I took a trip to the Oregon Coast a couple of weeks ago for some R&R and while I was wandering around Seaside, I stopped in at Creative Beginnings, a delightful arts & crafts supply store (the high-end yarn selection will make any knitter salivate). For reasons known only to the proprietor, the following quote was painted in flowing script on the rest room wall. I suppose a lot of people besides Archimedes find inspiration in the bathroom.
This certainly inspired me. Marianne Williamson’s bio states that she is an internationally acclaimed spiritual teacher and author. I don’t necessarily connect with all her work, but this wonderful quote speaks to the “light” in us all.
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
Kindle that spark and let it shine! Just Think Differently.
Showing posts with label just think differently. Show all posts
Showing posts with label just think differently. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Networking for Newbies
Search engines are like shotguns, you can cover a lot of territory with them but the results can be indiscriminate. Bah-dum! Thank you, thank you, we’ll be here all week. Be sure to try the buffet.
My quest for online writers' communities confirmed that just because you build a resource site for writers does not mean anyone will be able to find it. Bottom line: I need better search terms or writers' site owners need some lessons in SEO.
A few of the search terms I used (with and without apostrophes in various locations): writer's networks, writing networks, writers social networks, writers online groups, fiction, freelance writers and freelance writing. It would be an understatement to say that finding the right search terms is challenging. Wading valiantly through a plethora of sites pitching writing seminars, online degrees, and vanity publication (yawn!) I found my way to some gems that made the journey worthwhile.
I will admit that I have a bias toward sites that appeal to my personal and professional interests. So take a look at some of the sites I recommend and then pull on your waders and go searching for yourself. It may take some time, but don’t give up. Even a couple of great sites can inspire and invigorate you. They might even provide pointers to put money in your pocket. Stay tuned.
Find them and bookmark them. Just Think Differently.
My quest for online writers' communities confirmed that just because you build a resource site for writers does not mean anyone will be able to find it. Bottom line: I need better search terms or writers' site owners need some lessons in SEO.
A few of the search terms I used (with and without apostrophes in various locations): writer's networks, writing networks, writers social networks, writers online groups, fiction, freelance writers and freelance writing. It would be an understatement to say that finding the right search terms is challenging. Wading valiantly through a plethora of sites pitching writing seminars, online degrees, and vanity publication (yawn!) I found my way to some gems that made the journey worthwhile.
I will admit that I have a bias toward sites that appeal to my personal and professional interests. So take a look at some of the sites I recommend and then pull on your waders and go searching for yourself. It may take some time, but don’t give up. Even a couple of great sites can inspire and invigorate you. They might even provide pointers to put money in your pocket. Stay tuned.
Find them and bookmark them. Just Think Differently.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Getting Down to Business: A Serious Writers' Series
This is the official kickoff of our series, which will focus on topics for writers who are serious about the writing business. We have chosen six themes that are central to the success of a business and we will tailor our research and articles to address its unique (or not so much) aspects.
Getting Down to Business Series Themes:
Getting Down to Business Series Themes:
- Business Basics (business & marketing plans, goals and performance measures)
- Marketing (Web presence, contests, submissions, PR)
- Networking (Online networks, writer & publishing organizations, conferences & events)
- Writing Categories (Fiction, non-fiction, freelance & copywriting, blogging)
- Tools of the Trade (hardware and software for writers, books & articles, project tools)
- Publishing (traditional publishing-agent/editor, self-publishing, e-publishing)
We intend to cover topics relevant to our themes, but not in linear order. After all, life doesn't happen that way. Rather, the story will unfold as episodes from each of the six story lines, providing readers with a variety of interesting perspectives to consider.
Karen will lead off with the first shocking article on a hidden truth she discovered in the local Pacific Northwest writing community. You won't want to miss it!
Just Think Differently.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Never Give Up
In mystery novels, as in life, it’s all a matter of perspective. Depending on their positions in the room, characters will see different things. A witness’ memory is a frail thing at best, failing the truth despite best intentions. Misinterpretation and preconceived notions are the enemies of accurate reporting, adding to the confusion. Evidence is a somewhat better source, but only if investigators successfully sift through the mountain of irrelevant material to find the meaningful pieces of evidence hiding in plain sight.
