#198 A Day In The Life...Revisited

I re-read yesterday's post and found it to be a beating.  Utterly brutal.  So I'd like to revise to make my point easier to digest.

How can a writer find time?  What do 9-5ers do to get a story written when they spend so much time at work.  How do other authors do it?

These are big questions, and they impede many writers from doing what they love.  I don't have all the answers.  All I have is perspective that comes from my own experience as a writer.  So in the interest of helping others, I will share my perspective:

• Every writer is different.  There is no one correct formula.  Find what works for you, then be consistent.
• I write better in small blocks of time.  If you sit me down in front of a computer for 8 hours and ask me to write a short story, I'll have a more difficult time than if you give me 4 2-hour blocks separated by snippets of time spent doing something else.
• One specific time of day does not work better or worse for me.  I can write early in the morning or late at night.  If I'm in the middle of a project, I can sit down and write.  Not everyone is like that.  If there's a time of day that works better for you, then schedule your writing time around that.  
• Some people measure progress by pages.  Others, who are slightly more precise, use word count.  It doesn't matter which you use.  Write 5 pages per day.  Or 30 pages per week.  Or 1500 words per day.  Measurement is a good tool to help keep a writer accountable.  It's easy not to keep track at all.  Write when you can and don't worry about how many pages you get down.  But I've found its a mentality thing.  The writer who does not keep track is less likely to finish a particular project within a reasonable period of time.  The writer who does, gets more done.  And whichever tracking tool you use, whichever guidelines you set for yourself, be consistent.  It is the consistency that gets the novel finished.
• It's okay to cheat.  Sometimes in the evening I will sneak a few sentences onto a notepad while my wife is on the phone and the TV is paused.  Or before bed I will write instead of read.  The next morning I wake up and have a paragraph or page waiting for me to transcribe.  I know this is not really cheating, but I always feel like it is.  I have written almost 500 words sitting in my bed while my wife brushed her teeth, put on lotion, checked FB one last time and the next day I had my 1500 words before lunch.  Then I tell myself that whatever I write in the afternoon can be applied to the next day's tally.  It's a mental game of working ahead so that if there is an afternoon where I just do not want to write, I don't.  And at the end of the week I've still reached my pages.
• Writers with full time jobs have a different struggle.  But the same principles apply.  You need to be consistent.  But instead of trying for 1500 words per day, shoot for 500.  When I worked in advertising, I tried to write 2 pages a day while at work (in the morning when I arrived before everyone else and over lunch hour), 2 pages a day after work, and then 5 pages over the weekend.  That would amount to roughly 25 pages per week.  It wasn't easy and I oftentimes didn't make my quota, especially if I was busy at work.  But writing in this manner allowed me to chip away at projects.  When you work full-time and want to write a book, chipping away is the only thing you can really do.  It isn't ideal, but writers persevere.  

#197 A Day In The Life Of Alexander Mori

I frequently get asked about my writing schedule.  Do I write from 9-5 every day or do I stay up for two weeks straight until the novel is finished like they do in the movies.  The truth is not as simple as either of those.  So I've decided to include one day in the life of Alexander Mori to demonstrate a typical writing day.  I call it:  A Day In The Life Of Alexander Mori.

