Today’s blog post is in the form of a graphic essay. What the heck is that?
Not to brag, but my third grader could tell you. He recently stayed in from recess (his choice!) to work on his personal graphic narrative. In this case, graphic doesn’t mean gruesome or explicit. (Although I’m certain there was farting in my son’s story.) Graphic means pictures are involved. For Kam, this meant telling a story as a comic. It’s a real thing. I’m telling it true!
Read MoreOccasionally you hear of authors scraping entire manuscripts or making massive, time sucking changes. Maybe it was the need to switch from third person close POV to first. Or perhaps they decided to cut a character or start from an entirely different place. I had heard of cases like this and seen the frustrating and emotional social media posts. I had read the authors notes in which the writer bemoans the number of drafts and thanks their editor and significant other for tirelessly supporting them when they didn’t think they were going to live to see the other side of the project.
But like an idiot I thought “that will never happen to me”. It was not an intentionally arrogant thought. I did not think I was better than these other authors, I just… I don’t know… didn’t think I’d be willing to throw away hours, months, or even years of work.
Call it karma or the boomerang effect, if you will, but I’m currently finding myself in the very place I’d never thought I’d be.
Read MoreMost people use the term guilty pleasure in connection to the entertainment industry, but the majority of my guilty pleasures are consumables… Pop Tarts, Diet Pepsi, and in the fall… candy corn.
If you were a fly on the wall in my office, kitchen, living room or car it would not take you long to discover that I am fairly regimented in my daily routines. I try, at all times, to maximize my own efficiency in hopes that there will be just a little more time to do x, y or z.
This is why protein smoothies are my favorite lunch. I can easily eat-drink my meal during my daily commute to teach my 12:40 Intro to College Writing class. I’d be fine if we cut cable because I rarely watch TV and I make grocery lists to avoid extra trips to Target.
I also usually select my reading and listening material base on what it will provide me, and often times, ENTERTAINMENT, does not top the list.
Read MoreToday marks a momentous milestone for me and my blog. This is post #100. To celebrate, I’d like to share 100 pieces of writing wisdom. Below you will see an epic collection of writing tips, techniques, resources, suggestions and quotes from talented writers. A gift from me to you.
Happy writing!
With love, from the Word Nerd
Read MoreI know that I’m behind the times on the topic that I’m going to talk about. I know that my sister and cousins (all younger than me) have been doing for years what I’m about to suggest. I know that other writers in my critique group have also discovered this wonderful medium as well, so I’m late to the party. But now that I’m here, I’m so glad I came.
What on earth am I talking about?
Last weekend I attended one of my favorite word nerd events of the year. The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Fall Retreat! Three jam-packed days of fun, professional development, networking opportunities and books. Books, books, books… so many books.
It’s easy to see why this is one of my happy places, but just in case my reasoning isn’t 100% transparent, I thought I’d spell it out. Are you ready to learn more about this incredible international literary organization? Then read on.
Read MoreI’ve been writing on my blog for quite a long time now. I’ve been celebrating Writing Wednesday since February 2016 to be exact. This is post #97! And you know what? I’m really proud of it. It’s got a lot of great content and it looks good. But you know what makes me sad? That so far, it isn’t as far reaching as I’d like! I could put literary gold up on the site, but if there is no one there here to read it… its value diminishes.
That’s why I’ve taken extra steps to make it even easier to access. Last week, with the help of my business coach Chynna Haas from 29Rebel, I added a subscription service to my blog. Just sign up HERE and each Wednesday when I post, my helpful and motivating words will arrive, almost as if by magic, to your inbox.
I’ve also done a round up of a few posts I think you might be interested in… that you may have missed over the last two years. First up? My most popular blog posts ever!
Read MoreI’ll start with the first one, which came from the book Steal Like an Artist., by Austin Kloen. I know there are some people who would consider me boring, and I guess I probably wouldn’t argue. Maybe that’s why I’ve never really had trouble with getting work done. I’ll confess, this summer, surrounded by fun options and people who do not have to go to work or school… being productive proved a little more difficult. I often felt stressed that work wasn’t getting done, or guilty that I wasn’t hanging out with my family. I knew that situation was temporary, and now that the school year has started, I’m ready to set my vacations and afternoons at the pool to the side and be super productive (and boring) again.
But I’m still in uncharted territory. For the first time in my life, my professional hours are not dictated by a strict bell schedule.
Read More
Even though my last day of full time teaching was June 6th, the beauty of electing a twelve month pay schedule has kept my pay checks coming all summer long. For someone going into business for themselves, three months of guaranteed payment is a glorious thing. This summer I have been able to test out my “working hours”, add to my freelance work load, advance a few fiction manuscript projects, and still take all of our family vacations. (Which, when you have a two-teacher family and no work in sight for several weeks, is admittedly, a lot.)
A few days ago, on September 1st, I needed to officially start earning my own way. I have done a lot of things to make this opportunity a success. If you are thinking of quitting your day job to “go pro” in your creative pursuit, here are some steps that I took, that you may want to consider.
In January 2017 I made the resolution to set aside 20% of my writing earnings into an envelope (Dave Ramsey style). I lovingly called this my “Go Pro Fund”. In a year and a half, I amassed just under two months of income. My plan was to have a pool of cash to pull from if I ended up short of my goal earnings at the end of the month. (Tip: Figure out what you make in your take home pay on a monthly basis from your day job. Use this amount as an earning goal as you move forward into self-employment.) When my computer unexpectedly crashed in July, my Go Pro Fund also acted as an emergency fund to replace this necessary tool without negatively affecting my family’s savings. This purchase was the first time I ever pulled from the envelope, and I did so guiltily, but how is a writer supposed to earn a dime without a computer!?!?
