Motivation-Mania

*Phone rings*
*Glances at number*
*Recognizes a NYC area code*
*Panics*
*Imagines the feelings of bliss you're about to feel*
*Presses answer*
Me: Hello?
Caller: Hi, I saw that you had recently inquired into...

NOOOOO! But I can't be the only person this has happened to. An excited writer waiting for "The Call" and getting a salesperson who so cruely is calling from New York City.
April Fools Day indeed.

It can be so easy at times to feel like that call is never going to happen. To feel like you're drowning in a sea of "no's" or "almost-but-not-quite-theres."

In an effort to live a life of transparency, I'm going to be honest and say I've been struggling with my motivation hard core. I poured my heart and soul into a book that has failed to capture that "yes." I've gotten a lot of "almosts," so many that it can break your heart much more than if everyone was just a big ol, "nope."

I've been trying to focus on my next book, but my self-confidence and motivation have taken a beating over the last few months. Trying to refill the well, I picked up Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert.

It slapped me around with the truth that creative living is not tied to goals, it's tied to a journey. A journey I'm privileged to be on. I loved this excerpt:

“Creativity is sacred, and it is not sacred. What we make matters enormously, and it doesn’t matter at all. We toil alone, and we are accompanied by spirits. We are terrified, and we are brave. Art is a crushing chore and a wonderful privilege. Only when we are at our most playful can divinity finally get serious with us. Make space for all these paradoxes to be equally true inside your soul, and I promise—you can make anything. So please calm down now and get back to work, okay? The treasures that are hidden inside you are hoping you will say yes.” 

Good stuff, huh? Then you add it to this:

“But to yell at your creativity, saying, “You must earn money for me!” is sort of like yelling at a cat; it has no idea what you’re talking about, and all you’re doing is scaring it away, because you’re making really loud noises and your face looks weird when you do that.” 

 Love that!

So here's where we're at now: Creativity can't be tied to a goal. It can't be forced to perform on demand. It must be fed. It needs to allow you to feel.

So if you're running on empty, it may be time for a perspective change.

Want to connect?

Find me at www.destinycole.com

or follow me on Twitter or Instagram: @destinywrites

YA's PG-13 Misconception

The other day I was listening to the audio book of Kendare Blake's ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD. Within the first two chapters I heard the "F" bomb. Twice.

It was wonderful.

But I found myself double-checking that the book was indeed a YA. For the record, it is Young Adult. And shame on me for thinking just because a book has a certain four-letter word it suddenly becomes Adult.

YA is not the literary equivalent of a PG-13 movie. This is something I had a misconception of. Young Adult fiction is defined that way simply because the perspective of the narrative and main characters is that of an adolescent. That's it.

It would be ignorant to assume teenagers don't swear. It would also be naive to think some don't occasionally smoke, drink, have sex, take illicit drugs, make mistakes, have an opinion.

They are human aren't they?

The wonderful thing about literature over film is that there isn't too much of a box to be cramped by. Each of our experiences with a book, while shared in regards to the plot, is completely unique for every one of us.

Whether it's the fantastically grotesque aftermath of a monster attack in Rick Yancey's THE MONSTRUMOLOGIST or the aforementioned Kendare Blake novel, YA doesn't mean authors should back down from the way they intend to tell their stories. Even though it's all lies in the end, truth resonates still. Readers expect as much. Readers deserve as much.

Sean

Publishing is a House with Many Doors

You don't need an agent.

But, Sean! you say. Aren't you always spouting advice about how to query and interact with agents?! Now you're telling me not to even bother?!

Go back to my first sentence. I said you don't need one. You can certainly want one. I do. It's a personal preference. Agents do a great many things you probably already know about.

But let's face facts. Sometimes agents might not think your manuscript is sellable in the market at that time. Should you trunk the novel? If you want to. However, allow me to offer another option.

While many big publishers require an agent to be the contact point between author and editor, there are many amazing publishing houses that accept unagented submissions. Tor is one that comes to mind, which is great for peeps like me who write speculative fiction.