8:00a: Alarm goes off.  I snooze.
8:09a: Alarm goes off again.  I snooze again.
8:18a: Alarm goes off again.  I debate snoozing again.  Then I snooze again, just one more time.
8:27a: Alarm goes off and I get out of bed.  Morning routine begins.
8:45a-9:15a: Coffee's brewing and I'm sitting at the breakfast table jotting notes that kept me up the night before so I don't forget anything important.  I make a smoothie for breakfast and drink it while I reread that last few pages written the day before.  Check Twitter.
9:16a-10:20a: First solid block of writing.  I sit at my computer and write.  My goal is to get at least 500 words down.
10:20a-10:30a: Wander around the kitchen wondering if I want a glass of milk or juice.  I contemplate moving the operation into the living room where I can sit on the couch, though I'd have to deal with the animals.
10:31a-11:30a: I return to my first block of writing.  Still gunning for my first 500 words of the day.
11:31a-noon: I make a sandwich and salad for lunch and eat while watching an episode of Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee. Check Twitter.
Noon-12:15p: Gather laundry that needs to be washed.  Or unload the dishwasher.  Or wash wine and beer glasses from the night before.
12:16p-12:45p: Begin second block of writing.  A new 500 word count goal. I move the operation to the couch, where the dog and one cat fight for prime lap real estate, ultimately ending with both animals lying snugly in my lap. Check Twitter.
12:45p-1:05p: Move laundry from washer to dryer.  Start a new load.  Look for more dishes to wash.  Eat a piece of chocolate for dessert.
1:06p-2:15p: Continue second block.  Usually one of the stronger writing blocks throughout my day.
2:16p-2:30p:  More laundry.  And if there isn't any laundry, I hover outside the laundry room wondering if there is anything else in the house I can wash.  Check Twitter.
2:31p-3:30p: I watch something on TV.  Usually a DVRed sporting event from the night before.  Sometimes half of a movie.  This period of time seems lazy and unproductive, but it is essential.  It gives my brain much needed rest.  And if I watch the right movie, I get inspired to make my third push of the day.  One day per week this block of time is reserved for going to the store and getting lunch/dinner supplies for the week.
3:30p-5:00p: Begin third writing block of the day.  A new 500 word goal.  Usually on the couch with the annoying animals.  Check Twitter.
5:01p-6:00p:  I work out on the treadmill while watching DVRed sports event.  If there are no sports, I go for a nice, long run.  By long I mean a mile and a half.  Sometimes I do both.  This block is also reserved for mowing the yard once a week.
6:01p-8:30p: If I learn that the wife is coming home on time, I use this time to make dinner and decant wine.  If she'll be working late, which happens frequently, I sit down for an impromptu writing session.  These sessions often account for my especially prolific days.  For some reason, if it is not a scheduled block of writing time, I approach the session with a looseness that allows me to write more than usual.  Sometimes I make a drink and put on a record.  Sometimes I return to the kitchen table and write in complete silence.
8:30p-11:30p: Relax time.  Sit on the couch watching shows.  Dog in my lap.  In the evenings, she doesn't let the cat on the couch.  Sorta strange.
11:31p: Get ready for bed.  Read.  Think about what I want to do in the morning. Toil over the writing I got done.  Toil over the writing yet to be done.

I don't know how other writers do it.  A writer's schedule is as interesting and diverse as the human race.  I venture a guess that no two writers are the same.  But each must deal with the all-consuming void that is a blank page.

#196 Cutting Your Losses

A million years ago I tried out for the Spring Branch Junior High basketball team.  Though I was one of the shortest kids in our class, I thought I had a legitimate chance of making the team.  For a week, a hundred or so gangly youths performed dribble drills, shooting drills, 3 on 2 drills, cones, and whatever else our junior high coaches could think of to test our young basketball skills.

On the first day, a close friend of mine dribbled the ball from the base line to a cone positioned at the free-throw line.  He rounded the cone and let loose one of the worst jumpers of the day.  The ball soared over the backboard and bounced into the grass behind the outdoor basketball court.  Every boy in the yard laughed and heckled my friend.  He shagged the ball, threw it to the next boy in line and saluted the coaches, thanking them for their time and the opportunity.  Less than an hour after tryouts began, my friend left the yard.  His basketball career came to an abrupt end.

I stayed.  I executed drill after drill.  I demonstrated my quickness and my superior perimeter defending.  I played hard and showed the coaches that no matter what, I would NEVER give up.  And at the end of the week I was sad to learn that I had not made the first cut.  I was devastated.  It was the first time in any sport that I didn't make the team.  I went to the coaches office after practice and told them I would try harder.  I asked them for another chance.  My coaches were sympathetic but unyielding.  "We're sorry," they said.  "It's just not meant to be."

Writing can be like this.  A writer can pour his or her heart and soul into a story -- can spend weeks, or even months, on a project, vowing that it would become a wonderfully finished novel.  But not all projects are meant to be.  It doesn't matter how much work or passion goes in.  The novel is doomed from the beginning, much like my basketball career.  The question is this: at what point in the process do you realize a project isn't meant to be?  Near the beginning?  Or do you fight through all the challenges until the bitter end?

