Wednesday Writers Weigh In: Keeping Routine in Summertime

Summer is usually a time for adventure and travel.  And it is also a time of disrupted daily routine.Whether your kids are home from school or you are away from home staying in a hotel or your social bbq-ing is leading to later nights than usual, it can be hard to accomplish what you need to do on any given day.

I really feel the disruption when it comes to my marathon training.  I train with my team on Saturday mornings, however for the next few weekends I am traveling.  Therefore, I have had to map out runs in other cities, sometimes for 8-10 miles, or seek out the nearest treadmill.  It definitely causes extra work and research on my end.

Luckily, I don't write on the weekends, so that routine has remained relatively unharmed...although busy weekend travel leads to exhausted Mondays when I really struggle to be creative.  So I have limited what I set out to accomplish on Mondays, usually focusing on blogging and researching only.  I then spend the rest of the week focused on writing and revisions.

What about you?  How do you keep your writing routine during the summer?  What changes and/or accommodations do you make in order to keep momentum?

Writers, Weigh In!

Sleep, Perchance to Dream: 5 Tips on Resting

"There is nothing a good night's sleep won't cure" sounds alot like advice my mother would have given me after hours of crying over a boy who broke my heart.  And although this advice seems incredibly basic there is a lot of truth to it!

Whether you are a Wall Street Trader or a pre-published KidLit author, finding a good balance between work and life is key to productivity.  Included in that balance should be a healthy daily dose of sleep and rest.  And even in marathon training, there are days of rest within the weekly schedule.  Though it can be tough to step back and let go on rest days, it can be most beneficial in the long run.

I write this after a very busy weekend spent in Canada that found me stuck at the Toronto airport last night waiting for a severely delayed fight back home.  Therefore, I am running on very little sleep...something that I have never been very good at.  And as I sat at the airport gate last night I could feel my potential for productivity today slipping away.

Today I realize I am not going to get much creative work done on my WIPs, but instead of getting upset I want to focus today on how to add rest and sleep into the Writer's Routine.

• Keep a notebook handy.  You might tell yourself that you are going to rest and not do any writing, brainstorming, or revising on a Rest Day, however its very hard to "turn off" the writer's mind.  So, keep a small notebook handy.  If any ideas come to mind on a rest day, write them in the notebook and then let go.  They will be there tomorrow.
• Unplug.  Many times "resting" means not even turning on the computer for me.  Its too tempting to open up my WIPs file or to start and do research online.  So, perhaps even for a few hours a day or one day a week, unplug. 
• Crosstrain.  In marathon training we crosstrain, meaning we use our muscles in a different way than running.  In the long run it actually helps keep you toned and makes you stronger.  So why not use your creative muscles differently on a Rest Day?  Go to a museum, take a photography tour around your neighborhood, paint or doodle, bake.  Do anything creatively that does not include writing.
• Reflect and Dream.  Most of us need to be asleep to dream.  So on a rest day, spend time thinking about what it will be like to open a box of your published book or visualize your first book signing event.  Reflect on things that you have accomplished and celebrate how far you have come.  And then dream of what is to come. 
• Sleep.  It sounds simple, but it isn't.  However, you need to find time to sleep.  Whether it means going to bed a tad earlier on a Rest Day or letting yourself sleep in a tad longer, you will be doing your creative-self a favor.  It is said that Robert Louis Stevenson came up with the plot of Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde during a dream.  And Paul McCartney said he discovered the tune for the song "Yesterday" in a dream.  For more, check out Wikipedia's list of Anecdotal accounts of sleep and creativity.

So do yourself a favor.  Find one day this week and give yourself permission to make it a Rest Day.  Although it might seem counterproductive, I guarantee you will return to work the next day stronger and refreshed. 

Happy Writing  Resting!

Friendspiration Friday: Beth Stillborn on Beverly Brenna

Welcome to the second installment in my new Friday series in which YOU get a chance to guest blog about someone who has inspired you in the writing community! I look forward to hearing from many of you. 

Today we welcome Beth Stillborn.  Beth is a very active member of the online writers communities, PiBoIdMo and 12x12in'12.  She is also an administrator for the incredibly successful Children's Book Hub.  Through these sites I have grown to both know and admire Beth. 