The second financial step I took was to create a business bank account. It is where I have been putting the other 80% of my writing earnings. I use this money to pay for conferences, book orders, contest submission entry fees and office supplies. At this point, the account is not bursting at the seams, but it does hold a balance that will allow me to continue to pay for a few of these expenses for a while. This account will allow me to continue to operate as a financial benefit to my family, instead of a drain. I have also pre-paid the conference entry fees for events I am attending in September and October and have a healthy supply of (already paid for) books in my basement. (Let me know if you want one, or a dozen!) It feels good to know that my major financial obligations are covered in these first two months of my self-employed journey.
Another important action I took was to diversify my income opportunities. I now am paid by Western Technical College, Big Shared World, Teachers Pay Teachers, KWiL Publishing, Amazon and events including in person book sales and school visits. At their varied income levels, one of these income streams alone could not sustain me, but at the same time, I am not reliant on any single company/employer/revenue generator to keep me afloat. Should one collapse or cease to exist, I could still press on and make it. I also worked to fill up my calendar, giving myself guaranteed money making events in the near future. You can check out my website for the fun word nerd events I have scheduled in October, December, February, March, April and June!
And finally, I have a back up plan. On paper, I have earned all I need for the rest of 2018. BUT, if everything crashes and burns by January 2019, I always have the option of substitute teaching for $120 a day. It’s not ideal and it’s not what I really want to do. But I can, if I have to. It’s peace of mind, and mighty fine to have in my back pocket should I need it.
Starts ups take time to grow. I know because I’ve been at this writing gig for 7 years now and am just now ready to take this leap.
If you have any tips of your own to add, please share them with us in the comments below. If you have any questions for me on how I made it to this place, feel free to comment on this post or email me!
If you are contemplating your own creative leap, I wish you the best of luck. With passion and planning, you can do this. I know it, because I have.
In between all of my writing and traveling, I did manage to read a few books this summer, and some of them were spectacular. I wanted to share them with you in case you are looking for something great to read as the weather cools down and we spend more time inside. Check out my list of books below, encompassing many genres, age levels and topics.
Happy reading!
Amanda
Even though I won’t be teaching middle school this year, I can’t dump my love affair with middle grade and YA books. This summer, I encountered two amazing ones.
Mark my words, this book will be willing all sorts of accolades come book award season. It tackles the really tough topic of racism, through the lens of the prison and media institutions. Set in a small town, this book tells the story of a real-life prison break, through the eyes of the Prison Superintendent’s twelve-year-old daughter, Nora. Captured in bits and pieces, this narrative is completely made up of letters, text messages, school announcements, newspaper articles, and recorded conversations. When Nora decides to take reporting into her own hands, many great ELA teaching components come into play including accurate quoting, reliable sources and the importance of doing research. Questions of prison and town demographics, reported incidents of prisoner abuse, stereotypes and societal rules arise as Nora digs into the events that are turning her town upside down. The final gem of the book is that Elidee, a newcomer to the town, reflects on her feelings via poems and song lyrics inspired by famous writers including Lin Manuel Miranda and Jaqueline Woodson. This book will inspire… inspire conversations, inspire activism, inspire writers and inspire friendship. I’m not kidding when I say dust off the Newbery. This book might get it. Bravo Kate Messner! Add it to your child’s bookshelf ASAP.
This book is the sequel to the Newbery Honor winning book The War That Saved My Life. I will confess that it sat in my To-Be-Read pile for FAR TOO LONG. (Life is busy!) But once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. Ada is living through WWII in the English countryside with her brother Jamie, and guardian, Susan. The war permeates everything they do and attacks their personal lives from every angle forcing the characters of this book to push on, move on and live on… even when they don’t want to. Who is your enemy? Who is your friend? What is family? What is right? What is wrong? Lessons abound and so do wonders. Especially wonders of the heart. This book is a treasure. I admire Kimberly Brubaker Bradley for taking on difficult and controversial topics with a grace that makes them accessible for middle grade readers. Her words tug at my heart strings and pull me entirely into her story. This historical fiction at its best, and even though it is written for middle schoolers, readers of all ages will love it. (Both my mom and I did!) Head over to Amazon and put this one in your cart; you won’t be disappointed.
Some of my favorite reading I did this summer, was with my boys. Whether in a tent on the deck, in the car, or just before bed, we were able to experience some fun stories this summer!
Dinosaurs, pizza and a game of hide and seek? What could be better? Pretty much nothing in the Zieba boys’ estimation. We have so much fun reading this book, counting down while the dinosaurs hide and then trying to find them in increasingly difficult spots in their backyard. And when the game is done, everyone gathers in the kitchen to eat the pizza that had been cooking while they played. This is not a passive reading experience! A perfect, interactive, read aloud. Bonus, Sheri is a Wisconsin author! Show her a little literary love by requesting that your local library add this book to their collection, or by buying it for your child’s classroom teacher as a back to school gift! (Pssst. There’s a coloring book version too!)
