Michelle McLean's Blog, page 52

Inspiration vs. Determination by K.M. Weiland

Inspiration vs. Determination
As writers, we do everything possible to encourage inspiration in our lives. Sometimes that means creating generally good writing habits, and sometimes it means routines that border on the superstitious (gotta have our lucky pens, right?). In my recently released CD Conquering Writer's Block and Summoning Inspiration , I discuss all kinds of ways we can lure inspiration into our lives and give it a comfy place to live so that it's sure to stick around. However, it's important that we don't overlook the vital connection between inspiration and determination.

Inspiration is bit of an airy-fairy kind of beast—not too far removed from J.M. Barrie's preoccupied, self-absorbed Tinker Bell. It flutters in and out of our lives without too much concern for our needs and wants. Even when we do our best to foster its existence, it can be frustratingly uncooperative. For a writer—someone who pretty much lives on inspiration—this is not a very cheerful state of affairs. But can we can do about it?

Right on top of the list is the necessity of accepting this as a fact of the writing life. Number two on that list is realizing that we all have access to a much more dependable workaround:

Determination.

Inspiration may sometimes fail to show up for work in the morning, but determination never does. Instead of waiting around on the unpredictable whims of our ethereal friend, who may or may not flit in on gossamer wings and zap us with that potent mixture of brilliance and adrenaline, we can always harness her hardworking older sibling. When we put determination to work and write even when we don't feel like it, even when inspiration has decided to pull a no-show, we discover a couple of very important truths.

Truth #1: We don't always need inspiration to write. Particularly if we've put in our time studying the craft, our fingers will move on the keyboard from sheer muscle memory, the words will appear on the page in surprisingly coherent lines, and what we have at the end of the day might be rough, but, not only will it probably be better than we think, it will also be words on paper—and that's always an accomplishment for a writer.

Truth #2: Determination creates a healthy atmosphere for inspiration. The single most important thing we can do to foster inspiration is to be ready for it. Being ready doesn't mean keeping an ear to the sky, waiting for random epiphanies. What it does mean is that we schedule an appointment with inspiration every single day. She may not always show up, but how will we know if she's there or not, if we aren't sitting at our computers ready and listening?

We'd all like to think that inspiration is freebie given to whoever is wanting and waiting. But the truth is that inspiration needs the extra incentive given by someone who is also willing. Inspiration doesn't come gratis. She requires the hefty price of endless determination. But in return she promises that where determination leads, inspiration will follow. Always.

~
For a chance to win this awesome CD, comment on any of the posts for this week. 1 entry for every post you comment on (one point per day). Entries accepted through Friday, winner announced Saturday!

CLICK HERE TO BUY THE CD


K.M. Weiland writes historical and speculative fiction from her home in the sandhills of western Nebraska. She enjoys mentoring other authors through her writing tips, editing services, workshops, and her recently released instructional CD Conquering Writer's Block and Summoning Inspiration.

Find her on her website and blog.

QuoteTuesday with KM Weiland

Allowing our impatience, frustration, and artistic insecurities to convince us we're wasting our time is far too tempting an escape. But don't give in. Don't abandon a story just because it isn't working. Stories never work in the first draft.
~K.M. Weiland 

CLICK HERE TO BUY CD  For a chance to win a free copy of the CD, comment on any post this week. 1 point for each comment (one point per day). Entries taken through Friday, winner announced Saturday!


K.M. Weiland writes historical and speculative fiction from her home in the sandhills of western Nebraska. She enjoys mentoring other authors through her writing tips, editing services, workshops, and her recently released instructional CD Conquering Writer's Block and Summoning Inspiration.

Find her at her website and blog.

Welcome to K.M. Weiland! Announcing the Release of her CD for Writers!

I am very happy to welcome author KM Weiland this week! She is releasing a CD for writers all about how to deal with writer's block and gain inspiration called Conquering Writer's Block and Summoning Inspiration. Please help me give her a very warm welcome!