That's right, kids. You can basically be your own agent.

Many, many, many authors did the reverse of what is thought to be the standard way to get published.

Brandon Sanderson met his editor at a convention and was offered publication. Then he went looking for an agent. His Writing Excuses co-host, Dan Wells, did the same thing.

And let's not forget smaller publishers. Sure, there are a lot of crap ones out there that slap their books with a stock photo and some cheesy font, and whose website looks like it was designed by your seven-year-old niece. But there are tons of amazing independent publishers that do some stellar work and whose books sit on the same Barnes and Noble shelves with Random House, William Morrow and the rest.

If you want an agent first, that's great! Do it. If you exhaust that, but still think your book is sellable and ready to rock, don't shy away from submitting to willing editors.

Just because one door closes, doesn't mean you should mope away down the street. Publishing is a house with many doors, and one will open for you if you just keep knocking.

The No Spark Rejection

If you're a writer and any kind of good, you'll inevitably get past form rejections and make it to the big leagues of actual comments on your work.

Wow. An agent/editor was moved enough to give a personalized rejection!

But this can be bitter sweet.

Sometimes they might offer helpful feedback that, if you agree with it, can help you fix an area of your manuscript you and your CPs hadn't caught. Heck, they might even request a rewrite.

Other times it's not so helpful.

The "no spark" rejection, also known as the "didn't connect" or "just didn't love it the way I wanted to" rejection, is a big, acrid jug of "no thanks".

And there's nothing you can do about it. Often these rejections are attached with comments saying there's nothing wrong with your work. Not one dang thing! You have great characters, an interesting premise, the pacing is right, there are no cliches--but....

It's a case of "she's just not that into you".

These kinds of rejections can be hard to take. "But you said there's nothing wrong with it!" As productive human beings we struggle with the thought that there is nothing to fix. No flick of the wand that'll brush things up for the next agent/editor.

But on the flip side of things, you don't have to fix anything. Move on to the next agent. Send the work out to the next editor. Just like dating, you can't get bent out of shape over one person, even if you thought you guys would be great together and you really just "knew" it was going to happen.

I've thought about this over the last month in great detail. And I've thought of books I have on my shelf that I didn't really like.

Pet Semetary - Meh. Didn't think it was that scary, just really sad. It made me hug my one-year-old son tighter every day, but I didn't feel that "spark".

The Name of the Wind - I picked it up thinking the hordes of people praising it couldn't be wrong. But they were, at least, in comparison to what I like. It wasn't a bad book. It just wasn't that great. I had higher hopes for it.

Divergent, The Hunger Games, and a good many other YA books - They were written in present tense. I disdain present tense, and that's putting it gently. Not that it means the books are bad. They just don't fit into my wheel of cool.

And this is just my opinion, my taste. I am but one individual and there are plenty others with differing views. It's the same with the people you submit to. They're people--fallible, unique.

But that's what makes this journey we've endeavored to begin so magical. It might take you a few tries at the arcane table. You might have to send more than one raven with your potion of awesome.

It's hard. But that doesn't mean it's not worth it.

-- Sean

Rejection: A Hard Look at a Tough Reality

The other day I biked to work. It was a grueling seven mile ride made even more difficult because all I have is a mountain bike and the surrounding area wouldn't be what you'd call cyclist-friendly.

On my way home I came to a mental crossroads. I was berated by the voice of some lazy, tired part of me to stop. "Enough with the biking already. These hills are killing me!"

At that point I was about four miles away from my house--less than half of the trek completed. What were my choices? Was stopping and looking like a schlub on the side of the road an option? Would I walk my bike the rest of the way and have the little free-time I get wasted because I decided to go for a slower option?

No. What I did was ignore that stupid voice and pressed on.

I knew that it would be difficult, yes, but the reward at the end was greater than the temporary relief of stopping. I knew that if I kept going, my muscles would be made stronger. My next trip would be easier because my anatomy and my spirit would have been primed for it. I knew the only way to get better was to keep going.

