Things that leap from the shadows

My husband and I have made a few trips “down island” lately, most recently yesterday afternoon. Driving back up island just after sunset, we settled in for a couple hours of extreme vigilance. See, there are a lot of deer on the island, and that early-evening, waning-light time of day seems to draw them to the roadsides, where they graze on the dry grass and leap out at random to cross the highway.

We may not have quite this many... ;)

My hubby hit a deer a couple years ago, on this same drive (the deer lived, but the car had over $2000 damage and was in the shop for a week), and he and I have both had close calls at other times. So, we’re cautious, doing whatever we can to prevent an incident that, at best, would result in minor damage to the deer and our car, and at worst, would be…well, much worse. We reduce our speed, avoid that hard-to-see time of day when possible, use the high-beam lights, and constantly scan for deer.

This morning I’m thinking about vigilance—not for dangers of the wildlife-encounter sort, but for dangers that can leap from the shadows along our publishing journeys and completely derail our writing. But what dangers are there, and how can we guard against them?

1. Comparison. Comparison is a joy-killer, a confidence-killer, a creativity-killer, an all-round nasty villain. We have got to remember that we are on our own journey, that someone else's path is not our path. When we're tempted to compare timelines, numbers of rejections, size of advance, sales numbers, or any other "measure", just...don't. And on those days when that stuff keeps landing in front of our face, let's turn comparison on its head, and instead of feeling bitter or jealous or defeated, let's choose the “rising tide lifts all boats” mindset. Another person’s success does not take the place of our own…it may even pave the path and open the door. Those celebrity deals and blockbuster sales? They allow the publisher to afford to offer deals to debut authors, to take a financial risk on unknown writers. And those I’m-happy-for-her-but-she’s-got-what-I-want situations when another writer finds success? Let them motivate us to improve our craft or finish our work, and let them remind us that it is possible, that good things do happen to struggling writers. And then cheer and be thankful to witness their success, letting it buoy us up along the way.
   
2. Ill-conceived goals. It's always discouraging when we fail to achieve a goal, but when our goals are "ill conceived" in the first place, we're really putting ourselves in harm's way, setting ourselves up for a major crash. Ill-conceived goals are ones that are based on things largely out of our control. We cling to them, but we may be confusing goals with dreams. We can dream of a six-figure deal, or signing with a great agent, or winning an award, but beyond writing the very best book we can and sending it out into the world, this stuff of dreams is mostly out of our hands; but the writing, the revising, the seeking feedback and improving our craft, the sending it out, and sending it out again…that’s in our control. So let's base our goals on those things: finish a draft by x date, write x number of words per day or week, research and query half-a-dozen agents on our next day off from the day-job, brainstorm ten new story ideas, participate in NaNoWriMo this year, finish and polish our WIP in time for the next Pitch Wars, save enough money to attend a nearby conference. These goals may not sound as fabulous as the dreams, but we can only hope to someday reach those dreams if we put in the hard work to achieve those building-block goals.
   
3. Negative self-talk. We often tell ourselves things we would never dream of telling a friend or critique partner: your writing will never be good enough; you’ll never get a book deal; you may as well give up now. And even after we’re published, imposter syndrome has us continuing to send such messages: you’re a fraud; your success is a fluke; you’ll never be able to write another book. Those messages can sap our creative energy in no time. I’m not suggesting we should be cocky writer-brats, but we do need to believe in ourselves and in the value of our work. If our story matters to us, it will matter to someone else. Somebody out there needs the stories only we can tell. So tell them. Tell them the very best way we know how, in the way that is uniquely ours, and send them out into the world. The world needs what we have to offer.
   
4. Looking backward. All writers—even those “overnight bestsellers”—have been rejected, disappointed, discouraged. We’re allowed to feel those things. They’re hard, and they hurt. But when we dwell on them, wallowing for far too long, we’re robbing ourselves of joy and stomping on our creative spirit. Who can write when we feel that lousy? I say, limit that shit. Allow ourselves to feel the sting for an hour, or a day if we must, but then move on. Learn what we can from the experience, then leave it behind.  Onward!
   

There are other dangers--distraction, procrastination, being closed to learning, and other things that can derail our writing--but this post is long enough already! I'd love to hear your perspective and any tips you have to share. Tell me, in your experience, what is most likely to derail your writing? What helps you avoid that danger?

What's Your Reason?