Sifting and sorting through the details of the novel, scene by scene, chapter by chapter, I soon felt like I was drowning. Not only was I trying to deconstruct the original story, but I was creating a new book out of the ashes of the old. The characters were a decade older, so I had to figure out how their relationships with the people in the story had changed. What motivated the murderer? For that matter, who was the murderer? And why did my amateur detective get involved in the case in the first place?
Answering those questions gave me a fresh perspective on the story and the characters soon began to take their places on stage, waiting to deliver their lines. I still had to write them, creating the scenes that would bring the drama and tragedy of their actions to life, but by the end of the first week, it was starting to take shape. And I hadn’t written much of anything yet.
The other challenge I faced was shifting the main character from third person to first person perspective, a change I felt was warranted to bring the reader closer to the lead character and her world. That alone would take some very picky editorial work, ferreting out every third person reference (I can’t tell you how many hundreds of references to “her” and “she” I changed).
I took a cue from the creators of Dramatica Pro, Melanie Anne Phillips and Chris Huntley, and started to deconstruct the manuscript into its component story throughlines. Five character throughlines provided the perspectives of the murderer, several suspects and the amateur sleuth, while a six throughline covered the events leading up to a pivotal event in the story. Throughlines are a powerful method for tracking a character or subplot from beginning to end. I found it exposed missing elements and structural weaknesses, enabling me to quickly address problem areas that I likely would not have seen in the context of the entire book.
As I came down to the wire the weekend of October 10th, I needed to integrate all the pieces of the book into a cohesive whole and run a final edit on the entire manuscript in time to put it in the mail on October 14th (my goal was to have it in New York on October 15th). Needless to say, I didn’t sleep much that weekend. Despite my efforts, I was not going to make the deadline unless I could free up one more full day to focus on the book. I took my last remaining vacation day and worked until midnight, finishing the manuscript. I wrapped up the final editorial on Tuesday night and prepared the manuscript for mailing on Wednesday.
That was when the train went off the tracks. The competition information on the website was written in a singularly confusing manner, and I must admit that I misread the requirements. Although the manuscript was due October 15th, applicants were advised to submit the entry form, which was only available by mail. And the package was supposed to be sent to a judge, whose address would be sent along with the entry form.
So, I’m standing in my office, staring at this convoluted language while I realize that I’ve spent the better part of a month preparing for a competition I will be unable to enter and I’m surprised by my reaction. I didn’t care because I hadn’t written the book for them. I realize that I’ve done all this work for me and nothing, least of all an incompetent copy-writer of competition rules, is going to stop me from taking this book to market. I scroll through the webpage and discover that the Edgar First Crime Novel competition has a deadline in November. So, I draft a letter and send it off, requesting the entry form and judge’s name and address. Life is so good. I’m entering the Edgar competition.
When the letter arrived in November with the entry form and my judge’s mailing information, I had that little rush of happiness that comes over you when you realize there’s no place to go but up. I put that package together (carefully checking everything so I missed no detail) and sent it off.
Then I jumped right off the cliff, posting an announcement on Facebook that I had entered the competition. That was harder than sending the manuscript, but I felt like I owed it to myself to own my success or failure in front of family and friends. Lots of wonderful comments and support. I dropped a line to Karen Gilb, thanking her again.
Kicking back with a virtual glass of sherry by the fire. A good month’s work and more to come. I am galvanized and working anew on my other project.
Just Think Differently.
Sifting and sorting through the details of the novel, scene by scene, chapter by chapter, I soon felt like I was drowning. Not only was I trying to deconstruct the original story, but I was creating a new book out of the ashes of the old. The characters were a decade older, so I had to figure out how their relationships with the people in the story had changed. What motivated the murderer? For that matter, who was the murderer? And why did my amateur detective get involved in the case in the first place?