Today, Ms. Weiland will be joining us for an interview -

1. What inspired you to create a CD about inspiration?
Over the last several years, I've been sharing writing tips and essays about the writing life on my blog Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors. Posts on inspiration and fighting writer's block have always been some of my most popular posts. It's ironic, really: Here we are, a bunch of people who discovered this whole writing business because one day we woke up inspired with an idea for a story—and yet consistent inspiration is something most of us struggle with on almost a daily basis. I wanted to put together a presentation that shared some of my own tricks for encouraging inspiration. Thanks to the Wordplay podcast, I already had some experience with audio productions and thought it would be an interesting adventure to create a CD that would be accessible and helpful to others.

2. Can you share one of the important tips from the CD?
It's hard to pick just one! But perhaps one of the most crucial is doing away with the fallacy that inspiration is something that just happens. Too often, we sit around, waiting for inspiration to hit us like a lightning bolt. What we fail to realize, though, is that inspiration is much more likely to zap us in the head with its lightning bolt if we're already doing our part: sitting at our desks every day of the week, typing away, diligently putting to work what we know about the craft. Readers of my blog are probably already familiar with my favorite Peter de Vries quote: "I write every day when I'm inspired, and I see to it that I'm inspired at nine o'clock every morning."

3. What has been your personal experience with writer's block?
The trite and easy answer would be: I don't believe in writer's block. But, of course, that isn't entirely true, or I wouldn't have recorded an entire CD on the subject! What I mean by that, though, is that writers tend to empower writer's block by making it out to be some horrible, foul-breathed, unconquerable boogeyman. Most of the time, writer's block is just us psyching ourselves out. That's been my experience. I get blocked just like anyone else. I bang my head on the keyboard. I wander around the house, pulling my hair out (and generally looking scarier than even the unconquerable word-sucking boogeyman himself). But I've learned that patience and persistence are an almost infallible cure. And prevention is even better!

4. What's your #1 trick for living an inspired life as a writer?
Passion. If you love this writing life, it's difficult not to be inspired. Of course, there are mornings when I wake up after a horrendous writing session and vow I'm going to become a plumber or something. But those moments never last. In the CD, I talk about how inspiration is act of will more than a state of mind. If we approach our writing with a passionate, positive, and persistent attitude, we can hardly fail to be inspired 90% of the time.

5. Other than your CD, where else can writers go to find more inspiration and writing tips?
Along with the CD (which is available, this month only, in a great special offer (HERE)), I'm excited to announce the launch of my newly redesigned website this month. Other than the spiffy new look, it also features lots of goodies for helping writers along the road to publication and fulfillment in their writing. Probably the most exciting additions are the Helping Writers Become Authors Network , which offers an excellent package deal on some of my best writing programs and products, and the First Chapter Story Consultation service. You can also find links to my blogs, podcast, monthly e-letter, and my free e-book Crafting Unforgettable Characters.

Thanks so much for joining us, Katie!

Please join us tomorrow and Thursday for a few bits of awesome wisdom and on Wednesday for a guest post. And go get that CD!!!!! CLICK HERE TO BUY

CONTEST!! For a chance to win a free copy of this CD, simply comment on any of the posts this week. 1 point for each comment per day (one point per post). Entries taken until 11:59 EST Friday the 8th and the winner will be announced on Saturday!


K.M. Weiland writes historical and speculative fiction from her home in the sandhills of western Nebraska. She enjoys mentoring other authors through her writing tips, editing services, workshops, and her recently released instructional CD Conquering Writer's Block and Summoning Inspiration.

You can find Ms. Weiland on her website  and blog

First Stop on Christine Fonseca's Blog Tour for Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students

I am honored and very proud to be launching the blog tour of my very sweet friend and awesome crit partner Christine Fonseca. Her book, Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students releases today! If you or anyone you know is a gifted student or knows one, you NEED this book. This is the book I wish my parents had had when I was a kid. I spent more time writing "Oh my goodness, this is so ME!" in the margins of the pages than I did marking anything that needed editing LOL

This book is quite simply phenomenal and you should run, not walk, to get your own copy. There has already been major buzz about this book in the gifted community and I have no doubt this book will soon be a staple for educator training and parental help.

