it?

My iPhone went nuts this week, so no photos from a walk. Here's an older one from the porch of our temporary condo. The tree is now blooming.

Monday Meeting: Goals for the week of 3/1/10:

YA novel

• New draft incorporating reader feedback
  

Nonprofit

• Finish all web content
• Tech plan for launch
  

Strengthening the center

• Meditate every morning
  
• Two walks in nature

When the flow is slow

Okay, what happens when this "going with the flow" thing is slow? As in, I didn't get done nearly as much as I'd hoped this week. I could justify it away - we just moved, I finally joined a pool and swam a few times, my partner is a minister (no worries, it's a very liberal church) so there have been tons of get-togethers... all good, all making life rich, but not helping me meet my weekly goals. I did get stuff done - just not enough.

I like going with the flow, but I also like getting things done. This week: how to find the balance? How to make it a productive flow? I'm going back to my practice of tracking my hours: writing is blue, filmmaking red, mind/body stuff purple, general appointments pink... Will the intention to get more done be enough?

Here's a photo from one of this week's walks. Actually a photo of me taking a photo of Mt Baker.

Monday Meeting: Goals for the week of 2/21/10:

YA novel

• Contact readers w/questions from comments
  

Middle grade novel

• Revise Chapter Three and send to writing partner

YA novel #2

• Add synopsis to computer

Film

• Complete the final steps to launch
  

Strengthening the center

• Meditate at beginning of day just before starting to write
  
• Two walks in nature

Personal Gold

So we spent Saturday one hour away in Vancouver visiting friends in town for the Olympics. I'd assumed that today's post would be about the athletes & trying to be the best. Motivation, achievement, practice... Um, not at all.

The best part of Saturday was not the Olympic hubbub. It was seeing old friends. And the best part of seeing old friends was sitting in a hotel overlooking a park and having coffee and tea and talking and feeling comfortable and feeling a shared history and knowing that we were a group of four people hoping the best for one another.

What does that have to do with writing? I felt nourished, centered and focused. But then we drove away to this new place where we share history with no one.

I'm joining a writers group here and will be attending the northwest SCBWI conference this spring. I Skype weekly with my main crit partner & have met fantastic new readers through the blogosphere. That's doing the right thing. That feels good...

But I do want to remember the simple power of relationships. Those people who may not write but do believe in us. They're vital. My nieces get adamant about YA books I should read. My younger nephew and niece both suggest topics and characters. Friends listen. My partner gives me space. It's all part of the mix that helps me fill notebooks and gets me to my laptop. I'm grateful for everyone.

Some writers may be called to be isolated artists. No judgment. Very cool if that's what works. But people are for me.

And you?

Photo from one of this week's walks. Beneath where we're staying. Don't know what the red thing is. Bumps in the distance are the Canadian Cascades (I think).


Monday Meeting: Goals for the week of 2/15/10:

YA novel

• Incorporate feedback from 3 new readers
• Make timeline for conference submissions
  

Middle grade novel

• Revise 2nd chapter and send to writing partner
• Make timeline for conference submissions

YA novel #2

• Add synopsis to computer

Strengthening the center

• Meditate at beginning of day just before starting to write (I need to pay more attention to this...)
  
• Two walks in nature