Michelle McLean's Blog, page 37
April 12, 2011
April 11, 2011
Blog Chain - Get Directions First
This round of the blog chain was started by the ever awesome Eric who wants to know:
When was the last time you just sat down and started writing, with nothing but a whisper of an idea to guide you? Did you find it easy to do or did you find yourself struggling for a more organized story?
My first thought was that I couldn't remember the last time I did this, at least in regards to novels. When it comes to my novel writing, I don't ever just sit down and write anymore. I used to. Wrote two books this way. I finished the first one 5 years ago...and I'm doing the last (hopefully) round of edits on it right now. The second book I did this way is still waiting for an extensive rewrite.
I have three or four other novels that have a few chapters each that I won't finish until I sit down and plot. With novels, I just can't write like that anymore. It makes the editing process too long and too extensive and honestly, I don't know that I could just sit down and write with nothing but an idea.
However...
That only applies to novels. When it comes to poetry, I can't think it out. I just let it come. Picture books as well. I'll have an idea and I just sit and write.Yes, there is more editing, however these are short projects that don't take long.
I do enjoy just sitting and letting the words flow though. This is probably why I love doing those writing prompt exercises, where you are given a few words and have to make a story out of it - or the poetry games where you are given several word tiles to form into a poem. It's challenging and fun and it allows those creative muscles to stretch without having to worry about the editing that will be involved if I don't think it out beforehand :)
How about you? Do you ever just take an idea and run with it? Or do you think and plot out everything first?
Check out Margie's blog next to see what she has to say :)
April 8, 2011
Friday Funnies
DEFINITIONS FOR PARENTS
AMNESIA: Condition that enables a woman, who has gone through labor, to have sex again.
DUMBWAITER: One who asks if the kids would care to order dessert.
FAMILY PLANNING: The art of spacing your children the proper distance apart to keep you on the brink of financial disaster.
FULL NAME: What you call your child when you're angry with him.
GRANDPARENTS: The people who think your children are wonderful even though they're sure you're not raising them right.
INDEPENDENT: How we want our children to be as long as they do everything we say.
OW: The first word spoken by children with older siblings.
PRENATAL: When your life was still somewhat your own.
PUDDLE: A small body of water that draws other small bodies wearing dry shoes into it.
SHOW-OFF: A child who is more talented than yours.
STERILIZE: What you do to your first baby's pacifier by boiling it and to your last baby's pacifier by blowing on it.
TOP BUNK: Where you should never put a child wearing Superman jammies.
VERBAL: Able to whine in words.
(today's funnies found HERE)
April 7, 2011
You Tell Me - Why Do You Write?
Do you write because you want to make money? Do you do it for fun? Do you do it because you just can't NOT write? If you knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you would never get published, would you write anyway?
For me, I do it because I just kind of have to. It's in my blood. It's always on my mind. It's just something I sort of need to do. If I knew I'd never get published, I'd write anyway. But...I don't think I'd edit nearly as much. :D I'd probably just write for the joy of doing it, to get the story down, go through it enough that friends and family could enjoy it....but I don't think I'd be sweating the small stuff nearly as much :)
How about you?
For me, I do it because I just kind of have to. It's in my blood. It's always on my mind. It's just something I sort of need to do. If I knew I'd never get published, I'd write anyway. But...I don't think I'd edit nearly as much. :D I'd probably just write for the joy of doing it, to get the story down, go through it enough that friends and family could enjoy it....but I don't think I'd be sweating the small stuff nearly as much :)
How about you?
April 6, 2011
The Poetry Game
There are a few things I like to do to keep my writing tools sharp. I try to write every day, of course, even if it's only a blog post or making notes on a story idea.
But one of the things I really enjoy doing is playing the Poetry Game. I used to play this on poetry.org (I believe). Over there, you are given a set of word tiles and your task is to create a poem using 20 or less of the tiles. I found the game recently over at magpogames.com (Magnetic Poetry) - you are given a bunch of tiles though there isn't a limit (that I'm aware of) that you can use.
It's fun, it keeps my thinking skills honed, and I've come up with a few little poems I love so much I'm using them as chapter headings in one of my books.