Now, let's talk writing.

Every author whose books fill bookstore shelves has faced, received, and been pummeled by rejection. Rejection is one of those things that is talked about in the writing community as a necessary evil and a "thems the breaks, kid" brushing off of the shoulder.

But that doesn't mean it doesn't sting. It doesn't mean that it's easy to take.

But if this gig was easy, everyone would be doing it.

Some authors are more vocal about their early struggles than others and I'm sure it's easy to forget the battle of first starting out, or we might not fully realize or appreciate that all these big wig writers have been said no to.

I can't speak for self-publishing, but let's look at the traditional route.

Some people may say, "Huzzah! I've got an agent. Life has now been made easy."

Oh, boy.

Well, congrats on getting representation, but don't forget that now that agent has to submit to editors and rejection is still a very real possibility. If this was a video game: You've finally found someone who has agreed to let you into the dungeon, but you've got a long road until the boss battle. And then you have to win.

So, you've gotten an editor who loves your manuscript. Again, hooray for you! But that editor, more than likely, has to take it to a meeting of people who make the decision of what their publishing house will be printing that year. Your work now has to impress at least a majority of those at this gathering.

You're going to be published!. Hip hop hooray. Now, I'm sure this is a wonderful feeling that no one can take away from you. But, again, rejection is a very real thing. If your book doesn't sell well enough in the eyes of the publisher, they might not take another chance on you. And then you basically have to go back to Level 1. I know that no one plans on this happening and, if you and the agent and the editor have busted tail to make the book the best it can be, it's out of your hands.

But rejection is still real.

Your book and your writing career are in the readers' hands. This is a fact that applies to both traditional and self-published endeavors.

So, Sean, what's the point? I mean, with all this rejection why should I even try?

I remember when I told a family member I wanted to become a fireman. They said pretty much the same thing. "A lot of people go out for that job. It's hard to get in."

Two months ago marked four years of me being a professional firefighter.

Just because something is hard, does it mean it's not worth the pursuit?

I believe it makes it that much more cherished and wonderful when you finally do succeed.

Rejection gives you tough skin, a badge of honor in your attempt. It weeds out those who didn't want it bad enough. It strengthens those that press on. Being told no should build up the appreciation of the inevitable yes.

And it is inevitable.

I firmly believe that those who never give up learn a vast amount more than those who never start. With that hard-earned knowledge, you become better. You find new ways of telling stories and try things that no one else can.

You become a professional.

I am not here to tell you that rejection becomes easier. It absolutely doesn't go away. What I'm saying is that, like burs on a cotton plant, like a hangover from too much fun, it goes with the territory. And those that want to live on these crazy, hard-toil plains have to learn to accept it.


- Sean


P.S.

Sean's Hydra Querying Technique

Remember the tale of Hercules and the Hydra and how every time he whacked off one head, two would grow in its place? Here's a trick that can help you during the rough days logged in the query trenches.

1. Query an initial set of agents. Most people say 10.

2. If you get a rejection, query two more agents in place of that one who passed.

This promotes momentum and helps you cast a big net. Please, still do your research and make sure the intended agents rep your kind of manuscript.

Writing Hacks During the Revision Process

You've heard of life hacks--simple tricks that make your life easier, more fun, and interesting.

While every book is different and you have no doubt found your own bag of editing swag, some tools are just indispensable.

I'm in the middle of revision right now. And starting another novel. This may or may not be ill-advised, but I'll see how it went after I'm done.

Here are some writing hacks that you may or may not have heard of.

1. Paragraph Hacking

You don't have to read the following. Just look at each section and tell me which looks more inviting to the eyes.

Example 1

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

Example 2

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government.

The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

Both examples are an excerpt from the Declaration of Independence, penned by Thomas Jefferson. But only one is structured in a welcoming way.

The second example is the winner. The reader doesn't go, "Oh, great let me slog through this."

Don't be afraid to break up your paragraphs.

