My Kind of Motivation

Rediscovering My Passion

I've taken a break from my third novel, BLEED IT OUT, for about 2 months now. This is the book I realized I had to rewrite from beginning to end. With this realization, I honestly considered giving up writing. Not only was this book getting a MAJOR makeover, my second novel was not getting any requests from agents, school was overwhelming me and my muse had abandoned me.

I almost quit.

And then...

This weekend I took at look at my Pinterest board for this book. I had lost my passion for the book. I knew that, but I couldn't figure out why until today.

It's because of her (red frame).

Meet Torrhent Lynd, my main character and the loss of my motivation. I'm not sure why, but the woman in the picture rubs me the wrong way. When I first wrote the book, Torrhent was seventeen. But now, she is twenty-four, a grown woman, and this picture does not show a woman. I'd based Torrhent's appearance off of this picture for the entire novel, but what I was seeing in my mind and the words on the page weren't matching up.

So I set out to find another Torrhent and some more inspiration. I spent nearly two hours redesigning my board and getting my notes in order to start on the book again. Here's the new board:

My new Torrhent is in red, I'm adding another character to spice up the conflict (in blue) and found a different photo for my second MC, Taigen Banvard. There is a lot changing with this book, but just by changing out a picture of my MC, I began to see a whole new vision for the book and seeing myself finishing it.

How do you get your passion back?

The Writer's Oath

I promise solemnly

to write as often

and as much as I

can, to respect my

writing self and to

nurture the writing

of others.

                  

                   - Gail Levine

Focus

I have this picture on both my laptop and my work computer for a reason: my mind tends to wander. I find this happens most when I'm doing something I don't want to be doing (i.e. writing a paper or a scene that isn't jam packed fueled with action and suspense or being at my day job).

But, as always, things need to get done. So what are the best ways to keep your focus?

1. Make a To Do list every morning with things you would like to accomplish. For me, this means M-F I make a list of what I need to get done at work. On the weekends, it usually consists of errands, but I also keep a separate list for my writing and school goals. My major goal in writing is to be published (as with most of us). Therefore, I need to have the sight of BEING PUBLISHED with smaller steps of getting there. The day-to-day would be things like, "finish Chapter 1", "write synopsis", or "rework this scene". These change every day and I feel really good about crossing things off my list once I've accomplished them.

2. Organize. Sometimes it's easier said than done. Clean your desk, office or house so you won't be so distracted by those things while writing. When my house is clean, I find I can relax a bit more and my eyes aren't wandering toward those dirty dishes while I'm trying to rewrite that scene. At work I make dozens of notes a day on Post-Its for my current WIP, when I get home, I combine them all into one easy and manageable check list when I get to those points in the MS. This makes my life easier most days. Unless I lose those Post-Its...

3. Take a walk or a run, whichever you prefer. Exercise clears the mind. "Sound body, sound mind" thanks to Asics. When I'm having trouble with a particular character or scene, I grab the iPod and run. The music keeps my muse alive while the running releases my stress. Less stress = more gets done on my To Do list.

What keeps you focused? What are some of your To Dos?

I Am Better Than I Used To Be

I don't have some prolific post for you today. I am deep in revisions on The Next Suspense, constantly thinking over the next scene, integrating GMC into the MS. I didn't think there was so much wrong with the MS, but it has been a long time since I've looked at it. I've grown so much as a writer that I've literally ripped this book apart, kept the best pieces and deleted the rest.

After such a grueling experience (mind you, I've only revised up to Chapter 4) this post from Anne Gallagher (a.k.a. The Piedmont Writer) uplifted me. If you need some motivation and inspiration go to her.


What cheers you up after such hard work?

MC Damnation

Working hard on The Next Suspense, but one of my MCs is pissing me off! Meet Taigen Banvard - twin brother to Adelaide (my MC of LET ME OUT).

Taigen is so complicated! He's making my life in revisions hell because he wants soooo many things. Grrr.
Debra Dixon advised in her book Goal, Motivation and Conflict (my bible) that novice writers should stick with one goal, one motivation and one conflict. This is my third novel, but I still consider myself a novice writer since I haven't been published, ok, maybe intermediate. So when I tell Taigen to keep it simple, he just laughs at me. No. Right now, he wants THREE external goals, motivations and conflicts and TWO internal goals, motivations and conflicts. I didn't think he was so complicated when I wrote this book a year ago. Now, I'm stressed that I won't be able to comminicate all of his GMC because there's so much of it.

And believe me, I've tried to change his mind.

Do you have a character like this? Do you usually stick to Debra Dixon's advice or is this when I should subside into thinking I'm growing as a writer and just take it on?