Please welcome Beth as she shares her Friendspiration with us...her cousin, YA author Beverly Brenna!

How exciting to be in at the beginning (well, near beginning) of Marcie’s new feature, Friday Friendspirations – and what a great idea it is!

It’s also exciting for me to share with you my Friendspiration, who has been inspiring me since she was a little girl and I was a slightly bigger girl.

Beverley Brenna has been a part of my life since her birth. I was six years old at the time, and didn’t realize that not only did I have a new cousin but I also now had a life-long dear friend, cohort in zany escapades, and a writing inspiration and staunch supporter for my own writing efforts.

Bev was writing stories before she could read or write (her father was adept at “reading” her scribbles), and she had poems published on the kids’ page of a provincial rural weekly newspaper at a fairly young age. I was so proud of her! I still have a clipping one of those poems by “Persicaria.”

I tend to yack a lot about writing, Bev just gets on with it. Somehow, while working (first as a classroom teacher, then special education teacher, then special education consultant for the city school board, and now professor of education in a university), raising a family (she and her husband have three boys, two of whom are in university, the youngest is still in high school), accompanying her husband to London, England while he worked on his doctorate (he’s a drama professor), and then getting her own doctorate, Beverley has managed to write and be published in several genres: picture books, middle grade novels, YA novels, short stories and poetry.

My favorites of her novels are her two YAs about a young woman, Taylor Jane Simon, who deals with Asperger’s Syndrome and with becoming an adult: Wild Orchid and Waiting for No One. The third book in the trilogy, The White Bicycle, is due in the fall of this year, and I am waiting impatiently for it (although I really don’t want it to be the last book about Taylor). For reviews of the books, please see Pat Tilton’s blog, Children’s Books Heal. http://childrensbooksheal.com/2011/09/20/wild-orchid-and-waiting-for-no-one-autism-spectrum/

Bev is very warm and generous in her support of my writing, and, indeed, of my being. She’s my go-to person when I have school or theatre related questions for my books. (She’s an actress as well as an educator, and her husband is an actor and director as well as professor.) She is definitely a Friendspiration to me!

To learn more about Bev, check out Bev’s website, http://www.beverleybrenna.com 

When I asked Marcie how long this post should be, she said, “as long as you need to tell us how fab she is!” Well, I could go on and on about how fab Bev is, but I think the best way for you to find that out is to read her books. Thanks, Marcie, for giving me this opportunity to talk about one of my favorite writers – and one of my favorite people.

Note from Beth: When this post is published on Marcie’s blog, I will be at the Stony Brook Southampton Children’s Literature Conference, and so my replies to your comments may be delayed, but I will get here to reply at some point!

Do YOU have a Friendspiration you would like to introduce us to on a future Friday? Please send an email to marciecolleen@gmail.com and we will make that happen.

Wednesday Writers Weigh In: Help me trust my gut!

Today I need to hear stories about authors who went with their gut, despite what critics said and they succeeded!  I know those stories are out there.  Jodi Moore, author of the highly-acclaimed WHEN A DRAGON MOVES IN (Flashlight Press) shared one such story on my blog a few months ago.

Jodi said that when she took DRAGON to her first NJ SCBWI conference she signed up for two Peer Crit Groups which were each moderated by an editor.  In one group they said it was a great story but she needed to make sure the reader understood that the dragon was real. The other group said she needed to make sure the readers understood that the dragon was imaginary.  And then the editor at Flashlight Press asked her, "Is the dragon real or imaginary?"  Jodi stuck to her original thought and said, "Its for the reader to decide!" And that's just what makes this story so wonderful!

In fact, the marketing for the book really plays up the idea of the reader deciding...proving that Jodi was right all along!

If you build a perfect sandcastle, a dragon will move in.
And that's exactly what happens to one very lucky boy at the beach. Dad is busy sunbathing and Mom is busy with her book, so the boy and dragon roam the beach together, flying a kite, braving the waves, and roasting marshmallows.

But no one believes him when he shares the news of his magnificent dragon: Mom only hears the roar of the ocean, Dad thinks the dragon feather is a seagull feather, and know-it-all sis claims there's no such thing as a dragon.