Even if they are only a sentence long, a single sentence paragraph is a great technique to get a particularly important message to the reader.

(See what I did there?)

2. Reading Aloud

Yeah, yeah. You've heard this before.

But it works.

While going through your manuscript during edits, read aloud. If you stumble on a word or sentence or it just seems weird to you, investigate the conundrum and see if it needs to be added to, cut, or changed to make it all flow better.


3. Get Feedback but Wait on Using it.

Run through your manuscript by yourself the first time and then consult your beta readers' notes. You may fix something they point out any way.

You want constructive critique but you don't want any notes that could adversely shift the structure of your story.

Remember, YOU are the architect. The CPs are the guys who make sure your building is up to code and not a fire hazard.

You want to have the deepest sense of your story FIRST, then look at the notes and see how it fits in the large scheme.


Revision is different for everybody and no one has all the answers. At the end of the day, it's your book and your call. Do what works for you.

But at least DO revise. First drafts are toothpick houses built by the tide. They have to be moved, fortified, and made to last.

And you're the one with the plan.

Going Hermit: Getting Away from All the Noise

Not too long ago I decided to take a break from Twitter. It wasn't a long hiatus and, granted, the big dent punched into my mobile data was a significant motivation toward that decision, but all that aside--I needed to remove the distraction. And coming back, I wish I would have taken a longer walk away from it all.

Sometimes I forget that Twitter and other forms of social media are not solely mediums to mingle with other writers, to promote your work, or to stalk the agents who have your MS.

It can drive you nuts.

And soon you find you're doing more "Tweet gazing" than working on your work in progress or plotting or revising or editing. (What's the difference between those last two again?)

It's not just the interwebs either. You can be surrounded, if not completely pummeled, by family and work obligations. Sometimes it's like you can't breathe with all the noise noise NOISE!



That's why I advocate going hermit every so often.

You read correctly. We are all familiar with the image of the loner, bohemian writer, locked away in solitude, drinking absinthe and struggling over every last consonant and punctuation.



You don't have to go that far.

There are many writing retreats you can pay for or, even better, you can get with local writing buddies and sock away an entire weekend with no phones, no internet, just writing and companionship. And sleep for God's sake.

Rent a hotel room. Go to the library to write. At minimum, hit that disconnect from WiFi button on your laptop and dive into the world you are creating.

It's easy to get sucked up in the world of publishing and who's pitching what and what one idiot said online about the genre you love to read.

So easy, in fact, that you can neglect the one thing that makes a writer a writer.

Writing.


Sean

The Importance of Diversity in Your Beta Readers/CPs

Most of the CP/Beta feedback I received on my first novel was from white, twenty to thirty something dudes. Like me. The responses I got were somewhere along the lines of:

"This rocks!"

"Awesome."

"I love his voice!"

I was riding high. I had knocked it out of the park. Then I met a female CP who was digging it, too--until the third chapter. At that point, she said my MC was a jerk who seemed to just want to use women.

I laughed to myself.

I figured she just didn't "get it". She didn't understand how young guys thought. And she was just one voice crying foul from the dark.

Then an agent said the same thing, almost verbatim, that she enjoyed it until the same point in the story and then just saw my MC as a player douche.

Well, dang.

And after casting eyes across the pages once more--they were right.

Thankfully, the agent said she would look at it again if I fixed her area of concern. I crawled back to my female CP on hands and knees and asked her to look at my revision that focused on making the star of my book less of a tool.

She loved the revision.

Good! Great! Grand! Everybody on the bus!

But I wasn't finished. I met a self-declared feminist on Twitter and asked if she would look at it. She also brought in one of her CPs, who was not only a feminist but also a woman of color. They gave me great notes and thankfully my revision had hacked away any flagrant douchebaggery that had weighed my MC down without changing the story.

The point of this little learning experience is to do your best to have CPs from a wide range of characteristics and view points. It's the only way to really have your manuscript run the gambit and test its metal. Welcoming diversity in your beta readers means you'll have the perspective of individuals who are not like you. You don't have to agree with every critique they give but it'll give you a better idea of the different types of people who will walk the aisles of a bookstore where your tome may sit. And the whole point is to get those pedestrians to pick your baby up and head to the cash register, right? Right?