Christine has stopped by to tell us a bit more about her book.

Welcome Christine, and huge congratulations on the release of your book!

MM: So, what exactly is emotional intensity?

CF: You know that crazy feeling that everything is either too loud, too beautiful, too hard, too easy, too…everything??? That is emotional intensity. Creative types often approach the world with this point of view, often feeling like they are one step shy of bi-polar. Gifted types are this way by definition. It's an aspect of what it means to be gifted.

MM: Why did you write this book? Why is it necessary?

CF: I love this question! I wrote this book after counseling gifted children and parents and discovering something they all had in common – this bizarrely intense way of approaching the world. It didn't matter what they were doing – they did it with a level of intensity and passion I only consistently saw in this group.

So, I did some research and discovered that while the "experts" certainly saw emotional intensity as a feature of giftedness, most teachers and professionals working with this population not only DID NOT see this, but they doubted the authenticity of it. Kids were getting diagnosed with pretty significant mental health issues when, at times, it was actually an issue of intensity – with how this population views and interacts with the world.

Thus this book was born. It was my attempt to educate parents and teachers on what emotional intensity really is and how to help teach children the strategies they need to better cope. I have designed it to be easy-to-read and full of worksheets, checklists and tips to help parents navigate through the often turbulent world of parenting gifted kids.


MM: People often view gifted students as being very independent, self-sufficient – in other words, being smart enough that they are more than capable of taking care of themselves, that they don't need the same kind of support that "regular" kids need. Anyone who knows a gifted student, or who was once a gifted student themselves knows this is very untrue. What other myths do you debunk in your book?

CF: Ah, the mythology of giftedness! Truthfully, myths are very prevalent with regards to the gifted. So much so that the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) has pages and pages dedicated to the topic!

For my book, EMOTIONAL INTENSITY IN GIFTED STUDENTS, I tackled several myths related to learning and emotional development, including the following incorrect assumptions:
• All children are gifted in some way
• Children who fail can not be gifted
• Gifted children are happy and well adjusted in school
• Children with disabilities can not be gifted
• Gifted children don't require additional supports in order to be successful

By presenting the actual characteristics of giftedness, as well as utilizing case studies and role play scenarios, I hope that I've dispelled each and every one of the above myths.


MM: What is the one thing you'd really like people to understand about gifted students/emotional intensity?

CF: Great question! I think I want to tell people that being gifted MEANS being intense – and that this intensity is typically NOT a mental health issue. It's just the way we look at the world. I want people to stop seeing the behavior – the bossiness, the outbursts, the mood swings – as a problem, and see it for the passion it represents. Then, and only then, are we free to teach kids how to cope with this aspect of their personality, instead of trying to hide it or pretend it isn't there at all – often with disastrous results!

MM: What can you tell us about your future projects?

CF: Ahhh, future projects. I've been think about this a lot of late. In the world of non-fiction, I have been exploring the need for a book related to giftedness and bullying, as well as something on teaching/coaching creativity or the Imposter Syndrome in kids. All good topics, I think. Who knows what will actually make its way into a book!

As many of you know, I also write fiction – YA fiction to be exact. I have recently finished up a paranormal romance that highlights forbidden love. My current fiction WiP is a contemporary piece – an issue book. Interestingly enough, the MC is gifted.

Christine, thank you so much for stopping by. And congrats again on such a wonderful book! Christine's second book, 101 Success Secrets for Gifted Kids will be coming out next Spring. Keep an eye out for it!


Fun stuff!!! If you'd like to win a SIGNED copy of Christine's fabulous book, Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students, all you need to do is comment on this post. Simple! (International entries welcome) :)

Extra entry opps:

1. Be a follower of this blog = 1 extra entry

2. Follow Christine's blog, Facebook, or Twitter = 3 extra entries possible

3. Blog, tweet, Facebook about Christine's book and/or tour = 1 extra entry for each that you do (total 3)

Leave your total in the comments. Entries will be accepted until 11:59pm EST on next Friday the 8th. Winner will be announced on Saturday the 9th. Good luck!