That's when the sandwiches mysteriously disappear, claw prints are found in the brownies, and dragon-giggles erupt from the strangest of places. Heh-heh-heh.
Is there truly a mischievous dragon running around on the beach or is someone's imagination running wild? Decide for yourself When a Dragon Moves In.

Congrats, Jodi for listening to your gut and thank you for sharing your story!  It is stories like this that help me when I feel confused about critiques I might receive.

Anyone have another story?  I could use the inspiration...

Writers weigh in!

Boy + Bot : A lesson in simplicity

When I first read "Boy + Bot" by Ame Dyckman (illustrator: Dan Yaccarino), I was struck immediately by the sweet simplicity of the story.  Within 240 words, 24 pages Ame and Dan create a whimsical world where a kid can meet a robot while just out gathering pinecones and an instant friendship is born!

So often we are told that, in today's market, stories need to be told in 500 words or less and we rebel.  We make all kinds of excuses and defend why our work is different.  We cling to our 600, 700, even 900+ word manuscripts.  I've been there.  But I also realize that at times I am getting in my own way. 

"Boy + Bot" is a complete story.  There is nothing missing.  It is 240 words.  It can be done. 

Another thing that strikes me about this story is the amount of story that is told in "pictures only".  Let's face it, Ame was given one of the BEST illustrators for her book and he did an amazing job.  But so much of the story is told in wordless spreads.  Boy affixes a drawing of Bot to the refrigerator; Bot sticks a picture of Boy on his torso. Boy sips chocolate milk from a straw; Bot chugs oil from the nozzle of a can. We are able to see the growth of this friendship without a single word.  It brings to mind the Wild Rumpus spreads of  Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are".

But as a Picture Book Author, how do you achieve this?

I have a few manuscripts that I have been working on and have been visualizing much of it in illustrations only.  However, often we are warned against too many illustration notes.  And sometimes I feel like it is lazy of me to not write about the action and just allude to it in illustration notes.

I know some of my readers are friends with Ame...perhaps you can send this link to her and we can have her weigh in.  :)  I would just love to know how those wordless spreads came to be.

Bottomline, "Boy + Bot" is the quintessential picture book for today's market: the simplistic tale of a quirky friendship, the amazing illustrations which enhance the story, the witty humor, the bright colors.  Congrats to Ame and Dan!  I only wish I had written it!  :)

Friendspiration Friday: Carol Higgins Lawrence

Today I am kicking off a new Friday series in which YOU get a chance to guest blog about someone who has inspired you in the writing community!  I look forward to hearing from many of you. 

I am also going to use this series as an opportunity to introduce you to members of my Critique Group in NYC.  They are a group of fabulous people and I think you should know who they are. 

Carol Higgins Lawrence joined my Critique Group in January 2012.  She has been a wonderful addition to the group, always providing insightful, carefully thought out critiques of others' manuscripts.  Her own works are so sweet and poignant, brilliantly capturing tender moments between children and parents.  She is both a delight to read and a delight to know.

Please welcome Carol Higgins Lawrence.

What do you do in real life? 

I am an adult literacy instructor. I have 2 part-time “paid” jobs at the moment. I teach computer literacy for a non-profit organization and I teach English as a Second Language at college. I live in Brooklyn with my husband, our 4-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

When I was 5 years old and I used to write stories and give them to my father. He’d smile, read my story aloud, pay me a quarter and congratulate me every single time.

How often to do you write?  Where?  What time of day?

Honestly, it varies and I’ve stopped beating myself up about that. My current work and family schedules allow me to commit to writing at least 2 times a week. I write on Thursdays and Fridays in the morning from 9:00-12:00 and I am 100% focused for those 6 hours a week. I’m always working stuff out in my head; some thought, idea, story or inspiration so that I show up prepared to produce for my weekly writing time. If I am inspired or have time to do more writing in a particular week, then I consider it gravy! I write using my laptop on the couch or in my bed. I write in the mid-mornings because I have my best physical and mental energy at that time of day. I’ve recently realized that it is pointless, unproductive and downright frustrating for me to try to write in the evenings or on weekends when my energy is low and while I’m trying my best to be an active and caring wife and mother. I’m accepting of the fact that as my life changes so too will my writing schedules.

