There’s a reason I make lists.  I just keep forgetting why I make them.
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It’s been proven by motivational experts that people who solidify their goals in black and white have a better chance of achieving targets, which is part of the reason I’m big on lists.
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They keep me focused and organized, and act as a touchstone. I can see at a glance what I’ve done for the day, what I need to do next and know how far off I am from completing a project.

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Which brings me to my writing targets.  I’ve not been faithful to keeping a diary, but I did make a list of goals I wanted to achieve for 2009.  I’ve managed to have an article printed for most months this year, I finished my competition entries on time and book publication will come next year, but I gotta tell you, it’s been a struggle.

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Why?  I posted a list on a forum where I’m a member, but I doubt I’ve looked at it a half dozen times since.  What amazes me is the idiotic approach I continue to take.  Instead of consulting that virtual list, I’ll sit, mind churning like a hamster on a treadmill, wondering what’s next.

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Do I see you shaking your head.

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No?
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Must be self-consciousness and my imagination at work then.  I stopped right here to check on that forum list and what I found is that I’m not referring to the darn thing because I’m keeping a running tab in my head.
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But this is how I am. Clearly, I believe I need to be superwoman, even when I have help.  Maybe what I need to do is print that list and put it where I can see it. Matter of fact, that’s exactly what I’m gonna do. If I see it a little more often, then I can stick with the plan and avoid the mental gymnastics over what I’ve done and/or neglected to do.
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If you’ve never tried making a list, maybe now’s the time to start.  If nothing else, it’ll save mental energy, which you could be using to get important tasks done.
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Need I mention preventing a nervous breakdown?

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More anon…

After nearly a year, I’ve finished my 2008 NaNo project. Just in time to start the madness over again. I still haven’t one hundred per cent decided that I’m doing NaNoWriMo yet – even thought I thought I’d made the decision. The trouble is, I have a novel I am editing to send to a publisher. Nothing else should be on my plate right now, but I’m one of those multi-tasking writers. Don’t know how I stay sane, but I’m always on several projects at a time.
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I’m tempted to take on the NaNo challenge because I have a young adult novel in mind and the ones I’ve written to date are all around fifty thousand words. If I do NaNo, I’d have something to edit and submit for the 2010 Literary Arts Festival. That is on top of the other four or so books that need editing. I keep telling myself I should stop writing, but when have I ever listened to myself? I’ve spent most of this year editing to tell the truth and I’ve also put significant time in finishing off some projects.
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I’ve got some plot ideas, but I don’t have my head totally wrapped around the story. I hope to make a decision in the next couple of days though and hope I don’t run off to start writing another story that surfaced today out of nowhere.
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Hoping you don’t have the same dilemma.
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More anon…

Too often, writers sacrifice their own judgment  in favour of other people’s opinion.  You’d think this happens only with individuals new to the craft; but no, it’s a common mistake.  Case in point is the project I’m now editing.  See my opening sentences below, which I quite liked.

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Quinn Mayhew was past impatient.  The negotiations had dragged on too long, hence this visit with his attorney.

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I sent it to a publisher, and the editor they assigned me liked the opening as is and wanted me to continue polishing the novel.  I also had chapters up on the writing site where I’m a member.  Some writers thought ‘was’ and ‘had’ made the first two sentences drag, and suggested a more engaging start.  Other pointed out it was all ‘tell’ and I should try some ‘show’.  I gave in and changed the opening to make it more active, and convey my character’s state of mind.  See new opening below, which I had sent off to another editor.

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Quinn Mayhew drummed a staccato beat on the chair arms.  His heels tapped a matching tempo on the floor.  He scanned the office, impatient for Roderick to get off the phone.

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The second editor didn’t like it.  The first two sentences gave her the impression that the character was an impatient schoolboy, rather than a grown businessman.  Needless to say, that helped get me a rejection, which brings me back on point.  Trust your own judgment.

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I tell those around me, ‘never second-guess yourself’.  I’ve had too many instances where my mind tells me what to do in a given situation, but I start procrastinating and inevitably make the wrong decision.