So! Your challenge for today. Head over HERE, and create a poem of your own USING 20 TILES OR LESS. Leave them in the comments :)
Here is mine for the day:
Your kiss
My sacred poison
Our secret to devour
I die to remember you
I live with one embrace
What did you come up with? :)
But one of the things I really enjoy doing is playing the Poetry Game. I used to play this on poetry.org (I believe). Over there, you are given a set of word tiles and your task is to create a poem using 20 or less of the tiles. I found the game recently over at magpogames.com (Magnetic Poetry) - you are given a bunch of tiles though there isn't a limit (that I'm aware of) that you can use.
It's fun, it keeps my thinking skills honed, and I've come up with a few little poems I love so much I'm using them as chapter headings in one of my books.
So! Your challenge for today. Head over HERE, and create a poem of your own USING 20 TILES OR LESS. Leave them in the comments :)
Here is mine for the day:
Your kiss
My sacred poison
Our secret to devour
I die to remember you
I live with one embrace
What did you come up with? :)
April 5, 2011
The Insanity of Being a Writer...and Why I Love It
Quote for the day: "I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity." Edgar Allen Poe
You know, this is something my writer friends and I discuss frequently...the insanity of our calling. We hear voices, we stay up for days at a time so we can furiously type away at our keyboards, the story battering its way out of our minds whether we want it to or not; we mutter to ourselves about our storylines, characters, plots, and chapters as we do the daily chores we must, and we are oblivious to the chaos that ensues when we are so wrapped up in our imaginary worlds that the real world ceases to exist.
Until I found my fabulous friends on Querytracker (and then RallyStorm) I was pretty sure I was the only one that couldn't sleep at night because my characters were too busy arguing in my head. It's good to know I'm not alone. I don't drink, smoke, or do drugs and never have...but as I began my first novel, I suddenly had a clear insight into why writers are stereotypically dependent on such things. Most writers I know are, at the very least, huge fans of Tylenol PM or some other sort of sleep aid - often it is the only way to quiet your mind long enough to get some sleep. :)
Writing is a crazy, frustrating, agonizing, nerve-wracking way to live (and don't even get me started on querying - that's a weeks worth of posts all by itself!)...but it also has brought me more joy and sense of accomplishment than anything else I have ever done (with the exception of my children). Most of us don't write merely because we want to...we do it because we HAVE to. There is nothing like writing the perfect scene; or spending a year editing a book to realize it is finally "good enough" (never perfect...nope, there is always something I find that could use some changing).
Bottom line, as crazy as I sometimes feel, I would never want to do anything else. My "long intervals of horrible sanity" are merely waiting periods until another idea strikes and I can dive head long into my "insanity." And ahhh, it's a grand experience!
Are you writer-tastically insane? Do you enjoy it? :D
You know, this is something my writer friends and I discuss frequently...the insanity of our calling. We hear voices, we stay up for days at a time so we can furiously type away at our keyboards, the story battering its way out of our minds whether we want it to or not; we mutter to ourselves about our storylines, characters, plots, and chapters as we do the daily chores we must, and we are oblivious to the chaos that ensues when we are so wrapped up in our imaginary worlds that the real world ceases to exist.
Until I found my fabulous friends on Querytracker (and then RallyStorm) I was pretty sure I was the only one that couldn't sleep at night because my characters were too busy arguing in my head. It's good to know I'm not alone. I don't drink, smoke, or do drugs and never have...but as I began my first novel, I suddenly had a clear insight into why writers are stereotypically dependent on such things. Most writers I know are, at the very least, huge fans of Tylenol PM or some other sort of sleep aid - often it is the only way to quiet your mind long enough to get some sleep. :)
Writing is a crazy, frustrating, agonizing, nerve-wracking way to live (and don't even get me started on querying - that's a weeks worth of posts all by itself!)...but it also has brought me more joy and sense of accomplishment than anything else I have ever done (with the exception of my children). Most of us don't write merely because we want to...we do it because we HAVE to. There is nothing like writing the perfect scene; or spending a year editing a book to realize it is finally "good enough" (never perfect...nope, there is always something I find that could use some changing).