My boys have a favorite author, and it isn’t me. (I get the coveted #2 spot.) #1 belongs to Johnathan Rand, thanks entirely to his series Freddie Fernortner, Fearless First Grader. When I returned home from a trip to Michigan where I was teaching at Johnathan’s young writer camp (Author Quest), I brought back the newest installment in the series. The Day of the Dinosaurs starts in a sandbox, but quickly travels to a land of faraway imaginings, many, many years ago. My sons love the adventures Freddie goes on, and the delightful illustrations that occasionally accompany the story. There is no hope of reading just a single chapter with this series. As soon as I read the last word, they are begging, for just one more chapter. If you have little boys in your life that are ready for chapter books, add these ones to your list!
Your shelves are full of these, right?!?!? Make room for two more. Don't worry, they are small in size, but not in power.
These two tiny books are the best pep talk I have read in a long time. The amount of quotable inspiration that comes from Austin Kleon in these pocket-sized how-to manuals is mind boggling. Almost every page bears the addition of my ink, underlining important thoughts or jotting down my ideas that it has spring boarded into existence. The books go beyond inspiration to practical applications creatives can take to move their work and their career forward. The best part is you can read these books quickly. Just a chapter in a few minutes, or the entire book in an hour or two sitting. It is great for writers to learn and read, but at the end of the day, writers need to write, and creatives need to create… if we spend huge chunks of our time NOT creating… for whatever reason… that’s a problem. These books are the remedies. I know that the holiday season is a long time away, but if you have a creative on your list, pick up these two books and you can check stocking-stuffer off your list. (Or just surprise them when a little pick me up… just because you love them and want to see more of their work.)
I mean, not entirely. I did read other books. These were just my favorites from this season. What did you read? What did you love? What's next on your list/pile? Comment below!
I have been fortunate enough to attend three, four-day writing excursions this summer. Since leaving the full-time teaching world, my home office hours are mostly dedicated to paying gigs. But, on these writing retreats, I splurge, allowing myself to dive head first into my fiction work.
This summer my fiction project is revising my YA Fantasy manuscript. As I’ve poured over these words (in some cases for the 3rd, 5th or 8th time!) I’ve learned a thing or two.
Curious to hear my tips? Head on over to my friend, fellow Wisconsin author Valerie Biel's blog to read the rest of this article by clicking HERE.
Then, check back here next week, and every week, for more Writing Wednesday goodness.
Happy writing,
Amanda
Character. Without it, your story is meaningless. Your reader needs something to care about, SOMEONE, to root for, empathize with, and emotionally invest in.
Two of my current fiction projects are demanding that my attention be focused on character, which got me thinking about how to better understand who my characters really are. How do you get to know someone you created in your imagination? There are plenty of activities and workbooks out there. And some of them are really great. Here are two I strongly recommend.
The Proust Questionnaire started out as a parlor game in France as a way for a host to better get to know his or her party guests. You can find the list of questions here. It’s a great place to start when trying to figure out who your character is at the core.
Written by one of my favorite writing gurus, Kristen Kieffer, Crafting Incredible Characters, a digital workbook will walk you through the character creation process one step at a time. Beautifully designed pages and expertly curated questions make working on this aspect of your story a true joy. (Just be careful that you don’t have so much fun with the workbook that you use it as your excuse not to ACTUALLY WRITE your story. Take it from a guilty party… this workbook is so good that it’s easy to fall into that trap!) (Side note: the recommended price for this amazing resource is only $9.00, but if that is a financial stretch for you, Kristen has a generous pay-what-you-can business philosophy.)
But I’d already done those. I needed something different. I needed to stretch my brain and take it to new places.
So, I dug into my teaching materials and head and came up with the character creation activities below. Go ahead and try one, or all of them. Let me know what you come up with! What did you discover about your character? Did anything surprise you? What new quirk, talent, or flaw did you learn about the star of your story? Comment below or send me an email. I’d love to meet to the person of your brain’s creation.
My sister religiously reads US Weekly. For years she got the subscription to it as a Christmas gift. Kind and generous sister that she is, Kate would often gift me her magazines once she was done with them. I didn’t mind being a week or ten behind on the celebrity gossip… I mostly just enjoyed looking at the fancy dresses. Inside the magazine there is a feature called: 25 Things You Don’t Know About Me. Each week they ask a celebrity to share several little-known facts about themselves. Try this with your own character. What little idiosyncrasies or preferences does your character secretly harbor? How can you bring those unique individual characteristics to the surface to make them memorable for your reader?
If you find yourself stuck, do a google image search for “US Weekly 25 Things You Don’t Know About Me” and dozens of images like the one above will pop up. Use them for inspiration. Tim Gunn, mentor on Project Runway confessed in his edition that “few foods make me happier than French fries” and he had a terrible stutter as a child and teen. These two facts add layers of depth to a persona that to the world seems a polished and poised gentleman. Picturing Tim sitting in some diner eating French fries (probably with a fork) while listening to a diction podcast via Marc Jacobs earbuds is downright delicious. What character facts can you unearth and how can you use them?
Thought-Shots are a great way to get into your characters head. The activity described below will help you add additional insight and character motivation to your story. Confused or want to see an example of this trick in action? Watch these video clips of the opening scenes in the movies The Hobbit and How to Train Your Dragon. Through the character’s thoughts we are treated to behind the scenes information, motivation and personal levels of understanding.
Last week I was driving and saw a bumper sticker that said, “If you are what you eat, then I am fast, cheap and easy.” I immediately thought, Nailed it, that’s totally me. (For real, my diet is made up of Cherry Pop Tarts, Diet Pepsi and Mac n’ Cheese… I kid you not.) This small declaration on the back of a beat-up car spoke to me, defined me, and showcased a specific character trait all in 36 square inches.