What was your favorite story/book as a child?  and why?

How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss. The Grinch was such an interesting character. I was captivated by the illustrations and language and I’m a sucker for a Christmas story. I also liked the Mr. Men series by Roger Hargreaves. I loved the simplicity of each character and the straight forward storytelling.

…I know you asked for one, but I couldn’t resist :)

What kind of stories do you like to write? 

I like to write stories about the small tender moments experienced between family members. I like to conjure the sights, sounds and feelings that remind me of my childhood. My hope is always that readers will connect emotionally with my stories. Also, as a writer of color, it is important to me that I represent the experience of children of color. So often, we do not see ourselves and family life normalized in different forms of media, including children’s books. I like writing books for children of all ages. A few years ago, I was writing more YA stuff. My poem, “Patriarchy”, was published in a YA poetry collection entitled Black Girl Talk by Sister Vision Press.  For now, my focus is more on picture books. Many of the stories I’m working on currently are inspired by members of my family and my 2 children.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

A writer, a photographer, a writer, a hairdresser, a writer, an interior decorator, a guest writer on the Oprah Winfrey Show, a writer.

If you could go back in time and tell your 8 year old self one thing, what would it be?

Always focus on your strengths and not your weaknesses. In fact, if you’re not hurting yourself or anyone else, forget about your weaknesses entirely.

 What is the greatest piece of writing advice you have ever received?

                Write what you know.

Thank you, Carol! 

Do YOU have a Friendspiration you would like to introduce us to on a future Friday? Please send an email to marciecolleen@gmail.com and we will make that happen.

Drowning in a Sea of WIPs? 5 Tips

Last week I celebrated the many accomplishments I have made over the last 10 months of pursuing a career as a Picture Book Author. 

Two of such accomplishments have been participation in Paula Yoo's NaPiBoWriWee which yielded 6 manuscripts for me, and Julie Hedlund's 12x12in'12 which just hit the halfway point and has yielded 6 more manuscripts.  But that's not all, I also have a few other manuscripts that I have been working on here and there through classes at Gotham Writer's Workshop and the like. 

What does this all add up to? 

My WIPs (Work in Progress) folders, both on my computer and in my filing cabinet, are overflowing!  Its enough to be overwhelming at times.

So what is a girl to do?

5 Tips to Stay Afloat in the Sea of WIPs

1. Change Perspective.  First off, recognize that these manuscripts are in fact WIPs and therefore do not get overwhelmed.  As a writer, its scary to think of the well of creativity completely drying up, but the overflowing WIPs folder is a reminder that creativity is indeed flowing.  So celebrate the amount, don't dread it!
2. Enjoy Variety.  Treat your WIPs like your closet.  Basically, with a great big selection of WIPs you can browse through the offering and decide what suits you today.  What character do you want to spend time with?  What world do you want to explore today?  Feel free to change manuscripts as often as you change your underwear!
3. Allow for Rest.  There are some WIPs that need to sit for a bit.  They have been critiqued and revised quite a few times but are still "not right".  Therefore, the WIPs folder is a nice place to let them relax for a bit.  When its time, they will be read with fresh eyes. 
4. Have Fun with Them.  Just because all of those WIPs are sitting there staring you in the face telling you they need to be completed and made "submission ready" asap does not mean you need to listen to them.  Instead, look at the WIPs folder as your playground.  Spend time practicing writing pitches for them.  See what would happen if the main character of one WIP decided to join another WIP.  Play around with POV or prose/rhyme.  This is your creativity garden...therefore, be creative! 
5. Commiserate.  Ask any writer, published or pre-published, and they will tell you that they have mountains of ideas and WIPs.  We are writers.  That is what we do.  We write.  Its a badge of the profession.  Therefore, talk to your other writer friends about how many WIPs you have.  Compare numbers.  Pitch one of the plots.  Mention what issues you are having.  Its amazing how just talking about a manuscript can help unlock ideas.  Even a simple question posed by the person you are talking to can get you started in the "write" direction.