Writers Workshop - Part 2

Well, well, well..... So I heard a few complaints over the last week about my blog.....


Mwhahahaha!

Come on - I'm a writer, you should come to expect cliff hangers by now!  You wouldn't complain if a mechanic brought out a new transmission!

.....and we continue (where we were so rudely left in Writers Workshop - Part 1)

For those that hadn't talked to me before I left, one of my biggest worries in regards to the writers workshop was..... eating alone.  Yah.  I know.  It goes back to elementary school and is vaguely related to being picked last for kickball...

So when I arrived really, really, really late on Saturday (okay it was like 8pm but it felt like 3am) I unpacked and crashed and left my anxiety waiting for me on the dresser.  I knew most of the attendees wouldn't be there until after lunch.  I was instructed to "make myself at home" and go into the kitchen for breakfast.  Much to my relief there was another attendee already there eating.  (Needless to say the poor woman found herself with a week-long shadow.)

Our workshop was smaller that others and for that I am grateful.  Not dealing well with change and new people, it didn't take me too long to feel at ease around everyone (not mention the fact that they were all amazing writers and incredibly nice!)

We had a beautiful meeting place ("The Barn") 

And adorable cabins

And breathtaking surroundings!

Sunday night we all sat together at a long table and had the first, of what would become a week of amazing meals.  (Amazing, not just because I didn't have to buy it, cook it, or clean up after it, but because their kitchen staff is the best!)

Monday we started to get to work.  Each of us was assigned a mentor, who read our entire manuscripts and we had the first of two one-on-one's with our mentors.

Each day we classes that helped up hone in on our craft, whether it was teaching us about submissions and query letters, or about editing, or about plot, in each class I learned something new.  (I will say I am very excited to look at my YA and implement a few new dimensions to its plot!)

Every day we had time with the group and time by ourselves to read or write or ponder, whatever we wanted to do.

And by Thursday we even had...

Snow!!

The week was absolutely amazing.  I will admit I wound up doing more soul searching than writing, but I will always cherish the time there.  Having the opportunity to have someone read your entire manuscript is invaluable.  And yet spending a week with like-minded people, sitting in the same pre-published (for the most part) boat was something I will forever cherish.

And with that in mind (and in an effort to save as many friendships as possible) I will NOT end with a cliffhanger but I will say that I will post Part 3 next week.  :)

Motivation Monday

"Work and play are words used to describe the same thing under different conditions."
- Mark Twain

When I was in elementary school I wanted to be marine biologist.  Well, actually that's not true.  In elementary school I loved whales.  By 7th grade I knew I wanted to work with whales.  By 8th grade I was determined to work at Sea World - I wanted to spend every day working with beluga whales.
  
(Can you blame me? They are so cute!)

Then, of course, I realized how much work it would take to become a marine biologist and live out my dreams.  Life happened and before I knew it my dream was gone.  (No I'm not about to get all sad and sappy on you...)

I've since always worked in accounting.  (And I know I have accounting friends who read this blog - I DO NOT MEAN ANYTHING BY WHAT I AM ABOUT TO SAY - I LOVE ACCOUNTANTS!)

But accounting was never my dream.  I was never satisfied with my jobs because I didn't LOVE it.  And then one day my life changed forever.  That was the day I told my son I'd write him a book.  It has been just as challenging as any job - full of frustrations and rejection (and not enough pay - or any at all!!) But the most important thing is that my perspective changed.  I realized that I could do something I loved.

Of course, until the day comes when I am actually paid to write, I can't truly say that my work is play, but if I am doing something I love, then I feel as if I can.

Doing what you love, no matter if it's accounting (Tonya ;) or raising kids, or writing stories, or building race cars - if you love it, it's no longer work.

Writer's Workshop - Part 1

For those not eternally annoyed and irritated with my recent ramblings and worrying, in other words, those living under a rock, I recently attended a writer's workshop.  I've been asked to blog about it....(only someone currently living under a rock would ask me to blog - but hey, a girl can't say no!)

In an obvious effort to torment you as much as possible - welcome to Writer's Workshop - Part 1

First a little background information: 

I heard about this workshop in January at a SCBWI critique event and in less than 3 weeks had applied, been accepted, and purchased my plane ticket!  

