Hype and Choice

My mind is overflowing with post ideas lately. I have at least three sitting in draft form waiting to be published. So wouldn't you know it, everywhere I turn lately something sparks a post I have to write immediately. Poor draft posts, they are just sitting there waiting for reader attention.

I'm not complaining. I'd much rather the well run over than be dried up. I hate looking at a blank screen with nothing to say. I get overwhelmed and a bit sidetracked (you really don't want to see my house right now) when I have too many ideas, but I never wish them away. I only wish for faster fingers so I can get it all down.

For my Mom in Love with Fiction Blog (my blog for the reader and book fan in me), I often answer prompts from a lovely site, Should be Reading. Today's prompt asked: Are there any “raved reads”–books that everyone seems to be talking about–that you’re hoping to get read this year, yourself? What books are they, and why are you hoping to read them? Is it because you want to say you’ve read it? Or, would you have chosen to read it, even if you’d discovered it yourself, and no one was raving about it?

I'm influenced by hype, but I'm not driven by it. Friends, particularly those in my book club, are my top source for traditional book recommendations. My current book club has a rule that books must be available in paperback, so that alone keeps us from being too cutting edge.

Until the recent bookstore closings, my favorite thing to do was walk aisle by aisle picking up books that caught my eye. Then it was up to the back cover to seal the deal. I rarely stopped at the table of books near the front. That just seemed too obvious and too easy. It's more my personality to read books that are less known and be the one recommending than to blindly follow what everyone else likes.

My newest focus, thanks to my own publishing journey, is to read more independent and small press published books. The best source for these books: my writing community and bloggers. It also helps that I review books for a few review sites.

Another thing I realized about my book buying habits... I might pick up the book the industry is talking about (bloggers, other authors, even Amazon picks), but I'm not as quick to read them as a book that speaks to me. Almost my entire list for the 2012 To Be Read (TBR) Pile Challenge are books fitting this description. Had to have them, but didn't have to read them.

Are your book choices driven by hype? If not, what is your main source for a good read?

Like First Grade Basketball: ROW80 Check In

Parenting is full of twists and turns and the unexpected. I'm constantly amazed by how little I know. Every time I think I'm ahead of the curve, a new challenge pops up. I'm not complaining. It's hard, but it's also taught me a lot about myself and about life. I knew I'd be expected to teach them, but I'm overwhelmed by how much they teach me.

Today, my baby girl played her first game of basketball after only two practices. She's been dribbling her ball all over the place and begging her dad to practice with her.

She gave it her all during the game, and refused to allow the much bigger boys to intimidate her. The whole ride home she was trying to convince her dad to buy the family a basketball hoop.

Her enthusiasm was contagious. I'm always planning and assessing. What's the best use of my time, what task makes most sense to do first, what path is the most effective? I forget to just take the ball and play my heart out.

Writing is full of much bigger authors and lots of players. But there's no reason to be intimidated. I need to write, pour all my creative juices into it. Because if I do, I'll be happy and excited to play again. There's a place for planning and strategizing, especially as you gain skills and ability, but you need to love the game.

In the end...

"It does not matter how many times you get knocked down, but how many times you get up." Vince Lombardi

My ROW80 Update

It's Sunday. Time for an update on my ROW80 progress.

Writing: Going really well so far. Thursday through Saturday resulted in 1,667 words, so I'm keeping with my 500 word per day goal. I'd like another 1,500+ words by Wednesday's check in.

Blogging: Posting daily here. My Thursday review of Stephen King's On Writing was featured on BlogHer. *I'm dancing* And I posted three times on Mom in Love with Fiction.

Reading: In addition to the 2012 To Be Read (TBR) Pile Challenge, I'm participating in The Stephen King Project. I'm still hoping to add at least one more 2012 reading challenge. Any suggestions?

Editing: Fell behind, but planning to catch up this week.

Exercise: Staying on track. It's helped that we've had warm, non-January weather lately and I love getting outdoors to exercise. And I'm getting a handle on sugar.

Social Media: Doing better, but it's so hard to unplug. I need to take my laptop to a building with no wireless signal.