About a year ago, almost to the day, I wrote a post here breaking down the differences between having writing dreams and writing goals. As I looked back at it recently and began wondering how many of my own had been reached in 2016, a realization came to me: Dreams are fine, but they’re almost always beyond your control. Goals can be useful, but they’re constantly evolving.

This year I decided to reflect on reasons for writing — not wondering so much about our hopes or ambitions related to it, but why we have them at all. What’s the point of investing so much of ourselves in this? What do we hope to accomplish from it? With all the frustrating moments that pile up along the way, why even bother, really? 

I came up with a fairly predictable list of my own reasons that, when taken as a whole, weren’t very convincing. As I thought about why each was on the list, I found that every reason could be traced back to either insecurity or arrogance. I felt I had to prove I was worthy of my dreams and goals — both to myself and to other people — or I was too quick to believe that not only was I worthy, but I deserved seeing them happen. Here are some examples of what I mean: 

*I want to see something I wrote on a shelf in a bookstore. (Insecurity: Why would being on a bookstore shelf make me, or my writing, any more valid? Why would it take that to make me feel I was good enough?)
*I want to write something that will be meaningful to people. (Arrogance: What makes me think I have anything noteworthy to say in the first place?)
*I want to write something that people in the publishing industry would respect and take seriously. (Insecurity: Why should this mean so much to me, if I’ve lived any kind of a life that, hopefully, has already earned me the respect of other people for different reasons?) 
*I want to be successful enough at writing so I can devote myself to it full time. (Arrogance: I must have a pretty high opinion of my work to think I could possibly be one of the few to ever see Royalty Dollar #1, much less go full time, someday.)
*I want to publish a book so the people in my life will be proud of what I’ve accomplished. (Insecurity: If anyone is going to be proud of me, why does the reason need to be so specifically defined? Why would it take an achievement like publishing for that happen at all?)
*I want to write something great someday. (Arrogance: So now it’s not just stopping at meaningful? And where did I get the idea I was capable of anything great?)

That writer brain can set some nasty traps and dig some twisty rabbit holes for you if you let it.

One of the reasons it was so important to me to reflect on motivation was the preparation I had going for a new manuscript. I’d spent nearly all of 2016 in a back-and-forth revision dance that finally felt like it had paid off with a solid manuscript, so it was time for a new one. I had an idea I felt strongly about, so I immersed myself in the mindset that planning it down to the most minuscule detail was the way to go. Between my character sketching, my setting descriptions and the pre-synopsis I wrote of where I expected the story to go (it was too comprehensive to be called just an outline), I had a planning word count nearly equal in length to the manuscript I’d just finished revising. I’ve always been a planner, but this was a new level.

The work started pretty well, and I saw things coming together in positive ways. However, having this road map to adhere to made the writing feel different. I wasn’t getting caught up in the excitement of what I still believe is a great idea for a story, and I couldn’t figure out why. So eventually, I stopped. Not just working on that story; I pretty much stopped writing. That left me feeling like a hole was opening up inside me, which is not how things are supposed to happen. Writing had always been a retreat, if not an escape. It was something I could rely on to help me process what I had going on in life. Without that, the hole kept getting wider and deeper, because I wasn’t filling it with a very specific purpose. 

So, I made the difficult decision to put aside the project I had invested so much planning into and started a different story, one that had been rattling around in the vault for years. I only had vague ideas about it, but felt like it would be more fun. Days later, without even trying that hard, I was thousands of words into a new manuscript and felt that part of me coming back to life. I was writing like I always had— just telling a story because I wanted to. It was fun again. The hole was filling. My head was clearing. The emptiness wasn’t there. Instead I was carrying around a growing collection of ideas I wanted to try. Nothing structured, all random. I wanted to see what was going to happen next, and began planning out just far enough ahead.

I felt like had my answer. Why write? What’s my reason?

I write because I feel wrong if I don’t. I don’t feel complete without it. Whether I’m writing something that only a few dozen or potentially thousands of people might read someday, or something that I’ll never show another living soul, I simply need to do it. Any hopes or dreams or goals beyond that just have to exist separately.

I imagine this is probably true for a lot of us. Whatever goals you set for yourself in 2017 — reach for the stars, but keep your purpose in mind. Write because you need to. Write to fill the hole. Write because you love it. Respect the hopes and dreams and wishes that happen as a result of that need, but put them in their proper place, and let them resolve themselves along the way.