Motivation

I have none. Seriously. There seem to be too many projects/errands that need to get done and I'm exhausted! So...one way to motivate myself to write is to take the advice of one of my fellow RWA members who gave a presentation in January on the subject.

Multi-published Romance author Lynn Crain brought each one of us a tiny notebook, like these...



And shared her secret to motivating herself. She has about 4 different notebooks that she uses for every project, but her motivation notebook seems to be her favorite. She shared from inside this little square motivating quotations, stories, lists and experiences that she refers to every time she needs a little pick me up.

From that presentation on I've been carrying around my little notebook and paging through it often these days. Here are a couple examples from mine:

When refering to research, synopsis, query: If you want to be an author, wouldn't you want to do it right?

When referring to school: You are in school to get that credential, to get noticed, and to be a professional.

From a feminist text I read for school: "Write! Writing is for you, you are for you; your body is yours, take it." -Helene Cixous, The Laugh of the Medusa.

Song: "Firework" by Katy Perry

Three tips to combat stress: 1. Time management 2. Eat right 3. Exercise

Top 5 Creative Writing Tips (I don't remember where I found these): 1. Write first, revise later 2. Show, don't tell 3. Start in the right place 4. Find trusted readers to give feedback 5. Read

When referring to genre hoping when writing: "You're the artist-it's your job to write what you love." -Anna

So what motivates you? Do quotations and a little book help or hinder your progress?

Are You in Love?

It's that time of year again - Valentines Day is around the corner!

I'm absolutely in love with my book right now. I actually wrote/finished it about a year ago, but something was missing for me and for two readers who BETAd for me a few months back. It wasn't keeping my attention and both readers said they couldn't connect to my characters. So I left it alone until a couple months ago. I've already posted a little about GMC, but for the first time ever, I'm in love with my book. My characters have purpose, they are multi-layered, they are REAL for me because of the revisions and the detail I gave them. I'm so excited to see what my current BETAs will think at the end of this month and I'm actually EXCITED to query.

 

So when it comes to our WIP, are you in love? Are you excited to sit down at your computer to bang out another 2,000 words? Do you love your characters as much as I do? Confidence is everything!

Blasted GMC

Goal, motivation and conflict. As writer's we've all heard it, but what does it really mean?

If you're a fiction writer and you haven't checked out Debra Dixon's book Goal, Motivation and Conflict, go do it. Now. This book completely changed my MS, making it stronger, clearer and believable.

Isn't that what we all want in our work?

So what is GMC? Well, the simplest way to explain is to show you first.

Having a GMC chart for each character, no matter if they are your main or secondary characters, is a MUST. This screen shot is for my secondary characters in my novel ALL BECAUSE OF YOU. Understanding every character's GMC will save you time, frustration and bring your plot across clearly.

Your character's goal is what they are working toward. What do each of your characters want emotionally and physically (internally and externally)?

Next, is motivation. Why do they want to achieve their goal? You should be able to answer this question with "Because...". What drives them toward their goal internally and externally?

And finally, conflict. Why can't they achieve their goals? What is holding them back? Emotionally, your own character is holding themselves back in some way. But why? Physically is simple. For your protagonist, what is your antagonist doing to thwart their goals?

It seems simple, but in my experience, I had more trouble deciphering my character's GMC than plotting my novel!

One last element of my GMC chart is the Dominant Tag (highlighted in pink). Debra Dixon suggests using this to keep your GMC simple. Using an adjective + an adverb will keep your character in focus. For example, my main character is Adelaide. Her brother, Taigen, only wants the best for her, no matter what he has to do. He constantly worries over her and therefore, the tag "Overprotective brother" fits him nicely. 

I really recommend finding a copy of Goal, Motivation and Conflict. Not only will it help you get a better reign on your characters, it stresses the importance of each element in order to make your story believable and enjoyable to your reader.

Catching Up

Well, hello there. It's been a while. This week has been eventful. My best friend was in town from Wednesday night to this afternoon. I just dropped her off at the airport. We were able to see Eat Pray Love, the movie and were both very inspired to better our lives for ourselves. Even it involves just learning a language and dreaming of traveling to our favorite countries. I was able to get out and rock climb this week for the first time since husband and I moved to Nevada. I also got a very needed hour long massage on Thursday. I had a great week. My vacation was much needed and even fruitful.

I'm up to about 200 pages on the current MS now. Each morning while my friend worked on her doctoral project, I worked on my book. I spent at least two hours each morning writing and was able to get a lot done. My goals for the past week were to finish Chapter 6 and Chapter 13 and work on my short story for the Pudding Chapbook contest. I finished Chapter 13 and I worked on my chapbook, but Chapter 6 is still at a standstill. I'm not too bummed because I wrote seven pages of Chapter 14 instead. The month is passing quickly and I have a little under two weeks to reach my goal of reaching 50% completion. I'm not really worried. Yet.