Hope everyone else is keeping the momentum going.

Check out other ROW80 participants here.

You Can't Get Anywhere if You Don't Start

During the month of January, I'm participating in BlogHer's NaBloPoMo. The goal is to blog daily. Monday through Friday there are prompts if you need them, and the whole month has the theme of Beginnings.

Friday's prompt intrigued me: Do you wish the start of the year was in a different season? Which one?

Changing the season wouldn't change the concept. Beginnings are a fresh start, but I often place high expectations on new ideas. Every January 1st, I think about the year ahead. What do I want to accomplish? What can I do differently to make this year successful?

Ideas and goals sprout from many different directions. There's hope, and hope is an amazing motivator. The hard part is maintaining the energy when life starts throwing obstacles in your way.

No matter which season you pick as a starting point, you still have to start. The hardest part of any run for me is getting started. Most days, I put on my workout clothes first thing. I'm embarrassed to admit how many times I end the day in those very clothes without exercising. I promise myself I'll do a couple of tasks first and then go for a run. All of the sudden, anything looks better than running... laundry, dishes, cleaning house, writing posts.

The trick is to just do it. Go first thing, limit the excuses. But it's also making it through the first mile. My body needs time to adjust, and so does my mind. Usually, if can get past mile one, I find my zone. By the end, I'm glad I did it.

The start is all about mentally preparing. So really any month is a starting point, and new goals can start anytime. You just have to put one foot in front of the other.

Knowing When Enough is Enough

"You're being unreasonable." Something I say way too often thanks to my lovely children. But unreasonable people lurk everywhere. I often wonder, did their parents never tell them they were unreasonable? As a result, their sense of reason continued to get more and more skewed. Or, is reason beyond some people's abilities?

My friend and I started a group of girls under a national organization. We love the group, and the organization has overall been helpful and supportive. My friend and I started off with high expectations and wanting to make all the girls and parents, as well as the organization, happy.

Now we realize our mistake.

"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody." Bill Cosby

You cannot make everybody happy all of the time. And in most cases, it's all you can do to make some people happy some of the time. In the end, you give your best and base your decisions in kindness and move forward.

I won't get into specifics, I've read the headlines about bloggers getting in trouble, but we dealt with a parent that only got more demanding as we got more accommodating. The cycle was never going to end. When we wised up and stopped, the mother panicked. We were her lackeys, and she was losing us. She went up the chain. Thankfully the chain supported us and we have parted ways.

But it taught me a valuable lesson. I only have so much energy in this world, and I need to conserve as much of it as possible for my family and true friends. My children alone use up 75-80% of it. But they are worth it!

This goes back to my original point... you can't reason with unreasonable people. You can try, but it takes an awesome amount of energy and rarely offers results. The more you give, the more the taker will take.

I'm in no way suggesting you give to get. But, we all must realize that giving drains us and we can't do it to our, or our family's, detriment. At some point, like it or not, the rubber band snaps.

My new resolution (well-timed with a new year, but I'd be making it regardless): give wholeheartedly, but stop short of giving past the point of reason.

What's your best technique for dealing with unreasonable demands or unreasonable people?

On Stephen King: Reviewing his On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

January, a new year, time for making commitments and beginning anew. My ultimate goal for 2012 is to publish our follow up to Depression Cookies, but I need to jumpstart my writing after a holiday filled with children, festivities, friends, and fun, but little writing.

My goal most of last year was to read a writing craft book, and Stephen King's On Writing came up time and time again. I had never read anything by King, but figured an author who had written over 50 books and sold millions must have something important to say. Because I’m easily terrified, King's books were never at the top of my to be read list. He is now, for many reasons.

To start, I love the way his words seem to convey meaning with such ease. As I was reading about his background and approach to writing, I felt like I was sitting next to him on the front porch while he talked. His childhood was by no means easy, and he points out the effect it had on his writing. If I was a betting woman, I’d say this book only scratches the surface of stories Stephen King could tell you about his younger years.