(and if you want to double your chances of winning a SIGNED copy of this awesome book, head to Elana's blog for more Christine awesomeness!!!)



Linkage ~

Website

Blog

Find me on Facebook or Twitter

Order the book.

Want an e-reader version? Order here.

Read the first chapter here.

First Stop on Christine Fonseca's Blog Tour for Emotional Intensity in Gifted Children

I am honored and very proud to be launching the blog tour of my very sweet friend and awesome crit partner Christine Fonseca. Her book, Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students releases today! If you or anyone you know is a gifted student or knows one, you NEED this book. This is the book I wish my parents had had when I was a kid. I spent more time writing "Oh my goodness, this is so ME!" in the margins of the pages than I did marking anything that needed editing LOL

This book is quite simply phenomenal and you should run, not walk, to get your own copy. There has already been major buzz about this book in the gifted community and I have no doubt this book will soon be a staple for educator training and parental help.

Christine has stopped by to tell us a bit more about her book.

Welcome Christine, and huge congratulations on the release of your book!

MM: So, what exactly is emotional intensity?

CF: You know that crazy feeling that everything is either too loud, too beautiful, too hard, too easy, too…everything??? That is emotional intensity. Creative types often approach the world with this point of view, often feeling like they are one step shy of bi-polar. Gifted types are this way by definition. It's an aspect of what it means to be gifted.

MM: Why did you write this book? Why is it necessary?

CF: I love this question! I wrote this book after counseling gifted children and parents and discovering something they all had in common – this bizarrely intense way of approaching the world. It didn't matter what they were doing – they did it with a level of intensity and passion I only consistently saw in this group.

So, I did some research and discovered that while the "experts" certainly saw emotional intensity as a feature of giftedness, most teachers and professionals working with this population not only DID NOT see this, but they doubted the authenticity of it. Kids were getting diagnosed with pretty significant mental health issues when, at times, it was actually an issue of intensity – with how this population views and interacts with the world.

Thus this book was born. It was my attempt to educate parents and teachers on what emotional intensity really is and how to help teach children the strategies they need to better cope. I have designed it to be easy-to-read and full of worksheets, checklists and tips to help parents navigate through the often turbulent world of parenting gifted kids.


MM: People often view gifted students as being very independent, self-sufficient – in other words, being smart enough that they are more than capable of taking care of themselves, that they don't need the same kind of support that "regular" kids need. Anyone who knows a gifted student, or who was once a gifted student themselves knows this is very untrue. What other myths do you debunk in your book?

CF: Ah, the mythology of giftedness! Truthfully, myths are very prevalent with regards to the gifted. So much so that the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) has pages and pages dedicated to the topic!

For my book, EMOTIONAL INTENSITY IN GIFTED STUDENTS, I tackled several myths related to learning and emotional development, including the following incorrect assumptions:
• All children are gifted in some way
• Children who fail can not be gifted
• Gifted children are happy and well adjusted in school
• Children with disabilities can not be gifted
• Gifted children don't require additional supports in order to be successful

By presenting the actual characteristics of giftedness, as well as utilizing case studies and role play scenarios, I hope that I've dispelled each and every one of the above myths.


MM: What is the one thing you'd really like people to understand about gifted students/emotional intensity?

CF: Great question! I think I want to tell people that being gifted MEANS being intense – and that this intensity is typically NOT a mental health issue. It's just the way we look at the world. I want people to stop seeing the behavior – the bossiness, the outbursts, the mood swings – as a problem, and see it for the passion it represents. Then, and only then, are we free to teach kids how to cope with this aspect of their personality, instead of trying to hide it or pretend it isn't there at all – often with disastrous results!

MM: What can you tell us about your future projects?

CF: Ahhh, future projects. I've been think about this a lot of late. In the world of non-fiction, I have been exploring the need for a book related to giftedness and bullying, as well as something on teaching/coaching creativity or the Imposter Syndrome in kids. All good topics, I think. Who knows what will actually make its way into a book!

