Kate Larking's Blog: Anxiety Ink, page 65

Perfectionism

Perfectionism. You know, the answer to “What is your greatest flaw” when doing an interview before you think of something more constructive and less cliched to say?

Except, it can be the answer that holds you back the most. What is my greatest weakness when writing? Perfectionism.

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The habit was likely one I formed in school. I was a good student–I did what was asked, aimed for high marks. It took me until university to ask why. I followed the path that made societal sense. When I finally tracked myself down and asked what high marks meant to me…and I could think of nothing.

My life is overrun with the idea that if I am not perfect in what I do, no one will care. Then, I get haunted by the fear that even if it is perfect, no one will care. It’s a cyclical thing that really gets me down. Perfectionism can kill every ounce of motivation you ever thought you might possess.

One of the things that stops me every time I think about self-publishing fiction is that it won’t be good. I’m not a hideous writer–I’m not. But I can’t call myself a decent writer because I am overwhelmingly hesitant about putting my work out there.

Lots of tough wrestling on topics that drown me. Perhaps I have too much time on my hands and I just need to set deadlines and make sure all my work goes through editors. Seems like a good plan. But there is always that lingering doubt…

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The Problem With Prologues

The problem with prologues is that some people don’t read them.

I know; it shocked me too when I first learned that. After all, isn’t the point of reading a book to, well, read?

So you can’t put in any plot points. No development can actually happen, or a chunk of readers will miss it entirely.

But a good prologue can set tone and mood, present a mystery that will be solved later, and allow your readers to view a piece of backstory with an immediacy that later explanation will lack, among other uses.

I love a good prologue. Unfortunately, I have found that I should generally avoid writing them, as I make them tend toward melodrama. It’s a problem.

One of the few parts I actually enjoyed of the Twilight books, craft-wise (words I thought I’d never say), was the prologue in each book. Or, rather, the first three as I still have not been able to make myself read Eclipse.

The Twilight prologues all present middle-of-the-action, high adrenaline, high stakes situations that each book returns to later at the climax, coming full circle. That can be an excellent use of a prologue, especially if the beginning tends toward the slow side.

So as a general rule of thumb, don’t rely on a prologue to impart crucial information, but by all means use it to strengthen the book’s initial ‘hook’ or otherwise enrich the story.

Do you have any favorite (or hated) prologues? Or are you the type of reader who skips them entirely? (I hope some of you are the latter, because I’m curious!)

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Camp NaNo Returns: A Note On Why I’m Happy About It

Until I really got involved in NaNo, and had an unemployed, writing fiend ask me repeatedly about NaNo events, I didn’t realize that NaNoWriMo extends so far beyond November. Yes, you guessed correctly: July is another camp month!

No, I’m not going to get into the nitty gritty details and bore you with my plans for this month again. I will say my goal is 15 000 words for my current book project, which I hope to have totally researched, outlined, and ready to go by the commencement of camp.

I won’t go into the networking dream that is camp NaNo either, because I completely dropped the ball in April and met zero new writers. Honestly, I remembered to check my cabin when I created my project and I popped in again for giggles when I validated my word count. There were a number of reasons why I didn’t interact with the cabin mates I didn’t know. One, the week leading up one woman was so badly spamming the cabin feed that I didn’t want to waste my time; two, work was hectic that month; and, three, I was overwhelmed with editing.

But, July is a new month. The editing monkey is off my back, work has sort of leveled out (I always seem to end up working in gong show environments but I’m learning to handle this one), and I have a project ready to roar.

What I want to leave this post off with is this: NaNo provides an extraordinary opportunity to hold yourself accountable to the writing community and yourself. There’s good pressure involved in that every few months you get to set a word goal and strive to hit it, which makes you get your butt in a chair and actually write. Plus, there’s SO much support -all year round. I can’t stress that enough. It’s the reason I continue to spread the word about my NaNo adventures AND continue to participate. Everyone involved wants you to succeed and blow the doors off your goals.

Finally, it’s fun.

If you want a taste of what NaNoWriMo has to offer in November, create a small project and see how you do in July here. I don’t think you’ll be sorry.

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Pacing and Writing Schedules

I am quite possibly one of the worst writers when it comes to pacing and writing schedules.