I thought it would be fun to do the same for a character. You can make up your own bumper sticker slogan for them, or if you are struggling to come up with a witty phrase, use the internet. (Warning: several results during this search bring up offensive language and content. Thicken your skin and scroll fast! Pinterest had more friendly search results.)
If you want to put your character into an interesting situation, try the activity below. Making our characters uncomfortable is one way to see how they will act. Do they crumble when outside their ordinary bubble? Or do they rise to the occasion? Are they feisty, passive aggressive or confident? Put them in hot water and find out.
I’ve spent a lot of time in the car this summer driving to a variety of writing and family events. While in the middle of no-where Midwest I was struggling to find a radio station that matched my particular musical preferences. I wound up scanning through the 5 options (NPR, orchestral compilations, classic rock, old time country and religious talk radio) again and again and again. As I drove and thought and scanned I wondered who would actually enjoy listening to each of these stations. I mean, somebody must… they don’t produce them for no one! Mini character profiles sprung to mind for each station. Why not reverse engineer this process with the activity below? Use music to uncover hidden personality traits and style of your character.
And finally, once you’ve completed a few of these, organize your thoughts into the chart below. Keep it handy so you can continually influence your story with characterization… instead of forgetting about it after you write chapter 1.
You can use this chart two ways. I initially created it because I was struggling to decide on the kind of character I wanted to lead my new series. Boy or girl? Caucasian or a person of color? Sassy or witty? Outgoing adventurist or tech geek introvert? I used this chart to create three distinct characters, complete with strengths and struggles, clothing preferences and backpack belongings. I’m not certain I’ve made any solid decisions yet, but this certainly helped me on my way.
The second way you can use it, is to record the character traits of several different characters in your story. This way you can remember who is a vegetarian and who won’t leave home without their bird watching bible.
To get your free editable copy of this chart, click this link. Then go to file, make a copy. Once the new doc opens up, you can edit and save as you wish! Struggling? Just send me and email and I'll walk you through it!
Alright, that’s it for this week’s Writing Wednesday! I hope found these activities helpful and that your brain is boiling with all sorts of new possibilities. Feel free to pass on this link to another writer you think might find it helpful, or better yet, do as my writing group did last week, and complete the activities with a friend. When you are finished, share all the good stuff you write with each other and give feedback on which traits most resonate. Good luck with your character creation and happy writing!
Last week I spent time at a magical writing place called Cirenaica. I came home with 2 chapters solidly workshopped and revised, 2,700 brand new words, a bunch of word nerd friends and my very first literary award.
Cirenaica, which in Uruguayan means “siren of the sea”, is the name of a cabin in central Wisconsin. The owner of the property thought the name would symbolize the alluring sensation writers (and other artists) feel when their work pulls them away from the responsibilities of their daily lives. I agree, it is the perfect name for a creative retreat, and can attest that it accomplished its goal.
For the past three years this oasis in the woods has been rented by the Chippewa Valley Writer’s Guild. Each summer, for five weeks, a writer in residence and ten other word nerds gather for four days of writing, work-shopping, and camaraderie. The summer of 2018 retreat series has seen the likes of Nicholas Butler, Michael Martone, Lindsay Starck, Holly Hughes and Karla Huston.
With Lindsay, author of Noah’s Wife, an allegory tale depicting a modern village’s trouble with constant rain and a flooded zoo, we worked to add tension to our novels and short stories in progress. Here were a few of my take aways from my time with this Augsburg MFA teacher.
On the final night of each session, the retreat participants host a reading for the general public. After each writer shares their piece BJ Hollars, director of the Chippewa Valley Writer’s Guild, gives a few thank you’s and then, announces the winner of the coveted Toilet Seat Award. The award, created earlier in the summer when a writer went above and beyond to fix a cataclysmic bathroom catastrophe, is meant to honor a person who “embodies the spirit of Cirenaica”.
And last week, that person was me! As I stood proudly before the small crowd, tightly clutching the unusual traveling trophy, I confessed, “This is my first literary award!”.
You might be wondering, Amanda, how did you earn this prestigious honor? Let me tell you the story.
We were moments away from dinner. Chef Michelle was making the final meal preparations, wine had been poured, the record player was rocking, BJ and Lindsay were tenaciously battling the wireless printer and I had an idea. Rather than sit spread out among the room, deck and kitchen for dinner, occupying random chairs and eating off our laps, I wanted to eat dinner with my new friends. All of them. At the same table. How could we spend our last dinner together scattered about the cabin and property? In my mind this simply wouldn’t do. I wanted us to be together.
So, I set about gathering extra tables and instructed others to grab some chairs. Within just a few minutes, we managed to assemble an eating space large enough for all fourteen of us. And even though our presentation may not have done Martha Stewart proud, it looked great, with each and everyone of us sitting around it, together. Apparently this is the first time in three summers this feat has ever been accomplished, and because the retreat I attended is the last ever Cirenaica retreat, we dubbed this “the last supper”.
For me, this picture exemplifies the magic of opportunities like the Cirenaica retreat. BJ had told me many times about the power of this place and the amazing things that happen here. And for me, the coming together, the creative community all at one table, is as magical as it can get. I am thankful the Chippewa Valley Writer’s Guild not only recognizes this form of magic but works diligently to create and support it. Thank you, BJ, not only for the award, but also for seeing my small action as something more than arranging furniture. Thank you also to the Chippewa Valley Writer’s Guild for the opportunity to be a part of your magic. I look forward to the next time I can write with you and create more of it.