MG Minded Talks - What We've Learned & New Goals

For today's post, the good people of Middle Grade Minded are reflecting back on (1) what they learned about themselves as writers in 2015, and (2) thinking over their writing goals for 2016:

Tom Torre

I learned that I don't need to keep myself restricted to one genre but instead open my eyes to new ones.
To complete two genres that I've never tackled before and hopefully then make them into something epic.






Jamie Krakover

It's okay to put writing aside when life gets in the way. Sometimes life really is more important. You will lose momentum, it sucks, but it wont be gone forever. It's okay to ask for help. Never think you are a bother. There's so much about publishing that is out of your control, but keep at the things that are within your control. Write more, query more, keep persevering. Your time will come.
Read more, without reading there can be no writing. Write more, without writing there ca be no forward momentum. Finish this WIP. Work on things I've put aside because I'm afraid of them and don't think I'm qualified to write them. Give myself permission to fail (especially on those things I'm afraid of). Fix what I can, do better next time.

Dan Gemeinhart

That, sometimes, the inspiration isn't there. That, sometimes, you just keep slamming your head into the concrete without getting anywhere. And that is where the real work comes in, and the real determination. And that when you finally do break through and once again find the words with spark in them, they are even sweeter (and you are even stronger).
My goal is a simple one on the surface but tough in practice, and it is one I have failed at before: I will write, at least a little bit, every single day. And, less tangibly, I want to work at becoming a more thoughtful, intelligent writer: less of following whim and just riding a story to its finish, more of employing craft and making smart, artistic choices.


Jason Rust

That it's easy to say you understand perseverance, but a whole different thing to ACTUALLY demonstrate it.
My goal for 2016 is to a) stay focused on the one thing I can control:my writing and b) do a better job of representing kid lit as a whole.





Stacey Trombley

Life as a published author is pretty much exactly the same as life as a "pre-published" one. Just with a few different worries and added guilts. Also, like Jamie, it's ok to take breaks. When life gets crazy take some time for yourself to recoup.
Definitely read more. I've been slacking in this area. And I'll be agent hunting again soon so that's a goal, though  I know better than to make it a "resolution" because it's not actually something I can control.


Brooks Benjamin

I learned how important it is to listen to others. This especially applied to me last year when I was researching info on a topic that I didn't have much experience with. Putting off diving into words so I could contact some incredibly gracious people who were willing to share how they had experienced exactly what my MC had gone through allowed me to bring so much more honesty to the story. And I can't thank those people enough.
To listen, to write, and to read with all of my heart. And to finally spell Massachusetts right on the first try.


Stefanie Wass

I learned patience. And the importance of leaving the internet and focusing on my own work instead of feeling envious of other writers farther along the journey.
Goals for 2016:  Write more, Tweet less. :)





Tom Mulroy

I learned how important it is to let go of the things you can't control, and how much more productive it is to focus on the things you can. It's good to have passion and anticipation and excitement about your writing, but you also need to let the rest of the world run its course around you and keep your own life moving forward at the same time. Also that Fallout 4 is entirely counterproductive to all things writing.

My goal for 2016 is to narrow down my idea list to one, build that one idea into a new project and see it through to its conclusion by the end of the year.

Writing Dreams vs. Writing Goals

I know of at least three people in my social network who have debut novels coming out in 2016. As happy as I am for each of them, and as much as I’m vicariously taking in their excitement as their respective release dates approach, a tiny voice inside my head will occasionally whisper, “So when is that book deal going to happen for you?”

When I describe the steps involved in becoming a published author to people, I’ll compare the process to trying to jump through a series of hoops, when each subsequent hoop is roughly half the size as the one before it. As generous and supportive as the writing community is, we all know how easy it is to compare our progress through those hoops with people who are further along than we are. It’s a trap I’ve fallen into many times myself, and it’s not a fun place to be. There are enough frustrations involved with writing and publishing already. What good does it do any of us to create even more stress for ourselves by internally ranting about things we can’t control?

It’s important to remember that dreams and goals are not the same thing. Dreams are things we hope will happen someday; goals are the steps we take as we work toward making those dreams into something real. Hope is nice and it keeps you going, but it’s not enough by itself. Idle hope is a cruel joke people play on themselves. Hope with action behind it stands a chance. Any writing goals you set for yourself in this new year have the potential to bring you closer to realizing whatever dreams you may have.

Nobody’s journey to publication is ever the same. No matter where any of us are on that journey, there will always be more hoops to jump through. If you’ve decided to commit yourself to this writer life for the long haul, that ultimate finish line you’re hoping to cross someday probably doesn't exist. No matter what goals you achieve or what dreams you manage to realize along the way, there will always be more milestones further down the road waiting to be reached. And really, isn’t that one of the things that keeps us doing this?