Writers must develop the skill to look at their own work with a discerning eye.  Writers must be able to recognize when their story is too short or their dribbling is too sloppy.  Writers must be able to see when their shots consistently miss the backboard, only to bounce in the grass far outside of the boundaries of the court they are playing on.

But no matter how long it takes, no matter how much passion is put into a project, writers must be able cut their losses and move on to the next project.  They will save time and heartache, and those are two things writers must always look to save.

#195 A Brave New World

We headed to the south of Dallas for Cody's first critique meeting with the Dallas Area Writer's Group.  Critique meetings are the favorites of most DAWG members.  It gives writers a chance to share their stories with other people.  In the life of a writer, stories remain pent-up for so long that they can cause discomfort, oftentimes pain, if they aren't released.  Critique night allows for the pleasant release of inspiration in the loving company of fellow writers who are polite and understanding.

We left an hour and a half early so we could account for traffic -- get there in plenty of time to get Cody's name on the list.  To be honest, this was a bit excessive, but Cody had been stressed all week because he missed his previous attempt to read his story because we showed up 5 minutes before the meeting instead of 30 minutes before.  The list had already been filled.

We made good time until we hit the intersection of 75 and 35.  All progress stopped.  Road construction caused the convergence of several freeways to transform into one massive, confusing cluster.  The traffic was so bad that several bums littered the freeway, begging from people who were parked on the highway instead of driving home to their families.  Seemed to me to be the worst time and place to beg. Angry people stuck in traffic wouldn't be as generous.  But I could be wrong about that.

Cody crossed his arms and groaned.  "We're probably gonna be late," he said.  

I tried to remain positive, but I worried he might be right and I'm not a rose-colored glasses type of person.  I assured him we would do our best.

For 54 minutes we crept along the interchange to 35, which was especially annoying when driving a standard.  But we finally made it beyond the construction and had 36 minutes to travel 30 minutes of road between us and critique night.  I tried to cheer Cody up with talk of music and movies.  But he wasn't having it.  In his mind, he'd already missed his chance to read his story.  In a sarcastic, yet not-so-sarcastic tone, he said, "Next time we're leaving at 2p."  That would have gotten us there approximately 4 and half hours early.

Anyway, to make a long story short, we made it on time to get him on the list.  He was the last reader they accepted.  He read his story, took his criticism and for the first time in his life he felt like a real writer.  That's an important feeling.  Like being able to pinpoint the moment when you become an adult.  Everything changes after that moment.  It did for me.  And I hope it does for Cody.  Because after a writer realizes he or she is a writer, then the world opens up and becomes a new place altogether.  A better place.

#194 The Memoir

I believe in the power of connection.  Like Christopher McCandles wrote in his journal, "Happiness only real when shared."  You can connect with someone over anything.  I connect with friends over sports, beer, music, food, films and almost anything else you can think of.  I connect with my brother over comic book villains, my friend's wife over gardening, the stranger at the grocery store over fancy cheese I'm buying to make my daily sandwiches taste a little better.  Life is a series of connections, unexpected moments that brighten your day because you think about someone else.  I remember my friend's mom when I make margaritas.  When I stumble upon a scrunchie, I think of my cat because in the early 2000s I used to toss them in the air and she would scurry about the house trying to catch them in her mouth.

Memoirs allow for the novel equivalent of making a connection with another person.  I've read memoirs written by artists, poor Irish immigrants, writers, chefs, teachers, pilots, preacher's sons, a man who became blind and a college athlete stricken suddenly by a brain tumor, and I connected with each of these people because they had an interesting story to tell.  Memoirs are especially important because it gives writers a chance to share themselves, to shed light on their personal eccentricities.  Every person is unique, which makes every memoir a unique experience.

I have not written a memoir and would in no way advertise myself as a master of the form.  However, I do believe my blog is a form of memoir and I'd like to share my thoughts for aspiring writers who wish to give writing their story a go.  And I've read many interesting notes from Zinsser, who knows quite a bit on the subject.