Answering those questions gave me a fresh perspective on the story and the characters soon began to take their places on stage, waiting to deliver their lines. I still had to write them, creating the scenes that would bring the drama and tragedy of their actions to life, but by the end of the first week, it was starting to take shape. And I hadn’t written much of anything yet.
The other challenge I faced was shifting the main character from third person to first person perspective, a change I felt was warranted to bring the reader closer to the lead character and her world. That alone would take some very picky editorial work, ferreting out every third person reference (I can’t tell you how many hundreds of references to “her” and “she” I changed).
I took a cue from the creators of Dramatica Pro, Melanie Anne Phillips and Chris Huntley, and started to deconstruct the manuscript into its component story throughlines. Five character throughlines provided the perspectives of the murderer, several suspects and the amateur sleuth, while a six throughline covered the events leading up to a pivotal event in the story. Throughlines are a powerful method for tracking a character or subplot from beginning to end. I found it exposed missing elements and structural weaknesses, enabling me to quickly address problem areas that I likely would not have seen in the context of the entire book.
As I came down to the wire the weekend of October 10th, I needed to integrate all the pieces of the book into a cohesive whole and run a final edit on the entire manuscript in time to put it in the mail on October 14th (my goal was to have it in New York on October 15th). Needless to say, I didn’t sleep much that weekend. Despite my efforts, I was not going to make the deadline unless I could free up one more full day to focus on the book. I took my last remaining vacation day and worked until midnight, finishing the manuscript. I wrapped up the final editorial on Tuesday night and prepared the manuscript for mailing on Wednesday.
That was when the train went off the tracks. The competition information on the website was written in a singularly confusing manner, and I must admit that I misread the requirements. Although the manuscript was due October 15th, applicants were advised to submit the entry form, which was only available by mail. And the package was supposed to be sent to a judge, whose address would be sent along with the entry form.
So, I’m standing in my office, staring at this convoluted language while I realize that I’ve spent the better part of a month preparing for a competition I will be unable to enter and I’m surprised by my reaction. I didn’t care because I hadn’t written the book for them. I realize that I’ve done all this work for me and nothing, least of all an incompetent copy-writer of competition rules, is going to stop me from taking this book to market. I scroll through the webpage and discover that the Edgar First Crime Novel competition has a deadline in November. So, I draft a letter and send it off, requesting the entry form and judge’s name and address. Life is so good. I’m entering the Edgar competition.
When the letter arrived in November with the entry form and my judge’s mailing information, I had that little rush of happiness that comes over you when you realize there’s no place to go but up. I put that package together (carefully checking everything so I missed no detail) and sent it off.
Then I jumped right off the cliff, posting an announcement on Facebook that I had entered the competition. That was harder than sending the manuscript, but I felt like I owed it to myself to own my success or failure in front of family and friends. Lots of wonderful comments and support. I dropped a line to Karen Gilb, thanking her again.
Kicking back with a virtual glass of sherry by the fire. A good month’s work and more to come. I am galvanized and working anew on my other project.
Just Think Differently.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Deadlines Trump Resistance
Alanis Morissette recommends, “…biting off more than you can chew to anyone.” Apparently, I subscribe to that notion as well and I soon discovered that I have more capacity than I could conceive when driven to deliver by a looming deadline.
Here are the stats on Strangled Melody as I reviewed the folder:
Original novel 84,000 words, 455 pp
Rewrite-in-progress: 8,000 words, 44 pp
I knew the original was too long, with some extraneous characters and subplots that would hit the cutting room floor. But I still needed 60,000 words to meet the competition requirements – a target that felt like just the right ballpark after my planned clean-up and rewrite. Knowing where I stood and where I intended to end up, I realized that the only way I could complete the work was by restructuring my life to make it happen.
My game plan: no social or other distractions, all time outside my job would be spent writing or researching, and I had zero room for excuses to goof off. Fortunately, I have a very supportive spouse, who made it possible for me to do all this. I re-designed my schedule so I could write every morning from 5:30-7:00 and all evening until 10:00 or 11:00. The weekends would allow me to dive deep, digging into the characters and subplots so the finished novel would fit together in a tight package.