As for me, I’m starting off my 2016 in a good place as far as writing dreams and goals are concerned. I have faith in my manuscript, and I have faith in my agent. I believe that the right editor will cross our paths and things will come together in ways that will seem downright surreal. Meanwhile, all I can do is accept there are certain things beyond my control and happily move forward with a new project. In the big picture, that’s all any of us can do.

So when that tiny voice starts in on me with that question of “When is that book deal going to happen for you?” I can smile and think, “Shut up, tiny voice. It will happen when it’s supposed to. Now let me get back to work.”

Keeping to your goals!

Happy 2015!

Maybe it’s a cliché, but this time every year we all do it. We make goals.

I will… eat better in 2015. I will…. Exercise more in 2015. I will… write more, spend more time with my kids, watch less TV, catch up on my reading lists, go back to school, get a new job, get a promotion, get published!...

Some goals stick for a week. Some a month. Some we never even touch with a ten foot pole. But how many of us actually achieve our New Year’s resolutions? According to statistics… not many. 

So how do you make 2015 the best it can be? Here are a few tips.

1) Make the right goals.

               Jamie talked a bit about this earlier this week. Some goals are completely out of our control so it’s unfair to hold ourselves to them. I’ve done this many times, made goals that I couldn’t control. Truth is, those are usually the big life goals that really matter, so I’d never tell you to drop them. It’s okay to have those goals, just so long as you understand that it’s not your fault if you don’t achieve them. So here’s what you do.

               Keep those goals… but break them up. Instead of saying “My goal for 2015 is to get an agent,” say “I will send out 100 queries this year.” Or “I will start to query my new WIP this year” (maybe with a specific time, like by summer?). Think about what things you can do to give yourself the best chance at achieving that overall goal so that you know you did the best you could.

2) Be Flexible                  

                                                                             

               Sometimes things change. What you imagine is going to be SO AWESOME… isn’t working out. Are you a failure if you stop querying that book after 2 months because you realize it’s not ready to be published? NO! Are you a failure if you stop trying to run a mile a day because you realize it’s hurting your knees? NO!

               When you realize something isn’t going to work out: STOP. And try something new. Your knees are hurting? Find a gym with a pool and start swimming instead. When you realize your novel isn’t going to work out? STOP and either find a way to fix it, or start something new. It makes no sense to be stubborn and keep pushing against those brick walls. Find a way around them.

3) Find someone to be accountable with!

               According to this website http://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/ you are ten times more likely to achieve your goals if they are explicit. A.K.A. you tell other people about them.

               Post them on your blog, post them on Facebook and twitter, tell your family and friends… even if they couldn’t care less. I know when I have something I need to do, I tell my husband. Most of the time, he doesn’t care. “Oh you’re going to clean out that closet tomorrow? That’s cool. You’re going to finish your draft this week? Awesome.” Sometimes I get a text back that says… “Umm, okay?” I laugh and say, I’m telling you so that I’ll actually DO IT. It works guys. Sometimes, he asks if I did it. Sometimes he doesn’t. On occasion it doesn’t work out, but I am so much more likely to commit to my goal just by knowing I’ve said it out loud and someone heard me. The absolute best way to do this is find someone willing to check in with you. Someone who will notice if you don’t update them, or if you’re not moving forward. I recommend hooking up with a CP for this. Help each other stay accountable, and help each other brain storm if one of those goals aren’t working out.

The goal of a goal is to TRY something new. Try to make yourself better. Try to move forward. It’s okay if you don’t succeed so long as you fought for it, so long as you didn’t give up. 

Even if your goals change throughout the year, if you keep working, you succeeded in my book.

Are these things you’ve ever tried? Did they work for you? What are your goals this year?

Evaluating 2014 Goals

With the end of 2014 quickly approaching, this is the time of year I know many people like to look back at their goals for the year and see how they’ve done. The only problem is, I wrote mine in January on a scrap piece of paper, and only looked at them once between then and now. Thankfully I didn’t lose the paper! And while I know this was not a very effective use of my goals, as I glanced at them I realized there was another inherent problem. And maybe you can spot the issue.