Sean

Time: The Elusive Minx

Has it been a month already?

I tell you, lately it seems I'd have better luck finding Sasquatch over seizing free time to write or do anything else. If a writer writes, how does a writer write if the time to write can't be gotten?

Alright, enough riddles.

If you're a new parent like me or have mounting responsibilities at the day job or any other life event blocking your productivity, you know how much it can suck to reach the end of the day and have the tough choice of writing vs. sleep.

So, let's cover that first. Sleep should win nearly every time. Your work will usually suffer if you attempt to write while exhausted. Don't do it. You might get some words down, but the next day you'll be shot and will lose another day that could have otherwise been used for quality scribbling.

Next, you have to make writing a top priority. If you don't schedule it in, it won't get done. Your spouse and children may or may not be supportive of your passion for fiction but you shouldn't use that as a crutch. Be unrelenting but also realistic. If little Timmy is having his birthday party, you'll look like a real putz if you neglect him for time at the keyboard. At the same time, your family and friends should understand that you have a burning that can't be vanquished. You may have to wait until everyone goes to sleep or wake up before the sun to get your word count in. Heck, you might even have to leave the house and go find a library.

You may have to sacrifice rituals. I love to have quiet and refuse to stop until I've reached my daily goal. Get rid of your OCD and understand that you may have to do tiny sprints throughout the day. A hundred words here. Two-fifty there. You might have your cinnamon-infused mochachino go cold because you have to change a diaper or take someone to the doctor. Come back ready to attack the WIP once again.

Don't get depressed because you've missed a day. It happens. You may be so tired your eyes write you off and slam shut on their own. You may have to go out of town. Work around it if you can but don't be so hard on yourself if the writing doesn't get done. As long as you are persistent in trying to come back and get at it again, that's what counts.

Look into time management techniques and see what might work for you. Have a real heart-to-heart with the ones around you who might be zapping your time and energy. See if you can come to a compromise.

And relax. The book will be waiting for you. And like anything else, busy times will subside and you can get back to riding alongside your ninja elves or vampire tax attorneys.

Until next time (if I have any to spare),

-Sean

Writer Fitness

"Me thinks that the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow." -- Henry David Thoreau

Different people have different ideas of what a writer's day looks like. Some see a mug of coffee beside a laptop and stacks of books, papers, and enough cats to build a fort. Others might envision a scribe staring out of a window or at one of those "Hang in There, Baby!" cat posters until the click-clacking fills the room like the end of every Doogie Howser episode.

The thing is, every writer is different in their approach to getting the words down, but we all can benefit from regular exercise. While you may have seen an infomercial or two exclaiming the same thing I just said, let's look at how fitness impacts a writer specifically.

1. One study* showed that creativity was increased for up to two hours after a thirty minute period of aerobic exercise while the control group, that did not, showed no increase in cognitive creativity.

[Blanchette, David M., Ramocki, Stephen P., O'del, John N., and Casey, Michael S. (2005), Aerobic Exercise and Cognitive Creativity: Immediate and Residual Effects, Creativity Research Journal, 17(2&3), 257-264.]

2. Physical activity releases endorphins and flushes out cortisol which puts you in a great mood. Who wants to write while depressed?

3. You become more focused and motivated. That daily word count goal will be a cinch.

4. Creative juices literally start flowing and you may get dozens of ideas for that sticky plot point you've been mulling over. Exercise destroys "writer's block".

5. Most highly successful authors have exercised regularly: Stephen King, Henry David Thoreau, Joyce Carol Oates, Thomas Wolfe, Will Self, and too many more to name here. Just ask your favorite author. They'll tell you they get their work out on.

Writing is a very mind-heavy activity. It just makes sense to balance all that brain-racking with a little physical movement. I like to run and lift weights but you can just take it easy and walk, taking in the environment. Every experience adds to your goodie bag of author swag.

