Julia Karr's Blog, page 11

Friday Five – A few thoughts on revising

Revising is not a necessary evil, revising is writing.

1. A first draft needs revision – period!

2. Take time to think about where your revisions are headed (in other words, don’t jump willy-nilly into them – but do jump in!)

3. Listen to your critique partners (if you have them) and your gut. Both will help you along the way.

4. There is no perfect method to revising – use several methods (character-deepening, plot reworking, setting, goals, etc.) separately or together, part or whole… each book will be different.

5. Get Started and Have Fun!

If you don’t do the revisions, no one else will. And the journey of a writer, although challenging a lot of the time, should be fun, too! Storytellers LOVE to tell stories! Revising helps you get to the story you’ll love to tell!

A Kindness Project post!

Today I am blogging at The Kindness Project! Please have a look – it’s about a fabulous woman who helped to shape my childhood.

A Little Writing Advice – Just do it!

One of the most common bits of advice for aspiring writers (besides read, read, read) is to write every day.

I have been asked many times, ”Do I really need to write every single day?” This usually comes from someone who thinks the framework on which one hangs good writing isn’t necessarily right for them.

My answer is, “No. You don’t have to write every day, unless you want to become a better writer. Because, (and y’all reading this post know this – right?) as with anything – the more you do something, the better you get at it.”

That answer generally thins out the crowd. But, there are one or two people who honestly want to write, and they usually follow up the first question with this one. ”What if I’m a lousy writer? How will writing every day make me any better?”

I share with them (and you) this non-writing example.

When I was in Junior High, one of the classes we had to take was Home Economics (do they even teach Home Ec any more?) Anyway – one of our projects was to sew something that we would then have to wear to school.

Now, I grew up living with my grandmother, who was a seamstress extraordinaire. She made all of my sister’s and my clothes – usually following patterns that she fashioned from sheets of newspaper after she’d looked at a dress or blouse we liked. I hoped I’d inherited her innate talent – and, I figured it couldn’t be that hard anyway, because she made it look so easy!

You can well imagine the outcome. Even though I chose an easy “jumper”

not one of these… (found here)

but actually this: (found here)

It was far from easy to sew. And the fit was embarrassingly awful. But, I survived wearing it for a day – and also gained a load of respect for what Gram made appear so effortless.

Fast forward to me out on my own – a twenty-something without a lot of money to spend on expensive clothes – but nonetheless, wanting to be fashionable. So, I bought a couple of Simplicity patterns and started teaching myself to sew. I wasn’t very good, and I didn’t understand the pattern markings or the sewing terms – but I persisted and actually made a couple of dresses that I wasn’t embarrassed to be seen in.

And, whenever I’d visit my grandmother, she’d share tips and techniques. Eventually, I got better. By the time I married and had children of my own I’d studied a lot about sewing, read books on all kinds of sewing, taken some classes – and sewed on a regular basis. From the time my daughters were little, I made all of their clothes, and most of mine, too. I was good – quite good.

The key to my success as a seamstress was desire, study, and application (i.e, sewing a lot – often every day.) And, I didn’t just sew clothing – I quilted, crafted, made dolls, embroidered – you name it – I sewed it.

Well, the same holds true with writing. Although what you’re writing now may seem awful – ill-fitting, and not at all what you were trying to get across – don’t stop. Write every day and you will get better.

Study. Read. Write. Write papers, poems, essays, lists, journals, character sketches, scenes, and, of course, stories and books. The key is to write every day. Just the act of putting pen to paper (and, yes, that’s how I start every morning – hand-writing in my journal) is priming the creative pump. It’s necessary effort.

The cliché “Practice makes perfect” – is not cliché at all – it’s the truth. So – those among you who want to write… write. Every. Single. Day.

 

The Friday Five – Random

Some random thoughts on a foggy Friday morning – glad it’s the end of the work week!

1. Dinner with a friend is always a good thing!

2. Reading brilliant authors improves one’s own writing by showing how it can be done. (As long as you pay attention while you’re reading & then apply what you discover! A tiny example of Pride & Prejudice in the style of Raymond Chandler http://juliakarr.com/?p=311 )

3. It is a truth universally acknowledged that cats will always go for the cheap, smelly food and forgo the expensive, sometimes prescription, food.

4. Spirituality exists without religion (sometimes in spite of…), although some religions can be quite spiritual.

5. Cats really do want to be writers! It’s the whole lack of opposable thumbs issue that causes the problem.

Homemade Organic Yogurt recipe

A non-writing related post for your enjoyment!

A friend asked for this homemade yogurt recipe – my daughter gave it to me. I don’t know where she got it, but it’s easy and so tasty!