One of my favorite story elements is setting. Even though I don’t get to travel much in real life (it’s not really in the teacher-write budget!). Or maybe BECAUSE I don’t get to travel much in real life… I LOVE reading about far away places. And far away times too.
This summer I read a book about a place not-so-far from home, Madison, Wisconsin, more specifically, the campus of the University of Wisconsin Madison. And even though I’d been there many times (Go Bucky!), author Angie Stanton made it feel alive in a whole new way.
In her book, Waking in Time, Angie tells the story of Abbi, a college freshman who quickly finds herself traveling backward in time. Unable to figure out why or how she travels, Abbi is thrust backward decades at a time with only her knowledge of campus architecture and fashion trends as markers in history. When she becomes her deceased grandmother’s roommate and best friend, and falls in love with a mysterious boy, her desire to figure things out kicks into high gear.
I had chance to ask Angie a few questions about her award-winning book. See what this Wisconsin author has to say about her writing process, intriguing research and more in the interview below.
I arrived in this place by accident. Truly. I don’t have a grand plan when it comes to my books. I write the story that my heart wants to tell. The fact that time travel happens to be considered the sci-fi or fantasy genre by some didn’t concern me. I wouldn’t consider it historical fiction either, but perhaps it is. The story has a very contemporary feel to it despite the fact the character travels back in time.
I did attend the UW Madison, but not as a traditional student who lived in the dorms. My college education started at a tech school with an associate’s degree. After working a few years, I decided to go back to school, but by then I was older and commuted to campus every day. My experiences were quite different than Abbi’s. However, I did have a class in the large auditorium in Bascom Hall.
I placed the story on the UW campus because of its long history. Many of the buildings date back more than 100 years, so as much as things have changed over the years, they’ve also stayed the same.
There were a few spots on campus that I wanted the reader to really know and feel. Those included the Union Terrace, Liz Waters dorm, and Picnic Point. Crucial parts of the story happen in each of these locations. While I’ve spent a lot of time on campus over the years, mostly when we go to the terrace in summer to enjoy the lake, live music and libations, I did take a couple of “research” trips to Picnic Point and Liz Waters. I interviewed one of the resident managers at Liz Waters and took a ton of pictures of the iconic building. You can see some of these on my website.
Because Abbi was alone without friends or confidants throughout much of her journey, I needed to use setting, fashion, and trends of each time to bring the story alive. My advice would be to immerse your character in their world, not just by description, but also weaving emotion and conflict into the setting. It almost has to be like another living breathing character.
It actually wasn’t. I adored my grandmother (she lived to 102!) but I only saw her a couple of times a year. I’m glad you were able to relate to their close relationship of Abbi and her grandmother. It was pretty special to me too.
I’m not a big fashionista, so other than the eighties, which I lived, there was a great deal of research involved. While Google played a major part, I also went to the Wisconsin Historical Society and met with the curator of costumes and textiles. She was able to show me actual clothing from various eras. She also suggested I look at old Sears and Roebuck catalogs from the eras I was working on. That was most helpful of all.
If I were to pick an era of favorite fashion, it would definitely be the 1930s. The dresses were flattering and stylish. There were beautiful hats and gloves. The shoes were heels yet practical and comfortable. Even in old farm photos, the woman wore their chunky heeled shoes on a daily basis.
5 women listen to records in Liz Waters dorm in 1930. For more information about this image, contact the University of Wisconsin Madison Archives at uwarchiv@library.wisc.edu.
Next up is the story of a girl who discovers she was stolen at birth, which I’m really excited about.
To find out more behind the scenes information and inspiration for Waking in Time, visit Angie’s website. Once there, feel free to browse the rest of the site and check out what other great reads she has lined up for you. Personally, I think I’m adding Royally Lost to the top of my: To Read Pile.
If you are more of a video watcher than a blog reader, click below. Otherwise, scroll on and happy reading!
Several days a week I go to the YMCA, around noon. As I walk around the elevated track, I watch the basketball games going on below. Each day around 20 people are gathered, making enough for 4 complete teams for two simultaneous games.
The players are young and old. They are brown, tan, white and black. They are mostly male, but at least one woman is usually among them. There are buzz cuts and afros, dreadlocks and ponytails, and even a bald head or two. Some are decked out in Nike or Under Armor while others are clad in t-shirts sporting logos of their church/favorite team/company. Half of the players wear nondescript blue jerseys.
These people, these ball players, run and dribble and shoot and score. They pass and shout and call for the ball. They smile and offer up high-fives and sweat. These people show up in the middle of the day, in a public space, to do what they so clearly enjoy. They will be back tomorrow.
And if I had to bet, I would put money down on the fact that they talk about their games outside of the gym. I bet they dramatically tell about the perfect shot while miming a hook shot… in the living room, at the grocery store, or while picking up their kids from daycare. I’d also be willing to wager the responses to their stories are not phrases like this…
“Dude, give it up. You’re never gonna go pro.”
“Seriously? Back at it again?”
“Have you signed a sponsor yet?”
“Wait? You pay someone… to LET you play basketball? Something you could do at a public park for free?”
Why, when you spend time on your creative pursuit, do you feel the need to justify your time, energy, and expense? Why, are you asked by friends and family if your creative pursuit is financially rewarding? Why do other people get to hunt/golf/quilt/garden/fish/travel with zero societal pressure of success, but writers (and creators in general) are not afforded that same luxury?