The best way I can explain the workshop (as I understood it before I attended); an opportunity to have your entire novel read by a mentor (a published author), to attend craft workshops, and to be with like-minded writer's for an entire week while revising our manuscripts. (Now do you know why I wanted to go so bad?) 

But wait there's more...

Our guest speaker's were editor's from Boyd Mill Publishing and HarperCollins!!!!

Workshop: Highlight's Foundation Writer's Workshop: Middle Grade Whole Novel

Where: Honesdale, PA (aka middle of nowhere)

When: March 3-9

To say the least I was a little excited come Saturday morning when I drug my poor hubby out of the house to the airport.  

Somewhere over the Midwest, I started to get a little nervous....

Okay, so really I wasn't nervous, but I really wanted to make my kids jealous.  I had been gone less than four hours and was already seeing snow!  It worked :)

Then it got real...

And the workshop hadn't technically started.....

To be continued....

Mwhahahaha

Motivation Monday

"A 'no' uttered from deepest conviction is better and greater that a 'yes' merely uttered to please, or what is worse, to avoid trouble."
- Mahatma Gandhi

On the heels of a week long writer's workshop/find yourself/find your voice/critique-not-critique I couldn't have found a more fitting quote.  Critiquing is tough business.  Words and opinions can be interpreted a million different ways.  The topic of critique groups came up a lot over the course of the week and I really wish I would have had this quote.

A critique that tells the writer nothing, that gives them nothing to work on does absolutely nothing for that writer.  I once got a critique back with a smiley face on it and nothing else.  Well, I can honestly say that it was at least a little more helpful than the one I got back that was blank - and yet it still didn't tell me anything.  As hard as it is to hear that someone doesn't like your main character, or can't stand the voice, doesn't understand the plot, or thinks you are telling, not showing - at least you have something to work on.  To look at.  A perspective that you may not have seen before.

So when someone asks you to read something they've written, or if you're part of critique group, do them a favor and critique - tell them 'no' with a deep conviction - there are plenty of ways to give constructive criticism.

There's a lot of advise on how to critique other's work, here's just one of them.

Note #5 - One of the best ways to ensure the writer doesn't feel "picked on"

5. Start — and Stop — with the Positive
Whether you’re responding with general impressions or providing detailed feedback, begin by lauding the strengths of the sample, and reiterate your positive feedback when you summarize your critique. Refer to strengths, not weaknesses, and use positive language: “stronger,” “more interesting,” “a better approach.” Be frank but diplomatic: Even people who can take criticism need to hear that they’re doing something right, and that’s what you should start (and end) with.

Just remember that a ;) is nice and all, but it's not going to help me :)

Graveyard Shifts, Dreams and the #6...horror story or another success story?

Toni, in an awesome, very inspiring post wrote: ' Sometimes you have to find your own motivation'. (Click here to view her post.)

And it got me thinking... what really motivates me to write? It's something I've always dreamed about since I can't remember... so forever.  I've always wanted to be an author. I started drafting and outlining stories as soon as I could write (and I've kept those little scribbles too). But lately, life's kinda gotten in the way and laundry has trumped the writing. Screaming kids have demanded more attention than my keyboard, computer and writing dreams. Hmmff..

I came across the success story of Brandon Sanderson who was chosen to continue Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series (phenomenal series by the way!) after Mr. Jordan passed away. Mr Jordan left copious notes for his remaining books and Brandon Sanderson was chosen to continue his work. Brandon Sanderson struggling student to six time New York Times Best Selling Author journey is a classic one. AND we always LOVE to hear these kind of successes!

Brandon started writing behind a hotel front desk during the graveyard shift. He worked midnight to 5am giving him many quiet hours to just write. His first goal was just to write 6 books. Why 6 you ask? I took his reasoning and story from BYU Magazine article written by Krista Holmes Hanby:

“I once heard that your first five books are generally bad, and so I determined I would write six at the very least.”

He did go on to write eight books during his five year graveyard stint. His sixth book was Elantris and sat on an editor's desk before it was rejected.