I’m a binge writer. When I get into a project, I write full out for a couple weeks and then slide into a slump. I eventually get my steam back, write solidly for a few weeks, then fall into a slump. It’s an awful writing schedule to have.

Perhaps I overdid myself last Camp NaNo (April), but I still kept the rhythm up for another month (all of May). June was just awful–thought I did try and turn it around.

As a result of this fluctuating schedule and odd pacing, I’ve wondered if I would be better off trying to regulate my writing process or if I should give myself a break.

When I was a student, all the way through university, I usually got assignments done in binges. I might pace some of the research but it took me a while before the vision of what I wanted my report to be fully formulated in my head before I could start assembling the research and draft a near-finished product. It seems to be a theme that is is just how I do things. I’m deadline oriented.

So what about you? What is your pacing and writing schedules? Do you keep things even and ratable or do you binge write like I do?

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Find The Beginning

We’ve talked about choosing the next project. We’ve talked about first lines and getting started. But one of the more common mistakes writers make (or so I’ve read) is starting the story at the wrong place.

I did this with a novel. On the sixth draft, my readers suggested cutting the first chapter entirely. (When you get the same comment from multiple readers, that’s generally an indicator to pay attention, because probably what you intended isn’t coming across.)

The novel’s problems stemmed from more than that. I wrote the rough draft before I really learned about basic story structure, so in my mind I had constructed this unwieldy idea of what the story must be about to make it all work. And that construct required that first chapter.

That should have clued me to the some of the story’s more grievous faults, but optimism and impatience can be blinding.

This is the novel I am now in the process of rewriting. Nothing like that old first chapter even appears, and the whole is so much stronger for it.

To hopefully spare you a similar pain, here are some of the warning signs that maybe you’ve begun in the wrong place (though this is by no means an exhaustive or universal list):

A time jump between the beginning and the bulk of your story (unless such jumps happen throughout). Prologues are a strange and special case and worthy of their own post.
A dramatic location change. The first chapter in my novel was set in Seattle, then it moved to Japan in chapter two and never came back.
Characters – especially named – appearing in the beginning and never again.
If the whole purpose of the beginning is to get in some backstory, remember that old trick of starting everything – scene, chapter, book – as far into the action as possible. Maybe you’ll find you have to back out some so readers aren’t entirely lost and confused, but you’ll know the heart of the action.

Have some tips to add? Have any tales to tell about starting in the wrong place? Please let me know in the comments!

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Stop and Start: Lessons of Book One

I am in the midst of writing what I am considering my very first book. It’s my first because it’s the only one to date that has made it past the most preliminary planning stages -I have all of the major character names and bios done; I have 75% of my setting mapped out; I have three chapters written; and the entire book (as I think it will go right now) outlined. I even have very vague plans for the next three books in the series and TONS of research done.

I’ve never made it this far without petering out in the quagmire of my ideas. It’s exciting! But also exceedingly frustrating.

I’m frustrated because my lack of experience is hampering me from sitting down and just writing the book. To start, I jotted down very basic notes about my main characters and chose my setting, then got to work. After I wrote 1.5 chapters I had to stop and take a pause. I needed to research the city I chose because I’ve never been there and I realized the urban setting is becoming integral to my series.

Then ideas kept flashing in my mind about my main character. Her background needed to be well established before I finished book one because it’s a point of pride with me that my world is built solidly. I don’t want to have things change spontaneously in book five or something and have my characters do anything not true to them in any book.

As I got to know my protagonist more intimately I realized my book was demanding a first person narrator. I hemmed and hawed but the reality is she needs to tell the story in her words. I haven’t changed the first and second chapters yet because I’m trying to train myself to edit AFTER, not during.

That’s three stops to one start! Finally, I got back to writing. I finished chapter three weeks ago. And then I had to stop! Why? Because my dark urban fantasy, like the vast majority of urban fantasy, inevitably has a mystery element to it. And of course, I hadn’t plotted out the numerous attack sites I need even though I wrote in my outline that my protagonist triangulates places to search -oops.

The list goes on.

Stop and start is the worst possible method of writing next to not writing. I swear. The upside is that I’m learning the million and one things not to do over the course of writing a book and (hopefuly) figuring out the list I need before I even start the next one.