Bottom line, as crazy as I sometimes feel, I would never want to do anything else. My "long intervals of horrible sanity" are merely waiting periods until another idea strikes and I can dive head long into my "insanity." And ahhh, it's a grand experience!
Are you writer-tastically insane? Do you enjoy it? :D
April 4, 2011
The Pen Name Game
I posted on this a few weeks ago, I think. Back then, I was trying to decide if I needed to use pen names for my other genres or not. And I finally decided that yes, I do.
Why?
Well, for me it wasn't because I didn't want Audience A to know that I also write Genre B. In fact, on all my websites under my various names (and yes, I have a website for each one) I specifically mention the other genres and names I go by, with links to the other sites.
But because my audiences are so vastly different (non-fiction, YA novels, and picture books) I wanted to make it as easy as possible for each audience to find the book they are after. If I were to write all these genres under my own name, I could have a student looking for an essay guide but finding only picture books or a mom looking for a fun picture book but finding only YA novels.
With a pen name for each genre, this won't happen. My moms and kids can find all my picture books under the name Michelle Raynor; my YA audience can find all my novels under the name MacKenna Marquis; and my non-fiction peeps can find all my educational NF under my real name, Michelle McLean. (Click on the links if you want to check out my websites under each name) :)
How did I come up with these names? Well, my own name is just my name :D The name Raynor is a mixture of the letters in my children's names. And I wanted to use my maiden name (Michelle Marquis) for my third name, but another writer is already using that as her pen name. So...I borrowed my niece's name (MacKenna) and kept my maiden last name to create MacKenna Marquis :)
Do any of you write under a pen name? Would you? If you do, how did you come up with your name?
Why?
Well, for me it wasn't because I didn't want Audience A to know that I also write Genre B. In fact, on all my websites under my various names (and yes, I have a website for each one) I specifically mention the other genres and names I go by, with links to the other sites.
But because my audiences are so vastly different (non-fiction, YA novels, and picture books) I wanted to make it as easy as possible for each audience to find the book they are after. If I were to write all these genres under my own name, I could have a student looking for an essay guide but finding only picture books or a mom looking for a fun picture book but finding only YA novels.
With a pen name for each genre, this won't happen. My moms and kids can find all my picture books under the name Michelle Raynor; my YA audience can find all my novels under the name MacKenna Marquis; and my non-fiction peeps can find all my educational NF under my real name, Michelle McLean. (Click on the links if you want to check out my websites under each name) :)
How did I come up with these names? Well, my own name is just my name :D The name Raynor is a mixture of the letters in my children's names. And I wanted to use my maiden name (Michelle Marquis) for my third name, but another writer is already using that as her pen name. So...I borrowed my niece's name (MacKenna) and kept my maiden last name to create MacKenna Marquis :)
Do any of you write under a pen name? Would you? If you do, how did you come up with your name?
April 1, 2011
Friday Funnies
The Mystery Agent Contest at Operation Awesome is TODAY!!!! This is NOT an April Fool's joke :D Hurry over with your one line pitch and enter!!
And now, your Friday Funnies :)
DEFINITIONS FROM THE CYNIC'S DICTIONARY
AUTHOR: A writer with connections in the publishing industry.
BOSS: A personal dictator appointed to those of us fortunate enough to live in free societies.
CHILDHOOD: The rapidly shrinking interval between infancy and first arrest on a drug or weapons charge.DENIAL: How an optimist keeps from becoming a pessimist.
EXPERIENCE: In the working world, something you can't get unless you've already got it, in which case you probably don't want any more of it.
FITNESS: Salvation through perspiration.
GOURMET: A food fetishist.
HOOKER: A working woman commonly despised by people who sell themselves for even less.IDEOLOGUE: Generally an obscure humorless zealot who finds fulfillment by spouting the ideas of famous humorless zealots.
JEANS: Lower half of the international uniform of youth, the upper half being the zits.
KLEPTOMANIAC: A thief with breeding.