Today, and the rest of the upcoming week, I will be catching up on some neglected reading. My nightstand is stacked with books and only growing bigger every day.

Where's My Inspiration?

As many of you know, I'm a very active person. I rock climb (my one real hobby), I snowboard, I run like mad because I eat a lot of M&Ms and will try anything to get my adrenaline rush. During these periods of activity, I write. In my head. I've been running for about two years now, starting out just to lose weight, but after I managed to reach my goal it's become peaceful. You're probably wondering, "What the hell is she talking about? Peaceful?" Yes. After so much hard work building up my endurance, I've finally reached the point where I can just run and not think about it. So now I think about my writing. But occasionally that doesn't work. For instance, moving to a different elevation. That changes everything I've worked for over the past two years. Bummer. So now that I'm thinking about running again, while running mind you, I have to turn to other sources of creativity. GOOP by Gwyneth Paltrow for example. I've taken the advice of my friend, Cardin McKinney, and have started work on getting as immersed in creativity as much as I can. It's a very cleansing feeling. Something I can get motivated by. Something I can focus on during running...
What is your inspiration? What do you do to keep yourself motivated? What's your creative pleasure?

Dreams

Well, my chances of becoming a full time writer have come-a-knocking. No, I haven't gotten an agent yet. If only I was so lucky. It seems like the company I work for is having some troubles and I'm no longer needed. Technically speaking, I think I got laid off. No worries, my husband and I are moving to Las Vegas the end of May and it works out in the end, giving me the opportunity to work on my writing more than 3 hours a day. I'm a little excited for this chance and hope it brings good tithings.

Break

I've been sick the past week or so. That being said, my goal of finishing the first draft of All Because of You by March 1st wasn't completed. I'm not too upset about it. I really feel like crap and my brain has gone sort of, well, dead. I'm still finding it hard to balance my time between working out and writing since I work from 9-5, Mon-Fri. That only gives me a couple hours a day of free time and I've been so stressed I've just been working out to relieve that stress. Catch 22, right?

Slacking...

My post title means just that. I haven't been as productive as I'd like to be with All Because of You. Granted, I have about 220 pages written in the first draft, but have been putting off writing more. The chapters are planned, well, most of them, but I don't have the motivation to make myself sit down and do it. This is a three day weekend though and Monday looks like a good day...

Trouble in the Field

I'm having a hard time staying motivated on a lot of things lately. I've sent my Novel #1 query letter out to 10 agents. So far, 6 have replied with no interest. Rejection is always hard, but it's just mostly annoying. I've read that I should send out 10 at a time and if they all come back with rejections, rewrite and send out to another 10. My problem is I spent almost 3 months perfecting my query letter for this novel and can't see myself spending MORE time on it in a rewrite. But I guess I don't have a choice. I will wait for the other 4 agents to respond by Oct 31st. If by then I haven't heard anything, then it's time to start over.
I've also considered something else that could happen. There are some authors out there who are published, but some of their manuscripts never made it that far. I'm not sure if my first novel could be one of them. I almost want to just keep moving forward with the second novel and leave the first behind.

Musical Motivation

Do it now
You know who you are
You feel it in your heart
And you're burning and wishing

At first, wait, won't get it on a plate
You're gonna work for it harder and harder
And I know 'cause I've been there before
Knocking on the doors with rejection (rejection)
And you'll see 'cause if it's meant to be
Nothing can compare to deserving your dream

[Chorus:]
It's amazing, it's amazing all that you can do
It's amazing, it makes my heart sing
Now it's up to you

Patience, now, frustration's in the air
And people who don't care
Well it's gonna get you down
And you'll fall (fall)
Yes you will hit a wall
But get back on your feet
And you'll be stronger and smarter

And I know 'cause I've been there before
Knockin' down the doors, won't take "No" for an answer
And you'll see 'cause if it's meant to be
Nothing can compare to deserving your dream

- Jem - It's Amazing

Who Has Time?

Seriously...who has time to do the things they want? Work, studying, working out, eat, sleep. It seems I never have time to work on my current project and it drives me nuts. I haven't even been working on the synopsis for The First Romantic Suspense.

I want to be a serious writer, but where in my day can I fit it in?

The best advice I've heard is from both Janet Evanovich and Stephenie Meyer. "If you want to be a serious writer, be prepared to put in the hours." I can't even imagine how long it took me to write All That I'm Living For. Hours at the computer over the period of a year, but I don't have that kind of time anymore. Where did it all go?