• Your thoughts matter.  We are all passengers traveling on the same vessel we call life.  Each and every one of us is unique.  Each and every one of us brings a fresh perspective to the conversation.  Don't discount your own thoughts because you don't feel worthy.  You have every right to share your opinion and tell your story as anyone else.  And you'd be surprised how many others are willing to listen. 
• Be Real.  Memoirs uncover the drama, pain, humor and unexpectedness of life because they are real.  There is a mystique that arises simply due to the fact that the stories were plucked from real life rather than invented in someone's imagination.  Don't betray that mystique by falsifying information.  Once you lose trust, the memoir becomes pointless and you'll discourage future readers who can no longer trust you.  Stay true to yourself and the events you write about.  The truth is interesting enough.
• A memoir is NOT an autobiography.  You don't have to feature everything in a memoir.  I like to think of a memoir as a snapshot in time.  A photograph.  A photograph only focuses on what is important.  You see the person, the place, the event.  You don't see the entire world or the entire life in one picture.  So it goes with a memoir.  Stay narrow.  Stay focused.
• Answer the why question.  Memoirs have the benefit of eternal insight into the mind of its subject.  That adds a dimension to a story.  You can tell what happened.  And then you can answer why it happened.  For instance, I am quirky in that I cannot let dishes stand in the sink. I must scrub them and place them immediately in a dishwasher.  Even when I am at someone's house, I cannot finish a meal and politely place the dishes on the kitchen counter.  I just can't do it.  That tidbit is interesting enough to help build my character.  But since it happens to be true and I know the progression of thought that led to me being this way, I can share the history and the mindset that exists in a person who is particular about dirty dishes.
• Think about detail.  Because a memoir is a snapshot and it must be real, the details matter.  In my memoir I can discuss my time in elementary school.  But it isn't enough to just say I was in school.  What sets my school experience apart from the millions of others who went to school? When writing about the mundane, one must include specific details, otherwise the story may feel boring.  So if I share my experience in school, one might be bored.  Been there, done that.  But if I discuss my experience in school as the shortest kid in my grade and filter every experience through that detail, I've added a dimension to the story that readers may not have considered.  I've shared something about myself that may enlighten a reader to a different aspect of a familiar situation.  (BTW, I wasn't the shortest kid in my grade.  I was the third shortest.)

#193 Steps For The Indie Writer

There's more to being a successful indie writer than just writing.  Following is a list of things an indie must do to make a living.  All of these aspects are important.  A writer can't pick and choose where to devote his or her time.  A writer MUST do it all.

• Writing - This is obvious.  Simply writing the novel is difficult enough.  It requires an idea, self discipline, talent and consistency.  A writer must pay attention to voice, characterization, plot, pacing, description, conflict and resolution.  The process can take several months or several years to complete.  
• Revising - After the first draft is done, a writer must re-read and re-write much of it, paying careful attention to the components listed above.  This is a difficult process that many writers rush.  I suggest taking a break once the first draft is completed.  Return to the project with a fresh perspective.  And TAKE YOUR TIME.  Revising is when the true writing process begins.  You have the shell of the story down, now it's time to be critical so that you can improve the story before sharing it with an editor.  When in doubt, cut.  A story can be cut drastically from draft 1 to draft 2.  The more you cut, the better the project becomes.  This part of the process can take weeks or months.  
• Editing - Every writer has a different editor and a different editing process.  Please do not confuse revising with editing.  Revising looks at how the story is told.  Editing looks at how the story is written.  Finding an editor that you trust is very important.  An editor needs to understand you as a writer and as a person.  An editor must understand what you are trying to do and must understand aspects of good writing.  Editing can cost a fair amount of money, but it is an essential part of the process.  Don't skimp here, because once a reader sees that they are reading a poorly edited book, he or she will remember and will most likely avoid future work you publish.  This part of the process can take weeks or months, depending on the editor and how many editors you choose to include.  Right now I use 3.  Can't have too many editors!
• Cover Design - Finding a graphic designer is similar to finding an editor.  You need someone who understands the novel, and more importantly understands the genre.  A cover must connect with the right audience and must align with the story.  Find someone you can talk to.  This should be a collaborative effort, one that is ever-changing until you find the right cover that readers respond to.  This part of the process can take weeks or months, depending on who you work with and how much they charge.
• Writing a blurb - A good blurb is essential for the indie writer.  You must entice a potential reader with nothing more than a paragraph.  Writing a novel is hard.  Writing a blurb can be harder.  There is no proven formula for a blurb.  I suggest reading many blurbs of successful novels.  Then write several blurbs.  Have friends and family members read your blurbs.  Listen to their feedback and then rewrite the blurbs again.  There are discussion forums at kboards.com where you can ask for blurb advice.  Other indie writers are generous with help.  I suggest you get as much help as possible.  This part of the process can take a week or more.  Sometimes longer.  But be willing to change the blurb until you see a suitable spike in sales.
• Formatting - An indie writer must format the digital file to be published online.  Poorly formatted work doesn't translate well to ereaders.  A poorly formatted book looks unprofessional and turns readers off.  There are several online resources available for the various publishing sites.  Read these carefully and follow the instructions.  Right now I publish direct to amazon.com and smashwords.com (makes books available to barnesandnoble and ibooks).  This process takes a few days the first time you go through it.  After a couple of times it shouldn't take longer than a day.