While I'm sure there are authors out there who are successful and have a writing ritual of vegging out with peanut M&M's and Mountain Dew Code Red--how long will that last? Writing is one of those passions and, hopefully, careers that doesn't have to have a retirement date. All of us will have a final novel, short story, or essay some day. The question I leave to you is: How soon do you want that last project to come?

Take care of your bodies and the words you sling.

-Sean

Where To Find Your Perfect Critique Partner

Confession time: I read the last page of the book first. No, not the ending. I’m not all that morbid and besides, if I die tomorrow.... 

...I’ll probably be thinking of other things at the time versus “Damn, I wish I knew how that book wrapped up.” 

I mean the acknowledgments. I’m a total sucker for them! I love seeing the vast team of people who go into making a book sing and, after writing my own recently, I know just how heartfelt they can be. Front and center in my acknowledgments: my critique partners. They are the bomb diggity and I hope they know it.  At this point, they’ve all made the cross from critique partner to true friends...

... but at one point we started as strangers on the same journey. In next month’s post, I’ll blog about how to get the most from your critique partners and where and when to use them to your best advantage, but today I thought I’d start with how to find amazing critique partners of your own (cuz you know I’m not sharing mine. Well, I might.)

SCBWI: a professional organization of like-minded people is a great starting point. Many local chapters have organized critique groups that meet in person on a monthly basis and are open to all members. Generally these groups examine shorter pieces (a PB text, a chapter of a longer piece) and give critiques in person. Often subgroups form where members trade longer samples or full manuscripts on their own time.

CPseek: After Pitch Wars 2013, a number of the mentors joined together to form CP Seek, an online message board where writers can post “want ads” of sorts for online critique partners. Check them out- there’s gold in them thar hills!

Online contests: Ever enter your query or first page in a contest and drool over another entries, wishing you could read their story ASAP. Guess what? They might be drooling over yours. And maybe you can. One of my closest friends and I met when she was sorting slush in a contest, trying to choose which queries to advance. She tweeted that she found one she wished she could read right then (hooray, it was mine!), another writer friend happened to see her tweet and looped me into the conversation. Several manuscripts later, we now talk ten times a day and even our kids have become friends, despite the eight-hour drive separating us. In fact, today I’m washing sheets in advance of their visit next week.

Writing Sites: Many reputable writing sites, such as Mother.Write.Repeat and Miss Snark will periodically open the comments on a post for writers to connect with other writers seeking CP’s. Back in 2012, I responded to one along with three others. We promptly formed a Yahoo group where we could trade our manuscripts with one another. Not quite two years later, we are now the MGBetareaders, twenty-four writers strong, still trading and now blogging as a group at www.kidliterati.com. In that time about half of us have become agented and some have signed book deals. Most importantly, the group has become a safe environment for sharing the ups and downs of publishing.

One valuable suggestion when trading work with a new critique partner: start with a manageable chunk of your works (maybe three chapters or so) to see if you are a good match for each other before committing to trading a whole manuscript. Finding a good CP can be a bit like finding a good mate. There may be some dating involved before you hit your perfect match. 

The greatest thing about this kidlit writing community is how supportive, welcoming and encouraging we are to one another. It’s something that warms my heart and takes (most of) the sting out of the sucky rejection part of this business. We have each other’s backs and well have yours, the moment you ask for it. So come find us!!

The Sisyphus Syndrome

Happy New Year! Can you believe 2013 is a thing of the past? (I bet you're all as excited as I am to write a new number every time you write the date on something. PS--I might learn to write 2014 instead of 2013 by, oh say, March. LOL!)

For me, 2013 was full of a TON of ups and downs. Luckily, it ended on an "up" and I hope the trend continues. I've got some exciting writing projects to work on and I'm glad some of that old creative enthusiasm (that had gone on a several month hiatus sometime in August) has made a cameo appearance. Can you say PHEW?!