What you need…

a cooler that will comfortably hold a quart jar. You’re going to be “cooking” the yogurt in the cooler, so you want to be sure it’s not too large.
a quart canning jar
a quart of organic milk – I used Organic Valley Whole Milk for mine
a small container of plain organic yogurt with active yogurt cultures – any good, plain “live” yogurt will do
a saucepan large enough for the milk
a candy thermometer


Fill the quart jar with hot tap water and put it in the cooler – which you also fill with hot tap water so it comes almost to the neck of the jar.
put milk in saucepan and heat slowly to 180 degrees (stir frequently so it doesn’t scald)
when the milk reaches 180 degrees take it off the burner and let it cool to 110 degrees
empty the jar of the water and pour the 110 degree milk into it (If you want your yogurt to be super-smooth pour through a cheesecloth-lined strainer – otherwise, don’t bother. I kind of like the little chewy bits myself)
stir in 1 tablespoon (no more, no less) of yogurt
put lid on jar and put into cooler of hot water
sit cooler in a warm place for 24 hours

At the end of the 24 hours your yogurt should be ready. Be sure to save 1 tablespoon of this yogurt for your next batch.

Enjoy!

 

The world of XVI – now?

Is 24/7 surveillance really so far in the future when programs like this are being introduced into schools? This is the beginning of indoctrination of children and young adults into living in a constantly surveilled state. I sincerely hope that people wake up before it’s too late to turn back the clock.

 

The Friday Five – NaNo Edition

My first day of NaNo came barreling through like a skateboarder on greased wheels. Over 2K words (goal is 1667 words a day) – and I was feeling pretty good. Today, however, I got up late, didn’t have much time to write, and only got 200+ words done (yes, I WILL reach my daily word count when I get home.) Considering the fact that life gets in the way – even in November – today’s Friday Five are all about getting those words done!

1. When you have the time, don’t stop at 1667 – keep writing!

2. It’s harder to catch up than it is to overdo – keep writing!

3. 284 words is better than no words – keep writing!

4. Don’t go back and edit – always move forward. If you need to change something (a name, age, plot direction, etc.) make a note in all caps in your manuscript at the point you realize the needed change, and – keep writing!

5. Have fun while you’re doing NaNo! That’s the beauty of it – writing for fun – but you must – KEEP WRITING!

Watch this space for more suggestions, hints, tips, and general sharing of what I’ve learned doing NaNo through the years… and mostly… keep writing!

It’s NaNoWriMo Time!

Some of you may know, XVI was born during NaNoWriMo 2005! Well, I am at it again! I’m working on another NaNo novel. It’s completely different than anything I’ve written up to now. And, so, I find it very exciting!

One of the things I love about NaNoWriMo is that exhilarating feeling that there are no constraints! Writing for the sheer love of writing means that I can change horses in mid-stream, I can flip-flop characters, plot, villians, and heroes. In other words – it’s free writing! Words soar across the page like birds in the sky. What a fabulous feeling!

If you’ve always wanted to write, this is a great way to dive in! Take the plunge! You are not alone!

If you’re interested, you can follow my progress via the widget on the right (under the calendar.) And, if you’re taking part in NaNo, you might want to follow my blog for the month – I’ll be sharing tips – and always looking for good conversation about writing in the comments!

Ready! Set! ….. GO WRITE!!!

The Kindness Project – Some thoughts on what it means to be kind…

This morning I was thinking on my favorite quote by James M. Barrie (the author of Peter Pan) – “Always be a little kinder than necessary.”

Two words here… kinder and necessary.

To be kind means to be attentive, solicitous, considerate, compassionate, good-hearted, etc. These are all good things to be, for sure.

Barrie’s quote, however, doesn’t stop at just be kind – he exhorts us to be “kinder than necessary.”

This means that kindness is not a “do it when/if it’s convenient” – but that kindness is a necessary part of your actions in this life.

Necessary means imperative, certain, integral, vital.

Wow! What if we actually considered that kindness was vital to the way we act towards others? Imperative? Integral? Can you imagine the ways the world would change?

One example – a small one… What if when someone is talking to us we actually were kind enough (attentive) to really listen to what they were saying? (As opposed to thinking about what we’re going to say next… yes, we’re all guilty of that one at times!) We would certainly learn something about that person, perhaps giving us pause to be a little more compassionate towards them.

Another small example… What if the next time someone cuts us off in traffic — instead of flipping them the bird, muttering (or yelling) curses, or simply being irritated and put out — we sent them a measure of compassion for whatever in their life has brought them to the point of inconsideration? It could be poor upbringing, a tragedy that needs their immediate assistance, fear of something (like getting fired if they’re late for work), or any number of reasonable or unreasonable causes. Doesn’t really matter, does it? In the grand scheme of things, how we respond – and kindness, according to Barrie is the necessary/imperative/vital response – is what counts.

In my own life, my experience has been that compassion/consideration/attentiveness is never unnecessary. So, this morning, I’ll recommit myself (since unfortunately, kindness can be an easy thing to forget) to being “a little kinder than necessary.” Because I hope to never forget that kindness is a necessary thing.

You can visit The Kindness Project blog by clicking the icon above or here. Go forth and be kind!

 

 

 

XVI in Brazil!

And, how gorgeous is the Brazilian cover of XVI? Whoo!!!