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What amazes me is that although I know I can trust myself to make the right choices, I sometimes don’t.  Through experience, I’ve learnt that unless someone can provide me with a compelling reason why I should change something I’ve written, then I should keep what I have.

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I had the same dilemma with one of my earlier novels – to keep or not to keep the opening scene.  Many opinions later, I wasn’t convinced I should let it go, however, one reviewer came along and gave me a simple, but convincing reason to delete that scene –  I was inadvertently repeating myself and that first scene killed the need-to-know factor  I was trying to maintain for the reader.  I saw the wisdom of letting the prologue die a natural death.

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Long story short, if you can’t or don’t see the wisdom of changing your words around,  if you’re not convinced you’re doing the right thing, if the suggested changes don’t sit well with you, keep what you have.  It may need tweaking and you probably won’t hit on a solution in one day of editing, but if your words feel right and you want to keep them, despite the rules – do.

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It’s your prerogative as a writer and nobody knows what works better for you than you.

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That said, I’ll be using my original sentences.

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More anon…

A teenager leaves home one day, taking only a shopping bag. Her family goes nuts, searching everywhere for her. All their efforts are in vain. Time passes. She’s gone, but not forgotten. A dozen years later, she surfaces and eventually moves back home.

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Truth is indeed stranger than fiction. What happened above is part of my family history and is fueling my thoughts about writing a memoir.

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What do I know about writing memoirs? Nada. But as with everything I’ve written to date, my ideas start as a seed which germinates over time, and then demand to get on a page.

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Writing this memoir is not something I’ll do anytime soon – think maybe another five years, or so — but there’ll be much activity before I write that first sentence. ‘Research’/ fact finding and cross-checking will take a while. And before that, I have to follow my modus operandi of reading everything I can find on ‘how to’.

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I believe all of us have a memoir within, but as with good storytelling, the trick is to decide which tales will be interesting enough to hold a reader’s attention.

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More Anon…

Okay, so I’m not the most organized writer in the world, but when I plan my projects, miracles happen.

I told myself that I didn’t have time for NaNo this year – for those who aren’t writers, that’s National Novel Writing Month where people all over the world attempt to write 50,000 words of a novel during the month of November.

 I know I shouldn’t take this on.  It’s complete and utter madness, based on my schedule.  But, you guessed it, I’m gonna attempt it.  I’ve started working out the details in my mind. 

I’ve written two young adult novels to date, where the main characters of both books are siblings.  This third story will pick up with two sisters from the same family.   I’m not sure how the book will end, but figure I better have an idea before I start since the other YA novels are in the 50k word range.

If you’re reading this and you’re not a storyteller, there’s a lesson here for you too.  Get organized, work toward a goal, and progress is sure to follow.  I took this path in 2007 and 2008.  Didn’t finish in 2007, but that book will be published by Nevaeh Publishing in 2010.

More anon…

For someone who never gets writer’s block, I sure have a hard time keeping up with this blog. One of my targets – as of lately – is to bring some activity to this part of my world before the book promotion gig kicks into high gear.
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I’m now realizing how important networking is in just about everything we do. Even if it’s just having a connection who can get you discounts on personal items. Books rate high on my list of important things, and I often shop for my son as well, so the advantage is clear.
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Based on some links I’ve made in recent times, I’m realizing that we don’t take networking seriously enough across the Caribbean. Something for me to think about, particularly with the job I have before me. Promoting myself is not something I’m looking forward to – I cringe at the thought of book signings and any sort of interview. It took me long enough to get a decent photo taken. However, I do know some PR has to be done if I want my books to be successful.
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I’ve done some stuff here and there on the internet to get my blog in places I want it to be seen and I’ll be hunched over the computer, like my blue monster icon, cataloguing all the steps I’ll need to take between now and publication.
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Let’s just say, the business aspect of writing is not what I enjoy best, so I’ll need to focus, focus, focus.
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More anon…