Around late December, a lot of my writer pals started sharing their list of goals for the coming months. I think it has to do with January's clean, optimistic reputation. Somehow, starting a new year gives a sense of a fresh beginning. The past year is swept away with the dropping of the ball in NYC. When the clock strikes midnight at the end of December 31, the previous 365 day (or 366, if it's a leap year) are filed away in the cold case cabinet. Those unmet goals, whether fantasized or concretely laid out, can be edited, erased, or embellished. It can be energizing.

On the flip side, a lot of writers face the same goals year in and year out. Not necessarily because of something they're doing wrong or something they're failing to do, but because it's the nature of the game. The prevailing opinion is that it takes YEARS to get published, and that's if you're lucky. And over time, that can really drag a writer down. It can grind passion into bits until all that's left is doubt. Staring at the same list of goals can get discouraging. Thoughts like, "am I ever going to find and agent?" or "Am I ever going to land a publishing deal?" or "Will anyone download/order/purchase my book(s)?" can cycle on a repeat loop ad infinitum.

Perhaps you've felt like my friend, Sisyphus, here (I know I have):

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So what's a dedicated writer to do?

I have some tips:

• Don't give up.
• Acknowledge progress (even if you think it's small).
• Celebrate all types of success (Have you learned a new technique? AWESOME. Did a reader send an encouraging note or leave a glowing review? SCORE!).
• Remember WHY you started writing--it can rekindle that initial passion that can fade over time.
• Don't stew in a negative spiral by yourself. Call on your writer friends. GET SUPPORT.
• Give yourself a break. Sometimes frustration leads to burn out and burn out leads to writer's block. Taking time away from the notebook or computer and engaging in other fun and relaxing things can be refreshing.
• DON'T compare yourself to others. Seriously. OK, it's good to have role models, but when you get caught up in "the grass is always greener on the other side" type of thinking, nothing you do will seem good enough, you'll get jealous, and you'll psych yourself out.

So, do you guys feel like Sisyphus? How do you find a way to keep on keeping on?

* * * * * *

Laura Diamond is a board certified psychiatrist and author of all things young adult paranormal, dystopian, and horror. Her Young Adult Paranormal Romance novelette NEW PRIDE and novel SHIFTING PRIDE debuted late 2012. A spin off short story based on the lions of Tsavo, TSAVO PRIDE, is now available on Amazon. In 2013, her Young Adult Dystopians, ENDURE and EVOKE, were published by Renegade YA. Her Young Adult Paranormal Adventure, THE ZODIAC COLLECTOR, is coming 2014 by Spencer Hill Press. When she's not writing, she is working at the hospital, blogging at Author Laura Diamond--Lucid Dreamer, and renovating her 225+ year old fixer-upper mansion. 

If you’re interested in reading more about Laura or interacting with her on the web, check out the following links:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DiamondLB

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLauraDiamond

Author Laura Diamond: www.authorlauradiamond.com

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5815639.Laura_Diamond

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Laura-Diamond/e/B009Y7L432/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1377733776&sr=8-1

Blog: http://lbdiamond.wordpress.com/

When Analyzing A Story Just Won't Quit

In my pre-kid life I was a publicist for a major movie studio and was privy to a lot of inside knowledge about the films I worked on. Often that made it hard to watch movies for enjoyment’s sake only, knowing that a particular scene was filmed where it was because the unions had made it difficult to film in the first-choice location, that the actor and director positively hated each other and searching for signs of it on screen. Several times a week, I would “have” (tough gig, right?) to watch movies and try to identify potential marketing strategies we’d use to sell the film in my geographical territory.  I could never complain about that job, but it did make watching movies feel like work, and so I escaped to books to lose myself in another world.

This summer I thought I would do the same in reverse.

With the kids home from school and plenty of vacation to disrupt our routine, I knew I wouldn’t have the quiet time and mental space I usually rely on to write and read. It’s hard to plot amidst requests to carve the watermelon or help find new batteries for the Wii remote. So I decided to give myself a total break from it all.

