 “Writing is a lonely job. Having someone who believes in you makes a lot of difference. They don't have to make speeches. Just believing is usually enough.”
― Stephen King
When you finish a story, who is the first person you ask to read it? When you get a rejection letter, who offers consolation and the encouragement you need to stuff another envelope and send it out again? In short, how strong is your support web?
Writing is by definition a solitary task. But humans are not always suited to be solitary creatures.
While most writers have a personal support system, the people who support us in life are not always the best at supporting us in our writing. It's not always that they don't try, but more likely they just don't have a clue what we really need.
In truth, we are not alone. There are plenty of other writers out there who are likely experiencing something similar in their writing lives as well. It's sometimes difficult to connect with them, but well worth the effort.
Writing circles, critiquing groups, conferences, or a one-on-one writing buddy are all great ways to connect with other writers who can provide support or just talk shop. While our writing is a solitary occupation, our writing lives don't have to be.
Spin a web and reach out to other writers. Build your support system strong and find greater support in reaching your goals.
Telling yourself you don't have time to write today is easy. Telling a writing buddy with a schedule more hectic than yours that you don't have time to write is not as simple. Avoiding that conversation can be great writing motivation.
 "Success is a finished book, a stack of pages each of which is filled with words. If you reach that point, you have won a victory over yourself no less impressive than sailing single-handed around the world."
--Tom Clancy
Victory!
Seven Circles is complete and I am pausing for a brief moment to bask in the warmth of my accomplishment. It feels so good.
Okay, enough of that non-sense. Time to get moving on the next one. I am already hammering out the skeleton and picking out the clothing it will eventually donn. (The outline is written and the details of the plot line are being defined.)
Completing Seven Circles was a huge endeavor, and I'm pleased with the final MS. It took another pass to get there, but it was worth the agony. Now I must usher it out on it's own and move on to the next one. I am a writer, that's what I do.
 'Editors also know that the people who are really readers want to read. They hunger to read. They will forgive a vast number of clumsinesses and scamped work of every sort if the author will delight them just enough to keep them able to continue.'
-William Sloane
We all labor over our manuscripts with great care and diligence. We become captivated by our charactors and creatures; the tale we have conceived and given birth to; the story we have nurtured and developed and poured countless hours of our lives into. When it's finally done, and we have shed our tears of joy and sadness, we prepare to send it out into the world. But before we reach for that envelope - or in todays world, the submit button - we should all take a moment to stop and be sure we have done all we can to give our work the best possible chance of success when it must ultimately stand on its own.
I think we all fear that moment when our work leaves our hands, venturing out to find out if it can stand alone or not. In completing the manuscript, we complete a chapter of our writing lives.
Seven Circles is complete - almost. While it is for all practical purposes done, I can't help but feel it's just not finished. I can't put my finger on just what it is about the manuscript that is bothering me, I also can't get over the feeling that something about it is not quite right.
I wonder if it's just pre-submittal butterflies, or something real and substantial. While I dread doing yet another editing pass, I'm not comfortable submitting something that is sub-par in quality. It's the perfectionist curse I carry around within me. Or maybe it's just the writer in me fearing the possible rejection letter. Either way I'm in a vicious avoidance circle with my inner writer. It's frustrating as hell and I have got to break it soon.
So will I break down and send it out, or will I give in and open it back up?
Your guess is as good as mine at this point. I'll keep you updated.
 If you could get up the courage to begin, you have the courage to succeed.
· David Viscott
When I finished my first fantasy novel, I was on top of the world. It didn't matter to me if it ever got published or not, all that mattered was that I had completed it. In a way, I still feel that way. In another way, I really want to see it published. It represents a large chunk of my life.
After the first one was done, I didn't want to look at it again for a long time. I sent it out and pretty much paid it no more attention. It came back. I sent it out. It came back. I didn't want to think about re-working any part of it. But now, over a year later, with my second story nearly complete, I wonder if it might be worth digging back into that first one again and seeing if there is anything I can do to improve it. I've learned a great deal in the last year or so. Some of those things have been eye opening.
I have a strong feeling I can make that first book better, but I'm torn between whether or not I should. It's a good story. It deals with a complicated plot line and some interesting character issues. It's exactly the type of book I love reading. But there are other stories in me as well and they are pounding on the walls to get out. They want and deserve their turn in the spotlight.