As I reviewed the manuscript, it became readily apparent that I could not afford to waste time. Every aspect of the editorial and writing process had to be efficient, and I needed to execute flawlessly. Much as I needed a rigorous schedule, I had to establish a set of ground rules that would prevent me from second-guessing myself and losing momentum. After a bit of intellectual gyration, I arrived at a simple principle: lay it out, clean it up or cut it and go.
I needed to establish a clear picture of the timeline of events and actions for each character, identify plot points, clues (hints dropped in along the way to help the fictional detective and readers figure out whodunit), and timing down to the last detail. Anything that didn’t drive the story had to go, holes needed to be identified and filled, and then it all had to be patched together into a cohesive whole that flowed for readers who would never know that the picture had started as a big jigsaw puzzle.
Since I tend to write in an organic way, this would be great discipline for me. I was not giving myself permission to wander off on tangents and paddle around in backwaters of color and marginal relevance, no matter how interesting or fun the writing might be. My old habits had to go; I had to take a different tack to meet the deadline.
Just Think Differently.
Here are the stats on Strangled Melody as I reviewed the folder:
Original novel 84,000 words, 455 pp
Rewrite-in-progress: 8,000 words, 44 pp
I knew the original was too long, with some extraneous characters and subplots that would hit the cutting room floor. But I still needed 60,000 words to meet the competition requirements – a target that felt like just the right ballpark after my planned clean-up and rewrite. Knowing where I stood and where I intended to end up, I realized that the only way I could complete the work was by restructuring my life to make it happen.
My game plan: no social or other distractions, all time outside my job would be spent writing or researching, and I had zero room for excuses to goof off. Fortunately, I have a very supportive spouse, who made it possible for me to do all this. I re-designed my schedule so I could write every morning from 5:30-7:00 and all evening until 10:00 or 11:00. The weekends would allow me to dive deep, digging into the characters and subplots so the finished novel would fit together in a tight package.
As I reviewed the manuscript, it became readily apparent that I could not afford to waste time. Every aspect of the editorial and writing process had to be efficient, and I needed to execute flawlessly. Much as I needed a rigorous schedule, I had to establish a set of ground rules that would prevent me from second-guessing myself and losing momentum. After a bit of intellectual gyration, I arrived at a simple principle: lay it out, clean it up or cut it and go.
I needed to establish a clear picture of the timeline of events and actions for each character, identify plot points, clues (hints dropped in along the way to help the fictional detective and readers figure out whodunit), and timing down to the last detail. Anything that didn’t drive the story had to go, holes needed to be identified and filled, and then it all had to be patched together into a cohesive whole that flowed for readers who would never know that the picture had started as a big jigsaw puzzle.
Since I tend to write in an organic way, this would be great discipline for me. I was not giving myself permission to wander off on tangents and paddle around in backwaters of color and marginal relevance, no matter how interesting or fun the writing might be. My old habits had to go; I had to take a different tack to meet the deadline.
Just Think Differently.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
An Electronic Kick in the Pants
Things have been notably still on this blog for awhile and that’s totally my bad (I am the sole author, so it would be ludicrous to blame anyone else). However, I’ve given myself permission to slide as I’ve been working on a couple of other hot projects that have distracted me in a most sincerely good way.
September 20th was a fateful day. One of my long-time writer friends dropped me a quick note regarding a mystery writer’s competition. Karen Gilb reports on the Portland writing scene for the online publication Examiner.com and she came across the competition while researching an article.
I followed the link to the St. Martin’s Minotaur competition page, where the Malice Domestic First Novel competition was listed (among others). Perusing the requirements, I had to agree, it fit my mothballed mystery novel quite well and the deadline for submission was October 15th.
Then the speed bumps started popping up in the roadway.
First, I hadn’t touched the book in years since I’d wandered off in the weeds after it was read by a couple agents who recommended substantial rewrites. I had agreed with their feedback, relating mainly to the fact that the characters were too young (college students) for the reader demographic (middle-aged women). Although I’d started a rewrite that I liked much better than my original manuscript, I lost steam and never finished it.
