R.S.A. Garcia's Blog, page 24

How Do You Do It?

Sorry I’ve been gone all week. The day job got really heavy and I couldn’t spare a thought for blog or WIP.

I mean, am I the only one who gets so focused on her job that sometimes, there’s no room for creativity? I read with great envy of those who write every day in the hundreds, even thousands, of words and I panic a little thinking I must be deficient. Surely, the only way to truly be a writer is to carve out enough time in every day–holiday, weekend or workday–to do at least 2,000 words. 10,000, if what they say about Stephen King is to be believed.

And yet…I remind myself that when I started writing at the ripe old age of 9, I had no conception of writing every day, or reaching a daily word count. I simply had a story burning inside me that I took great joy in writing down whenever I could find the spare time.

Now, when you have a deadline and a job, everything is different. I wouldn’t encourage you to stop and smell the roses if you procrastinate at every excuse–like I do!–and your bills depend on you meeting your deadline. An author–which I define as someone who expects to get paid–has to do their job every day. And if you wish to be an author as well as a writer, then that means buckling down.

I’ve been trying to do daily writing myself, but with a difference. I permit myself to write what I can. Rather than put forth the frankly unrealistic goal of hundreds or thousands of words, I tell myself that I can write three good sentences and stop. Sure, I write long sentences, so sometimes I can get a solid 60 – 100 words out of that. But mostly it’s 20 – 50. I encourage myself to do it by thinking about the fact that progress is progress. Whether you write a little or a lot, it will all add up. And some progress is better than no progress.

This tactic works better than I thought for two reasons. For one, I rarely stop at three sentences. I usually have my train of thought together by then, and I can knock off 100 – 500 words in 15 minutes once that happens. Not a major time outlay–so I can squeeze it in before I fall into bed–but solid words nonetheless. The second thing I’ve noticed is I have fallen into the habit of writing every day, not excuses. And if I don’t write, it’s for a very good reason–like last week’s conference in a hotel with intemperate wifi that kept me out of my Dropbox.

These are two side effects that will stand me in good stead in my professional life, I think. And I’ve managed to do it without stomping out the fun I have writing with a routine I can’t realistically achieve, and that will leave me feeling inferior and uninspired.

So the lesson learned? It’s perfectly alright to do whatever it takes to find your flow. And don’t hold yourself to other peoples’ standards–we are all different as writers and it’s okay to do your own thing, as long as you just do it. Writing I mean.

So how do you do it? Is it about the daily goal for you? The sudden inspiration? That moment the kids are asleep and the husband is in front of Monday night football?

Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear the process other writers have. I will probably even try a few.

 

Tagged: books, daily word count, editing, novels, publishing, writing, writing techniques

Overheard This Morning on My Way To Work

Little Girl to Mom:  I tired. I want to go back home.

Mom:  You can’t be tired. We just walked out the house.

Little Girl:  But we live on a hill. A tall hill. It not easy to walk down it.

Mom:  You should be accustom by now. You walk down it every day to go to school.

Little Girl:  That is the problem. School real far. And you does walk too fast.

Mom:  I’m walking very slow right now because you won’t go fast.

Little Girl:  No, you not.

Mom:  Yes, I am.

Little Girl in Serious Tone of Voice:  Mammy, you don’t even realise how big your steps are. They real big. It making me tired trying to keep up with you.

Mom:  It making me tired listening to you. You does talk, talk, talk like this in class?

Little Girl:  I don’t think so. But teacher say how me and Nikeisha does make she want to take a pain tablet.  Mammy what is a pain tablet?

Mom in Dry Tone of Voice:  Something for whatever hurting you. I wish I take one this morning.

Little Girl in Sympathetic Voice:  You see the same thing I saying? This walking to school down this hill too hard. Is best we go back home.

 

Tagged: caribbean, Travel, Trini life, Trinidad and Tobago, writing

The Best Tip I Ever Got

Someone out on the internet recently asked what was the best tip their blog readers ever got on writing.

My first thought was, well that’s easy. Sit down and write. None of the other stuff matters if you don’t listen to Nike and just do it.

But then I realised there’s something even more basic than that.

There is no hurry.

I mean that. There is no hurry. Right now, the idea’s burning inside you, or perhaps you just got it down on the page and it’s the most perfect thing ever. You can’t wait to show it off. To your friends, your family–the whole world. You start thinking about how to get it published, about all the cool options out there now that don’t even involve waiting for a publisher, agent, editor, none of that, and you’re sure, you’re so sure, that this is good enough, you’re scrolling through Createspace as I write this.

I want to say to that new writer–give it some time. You’re very close to your baby right now. She’s bright, shiny and new and she’s obviously going to be a bestseller. Obviously.

Except she probably isn’t. And because you’re delirious with the joy of your achievement, you have skipped past all the stuff that will help you make her shine. No book comes into the world with the help of just the author. And no author, working alone, can ever make a book as good as it can be.

So wait a bit. Get some distance. Put the book aside and go catch up on the latest season of Justified. Clean the house. Read a book. Read two books. Then get back to your baby and read it again.

See?

You almost put that out there in the world.

And once you have shaken off the shudder of that realisation, get back on your horse, take up your manuscript, draw your sword, and ride into the Valley of Editing. And Beta Reading. And More Editing. And, if it works for you, possibly even the Land of Critique Groups, and the Country of Writing Partners, and if you’re still excited, if you still think the baby has got something, I’d recommend a foray into the Kingdom of Editors before you finally send that book out into the world.

Because no matter how you feel about the book, or indie publishing vs traditional publishing, or agents, or publishers, or Amazon, I guarantee you that not one of the things I mentioned will hurt your book in any way. It will only make it better.

And along the way, it will make you better as a writer too. Because no one plans to write just one book, so why not get better at it as you go along?

So my best writing tip ever? Take the time to make it really good.

You won’t regret it. And yes, I speak from experience. It has taken me years to understand why no one would publish my first novel. Or my second. Or my third, fourth or fifth. But I am so very glad they didn’t.

And now I have all my old manuscripts under lock and key where they can’t hurt me and you can’t laugh at them.

Best thing that ever happened to me, having to wait. You know what they say. Good things come…

Tagged: authors, books, editing, mystery, novels, publishing, scifi, space opera, spec fic, writing tips

Beautiful Music

My sister found this artist a few months ago because music is even more her thing than it is mine–and I freaking love music. Since then, I haven’t been able to get this song out of my head.

There’s something about this that reminds me of Ladysmith Black Mombazo and Paul Simon and Yuna all rolled into one. Overall, I think it’s the songwriting. It’s just amazing lyrics and it makes you want to move and dance and think about how good it is to be alive.

So in case you haven’t heard her yet, I’m posting Yuna’s video here. Tell me what you think. ‘Cause I think she’s on her way up.

And just for old times sake, here’s some Paul Simon and LBM. My favourite off Simon’s album Graceland actually.

Just makes me want to:

Tagged: Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes, Graceland, Ladysmith Black Mombazo, Music, Paul Simon, Yuna

New Game of Thrones Trailer

I’m obsessing again. I cannot WAIT for April. It’s my birthday month and I swear, after watching this trailer, it’s like HBO is giving me a new season of Game of Thrones, just for me.

So I’m posting the latest insane trailer and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIASaUUwklk

After watching that, I felt like:

Because, baby, those dragons look AWESOME!!!

 

Tagged: Game of Thrones, HBO, movies, trailers, TV shows