A Feeling of Accomplishment and Loss

Yesterday, I finished another revision on a novel in progress for the last year or three. I lost count at which revision this is, perhaps the sixth, or probably the twelfth. Whichever it is, I think it is the one that makes the novel complete and ready for the market. This is huge.

There are many markers in the process of writing a novel. Finishing the first draft is a big one, and one to celebrate, but the writer knows there is work to do in revisions. It can be hard to understand what those changes are in the flush of giving birth to this new novel, or the flaws may be glaringly apparent or even overwhelming.

Then there is the hard work of revisions. It can be a rocky trail that makes one doubt the entire idea. For me, there is a point in revisions where I start to fall in love with the novel. It starts to resemble what I envisioned at the concept point.

Finishing a novel, in that I polished it and feel it is ready for readers, is one of the big milestones. It is one that fills me with elation, relief, and a feeling that the world is not quite right. At this point, I have spent months, probably years thinking about these characters. I have carefully built a world filled with vivid scenes and tangible emotions. I have delved into the depths of character consciousness, thinking about why each one did this and that, putting words in their mouths, sometimes destroying their worlds. Plot has been executed.

And then I am done. I write, "the end." I will not be digging into the character's head or motivations tonight.  It feels like a loss, like being exiled from the world that no longer needs my hand. I am not sure how to spend my time anymore. I am not sure about my own reality, having spent so much time with my head in two worlds, and suddenly missing the one of my own creation.

I haven't written enough novels to know how long this feeling lasts, but read of plenty of authors who deal with it by reading a lot. I can get down with that. I have been neglecting my "to read" piles of late.

The Best Parts of Life Involve Other People

I work from home, I don’t like the phone, and I generally do not have a lot of people in my life. As an introvert, being around other people isn’t something I crave.

Yet getting to know other people is so interesting and relationships are the core to the human existence. It is one of the best parts of life.

Art by DeviantArt. 

I was talking to a friend about college classes. She is considering classes in sociology and psychology. I remarked that the only thing I remember about my sociology course was the personal life of the student who sat next to me. There was no reason why we sat together. It was a pit class, with at least a hundred students, probably many more. I don’t even know her name, and never saw her outside that class, yet she told me the most intimate of things at a very trying time in her life. I got an A in the class, but what I learned was her story, and I carried that with me. Perhaps that is fitting for a sociology course.

As I drove home from coffee and ruminating my college courses, I listened to NPR. Garden Talk was on. I am a certified master gardener, and my instructor was on the radio. Instantly, I felt important because I know her. I liked the familiarity of her voice and her advice was the same as what I gave my mom about pruning this week (I DID learn something!) She tells a joke about “revenge spraying” bugs and notes it is a Phil Peliterri joke. And I get it. I know Phil too, because he taught one or two of those Master Gardener classes and I listen to him on NPR. I heard him make that joke, in class and on the radio. I felt even cooler....and like a geek at the same time.

It is people who inspire my novels. Each story starts with a character, their problems, and eventually, I figure out how they are going to solve it. I wouldn’t have those characters if there weren’t people in my life telling me stories….friends, acquaintances, random people with generous souls.

I applaud the souls who leave their hearts open, for they are inspiring. I enjoy the colorful characters for making life more interesting. I tip my hat to the teachers among us, for their knowledge and ability to repeat their lessons and jokes again and again. Eventually, we get it!

Five Great Things About Being a Writer

1. When talking about what you are doing this weekend, this evening or in your free time, saying, "I am writing a novel," often wins.

2. You can ask inane hypothetical questions. If people know you are a writer, they assume it is for some book you are writing, even when it is not.

3. It gives you an excuse to read a lot. It is research. You have to study the craft.

4. You get to spend a lot of time in an imaginary world of your own making....and you call the time spent there productive.

5. Having the opportunity to meet other writers and if you are lucky, readers!

Making National Novel Writing Month Work for You, Even if You Aren't Writing a Novel in 30 Days

National Novel Writing Month is ambitious, something writers prepare for months in advance and takes dedication.