Second, the submission deadline was October 15th, less than four weeks away. Could I possibly rewrite a full length manuscript, edit it and prepare it for submission on such a tight schedule?
Most people would consider this to be an impossible task. Maybe it was. But in the spirit of thinking differently, how could I say no? So I decided to enter the competition.
Just Think Differently.
September 20th was a fateful day. One of my long-time writer friends dropped me a quick note regarding a mystery writer’s competition. Karen Gilb reports on the Portland writing scene for the online publication Examiner.com and she came across the competition while researching an article.
I followed the link to the St. Martin’s Minotaur competition page, where the Malice Domestic First Novel competition was listed (among others). Perusing the requirements, I had to agree, it fit my mothballed mystery novel quite well and the deadline for submission was October 15th.
Then the speed bumps started popping up in the roadway.
First, I hadn’t touched the book in years since I’d wandered off in the weeds after it was read by a couple agents who recommended substantial rewrites. I had agreed with their feedback, relating mainly to the fact that the characters were too young (college students) for the reader demographic (middle-aged women). Although I’d started a rewrite that I liked much better than my original manuscript, I lost steam and never finished it.
Second, the submission deadline was October 15th, less than four weeks away. Could I possibly rewrite a full length manuscript, edit it and prepare it for submission on such a tight schedule?
Most people would consider this to be an impossible task. Maybe it was. But in the spirit of thinking differently, how could I say no? So I decided to enter the competition.
Just Think Differently.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Free Your Mind and Free the World
I am a slave. I bind myself with the chains of my own limited perspective.
I am not alone, accompanied by millions of other souls who live without questioning the validity of living in a box. This is not to suggest that I’m happy here. I wail and bitch and moan about it, commiserate with other sufferers as we nod our heads sagely about the unfairness of it all. We argue for our right to freedom, holding it up as a sparkling treasure just beyond our reach. Exclaiming that we would do such wonderful things were we able to break our chains, we indulge in fantasies of fame, wealth, health, and success. We fail to achieve these things because our merciless captors hold us back. It is no fault of our own. No, of course not. Pity.
Trouble is, I’ve turned and looked for that jailer only to find that she bears a remarkable resemblance to me. And is that a key I see on the table in front of me? All I must do is pick it up, turn it in the lock and the door will swing open. Stretching before me is the marvelous vista of all the possibilities I could pursue. It’s not that I’m not willing to go for it. In fact, it’s a tremendous surprise that I missed seeing it in the first place.
What is this key, anyway? How did I miss it?
I could give a hundred reasons and they would sound like a mix of blame and denial. There are plenty of pop-psychologists with unflattering opinions and religious zealots out there ready to beat us for our “sins.” I prefer to take a kinder, gentler road. That was then, this is now. Then I didn’t see it, now I do. My door is open and I’m moving on. Let go of the past, baby. The only thing you have to work with is today. Yesterday is out of reach and fading fast.
When things are looking grim, open your eyes and your mind. Take notice of that shiny thing sitting in front of you. Pick it up and look it over. Then ask yourself the kindest thing you can about the corner you’ve painted for yourself: is it real? Is there another way to look at this thing? How bad could it be to get a little paint on your shoe on the way to your goal?
Take some steps. Just Think Differently.
I am not alone, accompanied by millions of other souls who live without questioning the validity of living in a box. This is not to suggest that I’m happy here. I wail and bitch and moan about it, commiserate with other sufferers as we nod our heads sagely about the unfairness of it all. We argue for our right to freedom, holding it up as a sparkling treasure just beyond our reach. Exclaiming that we would do such wonderful things were we able to break our chains, we indulge in fantasies of fame, wealth, health, and success. We fail to achieve these things because our merciless captors hold us back. It is no fault of our own. No, of course not. Pity.