It's a tough decision to make.
Right now I am completing my final edit on the Seven Circles story. I've promised myself not to decide my next project until the current one is finished, but I'm still wondering about it.
There is another story in my mind right now. Parts of it have been dancing in the corners of my imagination for several weeks now. I'm looking forward to writing it when this one is done, but I know it's going to be a big undertaking. Likely at least a full year from start to completion, but it promises to be a good story. A little darker maybe; a bit more complicated; slightly sinister in nature; strong morality undertones in the tightly woven plot lines. It's exciting to think about it. I know it's going to be great fun to write.
Yet I still wonder about that first manuscript.
 “Insanity is relative. It depends on who has who locked in what cage. ”
― Ray Bradbury
It’s been a while since I posted anything and I had a bit of time tonight, so here I am. Posting.
Insanity. I think many writers face it from time to time. I know I do. Life in general drives a person to it. It my case family contributes, along with my personal muse: Chaos.
I’ve been away for awhile doing edits on “Seven Circles”. My Beta Readers or Designated Readers, have all chimed in and I’ve collected all of their comments. A HUGE thank you! To those who have helped – you know who you are. I couldn’t have done it without you! I’ve been doing some re-writes -clarifying plot points, character motives and setting details. It’s been time consuming and attention consuming. Staying focused has been important. I’m just about done now and the results are a story I’m extremely proud of.
So with the near completion of edits, I’ve begun the search for an agent, and started working on my query letter. After all the time I’ve put into writing the novel and polishing it, I’m not taking any chances with this aspect of the process. I’ve been doing my research and a good bit of reading to be sure the agents I select are appropriate and that I tailor my queries to the
right people.
What else am I up to? Well, I have plans to attend a writing conference in August, and I’m looking into some online workshops. Anything that will help me improve my craft. I’ve been holed up writing for almost two months now and I’m looking forward to the next step. Insanity is an adventure. This one promises to be an exciting one.
 Each writer is born with a repertory company in his head and as you get older, you become more skillful casting them.
- Gore Vidal
Inside my head there currently reside around 15 boxes; Compartmentalized storage containers of unique design. Each one contains a unique story. It’s helpful for me to think of them this way. It’s an organizational thing.
Inside each box I lock up all of the characters, settings, plot lines, monsters, and ideas pertaining to individual stories that I’m either working on or preparing to work on soon. It’s a system that I have painstakingly worked out over many years. For the most part it works fairly well. My mind acts as a stage and each box holds a unique play and everything collected thus far for its production.
For some time now my story “Seven Circles” has occupied that stage. I’ve been holding daily rehearsals, preparing the story for opening night when it will be released for the public, known darkly as agents and publishers.
Each day I open the box, place the settings on the stage, queue the characters, rehearse the plot lines, and advance the story line. When the days rehearsal is complete, I pack it all back in its appropriate box, clearing the stage for normal life to resume. I don’t always close the box though. Sometimes I might have a spare moment or two that I didn’t expect when I can call out a character or two and work out a line of dialogue or a scene detail. It’s helpful to keep it all handy for just such an occasion.
The closed boxes generally just sit quietly and wait. Occasionally a pent up character will shout obscenities through the walls if my imagination wanders close by, or when I pass them over for rehearsal time on stage.
On rare occasions, and today was one of them, a story will escape from a box I have not opened and go running around my stage, wreaking havoc and demanding to be written. Things like the current story, outlines and schedules, deadlines and so on, mean nothing to a protagonist who has been locked in a mind-box for a sufficient amount of time. When a story is that ready to be written, I find myself with basically two choices:
I can pause my can pause my current manuscript, give in to the escapee’s demands, and write the intruding story.
– OR –
I can ignore it and watch progress on my current story grind to a halt due to the mayhem.
Today I tried a different approach. I tried to talk it back into its box. It was tantamount to trying to herd mice: frustrating and exhausting.
“Seven Circles” is nearly complete, but the current work of prepping it for designated readers has left my creative muse painfully idle. It’s taken to kicking boxes.
To make things worse, the rogue story is very clear in my mind. Its groundwork was laid sometime ago. It stands before me; body fully clothed; matured; with nearly all of its details worked out. I need but record it.