Or not.

I write this with the after effects of a sugar rush from Halloween candy on the evening before November. This isn't one of my favorite months. It is cold and bleak, with the trees bare of leaves and the winter gear out of storage for the longest season in Wisconsin. Later this month, people will be crushed to death, sleep deprived, or something trying to get a good deal at Walmart.

As far as I am concerned, NaNoWriMo is a welcome retreat from everything else in November. It is a reason to sit at the keyboard everyday and think about an imaginary world (or dig deeper into real life things, if that is your bag). It is a reason to look at Facebook groups, Twitter, Nano forums and other social networks more often, because they are inspirational. The vibe is fun. Writerly quotes command the internet. The idea of creating a story becomes important and public. People don't care if you refuse to see them so you can stare at your computer. It is ok. It is National Novel Writing Month!

And sometimes, all that inspiration clicks. I have never "won" NaNo, but plenty of others have. There are best selling novels that were born in the month of November. You will probably hear about them in the next 30 days. What I have done is make tremendous progress on first drafts, second, third or fourth drafts, revisions, plotting. All the emphasis on writing makes the writing part of myself more important for one month. Just one month. Then December hits and all the other important stuff takes the lead and I fight for writing time again.

So whether you are writing a novel, doing revisions, thinking about writing a novel, or doing research. Enjoy your month. If you are a writer, November is yours to ignore everything and explore your craft!

Wild Backyard Adventures

Today was one of those beautiful autumn Sundays that demands you spend as much time outside as possible. The weather was a mild 60 degrees, the sun was shining and the leaves were on full display.

Too lazy to clean out the garden, I decided to take the cat outside. Otis begs to go outside all day and all night. I only let him out in the yard supervised, because he has a history of running away.  I regularly took him with me when working in my garden this summer, since it was infested with voles. Otis caught several this summer.

As soon as I took him out, it was clear that hunting was on his mind. He took a few swats at a butterfly and I stopped him. I like butterflies. Catch the vermin.  

After taking inventory of the landscaping around the house, Otis trotted out to the garden while I watched from my covered patio.

Cats are extremely patient. I could tell when he found something interesting. He leaped toward something, missed, then lay low in the grass. Occasionally I would see the white on his nose as he looked at me, then buried in the grass at whatever he was watching. He was a cat on the job!

The dog next door woofed a few times, then looked at the grass to see if she could find anything. Otis ignored her, although the dog was a mere six feet away. Otis is not threatened by the dog next door anymore. He barely acknowledges her, although the dog seems to want to be friends.  

I started to get bored, thought maybe I should clean the debris out of the garden. I contemplated where to put the tomato plants since I didn’t want them in my compost.

I nearly walked over there, to the garden, but then I saw Otis tense again, his shoulders curved in that cat stalking prey kind of way. I stopped my approach and ran back to the patio. I knocked on the patio door for my husband to unlock it in case I have to run inside when the cat finds something and brings it to me. Because that is what cats do, they bring you their prizes. Otis likes to catch, but does not like to kill.

My husband thinks I am crazy. That is nothing new. He did unlock the door.

Then it happened. Otis leaped and caught a vole in his mouth. He must have hit the mother lode, because he continued leaping around the grass, but only had one mouth. He did not let go his charge. At this moment, I was cursing that he is declawed. He might have taken out more than one vole this afternoon.

As predicted, he jogged toward the patio with his prize, still alive and wiggling while dangling from his mouth. I am inside the house now, hollering at my husband to get a bucket.

I noted that my 12 year old son is more swift and better prepared to collect rodents the cat caught. In previous scenarios, my son quickly appears in the back yard with a shovel and a 5 gallon pail from the garage. He then takes the catch to the ravine across the street while making no contact with the injured rodent. My husband took forever to appear again, giving Otis plenty of chances to let the vole go on my patio, then, thankfully, catch it again. I got a little worried about that. One got away this summer, and now lives by my patio.