After this, your book will be available for people to buy.  And then you can begin working on the next project.  

An Old Poem - The Fountain

Looking through a box of writing and stumbled upon this old thing.  Interesting to know that I wrote this more than 10 years ago:

The Fountain

Patience and sobriety are keys to successful art.
And intelligence.
0 for 3.
What do successful artists know of appreciation or respect?
With ambition and desire comes longing.
With longing comes disappointment.
With the best bottle of wine still comes a hangover.
And I don't know why I wish to create something.
My professional life is one I hope affords me time to create something for the future.

But the truth is my career is a pleasant distraction
from my desire and ultimate inability to create something meaningful.

If only Hemingway sold advertising, then he'd still be alive.

#192 Outline v. Free Flow

Been reading articles from established writers who discuss outlining a project before writing it.  The simplified points of view are as follows:

Outlining:  Gives a writer a full sense of the story.  Forces the writer to think things through so that he or she doesn't stall in the middle of the first draft.  This is all about organization.  Mapping out in broad strokes where a story begins and ultimately where it will end.  There is comfort in the organization.  A writer can sit down each day and check off the mile markers that will lead to a desired destination.  The main negative I read is this:  outlining has the potential to confine a writer's imagination and can cause problems when characters reveal they would not do what has already been preplanned by the outline.


Free Flow: A writer begins with a good character and a concept, but allows the story to unfold organically as it is being written.  Characters are given the freedom to act as they should, which gives an air of unpredictability to the project, even for the writer.  At the end of the story, things fall into place because the characters stay true to themselves instead of being forced to confine to an outline.  An issue with Free Flow surfaces when a writer spends months writing in one direction only to discover the story has bogged down or become less interesting.  Free flow can sometimes end in a project being abandoned because it has written itself into a dilemma the writer no longer wishes to address.

I have written three novels with the outlining approach and three with the free flow approach.  I conclude that one is not universally superior to the other.  Good writing and good storytelling result from a writer's confidence.  Different people gain confidence in different ways.  A writer must understand how he or she works.  What makes him or her confident.  Writing a novel takes time, energy, and patience.  The goal is to chip away every day at a project that could take months or years to complete.  The confidence to do this cannot be achieved by a formula that works for everyone.  A writer must understand what it takes to sit and write everyday.  Some people work better with a map.  Some work better getting on the road and figuring it out as they go.  Neither is right or wrong, as both processes have the ability to get someone to his or her ultimate destination.

For me, I have honed in on a process that uses attributes from both approaches.  I like having a general idea of where the story is going, but I allow my characters to dictate how the story develops.  Sometimes the story ends how I originally intended.  Oftentimes it goes in a completely different and unforeseen direction.  The key is having enough confidence in what you are doing to sit each day in front of blank pages, slowly filling them up one sentence at a time, while also having the confidence to allow a story to change if it needs to.  The only way to figure out what works best for you is to write.  Write everyday and pay attention to what works and what doesn't.