It’s a slippery slope, working on two different stories at the same time; alternating stage time; switching between boxes; changing out settings and scenery. I’ve done it before and found characters try to influence each others’ plot lines. They sneak into settings and circumstances not their own. As I said, it’s frustrating. Especially when they are dressed similarly.
I’ll let them both play today, but tomorrow I’m going to go buy some padlocks.
 The big secret is the ability to stay in the room. — Ron Carlson
There are days when staying in the room is indeed the most difficult part of writing. Life pounds on the door; thoughts scurry about in opposing directions; responsibilities shout through the walls, reminding us of forgotten or postponed duties; Imagination sits on a chair in the corner and laughs hysterically without muttering a word. It's difficult to shut out the distractions and simply concentrate on the writing.
But some days it isn't staying in the room that's difficult. For me getting into the room tends to be the hardest part.
I have an office. Once I sit down in it, writing becomes easier. It's noting fancy, just a spare bedroom that is no longer being used for sleeping. The desk is a very old table I bought at an auction. The chair was a Christmas present. I have several book shelves that my father gave me when he cleaned out his garage. They hold a mish-mash of reference and science fiction books, along with some classics. There are also old magazines, a set of encyclopedias, and way too many office supplies. The room doesn't look like much, but it's comfortable and it's conducive to writing. The biggest problem I have is walking up the stairs to get to it.
For years I dreamed of having a designated writing space; of being able to have a room completely dedicate to the sole task of creating. Over the years, I've written in the dining room, the living room, the bed room, the front porch, and occasionally the back yard and the car. It's difficult to stay focused when all the distractions of life are neatly displayed no matter where your gaze falls.The office was to be my sanctuary, my place to escape the world and all of the things in it that steal away bits of my attention and inspiration. This designated room minimizes those effects.
But going there, and sitting down in that chair, is sometimes more difficult than any other aspect of writing. It's like the creative monster in my mind dreads that place of order and business. The lack of non-writing related chew toys is frightening for a monster of such mythical proportions as my often maddening beast and muse, Chaos. It fights entering the room like the dog fights my attempts to put him in the bathtub. I try to make it an inviting place, but that isn't always enough. Chaos is very smart. The room means it's time to work. Monsters don't always like to work. At least my monster doesn't like to sometimes. There are claw marks on the door frame to prove it.
But writing isn't an occupation for the faint of heart. It's an obsession fueled by passion and commitment. It's a frame of mind that requires time and effort and sometimes a whip and a chair.
But when all else fails, it helps that I keep a big bowl of candy on my desk.
 “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter – it’s the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.”
- Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
As a writer, the power of words fascinates me. Maybe that’s true of all writers and maybe it’s not. I mean really though, who doesn’t love the word –sensuous ? It has power, it has grace, and spoken with the proper articulation, it can immediately get you the attention of the four or five strangers who were previously ignoring you in the elevator.
It works in writing as well.
Word choice is such an important part of telling a story, and one so often not given the proper amount of attention. It’s the art in the craft. Words carry weight and establish rhythm; they convey thought and provoke emotion; they entice, entertain, and carry a reader to the realm of the writer’s creation. Through words, all of imagination can become real, if only for a brief moment in time.
As readers, we desire surrender of our current reality and rely on the writer to give us a new one; to immerse us in a time and place beyond ourselves.
As writers, we create realities and populate them with the creatures and characters of our unique imaginations. It is with words we breathe life into those realities and capture them upon the page. There they remain in a state of eternal suspension until they are read. It is within the readers mind, his or hers imagination, that the captured life is released and finds its unique existence.
There is magic in reading a well written story, no matter the genre. Magic, woven by the words we choose and the way we use them, place them, punctuate them. The strength of that magic carries the story. The more precise our selections, the more real our alternate realities feel to a reader. While the almost-right words can leave that reality flat and featureless, the right words can infuse it with life and submerse a reader so completely they forget it's only imagined.
Pursuing the right word is pursuing the art of being a great writer. It should be taken seriously.
Knowing what the right word is, isn’t always an easy task. It takes thought and practice. But when it’s right, it makes all the difference in the world.
It is hard to fight an enemy who has outposts in your head. — Audre Lord
Looking around, my mind wanders, as it always does. Also as it always does, most of it's wandering is to get out of its current situation. I'd like to call it boredom, but in truth it's more likely that it wanders for avoidance. The more I feel the need to do a specific thing, the more my mind works to avoid it.