My goal is to be up and writing, meaning done all my research, this month (July). Regardless, I’m sure there will be more lessons of book one to learn as I stumble my way through this project.

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Goal Checkup – Halfway Point 2014

Elisa is really on this accountability thing. And *grumble grumble* I feel liable now, after she has posted, to give myself a checkup, too.

So let me take a look and see how I’m doing, now that we are halfway through the year. New Years Goal Checkup –Makeup! (Can you tell I’m excited for the new Sailor Moon?)

Revise interWIRED and query  - I have started. I want to do it this summer, though it might take longer. But this is definitely a goal for the year.
Write 6 days a week  - I was ON IT during April Camp NaNo. I mean, scarily on it. Then, June, I fell apart. I had to write more freelance work, resumes, cover letters, etc. But I’m revving up for July Camp NaNo so this should be sorted out soon.
Walk or work out 6 days a week  - I ran my 10K and did decently. I fell off the wagon a bit but I hauled myself up and am now back at Ballet Barre, killing my legs and muscles 3-4 times a week, plus walks. So we’re good on this one!
Submit a short story freelance article a month  - I’m revising this goal. I have been getting into the freelance goals more in order to balance out the financials. Wrote an article for a magazine and am working on marketing blog work now.
Minimize book and magazine purchases - I did buy three books yesterday…with a gift card leftover from Christmas. This in unheard of, how much restraint I have on this front. But, to be honest, I haven’t been reading that much.

There have been a few evolutions on my list that I did not anticipate at the beginning of this year. So let’s add these accomplishments as amendments to my goal checkup.

I have my first book, a marketing book for fiction writers, due out in August 2014. I’m really excited for Novel Marketing. It started as a pet project for research until I decided that I really wanted to share and guide with the information I was learning and re-interpreting for fiction writers.
I have moved up from Direct-at-Large for Graphics for the Alberta Romance Writers’ Association to full-fledged, elected board member–Secretary. Mildly terrified I might single-handed drive a non-profit to ruinous disaster, but I have so far been able to prettify the website and keep it alive!

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Goal Check-In #2!

So Elisa has kicked us off with another round of goal check-ins! (Confession: I forgot all about these. Maybe this means I should get back to using that bulletin board.)

In travel goals . . .

Istanbul: ACCOMPLISHED! In case you missed it. Reader Con is a go in less than two weeks. At this point, I’m looking forward to having the bulk of the year’s travel over and done with.

In writing goals . . .

The tally system is, awesomely, still working. Only five non-writing days for the whole year so far!

Shortly after my last check-in, I finished the novel rough draft I was working on. The novel rewrite that is the current project, I really hoped to have done by Reader Con, but it’s still shy of the halfway point. One short story written and waiting for me to buckle down and get to the edits. An older short story that I’m trying to send out for submission. A piece of flash fiction for a podcast, and another for a random challenge . . . I’m doing better than I thought when I started writing this post.

My goal for this year – for those who don’t remember (like me; I had to look it up) – is two novels and three short stories. At this point, I have no doubt that I can reach the goal. It may take another three months, but the rewrite will finish. Then I’d like to focus on getting some of these short stories out of my head before deciding whether to revise and edit the rewrite or start another rough draft. But by then, it should be 2015 and I’ll have to designate a new set of goals.

In work/write/life balance . . .

The days seem to vanish faster and faster as the year marches on. I’d like to think I’m finding  a happier medium. The “life” side of the equation has grown significantly with the addition of theater, but I think that’s only helped to have a stabilizing impact on the rest. I’m even on social media more (not that you’d know it to look at my poor, neglected personal blog).

Glancing back over the original goals post and the first check-in, it’s funny to see how I swing back and forth on some things. Then again, who ever said that progress always proceeds in a straight line?

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Goal Checkup 2

I bet you thought I forgot about my accountability trend! No such luck, sorry.

This is the second of my quarterly goal checkups in regards to the goals I wrote, printed, and taped to my wall back in January. I actually remembered it was time to update because I was starring at the wall in a work-induced stupor and realized, “Hey, I can check off that goal. Oh, and that one. Maybe that one.” So I’m actually excited to do an update this time around, unlike back in March.

Finally –FINALLY– time has decided to slow down a wee bit and I’ve caught my bearings. Only took till June for it to seem like 2014 wasn’t flying by. Still, July is next week and I can hardly believe it.