Mmm...not so much.

What I found was that I’d been working so hard recently to dissect books I loved and really hone the story analysis part of my brain, that I just couldn’t turn it off, even though the medium was totally different. On the one hand, there were times I really wanted to lose myself in a story, but on the other hand, I gained appreciation for the techniques other mediums employ and the way they can transfer to my own stories. I watched mindless summer blockbusters, but still gained a whole new appreciation for breathless pacing. 

I watched TV shows that were master classes in realistic dialogue. A stretch of rainy days had us marathon viewing full seasons of TV series, which gave me a great perspective on combining smaller story arcs with an overarching season-long narrative and some kick-ass examples of realistic dialogue. 

I thought I was taking a break, but instead I was expanding my source material and I’m hoping my “time off” has made me a better storyteller.

Of course, I now need to find entirely new diversions since none of these gave my brain a rest. So, can anyone recommend a good board game? Preferably one with absolutely no characters and no background storyline?

And while you’re at it, where have you found inspiration to help you as a storyteller?

What To Do With All Those Rejection Slips: A New Take On Passes

I’m a glass-half-full, always-look-on-the-bright-side-of-life, positive person. But what is it about a simple form rejection letter that turns us into a weepy, rage-y movie monster version of ourselves?

I’ve collected a rejection slip (okay, email) or two (dozen) in my day. And to comfort myself, I made grand plans for my rejection notes. I loved Stephen King’s method of skewering them on a nail (later a hook when the nail wasn’t long enough to hold them all) on his wall, and I’ve heard of authors who wallpaper their bathroom with them, but I had something prettier in mind.

This:

Paper bead bracelet

Yup. I was going to send my rejections off to the magical land known as Etsy where some craftsperson would roll those insignificant scraps of paper standing between me and a dream and attach them to a bracelet that I could wear to someday book signings as a giant raised middle finger (er, wrist, in this case) to all those who blocked my path. I was going to print out another stack to bring to school visits to say, “See kids? See? This is what it takes to get published these days.”

I have had a change of heart. I'm sure it has a little something to do with having a book deal, but I don't think that's entirely it. The more I’m exposed to the inner workings of publishing, the more I’ve come to realize this one tiny nugget of truth:

It’s. Not. Personal.

No one hated me. I actually don’t think anyone hated my writing either (though there was one agent who hated my MC and told me so without mincing words). It just wasn’t there yet.  I had some more learning to do and some more work to put into it. And I had to learn to see past the “I’m afraid I didn't connect with…” starts and realize that a number of those rejection letters were not form letters and were actually taking the time to point me in the direction I needed to head. Most weren’t rejections, they were just… passes. “Not yet's” or “not for me's”.

Watching my agent and author friends deal with editor passes has been enlightening. My agent will absolutely commiserate and acknowledge that, “Yes, it stinks this editor didn't fall so hard in love with this that she’ll be naming her firstborn after your MC”. But then she'll shrug (I’m pretty sure I can hear that through the phone line) and say, “Okay, here’s what we’ll do next.” Because she knows what I'm learning: that this is just the way it works. Authors get agent passes, agents get editor passes, editors get publisher passes, and somehow in the midst of all that a few books get printed.

So I have a new bracelet plan. (I really, really want that bracelet). My paper beads will include a pass email or even two, because that was a big part of my journey and it was character building. But it will also include the email my agent sent me asking if we could schedule “The Call”. It will include squeely “I love this revision!” notes from my critique partners and conference registration forms and the first page of my signed contract on that fancy Simon & Schuster letterhead and my Publisher’s Marketplace announcement and the letter of thanks I got after my first school visit and definitely a printout of this screenshot of this conversation with my editor:

It will be a celebration of the road to publication and I will wear it proudly at signings and pass it around at school visits to show kids and say, “See kids, see? This is how it feels to get published these days and I hope anyone who shares that dream goes for it.”

Okay, but seriously, readers. Please don't give my book a bad review on Goodreads because you do NOT want to know my plans for those!