Again and again Sanderson was told that his books would never sell because they were too long or too moral. But he was determined. “At the end of the day if you told me, ‘You will never get published,’ I would have still written the books,” he says.

He persevered and now:
Little did the haggard student know then that in a mere eight years, he would publish not only Elantris (in 2005) but 12 more novels, including his acclaimed Mistborn series and the middle-grade Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians series—as well as the final three books of The Wheel of Time, by epic-fantasy writer Robert Jordan.

Brandon also gives this advice to fellow writers:

“There are a lot of writers who are better than I am who are not successful,” he says. “It’s a measure of luck, perseverance, and providence.”

And how to deal with writer's block:

“Sit in a chair and write,” Sanderson says.“Ignore this thing they call writer’s block. Doctors don’t get doctor’s block; your mechanic doesn’t get mechanic’s block. If you want to write great stories, learn to write when you don’t feel like it. You have to write it poorly before you can write it well. So just be willing to write bad stories in order to learn to become better.”

I love to hear of triumph through hard work and NEVER giving up. I did a lot of cutting and pasting from the article and I recommend reading it in it's entirety. Please click here.  Very good read and guaranteed to give you that get up and go with renewed determination!

So what's my motivation? I'm going to write another book. I've written 5 books which have been rejected a million times. Well, it really seems like that many. But, this next one could just be the one! The one that gets me published! The one that makes my dreams come true. I just gotta keep going! And so should YOU!!!

Motivation Monday

What no quote?
Nope.  Not today.
But it's Motivation Monday, don't you have to have a motivational quote?
Nope.
Why?
Because I said so, that's why....

Because sometimes you have to find your own motivation.  Anyone who reads our little blog on a regular basis may have started to feel a theme coming on of late.  Yep, I am talking myself into being brave and attending a writer's workshop.  So lucky for you, the way I talk myself into it is by lecturing others about finding their motivation, and believing in themselves.... well read the last few posts and you'll get the idea.

SO.... back to finding your own motivation.  I decided, while researching who will be at the writer's workshop I am attending, to go back and find the article that changed the way I looked at writing. (which happens to be a post by a someone who happens to be a guest speaker at the very workshop I am attending - can we say "holy sweet mother of excited Toni!!"???)

I read the post again tonight, and I must say I still love it!  It explains everything, especially that all important word of "craft" (which for any non-writers, is flung around like a literary cuss word no one truly understands)

So here ya go.  This is my motivation

Thanks to Molly O'Neill for making everything click for me!!!

Motivation Monday - PLUS fun news!!!

"To the degree we're not living our dreams, our comfort zone has more control of us than we have of ourselves."
- Peter McWilliams



Having control of your dreams is a lot easier said than done.  Especially when following your dreams involves getting out of your comfort zone - WAY out of your comfort zone, like so far out it should be called Tonis-going-to-have-nervous-breakdown-just-looking-for-someone-eat-lunch-with.  But that's what I'm doing.  (Getting out of my comfort zone AND yes, I will be looking for someone to eat with every day, at every meal, for a week)

The first week of March I will be attending a Writer's Workshop in Pennsylvania.  The Highlight's Foundation puts on several workshops throughout the year.  I am super excited to be attending one that concentrates on Middle Grade novels. (Oh, and my dream editor will be a guest speaker for 2 whole, glorious days - and I pinky promise not to gawk and stare like the editor-stalker I am!)

My love for middle grade books started with my oldest son, who bless his heart, said he couldn't find any books he liked to read.  I was naive, alright very naive, and said something along the lines of, "Well why don't I write a book for you?"  That was three years ago.  I have worked on this novel periodically over the years never wanting to give up on it because the characters are all family members - it means the world to me.  SO after finding out about this workshop I applied and got accepted, only to be denied a scholarship.  BUT I was surprised  humbled, and extremely excited when my family offered to help.    

So I am going despite hating to fly, despite having every doubt I've had in my life crawl back into my head, despite being nervous around new people, despite dreading the find someone to eat lunch with thing - despite it all I am throwing myself head first into the most nerve wracking thing I've ever done - wanna know why???

Cause if I keep telling the world (or the 12 people who read this blog) to follow their dreams, but ignore my own, then what kind of blogger would I be?