The answer should be, writing is not any different. But, if we are being honest, it is not viewed with the same lens. And if we don’t force others to realize that our free time is being scrutinized in a way that others’ isn’t, it will never change.
Schedule your writing time religiously. Ask your family to honor that time, guilt free. Take the class. Talk about your writing projects with your friends. Sign up for the retreat. Simply put, practice your hobby/craft/passion/whatever-you-call-it the way you see the rest of the world practice theirs.
Before my children were born I spent exorbitant amounts of time reading at my in-laws. Like hours and hours. I would also sleep a lot there… something about the amazing bed and lack of responsibilities, and the sleep inducing fumes we joked my mother in-law pumped through the house. It also probably had something to do with the fact that my in-laws often gifted me with books.
In their house, on their couch, I could devour chapter after chapter, passing hour after comfortable hour, uninterrupted in a reader’s haven. But it wasn’t only books that I read at their house. I also occasionally picked up one of the many magazines to which they subscribed or the newspaper that came every day.
The Star Tribune blew our little town, twice a week newspaper, out of the water. Entire sections were devoted to entertainment and travel. World Issues and more ads than any one shopper could truly tackle waited in a neat stack on the coffee table every, single, morning.
In was in this grand newspaper that I discovered an article about Minnesota (formerly of Florida) author Kate DiCamillo.
Side note: Kate is one of my favorites. Her words are purely delectable to consume. Heartwarming. Spellbinding. Imaginative, while also grounded in reality. And did I mention her word choice is to-die-for delicious? Ahhhh, Kate DiCamillo. A literary hero. A word nerd goddess in human form.
Even though the article I’m going to tell you about was published 4 years ago, it impacted me so greatly that here I am, writing about it today on my blog. When I looked it up online to quote it correctly, the words were familiar. I believe this is mostly because of a conversation between Kate and another Minnesota author, Louise Erdrich, that was recorded in it.
Two years later Kate published her Newbery Honor Award winning (and also debut novel), Because of Winn Dixie. She accomplished this award winning, life changing feat, approximately 6 years after she started seriously writing.
When I first read the article, I had been writing seriously for three years. I knew that I wasn’t Kate DiCamillo. But neither did Kate DiCamillo three years before she made it big in the writing world. It sounds strange, but because so much of the writing industry is made up of shrouded-and-secret-conversations-behind-closed-doors-with-elite-individuals… or at least that’s how it often feels to me… I was THRILLED to have this tangible piece of a road map to success. Or, at least a piece of someone’s road map to success. Needless to say, I clung to it. I just had to keep writing. For three more years. If I kept at it, I could do it. Kate did.
It is now 2018. 7 years since I started writing articles on Yahoo.com for pennies a click. 7 years since I started seriously working on my craft and a novel idea I’d first had 4 years before that. 7 years and 8 self-published books later. 7 years and over 80 blog posts later. 7 years. Now in 2018, I can say that writing makes up over half of my income and will continue to grow.
See that mention about a geocaching series... THAT's ME!
Louise was right.
So for all of you word nerds out there despairing, hang in there. You can do this. It might take 6 years, or 7, or 28. But it can be done. It can be done by YOU. To help, here are a few more great pieces of advice I got from that fated article four years ago about Kate, via the wonderful Star Tribune journalist, Laurie Hertzel.
If you are hungry for more of Kate DiCamillo’s work or advice, head over to her enchanting website.
“I’ve been procrastinating the start of this new journal. I bought it intentionally early – even though my last one still has about 25 blank pages. That previous red journal chronicles this last school year. There is so much baggage between the covers of that journal and I want to leave it behind. I don’t want to take any of the old ugly into my new journey. So I bought this lovely new journal.” – My journal, June 9, 2018
I wrote those words 48 hours after leaving school for the last time. I had thought about writing in that new journal for days before I actually did it. At first I wanted to wait until school was officially done. I wanted to make my first entry a meaningful stepping stone into my new life, and I couldn’t do that with one foot still firmly planted in the old world. And then, when I was officially done, I waited some more. I wanted to write something momentous. Something important. Something memorable.
“Maybe I’m putting too much pressure on myself. Maybe in this big monumental – I finally quit my job – moment, I’m afraid that the things I write won’t measure up. Maybe I want to be full of wisdom and wonder, but can’t because there is still a bunch of waiting.”
I was waiting to see what my new life would look like. I was waiting to see how my days would unfold. I was waiting for a really big form of validation that eventually arrived, just slowly, like all things in the publishing industry. (THAT NEWS IS COMING SOON!). But finally I decided that I was done waiting. Nothing gets done if you just sit around and wait. And I am, if anything, a girl who gets stuff done.
“But here, I’ve done it. I’ve pulled off the proverbial Band-Aid and written my first entry. I’m looking forward to finding the answers to all of my what next’s in the pages of this new journal, and to committing my thoughts to these pages along the way. So cheers to a new journal, a new journey and all the twists and turns life will throw my way. Full steam ahead and happy writing.”
Here is my advice to you.
All those lovely journals you’ve hoarded over the years, just waiting for the right story to strike you, the right occasion to present itself, the right words to record… pick one out, grab a pen and get going. I promise you that no matter what words you put in them, the journal will look better filled than empty.
But it's not just the journals. So often people tell me... I will write when I retire. When the kids are a little older. When I have saved enough to take a sabbatical. When the school year winds down. When... when... when... WHEN???