LABORATORY ANIMALS: Furry foot soldiers drafted in the name of science. Some die nobly in the battle to eradicate cancer; others give their lives so that we might produce a peach-scented dandruff shampoo.
MARTIAL ARTS: A family of Asiatic self-defense disciplines consisting largely of sweeping ornamental gestures of the arms and legs; amusing to look at but disappointingly ineffective when one's opponent is armed with a semi-automatic.
NEIGHBORS: The strangers who live next door.
ORGASM: The punchline some women just don't get, generally because their mates have a tendency to rush through the joke.
PARASITE: A base creature that extracts a living from the lives of others, like a tapeworm or a biographer.QUAGMIRE: Any situation more easily entered into than exited from; e.g., a guerrilla war, a bad marriage or a conversation with an insurance salesman.
REDNECK: Popular term for a rustic male, but rarely employed when addressing one in person.
SMILE: To expose a portion of one's skeleton as a gesture of goodwill toward a fellow human.
WHITE SUPREMACISTS: The most convincing argument against the theory of white racial superiority.X-RAY: A diagnostic tool used to detect existing cancerous growths and create new ones for future examinations to reveal.
Y-CHROMOSOME: A line of genes designed for men only; the cause of virility, war, baldness, hockey, sex crimes, clever inventions and a disinclination to ask for directions when lost.
ZOO: A pleasant and instructive wildlife park, lately denounced for depriving animals of their right to starve or be eaten alive in their natural habitats.
ADULT: A person who has stopped growing at both ends and is now growing in the middle.
COMMITTEE: A body that keeps minutes and wastes hours.
INFLATION: Cutting money in half without damaging the paper.
MOSQUITO: An insect that makes you like flies better.
FLASHLIGHT: A case for holding dead batteries.
LOTTERY: A tax on people who are bad at math.
PURITANISM: The haunting fear that someone, somewhere may be happy.
CONSCIOUSNESS: that annoying time between naps.
REDUNDANCY: Criminal Lawyer
(found HERE)
And now, your Friday Funnies :)
DEFINITIONS FROM THE CYNIC'S DICTIONARY
AUTHOR: A writer with connections in the publishing industry.
BOSS: A personal dictator appointed to those of us fortunate enough to live in free societies.
CHILDHOOD: The rapidly shrinking interval between infancy and first arrest on a drug or weapons charge.DENIAL: How an optimist keeps from becoming a pessimist.
EXPERIENCE: In the working world, something you can't get unless you've already got it, in which case you probably don't want any more of it.
FITNESS: Salvation through perspiration.
GOURMET: A food fetishist.
HOOKER: A working woman commonly despised by people who sell themselves for even less.IDEOLOGUE: Generally an obscure humorless zealot who finds fulfillment by spouting the ideas of famous humorless zealots.
JEANS: Lower half of the international uniform of youth, the upper half being the zits.
KLEPTOMANIAC: A thief with breeding.
LABORATORY ANIMALS: Furry foot soldiers drafted in the name of science. Some die nobly in the battle to eradicate cancer; others give their lives so that we might produce a peach-scented dandruff shampoo.
MARTIAL ARTS: A family of Asiatic self-defense disciplines consisting largely of sweeping ornamental gestures of the arms and legs; amusing to look at but disappointingly ineffective when one's opponent is armed with a semi-automatic.
NEIGHBORS: The strangers who live next door.
ORGASM: The punchline some women just don't get, generally because their mates have a tendency to rush through the joke.
PARASITE: A base creature that extracts a living from the lives of others, like a tapeworm or a biographer.QUAGMIRE: Any situation more easily entered into than exited from; e.g., a guerrilla war, a bad marriage or a conversation with an insurance salesman.
REDNECK: Popular term for a rustic male, but rarely employed when addressing one in person.
SMILE: To expose a portion of one's skeleton as a gesture of goodwill toward a fellow human.
WHITE SUPREMACISTS: The most convincing argument against the theory of white racial superiority.X-RAY: A diagnostic tool used to detect existing cancerous growths and create new ones for future examinations to reveal.