As many of you know, I also write fiction – YA fiction to be exact. I have recently finished up a paranormal romance that highlights forbidden love. My current fiction WiP is a contemporary piece – an issue book. Interestingly enough, the MC is gifted.

Christine, thank you so much for stopping by. And congrats again on such a wonderful book! Christine's second book, 101 Success Secrets for Gifted Kids will be coming out next Spring. Keep an eye out for it!


Fun stuff!!! If you'd like to win a copy of Christine's fabulous book, Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students, all you need to do is comment on this post. Simple!

Extra entry opps:

1. Be a follower of this blog = 1 extra entry

2. Follow Christine's blog, Facebook, or Twitter = 3 extra entries possible

3. Blog, tweet, Facebook about Christine's book and/or tour = 1 extra entry for each that you do (total 3)

Leave your total in the comments. Entries will be accepted until 11:59pm EST on this Friday the 24th. Winner will be announced on Saturday the 25th. Good luck!



Linkage ~

Website

Blog

Find me on Facebook or Twitter

Order the book.

Want an e-reader version? Order here.

Read the first chapter here.

Blog Chain - What Do You Remember?

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This round, the fabulous Shannon hit us with a great question:

Imagine this: when you're gone, readers will remember your writing most for just one of these things: your characters, your plots, your settings, or your style. Which one (only one!) would you prefer over the rest? Why?
I read this question and thought "heck, if people just read me, I'm thrilled" :D And if they remembered me for any of the above, then every second of every minute I spent writing would be worth it.

In order to answer this question, I thought back over the authors I love and what it is about their stories that stick with me. And it's the characters. The settings are in there in some cases (Diana Gabaldon created AMAZING settings in her Outlander series...I can close my eyes even years later and still see every setting in her books. Suzanne Collins's Hunger Games and Carrie Ryan's The Forest of Hands and Teeth series are also both series where the settings really stuck with me.)

But mostly...it's the characters, and as Christine said, their relationships with each other. Jaime and Claire in the Outlander series, Trent and Jocelyn in The Braeswood Tapestry (one of my all time fave historical romances), the characters in Victoria Holt's gothic romances, Katniss, Min (my character :D ), and yes, even Bella, Edward and Jacob. Those characters are who I think about long after I've closed the book. They are what make me feel a little depressed when I've finished a good book. I miss them. I want to know what happens to them AFTER the story.

And that is what I'd love for people to take away from my stories. I'd love for them to be thinking about Min long after they've left her story behind. I'd love for them to wonder about Kesi and Ronan, think back to Cilla and Brynne and Lucy and daydream new stories for them. I want to create characters that my readers can't forget :)

What about you? What do you want people to remember about your writing?

Don't forget to go back and see what Laura wants you to remember and stop by Shaun's to read his response tomorrow :D

You Mean I'm Not Normal?

Okay, it doesn't look like my word count has changed at all, but I've actually been working quite steadily all week. I just, uh, switched WIPs for a teeny tiny second :D I couldn't help it. One of my finished novels was screaming at me for another revision and I just couldn't ignore it. But, if all goes well, I'll be finished in another week or two and then it's back to work on the new WIP - I pinky promise :D

In the meantime, I have a question for everyone - do you ever wish you WEREN'T a writer?

I've read enough blogs and talked to enough writers that I think I can safely say that most of us don't really feel a choice in the matter. Oh sure, we might have chosen to try and get published. But many of us were writing long before that decision was made and would continue to write even if publication would never be an option.

So, do you ever wish your crazy Muse had just left you the heck alone?

I had a moment yesterday where I did feel this way. It surprised me, to be honest. I've had stressful moments and moments where I've literally been in tears for some reason or the other. But I've never really wished things were any different than they were.

But for a split second, I thought "It would be nice if I wasn't a writer." My house would be clean. I'd spend more time with my kids. My spare moments would be spent relaxing, my nights wouldn't be filled with sleepless hours while my crazy brain spun out a million ideas. I'd just be a normal mom.