Husband finally arrived armed with a small bucket and a dowel. Seems a risky choice, but I needed the rodent removed right now. I eyed that small bucket and asked if he wanted a lid. He said no, staring at it for awhile, wondering what to do.  He ended up driving away with a vole in a small bucket in his car. Again, not a choice I would make, but at least the thing is no longer in my yard.

One more down. Otis has been begging to go out for another round all afternoon. Can’t say I haven’t been tempted to let him.

My Writing Process

1. What Are You Working On in the Moment?
I do not like to talk about WIPs unless I am with my immediate family, a very patient muse or two and my critique group (who are probably sick to death of what I am working on!) Part of my writing process is figuring out what it is I am trying to do.  I need to work out what the story is about, what the character wants and what the character needs to overcome. Right now, I am revising a YA novel that is about that moment in life when your friends are everything. I also have an MG novel in the making that is getting a first chapter makeover.

2. How Do You Think Your Work Differs From Other Writer's In Your Genre?

I think the difference is regional. I have not strayed far in my sense of place when telling a story. Every tale is centered in a place I have lived, where I knew the community and felt the vibe. There are not that many other contemporary novels set in Wisconsin (save our homeboy Michael Perry and "The Art of Fielding"). I also think my stories have an element of the unexpected. Often when I read a book, even a good book, I have a sense of where the story is going. I am often surprised by my own work, even after the dozens of readings.

3. Why Do You Write What You Write?

I write when I feel compelled to tell a story. There is always a theme, or a feeling, or a general sense of discontent that needs to be translated into an entertaining story. Very often, I am inspired by people. Everyone has a story if you take the time to listen. Life is interesting!

4. What is Your Writing Process, And How Does It Work?

When I get an idea, I start doing a lot of research. I start a notebook to take as many notes of facts as I can. My background is in journalism, so I tend to investigate before I write. I read a lot of books with the same themes/characters/etc.... I investigate what I am trying to accomplish. I research my main character's problems and learn about quirks, behaviors, trends, perhaps even the science with that specific problem.

Once I feel I have a grasp of the facts, I start to explore the fiction side, starting with the character and his/her problem and his/her goals. I put together a rough outline and start writing. It doesn't always go as planned, but sometimes it does.

I sit on drafts for months and months and do multiple rewrites/revisions. This is where I feel I put in the most work. I may have a problem with that, but I want them to be perfect. There is a cadence to a well written story that carries the reader along. If I can achieve a cadence that carries me, I know I've got it and the first time reader would have an even more amazing experience.

Best Newer Books from Preschool to Teen

I recently listened to a panel of librarians, authors and children's media specialists talk about my favorite thing.....books. The moderator asked this esteemed group of experts what the best new releases were and their recommendations.

So now, I am telling you what they are, because who doesn't love book recommendations?

For Children:
The Dark, by Lemony Snicket - I am a big fan of Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events and this recommendation, for younger readers, caught my attention. This is a picture book for children ages 3 to 6 that casts Dark as a character, who leads a frightened child into the basement.

The Tree Lady: The True Story of How One Tree-Loving Woman Changed a City Forever, by H. Joseph Hopkins. This is another picture book, recommended for children ages 5 to 10. This is the story of Kate Sessions, an activist who helped transform San Diego from a desert to a lush, leafy city.

Henry's Freedom Box, by Ellen Levine. This is the dramatic story of a slave who mailed himself to freedom. It is recommended for children ages 4 to 8 years old, but I want to read it.

For Middle Grade and up:
Stubby the War Dog, by Wisconsin's very own Ann Bausum. This is the story of a stray, stump tailed terrier who helped win WWI.

Wonder, by R.J. Palacio. Of course! I have been hearing about this book so much and it happens to be promoted by my local library system. The story is about Auggie, a 10 year old boy with a facial deformity starting at a mainstream school.

Stargirl, by Jerry Spinelli. This recommendation broke the rules, as Stargirl was published in 2002 and isn't a new release.  It is still a great story about the problems with popularity and first love. For ages 12 and up.

Happy reading!