Trouble is, I’ve turned and looked for that jailer only to find that she bears a remarkable resemblance to me. And is that a key I see on the table in front of me? All I must do is pick it up, turn it in the lock and the door will swing open. Stretching before me is the marvelous vista of all the possibilities I could pursue. It’s not that I’m not willing to go for it. In fact, it’s a tremendous surprise that I missed seeing it in the first place.
What is this key, anyway? How did I miss it?
I could give a hundred reasons and they would sound like a mix of blame and denial. There are plenty of pop-psychologists with unflattering opinions and religious zealots out there ready to beat us for our “sins.” I prefer to take a kinder, gentler road. That was then, this is now. Then I didn’t see it, now I do. My door is open and I’m moving on. Let go of the past, baby. The only thing you have to work with is today. Yesterday is out of reach and fading fast.
When things are looking grim, open your eyes and your mind. Take notice of that shiny thing sitting in front of you. Pick it up and look it over. Then ask yourself the kindest thing you can about the corner you’ve painted for yourself: is it real? Is there another way to look at this thing? How bad could it be to get a little paint on your shoe on the way to your goal?
Take some steps. Just Think Differently.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Just Think Differently
Just Think Differently. A simple statement, but not so simple to achieve. It’s not so much a mindset as a daily practice to keep the mind flexible and open while swimming in the warm, entropic waters of daily life.
What am I talking about? It’s an idea that’s been kicking around my head for some time. It reflects my own efforts to counteract my knee-jerk responses to life’s ephemeral demons (most of my own making). It’s the warning sign that reminds me to stop and reconsider my first reactions to those three-in-the-morning noises that go bump in the night, when everyone is most vulnerable. Oh yeah, you know what I’m talking about. Everything is SO much worse at 3:00 a.m.
Come 7:00 a.m. and the light of a new morning, and you find yourself wondering, “WTF?” The bogeys dissolve in sunlight and insoluble problems become minor action items on a day’s agenda. Or maybe not, and the little devils follow you through the day, skirting around the periphery and sucking the joy and color out of your life.
I’m going to explore the ways in which I’ve turned the high beams on those life-leeching, negative, self-nullifying ideas and thoughts. It’s such fun to feel like absolute, low-down, hopeless dog-stuff on my shoe and suddenly discover my inner joy and power again as I dance round the bonfire I’ve made of my personal demons.
The source of ignition? It should be obvious since it’s well within reach all the time. Perhaps it’s hard to see because we stand too close to the bark to see the inspirational acorn hanging overhead, ready to fall. More likely, it’s a case of inertia crushing the motive force that could set us free. It seems to take a massive force of will to get going, but when we do, we can’t imagine standing still. The force? Oh yeah. It’s simple, really. Just Think Differently.
What am I talking about? It’s an idea that’s been kicking around my head for some time. It reflects my own efforts to counteract my knee-jerk responses to life’s ephemeral demons (most of my own making). It’s the warning sign that reminds me to stop and reconsider my first reactions to those three-in-the-morning noises that go bump in the night, when everyone is most vulnerable. Oh yeah, you know what I’m talking about. Everything is SO much worse at 3:00 a.m.
Come 7:00 a.m. and the light of a new morning, and you find yourself wondering, “WTF?” The bogeys dissolve in sunlight and insoluble problems become minor action items on a day’s agenda. Or maybe not, and the little devils follow you through the day, skirting around the periphery and sucking the joy and color out of your life.
I’m going to explore the ways in which I’ve turned the high beams on those life-leeching, negative, self-nullifying ideas and thoughts. It’s such fun to feel like absolute, low-down, hopeless dog-stuff on my shoe and suddenly discover my inner joy and power again as I dance round the bonfire I’ve made of my personal demons.
The source of ignition? It should be obvious since it’s well within reach all the time. Perhaps it’s hard to see because we stand too close to the bark to see the inspirational acorn hanging overhead, ready to fall. More likely, it’s a case of inertia crushing the motive force that could set us free. It seems to take a massive force of will to get going, but when we do, we can’t imagine standing still. The force? Oh yeah. It’s simple, really. Just Think Differently.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