Take an hour a week, or twenty minutes a day. Or a four day retreat. If writing is something you love to do, then just do it. Plain and simple. You can do it. Don't wait, write.
Just for fun. How many empty journals are in your possession right now? How many have you completely filled? Tell me in the comments below! I’m on journal #4. I take it everywhere, mostly out of fear that I will have an idea that I just might forget. I record everyday thoughts, blog post ideas, story scenes, lines from favorite books I’m reading and more. Once one gets filled up, I place it on the shelf and grab another. (Trust me, there is always one waiting!)
When I was a kid one of my favorite days of the year was back-to-school-supply shopping day. It’s not that I was impatient to actually begin school… I just loved all of those fresh notebooks, full of crisp and clean pages. I couldn’t wait to get them home and use my fancy new pens to fill them with words. But inevitably, I would turn the cover, poise my hand over the blank page and… nothing. No ideas. Not a single one.
I would settle for writing a few of my friends letters, detailing all of our plans for the upcoming school year and then… well, to be honest, sometimes I’d just write my name… like a hundred times. I wanted to write… something… anything… so, so bad, but I didn’t know what.
Any of this sound familiar? These days I have more ideas and more projects that I have time to develop, but that wasn’t always the case. Tanner Christensen, author of The Creativity Challenge, helped me figure out why this is the case. Tanner, lead product designer at Atlassian, former Facebook employee, independent developer of creativity apps, and founder of Creative Something helped me to understand that creativity is a muscle. The more you use it and stretch it, the stronger it grows. (P.S. Check out his blog ... it is hella-amazing. Inspiration, a pep talk and a kick in the you know what to get creating, all in one!)
Over the course of my adult life, I did just that.
I tried new creative writing endeavors.
...writing in journals
... for my blog
... using a variety of prompts
... daydreaming
... pursuing story ideas in several age categories and genres
until eventually ideas came to me even when I was not even looking for them. It’s amazing (and sometimes frustrating that I don’t have time for them all!).
Sound appealing? Today I have prepared for you a creative writing prompt that will hopefully force you to flex your creativity muscles and also provide you plenty of fodder to fill the pages of your favorite notebook (new or not).
Before we begin, I want you to imagine that the story we are going to create is like a meal. The final result will be something delicious we can’t wait to sit down and devour. Of course we know that before a roast beef dinner with sides of mashed potatoes and glazed carrots was tongue-temptingly-appetizing, it was first just a shopping cart full of ingredients - single items set for sale on a grocery shelf. The same is true for our story elements. So before we write, we are going shopping.
The first item on our list is a situation. Randomly pick a number 1-6, or if you have a di handy, roll it, and record your number. Now, scroll down and see what situation matches your number. Force yourself to stick with your initial selection, even if something else looks appealing or seems easier. Remember, we are stretching our muscles, expanding our current skill set to include new ranges, topics, methods and techniques.
No peeking!!!
1- Your character discovers something mysterious
2- Your main character desperately wants to win a contest
3- A time machine malfunctions
4- Your character loses something very important
5- A UFO is seen hovering in the sky
6- A secret has just been spilled
Write down your situation and move to the next aisle.
Browse through the images below and pick the landscape that looks most interesting to you. Keep in mind the situation you have already selected, it might help you make your choice.
Quickly jot down the answers to these questions.
Time to cook ‘em up! Use this random assortment of story elements to tell a story. It doesn't have to be long. Just jot down a scene or two. Then, sit back and admire your effort. A workout, and you didn’t even have to sweat (much)! The final project might not be the best thing you have ever written, but you can be satisfied knowing that you flexed your creativity muscles and created something new. The page is no longer blank and that in itself is an accomplishment. Bravo!
If you are willing to share, I’d love to read your culinary story concoction. If you’d like more writing prompts, you can check out my Story Seedlings products, or email me and I can send a few more your way.
Happy writing!
Amanda
P.S. I have a few spots in my Word Nerd Writing Workshop and Retreat taking place in August. You can check out all of the details HERE!
Last week I had the absolute pleasure and honor to be an instructor at Author Quest, the definitive writing camp for young authors. This truly magical experience takes place in Northern Michigan and is lead by author extraordinaire, Johnathan Rand. Johnathan, famous for his scary middle grade stories in the American Chillers series, has created a creative oasis for young writers, by combining time and space to write with supportive mentors and a whole lot of fun and silliness for good measure. The four days I spent at camp, have risen up to be some of my favorite all year… and I can’t wait until I get to go back.
To give you a little peek inside this wonderful word nerd world, I am going to share my insights and pictures of the week with you in the form of a Top 10 List.
#10 – Notebooks are silently passed around the breakfast table and read between bites of pancake, because someone wrote a great story after campfire last night and couldn’t wait to share it.
#9 – Writers are dressed in attire adorned by typewriters, dragons, author quotes and witty word-nerd phrases.
#8 – A writer sarcastically comments, “Gee, I wish I had packed my thesaurus!” and someone else instantly digs into their backpack and responds, “Here, you can borrow mine.”
#7 – Heated disagreements breakout during a giant-sized game of lawn scrabble, as campers debate the validity and existence of words played.
#6 – Nap time is announced, and everyone cheers because they stayed up too late reading or writing under the covers.
#5 – The entire day is structured around words. In four days I was able to add 2,000 words to a manuscript, edit 14 pages, read an entire book, teach 5 write-shops and STILL have time for a nap each day.