LOL It was also the first time I realized I truly don't consider myself "normal." Oh, I've joked about it before. But to really, truly, deep down to the marrow of my soul think I was NOT normal. I think this was the first time.

I have friends who are normal. Their houses are clean, their laundry is always done, their kids never watch more than an hour of t.v. a day, and I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure their minds are occasionally quiet enough for them to just BE. They live life without feeling the compulsion to write about it. They see the dishes as a chore, not a brainstorming session. I see people like this every day and it's a weird concept. Like the idea of a billion dollars. I know that much money exists. But I've never seen it. It's hard to fathom. Being "normal" is hard to fathom.

My moment passed very quickly (shoved away by my MC demanding that I sit and work on her story some more, which I was literally giddy to do). I really wouldn't want to be anything else. I love being a writer. Every crazy, roller coaster second of it. But every now and then.....yeah.....

Do you ever have a "what if" moment?

Tutor Tuesday - Looking at Characters

First of all, happy 7th birthday to my little boy!!!! Can't believe how old he's getting :) 

Second, welcome to Tutor Tuesdays :D With the release of my non-fiction book fast approaching, (and since I closed down my other blog) I decided I'd devote one day a week to non-fiction matters, including writing tips for essays, papers and other NF things (memoirs, narratives, and anything else you can think of). Just a little non-fiction info to spice up the place :D

Our recent awesome Blogging Experiment topic (on Writing Compelling Characters) reminded me of a post I did on my other blog about focusing on characters when writing analysis essays.

If you have to write a book report or an essay analyzing a work of literature (or even a film), looking at the characters in the piece is an excellent way to start.

Characters are one of the most important, if not THE most important, element in any work of literature. Without a character, there is no story. Even if the story is about a frog...that frog is your main character. So, characters are a great element to look at when analyzing a work of literature for a paper or essay. Here are some questions you could ask about the characters in the story:


Who are the characters?Who is the main character?Who is the main villain?What qualities/vices/characteristics/quirks/mannerisms do these characters have?What do these characteristics do for a particular character?What is the author trying to show with a certain character? For example, is the extreme evilness of the main villain supposed to symbolize the evil side of mankind? Does it work? Why or why not? Do the characters personify anything? Qualities/characteristics/feelings? For example, if you were analyzing a story about a girl named Hope who went up against a villain named Dr. Evil, do these characters exhibit the qualities of hope and evil? Is Hope an optimistic person, etc?What flaws do the characters have? Or are they too perfect?Are the characters believable? Can you relate to them? Are they likable, intriguing, mysterious? How do these qualities affect the story?Look at the characters from every possible angle and analyze what each character brings to the story. Think about why they are a part of the story, what their presence does, or does not, do for the story.

This also applies to fiction - take a look at your own stories and ask yourself the questions below. Analyzing your characters the way an English student writing an essay would is a great way to make sure they are fleshed out, well-rounded, unique, and doing the job you need them to do.

Have you ever given your characters a good analysis?
   

Welcome to a Fabulous Few Weeks!

Happy Monday All!!

We've got lots of fun stuff coming up so I thought I'd give you a little heads up of what's ahead in the next couple weeks.

Starting tomorrow, I'm starting a new feature, Tutor Tuesdays - adding a little non-fiction flavor to the old blog.

Friday - the awesome Christine Fonseca's book, Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students, releases and I have the incredible honor (along with our CP and all around fabulous friend Elana Johnson) to be the first stop on her blog tour. Please jo...

Writing Compelling Characters

Huge blogging experiment day!!!! If you haven't checked out the incredible list of people participating in this yet, head to Elana's blog - just truly WOW.

So...how do I write compelling characters? My first drafts I really just sit down and write. My characters come out, start developing little quirks and foibles, and in revisions, I take a look at those and exploit them to the best of my ability :D

For instance, my very first main character, Min, was a clutz...if there was a puddle, she'd fal...