1. Help Others
2. Write
3. Edit
4. Get an agent
5. HAVE FUN!

Aside from the extra excited HAVE FUN!, most of those are admirable goals and also ones I managed to accomplish. I spent a lot of this year helping others by critiquing queries and manuscripts, and I also mentored many new hires as work. I didn’t write as much as I would have liked as I had a lot of life getting in the way this year, but I have written some new words. I’ve also edited A LOT. I went through several revisions with my YA Sci Fi/Thriller, and I’m now finally in the query trenches with it. And on the fun bit, I’ve had a lot of that this year; I got engaged, we went to Dragon Con, I watched many of my friends sign with agents and release new books and there was much celebration in between a lot of crazy.

So where is the problem? It’s with goal number 4. “Get an Agent”. It’s a great goal, but there’s an issue. That’s a goal that is a bit out of my control. Sure I can do things to support that goal, like writing a great book, editing the heck out of it, and actively staying in the query trenches, but at the end of the day, getting an agent involves some outside interest that I can’t control.

That’s something to consider when looking at your goals and what you’ve accomplished this year. Be mindful of the kind of goals you had. Recognize what you had control over and what you didn’t. And don’t beat yourself up for the things outside of your control. I know I’m not going to.

The end of the year is a time to celebrate accomplishments, and I’m sure we all did some seriously awesome stuff this year. So throw yourself a mini dance party or whatever kind of celebration you prefer and enjoy it. And next year when you set your goals, think about those which will be in your control and which won’t.

What goals did you accomplish this year? And what goals do you hope to accomplish next year?

Happy Holidays and see you in 2015!

New Year, New Goals

Shoot for the moon and if you miss you will still be among the stars. - Les Brown

It’s a new year and for many that means setting new goals—both in life and in writing. While we are often excited about those goals at the start of the year, as the months go on, they sometimes go by the wayside. So how do we set goals that we will keep up with? How do we stay on top of them?

Set Goals

First you have to set your goals. Think about the things you want to accomplish. No matter how big or small put them on the list. When setting goals, don’t focus on how hard they might be just focus on what you want for yourself and your writing. Once you have a list you can narrow it down to a few you really want to work on and achieve.

Set Mini Goals

Now that you have goals, take a look at them. Break the larger more daunting tasks into smaller more obtainable ones. You’re more likely to work on your goals and achieve them if they tasks feel smaller.

Example Goal: Write a book

Mini Goal: Write an outline

Mini Goal: Write character bios

Mini Goal: Write setting descriptions

Mini Goals: Write 250 words every day

Keep Yourself Accountable

Periodically pull out your goals and see how things are going. See if you are on track. If not maybe add in incentives to help you achieve those goals you are struggling with. Don’t let yourself off the hook. If you have to, schedule reminders or time aside to complete aspects of your goals so that you can keep working on them.

Re-evaluate

If things aren’t working out take a step back and ask yourself why. Is this really what you want? Have your priorities changed? Maybe you underestimated or overestimated the goal. It’s ok to change your goals midstream if you need to. There is no shame in putting a goal aside if it isn’t right for you or it isn’t the right time. Just make sure you are stepping back because it’s what you want/need not because you got lazy.

Get a Buddy

If you are really struggling (or even if you aren’t) get a goal buddy. They don’t have to have the same goals as you, but they do have to help keep you accountable for your work. If you have a buddy cheering you on and working by your side on their goals, it’s extra motivation to keep going. Not to mention you aren’t just letting yourself down if you start to slack. IT gives you more accountability. And if you are a competitive person like me, it can be a mini competition to see who gets their goals done first.

So all this talk about goals I thought I’d share some of my writing goals for 2014. For reference the numbers are my big goals, the letters are my mini goals.

1.)    Get an agent (and not just any agent, the right agent for me!)

a.       Polish my query/synopsis

b.      Make sure my manuscript is the best it can be

c.       Send queries

d.      Re-evaluate query package if necessary

2.)    Get my YA Sci Fi Thriller query ready.

a.      Work with beta readers to obtain feedback

b.      Edit the manuscript

c.       Get additional feedback

d.      Edit some more

e.       Rinse and repeat until it shines!

3.)    Write something new

a.       Brainstorm

b.      Outline

c.       Spend at least two days a week writing (as much as I love editing, I need to focus on writing something new this year)

4.)    Improve my craft

a.       Attend at least one writing conference

b.      Attend writing seminars/workshops

c.       Read writing blogs

5.)    Keep Going

a.       Whatever I do, rejections and discouraging news aside, I will keep writing, keep editing, and keep improving.

b.      I refuse to quit!

What kind of writing goals do you set and how do you keep up with them?