#4 – In the car on the way home, the radio DJ announces, “This is 102.5, The Moose”, and you immediately start to sing, “The moose, the moose! Swimming in the water!”
#3 – You are jealous/intimidated/awestruck/inspired by the work being ready by an author at the campfire, and the writer is 10/11/12/13/14/15 years old.
#2 - Writers of all ages and abilities gather together for some word nerd fun.
#1 – You mark your 2019 calendar with the Author Quest dates because you can’t wait to go back!!!
If this sounds like word nerd heaven to you, and you'd like to attend Author Quest, you can check out more information and find the application HERE.
Thank you to Johnathan Rand for the invitation to be a part of his magical camp-world, and all of my new writing friends for an incredible week. Write On!!!
Without the constraints of responsibility, creativity can be free to run wild… no matter what time the clock says. Meal time, but not hungry? Keep writing. Should go to bed, but just had a plot breakthrough? Write on. Normally the time to pick up the kiddos from daycare? No worry, your tribe back home has it handled. Keep creating!
When I talked about attending a retreat earlier this year my son commented that retreat, in his mind, meant to go backward. But it’s actually the opposite. A retreat is a great time to reconnect to a project and move it forward. Or maybe dive head first into an idea that has been brewing in your brain. Retreats are rejuvenating. Retreats are invigorating. You should go on a retreat.
There are hundreds of retreats out there. I could list them for you, or describe the ones on my calendar that I plan attending this year. But instead, I am going to tell you about the retreat that I planned especially for YOU.
August 13-16 I will be hosting 8 writers at the gorgeous lakeside Stambaugh House on the Green Lake Conference Center campus. This two-story English Style stone house has a sunken living room, and a large dining room with a table to accommodate each and every one of us. These will be the perfect places for delicious meals, conversation and group writing. Each person will get their own single bed, but will share a room and common bathroom. The house also has it's own private dock/pier that will allow us to sit near the water spinning stories as the sun rises and sets.
I’ll take care of the meal prep and bring along a boat load of inspiring resources. I’ll structure the day with plenty of time to write with new friends and write alone. I’ll take care of curating creative thinking experiences and lining up plot progressing writing prompts. I’ve got all of this… all you have to do, is sign up, and show up. Interested? Here are a few more details.
Day 1
4:00- 5:00 Arrive and settle in
5:00 - 6:00 Social/Happy Hour
6:00 Dinner
7:30 - Evening Activity
Day 2
8:00 Morning Writing Prompt (lead by Amanda)
8:30-11:30 Individual Writing time
11:30-12:30 Lunch (on your own or as a group, your choice)
12:30-3:30 Setting Workshop
3:30-5:00 Individual Writing Time
5:00 Social/Happy Hour
6:00 Dinner
7:30 Evening Activity
Day 3
8:00 Morning Writing Prompt (lead by Amanda)
8:30-11:30 Individual Writing time
11:30-12:30 Lunch (on your own or as a group, your choice)
12:30-3:30 Conflict Workshop
3:30-5:00 Individual Writing Time
5:00 Social/Happy Hour
6:00 Dinner
7:30 Evening Activity: Final Sharing (Including Q/A/Resource Share with Me)
Day 4
8:00 Morning Writing Prompt (lead by Amanda)
8:30-9:00 Packing
9:00 Brunch
10:00 Departure
Each morning guests can wake at their leisure and eat when they choose from a variety of breakfast options (menu below). I will lead a morning writing prompt from 8-8:30. The rest of the morning is yours. You can write, take a walk, sleep in… whatever you choose!
Lunch will available around 11:30. Writers can choose take a break and eat together, or take their meal to a quiet place in the house for a working lunch. At 12:30 we will gather as a group and I will lead a three-hour fiction writing workshop. We will specifically focus on the story elements of setting and conflict.
In the afternoon there will be another chunk of time for individual work. Or, that walk you were meaning to take, or maybe a nap since you stayed up writing until 2am the night before. We will gather at 5 for a social happy hour and then eat dinner at 6.
The evening activity will be something social… but also something that will move our writerly lives forward. I’m leaving it as a surprise for now… but I may leak some hints as the retreat looms closer.
Here is a quick peak at the menu for our time together! (While subject to change, this is what I have planned for now. If you are attending and have any food allergies, let me know and I will accommodate you. All are welcome… even the picky eaters like me!)
Breakfasts will be a low-key affair with a selection of fruit and pastries to choose from.
Lunch will also be simple with build your own smoothies, salads and sandwich options.
Dinner Night 1: Pot Pies (chicken or veggie), Roasted Baby Red Potatoes and dinner rolls
Dinner Night 2: Mexican Fiesta!
Dinner Night 3: Lasagna, salad and garlic bread
Brunch on Day 4: Egg bake, coffee cake and fruit
Snacks and appetizers for the social/happy hour will be provided, but feel free to bring along a few of your own favorites if you'd like!
One of my strengths is accumulating good writing resources. Books, websites, courses, online forums, conferences, writing organizations… I’ve acquired a lot of knowledge in this area… and the best news? I am a good share-er! I can’t wait to tell you what I know, and also to answer your writing, self-publishing and word nerd questions! Here are a few physical resources I plan to tell you about and also have available for use throughout the workshop.
I will also bring several healthy doses of inspiration, that you can choose to peruse during your individual writing time.
What else do you want to know? Email me your questions! Can’t go this year, but are interested in next year? Email me that too! Feel free to pass this on to a writer that you think might be interested.