Currently I have been working on my second fantasy novel. The first one hasn't sold yet, but that's ok. It's currently out seeking an agent and I have a feeling it eventually will find just the right one.
So why am I writing a blog post and not working on my novel? As I said before: Avoidance.
It's one of those personality ticks that annoy me about myself, but also one that defines me. I've tried to change it about myself, but I find I'm never as happy when I'm trying to be something I'm not, as I am when I just accept and deal with who I am.
I made a good deal of progress on the story yesterday, and I am pleased about that, but I know I'm far from done. I would love to just snap my fingers and be finished, but lacking the magical abilities of my main character, I don't see that happening. Besides, I doubt it would be nearly as satisfying as the struggle of wresting the words from the chaos of my mind and the vastness of my imagination. There is a perverse joy for me in laying these words out on paper to create something interesting and, at moments, spellbinding.
I'm not trying to say that I'm a spectacular writer. But I do have spectacular moments. There are times when the words come to me only after countless days of scribbling and arranging, rearranging, trashing and redefining them. But there are moments, when ideas open up with a sense of perfection that make all the struggles to find them worthwhile.
Writing is the only thing that has been a constant throughout my life. I've changed jobs, careers, interests, hobbies, locations. But writing has always been a part of me.I don't feel I'm me without it. I never go anywhere without a pencil and notebook. Every minute I'm able, I turn to words in some form. It's an obsession that tames the chaos of my mind; The order to the madness; The gravity that holds me in my life.
It took me a long time to be able to call myself a writer, but I do now. I'm not a published one yet - unless you count some essays I wrote in high school that won some contests and were published in local newspapers - but I know I will be someday. For now I am pleased just to call myself what I am and have been for all of my adult life and a good portion of my childhood: I am a writer.
I find saying it out loud and writing it down, both make it more difficult to avoid.
 "Writing energy is like anything else. The more you put in, the more you get out."
- Richard Reeves
While I have been making progress on Seven Circles, my writing lately has not been where I would ultimately like it to be. I have a full time job, a family, and a bag of excuses that would put Santa's famous red sack to shame. These things have a way of slipping into my writing time and energy. The results are not things to brag about.
Now I'm not a big fan of structure. It has its place, but madness and chaos are most often my bread and butter when it comes to creativeness. But sometimes, and I truly hate to admit it, even these steadfast companions go on hiatus.
The Novel is nearing completion but progress has slowly been on the decline. The creative parts are nearly all finished. The plot is complete, the characters are hashed out, the story line is filled in and the fun part is just about done. Now I'm into the tedious and monotonous part of the work: The editing process.
This is the part where I generally get derailed. It's not fun and I don't like doing it.
The result tends to be a creative slowdown. My answer to that is to pound away, and to keep pounding until I have either killed the work, or hammered out something I'm not ashamed of. It's exhausting to say the least.
To help me get back on track, I decided I needed to do something bordering on drastic (and I had 5 days of unused vacation left at work). I decided to go on my first writers retreat. I booked a cabin at Lake Hope State Park in Southern Ohio, packed up my manuscript and all my odd notes and scribbles pertaining to it, my laptop, my current notebooks, my kit of office supplies, a change of clothes, and the dog. I loaded it all into the SUV and got on the road. This was my first actual monetary investment in my writing beyond the basics (i.e. paper, pens, notebooks, laptop, etc...) and it felt pretty good.
What I hoped for when I got in the car to leave, and what I came home with two days later, were two separate things. While I didn't get as much accomplished on the manuscript as I had hoped to, I came away from the trip feeling rejuvenated and excited about my writing at a level I haven't felt in ages. I have new ideas that I want to try out; I have new directions I'm excited to explore; I've found ambition and confidence that somehow got buried in the droll existence of everyday life.
None of these things were things I went looking for, at least not consciously looking for. I just wanted some time away from the normal distractions of day to day living, to concentrate on the manuscript and make some real progress for a change. I can't say exactly what happened, but having nothing to think about but the words was like taking a breath of fresh air. I got to complete thoughts. I got to explore ideas without interruptions. I got to have fun with my writing. It was great.
As far as investments, I'm marking this one down as highly lucrative. I feel like I went looking for oil and struck gold instead.
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