I’ve been much better about my goals this quarter. I don’t know if it’s the lousy report I shared last time or if my life is actually starting to attain a semblance of balance. Either way, I have accomplishments to share!

There are still many strides I need to make if I’m going to check everything off by December 31st but things are looking way up from where I stand now versus where I was:

My apocalypse story for What Follows is mostly tackled. It’s in its second round of editing (with the editor) and I’m just waiting for its return so I can pour over the details a little more before I wash my hands of it.
I’ve been working really hard on the 1000 words minimum a week I set for myself. Aside from the days off that I’m booked up full with social events (the past two weeks in which my two best friend’s graduated, one went away on a trip for six weeks, and I finally met up with people I’ve been meaning to for awhile, were a right off, for instance) I’m hitting my target. Yay!
I’ve been TOO social lately. Oy.
My “4th old book” rule is still trending for me. At the moment I’m a bit stuck in a non-fiction I bought in my last year of high school, but like I said, it’s been a busy month.
Have you seen the makeover on our site and Anxiety Ink’s fancy pants new logo? Those are just minor things we have in the works right now! Yes, we’re still concretizing.
Some injuries I’ve been sporting since January that have been preventing me from truly exercising are finally near the end of the rehab stage and I’ve started a better exercise routine. So far so good.
I cooked my dinner yesterday! It’s a start. Seriously.
The accountability train kind of went off the tracks for a bit…
I NEED to be more positive.
I bought a file cabinet and hanging folders and labels –my desk is SO clear. And my writing is organized *zen*.
“Brew Disaster” is complete and I submitted it to two places. It didn’t make it into one collection and I haven’t heard back from the contest I sent it too. I have one more place I wanted to send it. I should probably just do it and see what happens. (I did it while composing this blog post. The waiting game is on!)

I also have three new goals to add to my list:

Get my current book done by the end of this year. I don’t want to give any details about it away but I’m super stoked!
Start design plans for my personal author website. I’ve got plans buzzing around my head but I don’t want to get ahead of myself.
Get more involved in my writing group so I can in turn get more out of it. (Again, took a step while writing this post. This accountability to others thing works, I tell you.)

As I always say, I can’t tackle all my goals at once. I know this and yet not crossing items off soon after I add them do lend to feelings of inadequacy. I’m working on that too. That’s all I’ve got for now, people!

How is everyone else doing?

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Zen and the Art of Writing

What do I mean by zen and the art of writing? Other than my post’s title being very similar to a book by Ray Bradbury (which I very much enjoyed), I wanted to talk about balance and writing.

Writing is a very demanding art. It doesn’t take a few minutes here and there and you’ve magically cranked out a novel in one draft. If you’re reading this blog, you probably know that already.

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This post isn’t so much about the craft of writing than it is the balance of the world around your craft. Everything impacts when you are working creatively.

Stress – When you have a rough day and you still want to write but the words won’t come? That right there is a reason to manage your stress levels.
Headaches – By headaches, I really mean caffeine. I find that if I’ve had a little too much caffeine, I simply can’t recover and get back into the writing space. I’m full of jitters and headaches, left without the proper balance in my brain to blend passion and sense.
Diet – Too much sugar can take a toll on your writing, whether you are buzzing while sitting at the keyboard or you are napping on your desk because you’ve crashed. The best writing days are usually the days where I have eaten the best, taking care not to overload on writing fuel lattes or treats.
Stiffness – I you don’t move enough, no matter how into a scene you are, you will suffer from aches and pains that can keep you from writing for a while. I’m guilty of this one, despite trying to hard not to be. You have to take the time to take care of your body.
Other stories – Be it television, movies, podcasts, or other books, I find it very difficult to write if I am enjoying some other media at the same time. Sometimes I’ll binge watch a series and, that’s it, my writing is GONE for a day or two afterwards. Other times, I’ll read a book I’ve been waiting for and then I can’t fall into my own voice properly when I do sit at the keyboard.

At the end of the day, writing must be balanced with the other aspects of your life. I’ve been on both sides of life: one where I have been working too hard to be able to write and one where I have worked too little to be effective at writing. The secret is balancing your zen and the art of writing.

 

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