But I didn’t read this book to find out more about Stephen King. I wanted to find out more about his process as a writer. Turns out, his advice is simple but crucial: writers need to read, and read a lot, and they need to write. His suggestion: write 1,000 words a day. King states that he writes every day except for Christmas and his birthday, but quickly admits to writing even then. Every single day. It’s a way of life for him. Even after his near-fatal accident, he was back to writing, might even say it saved him.

He also emphasizes the need to understand and use correct grammar and punctuation. He illustrates this by defining the essential tools in a writer’s toolbox: vocabulary and grammar (he recommends The Elements of Style by Strunk and White several times). I completely agree. Too often, a good story is overshadowed by horrible editing. At the end of the book he gives an example of a piece and his edits. I will be referring to it often.

King said what I needed to hear to kickstart my 2012 writing, but don’t read this for specific examples on how to be a better writer. His second foreword clears that up right away: “This is a short book because most books about writing are filled with bullshit. Fiction writers, present company included, don’t understand very much about what they do—not why it works when it’s good, not why it doesn’t when it’s bad.”
                  
I’ll admit, I might be a bit biased about this book. King declares, “You may wonder where plot is in all this. The answer—my answer, anyway—is nowhere. I won’t try to convince you that I’ve never plotted any more than I’d try to convince you that I’ve never told a lie, but I do both as infrequently as possible.” I try to plot, truly I do, but I find myself drawn to just writing and seeing where the story leads me. King’s words comforted me—I have to be the writer I am.

I’ll leave you with King’s words, “You learn best by reading a lot and writing a lot, and the most valuable lessons of all are the ones you teach yourself.”

I highly recommend this book to several groups: people who love a good story, King devotees, and writers looking for a kick in the butt, old-school style.

What craft book made you want to be a better writer?

Eyes on the Prize: ROW 80 Check In

It's easy to get psyched up about a new year and new goals. The adrenaline of change is pumping through my veins. I know I can do it. But the trick is feeling that way in February, March, April... heck even by the end of January.

I want to go the distance this year, and not run out of steam because I sprinted out of the gate. Focus is always a problem for me, so I'm determined to sterilize my workspace. To that end, I've decided to:

DECLUTTER

When my desk is overly cluttered, I see piles of things that need to be done. I'll look up to think of a word, and this happens more than I care to admit, and the checkbook will start screaming at me to pay bills. Now I have a three-tier tray system, and I've organized papers there in order of priority. The checkbook is hiding in the desk drawer.

ANTICIPATE

I always have my water bottle, phone, paper, pens, etc. surrounding me when I sit down to work. Nothing is more distracting than having to get up to get something. As soon as I walk away from my desk, I notice the clothes in the dryer need folding, the dog needs water, etc. I'd ditch the phone, but if it rings, I have to know if it's a child puking at school, and getting up to find out wastes valuable time.

UNPLUG

The Internet and social media sites are so provocative. They suck me in. I'm like a small child in a toy store, it's sad. I sit down to write, but tell myself I'll take a quick look at email, Facebook, Twitter, blah, blah, blah. Problem is... there is no such thing as a quick look. I'm trying to stick to a new rule this year: check email/social media for an hour first thing in the morning, mid-day (just before the kids come tearing in the house), and in the evening. I'm currently suffering withdrawal symptoms, so we'll see how this goes.

ALLOCATE

I'm breaking down work into manageable time chunks. I'll set my phone to beep after an hour on task, and I'll take a break. The break might be lunch or it might be thirty minutes checking social media or switching over to reading/editing. I even time my breaks.

FINISH

This might all sound a bit overkill, but I know how easily distracted I am from tasks by other tasks. I tend to overcommit myself. Since I'm flitting from obligation to obligation (it's not like I'm rushing off to do something fun), I think I'm accomplishing more. In fact, I accomplish less because I never finish one thing before heading to the other. Some finishing points are obvious: post is done, edited a chapter, paid bills. Others I try to predefine, like write until the scene's done or the chapter's finished.

(Note: more times than I care to admit, my husband comes home from work to find the dishwasher half-emptied, half the groceries put away, half the dry clothes folded, etc.)

If you are a focused individual, I'm jealous. If you are more like me, I hope some of these tips help you with all those freshly made New Year's Resolutions.