Y-CHROMOSOME: A line of genes designed for men only; the cause of virility, war, baldness, hockey, sex crimes, clever inventions and a disinclination to ask for directions when lost.
ZOO: A pleasant and instructive wildlife park, lately denounced for depriving animals of their right to starve or be eaten alive in their natural habitats.
ADULT: A person who has stopped growing at both ends and is now growing in the middle.
COMMITTEE: A body that keeps minutes and wastes hours.
INFLATION: Cutting money in half without damaging the paper.
MOSQUITO: An insect that makes you like flies better.
FLASHLIGHT: A case for holding dead batteries.
LOTTERY: A tax on people who are bad at math.
PURITANISM: The haunting fear that someone, somewhere may be happy.
CONSCIOUSNESS: that annoying time between naps.
REDUNDANCY: Criminal Lawyer
(found HERE)
March 31, 2011
Blog Chain - It's All About Me ;-)
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My turn on the blog chain today and the hilarious Cole wants to know:
How about you? What hobbies, tips, or techniques do you have for keeping your writerly battery charged?
Ahhh such an awesome question. Writing is a tough job. There are lots of highs and lows and many, many hours of just plain hard work. It's easy to get burned out. It's easy to get bummed when someone else seems to be more successful than you. It's easy to get overwhelmed with blogs, and tweets, and Facebook posts, and on and on and on.
So, when I get too bogged down in it all, I stop. I stay away from my computer. I get outside and breathe real, fresh air. I watch movies (mostly comedies because nothing makes me feel better than a good laugh) and read books and maybe write, but I stay away from the internet. Aside from emails and posting on my own blog.
I think it's good to just take a step back and refocus. Get back in tune with what is really important to me. Remember my goals, remember my successes. Basically, I go totally self-centered and just focus on ME ME ME. :)
It's good to do that every now and then.
How about you? What do you do to recharge?
Be sure to stop by Eric's to see his awesome Irish Hobby Song response from yesterday, and make sure to hit Margie's tomorrow to see how she handles the writer blues. To start at the beginning of the chain, don't miss Cole's hilarious break up letter with the internet :D
My turn on the blog chain today and the hilarious Cole wants to know:
How about you? What hobbies, tips, or techniques do you have for keeping your writerly battery charged?
Ahhh such an awesome question. Writing is a tough job. There are lots of highs and lows and many, many hours of just plain hard work. It's easy to get burned out. It's easy to get bummed when someone else seems to be more successful than you. It's easy to get overwhelmed with blogs, and tweets, and Facebook posts, and on and on and on.
So, when I get too bogged down in it all, I stop. I stay away from my computer. I get outside and breathe real, fresh air. I watch movies (mostly comedies because nothing makes me feel better than a good laugh) and read books and maybe write, but I stay away from the internet. Aside from emails and posting on my own blog.
I think it's good to just take a step back and refocus. Get back in tune with what is really important to me. Remember my goals, remember my successes. Basically, I go totally self-centered and just focus on ME ME ME. :)
It's good to do that every now and then.
How about you? What do you do to recharge?
Be sure to stop by Eric's to see his awesome Irish Hobby Song response from yesterday, and make sure to hit Margie's tomorrow to see how she handles the writer blues. To start at the beginning of the chain, don't miss Cole's hilarious break up letter with the internet :D
March 30, 2011
And How Writing is Like Dieting
I was going to post this tomorrow, but tomorrow is my turn on the Blog Chain. So, for your reading enjoyment, more ways writing and dieting are alike :D
4. It's easier to do when you have support
Dieting isn't easy. Neither is writing. They are both solitary journeys in that no one can do it for you. No one can force you to type out a few words anymore than anyone can force you to put down that cake (mmmmm....cake...) *ahem* However, when you have the support of a spouse or friend or crit partner, it is a lot easier to get through the bad times, and more fun to celebrate the good times.
My sis, mom, and I are all doing this diet together. We text every morning to report our weight loss from the day before, we call or text when we are feeling weak and tempted, and we celebrate with each other when we've overcome a temptation or dropped another pound. And when my mom is here, she walks the track with me. So much easier to have people to do this with.
Same with writing. I have awesome writer friends that I call, email or text every day - we report our word counts, our weak moments, our good news. We set up write-a-thon times and chat while we write. It's just easier to share this journey with those who are doing it too.
5. You can't compare journeys.
Everyone's journey is different. What works for one person might not work for someone else. My sis tried Nutrisystem. Loved it. Lost a ton. Same with Atkins (we've tried them all :D ) Me...I hated those diets. Did horribly. I did like Weight Watchers though. Did well. Now we are on the same diet. We are both doing well. But she's lost more than I have. My friend has lost more than I have also.
Does that mean that I'm doing poorly? Does it mean I won't meet my goal weight? No, of course not. I am still being successful and I will continue to succeed. It just might take me a little longer to get there.
Same goes for writing. Some people go the self-publishing route and make millions. Others do the exact same thing and barely break even. Some query and query and query and get no where even though they have a spectacular book. Others query five agents and get signed immediately. Does that make one writer better than the other? Not necessarily. Does it mean that writer will never reach their goal of publication? No, of course not.
It just might take a little longer to get there. People's success comes to them at different times. Comparing yours to someone else's does nothing but discourage you. Focus on your own awesomeness. :)
6. If you give up, you'll never reach your goal.
Bottom line, whether you are dieting or writing, you've got to stick with it. There are going to be tough times. There are going to be temptations to quit. There are going to be people who are doing it better and faster.
But only one thing is absolutely sure....if you quit, you'll never reach your goal. Your waistline will stay the same, your manuscript will never be completed.
As long as you don't give up, you have succeeded. 1 pound or 1 page at a time, you will get to your goal. Just keep at it. :)
4. It's easier to do when you have support
Dieting isn't easy. Neither is writing. They are both solitary journeys in that no one can do it for you. No one can force you to type out a few words anymore than anyone can force you to put down that cake (mmmmm....cake...) *ahem* However, when you have the support of a spouse or friend or crit partner, it is a lot easier to get through the bad times, and more fun to celebrate the good times.
My sis, mom, and I are all doing this diet together. We text every morning to report our weight loss from the day before, we call or text when we are feeling weak and tempted, and we celebrate with each other when we've overcome a temptation or dropped another pound. And when my mom is here, she walks the track with me. So much easier to have people to do this with.
Same with writing. I have awesome writer friends that I call, email or text every day - we report our word counts, our weak moments, our good news. We set up write-a-thon times and chat while we write. It's just easier to share this journey with those who are doing it too.
5. You can't compare journeys.
Everyone's journey is different. What works for one person might not work for someone else. My sis tried Nutrisystem. Loved it. Lost a ton. Same with Atkins (we've tried them all :D ) Me...I hated those diets. Did horribly. I did like Weight Watchers though. Did well. Now we are on the same diet. We are both doing well. But she's lost more than I have. My friend has lost more than I have also.
Does that mean that I'm doing poorly? Does it mean I won't meet my goal weight? No, of course not. I am still being successful and I will continue to succeed. It just might take me a little longer to get there.
Same goes for writing. Some people go the self-publishing route and make millions. Others do the exact same thing and barely break even. Some query and query and query and get no where even though they have a spectacular book. Others query five agents and get signed immediately. Does that make one writer better than the other? Not necessarily. Does it mean that writer will never reach their goal of publication? No, of course not.
It just might take a little longer to get there. People's success comes to them at different times. Comparing yours to someone else's does nothing but discourage you. Focus on your own awesomeness. :)
6. If you give up, you'll never reach your goal.
Bottom line, whether you are dieting or writing, you've got to stick with it. There are going to be tough times. There are going to be temptations to quit. There are going to be people who are doing it better and faster.
But only one thing is absolutely sure....if you quit, you'll never reach your goal. Your waistline will stay the same, your manuscript will never be completed.
As long as you don't give up, you have succeeded. 1 pound or 1 page at a time, you will get to your goal. Just keep at it. :)
![[image error]](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PvQ3enA0iS0/TZSffFOVkTI/AAAAAAAAB1k/cZdMioVUh0A/s1600/chain2.jpg){kind=link}