What's your best tip for maintaining focus?

My ROW80 Update

Checking in only one day after posting my goals is a bit of a letdown. It would be like getting on the scale one day after starting a diet. Not much to report, and I want to be able to shout my achievements from the rooftops because I'm stoked to get going. But it's a start...

Writing: I wrote just over 500 words today and yesterday. Definitely heading in the right track.

Blogging: Posting daily here and posted Monday and Wednesday on Mom in Love with Fiction, so meeting my goals. I have been getting around to comment on the ROW80 goals posts. So excited to see 120+ participants. Wow!

Editing: Getting my stuff together. I have four projects going on right now, and all are stretching me in wonderful ways. I've even managed not to edit my own words (except for blog posts).

Exercise: Two for two. Sugar, well...

And, I'm adding a social media goal. My goal is to actually spend LESS time on social media, but use my time more effectively. See reasoning above.

Hope everyone is off to a great start!

In the Mighty Words of King: ROW 80 Goals

I barely know what to do with myself on Wednesdays and Sundays when A Round of Words in 80 Days (ROW80) takes a break. Luckily, it’s time to start again. ROW80 is the “writing challenge that knows you have a life.” But it doesn't mean life gets to be an excuse.

And my apologies… this post is a day late, but for good reason. Yesterday I hosted my fellow ROW80 writer, Elizabeth Ann West, here. She talked about resolutions and gave away copies of her book. If you missed it, check out the post. It’s a tour, so you can still get copies on other stops.

I recently finished reading Stephen King’s On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. I will post a detailed review soon. For now, I want to share how he influenced me:

Good Writers Read. I’ve always believed this, but King drove home the point. To that end, I have upped my reading goals as defined below.

Write Every Day. King says he writes every day except Christmas and his birthday, but quickly admits the truth. He writes even then. I admire this kind of work ethic. He reminded me that the words may suck, but you have to get them down.

He also convinced me to finally succumb and read one of his books. I received 11/22/63: A Novel for Christmas, so it will be my first King.

I’m also committed to growing my freelance work, both in writing and editing, and writing frequent blog posts here and on my Mom in Love with Fiction blog.

Did I mention I’m a ROW80 sponsor? This is my second sponsor gig in a row. I love it. It’s another way to meet some wonderful writers and learn, learn, learn.

But let’s get to it, the meat of the matter.

MY GOALS

Writing – I will write 500 words minimum daily. Thanks Stephen King and Kait Nolan. This is my “test mile” as Kait so eloquently explained here. If I get 500 words and nothing’s falling into place, I still have 500 words and I tried. I’m hoping for more, but I want to write daily and stick to it, so I’m starting small.

Blogging – Daily here (thanks to BlogHer’sNaBloPoMo and the Ultimate Blog Challenge) and three times a week at Mom inLove with Fiction. This writing will not count toward my 500 goal, but I do think it’s beneficial. I also owe Kait Nolan a ROW80 sponsor post this week!

Reading – I’m committed to more reading, because I know it makes me a better writer. To that end, I have joined the 2012 To BeRead (TBR) Pile Challenge, and I plan to join a couple more before the end of January. I’m still weighing my options, but I’ll be posting updates by Sunday’s check in. Plus, in addition to reviewing for Rebecca’s Reads, I’ll also be a part of the WoMen’s Literary Café Review Team.

Editing – I will edit a minimum of one chapter a day on various projects. I am doing freelance editing, and I need to stay on top of it. I love to edit, but it sometimes hampers my own writing (editing too much instead of letting the words flow). Maybe by focusing daily on editing other people’s work, I’ll shake the need to edit my own… for now.

Exercise – Daily, some form. It’s New Year’s resolution time after all. And sugar, you’ve wormed your way back into my diet… good-bye!

Finally, my ultimate goal… lean in close and don’t tell too many people… we will publish our follow up to Depression Cookies this year. Notice will, not want to. And now that I’ve told you, you’ll keep me honest. Right?

Wishing you all the best on your goals. Let’s kick it in 2012!

Visit the other fine ROW80 participants listed below: