Adora Svitak: What adults can learn from kids | Video on TED.com

A friend showed me this awhile ago. I love what she says!

Adora Svitak: What adults can learn from kids | Video on TED.com

"Writing Through the Lazy Days of Summer"

Author Carrie Jones is blogging on "Through the Tollbooth" this week and I'm linking to this post because I really like it. :) These are some tips that I've found to be true (though I may not always use them) and they can (and should) be applied not just during summer but all year long for writers.

http://throughthetollbooth.com/2011/08/17/writing-through-the-lazy-days-of-summer-3/

Trailer for "The Scorpio Races," a New Novel by Maggie Stiefvater

I CANNOT wait for this book to come out!!! As usual, Maggie did an amazing job in making this very creative trailer.

If you're interested, here's a link to pre-order an autographed copy of "The Scorpio Races": http://www.fountainbookstore.com/autograph-maggie

Character Fatigue

Do you ever get tired of your characters? I've been working on one story all summer and, quite frankly, swimming around in the minds of figments of imagination is starting to get old...well, at least with the same two characters I've been working with. There's a quote that comes to mind: "Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia." I'm beginning to think this is true. I mean, what does writing fiction really boil down to?

1. Inventing people inside your head

2. Arguing with these "people" when they won't do what you want

3. Sitting in front of the computer talking to yourself

I once saw an interview with a somewhat famous screenwriter who said he plays out arguments and discussions with his characters while driving and people always look at him funny. So, I know it's not just me (except I don't do that in the car, usually on walks).

But aside from that, I think I just need a break from these two. The guy is a kind of anti-hero; he's perpetually sarcastic, dishonest, and sometimes just downright moody. Of course, his good attributes outweigh the bad (otherwise I wouldn't be writing about him), but his banter and secrets are starting to put me in a foul mood. The girl is nosy, sheltered, and overly theatrical, but it's part of her character... It works for them and I like the chemistry the two have as friends, but I just want a break! However, I know that if I do take a break, I'll probably end up letting this story fall by the wayside, which I definitely don't want. Maybe this will motivate me to write quicker just so I can have a change of pace...

Can you relate to this or am I just crazy?

I just found this picture that perfectly illustrates my point.

Just a Few Favorite Things

The other day I found myself rummaging through old hat boxes full of letters from my dear friends. Several years ago when we were thirteen Everly Pleasant and I made lists of things that are "good, colorful, fun, happy, or childish." The lists read as follows. May it inspire you to do a few silly fun things! I know I want to. :)

Everly:

1. Lollipops 18. Fun in the sprinkler

2. Cupcakes 19. Swings

3. Crayons 20. Fireflies in a jar

4. Polka dots 21. Shadow puppets

5. Rainbows 22. Piggy back rides

6. Sunshine 23. Bubble baths

7. Daisies 24. Puddle splashing

8. Pig tails 25. Popsicles

9. Toe socks 26. Mud pies

10. Finger paints 27. Tree houses

11. Butterflies 28. Balloons

12. Dandelions 29. Bubbles

13. Ice cream cones 30. Pompoms

14. Jump ropes 31. Slinkies

15. Hopscotch 32. Bubble gum

16. Leapfrog 33. Pogo sticks

17. Kites 34. Imaginary friends

I made my own, but I guess I never sent it back to her since I still have it:

1. Poodles

2. Cakes with sprinkles on the icing

3. pulling a wishbone

4. sunshine

5. roses

6. dragonflies

7. going as high as you can on a swing set

8. holding a kitten

9. making a wish when you blow out the birthday candles

10. markers

11. stickers

12. feeding ducks

13. chocolate sundaes

14. fairy tales

15. miniature ponies

16. Ferris wheels

17. riding a bike

18. merry-go-rounds

19. little red wagons

20. feather pens

21. puppies

22. Mary Poppins

23. Barbies

24. gel pens (love those things!)

25. letters from friends

26. puppy kisses

27. blowing bubbles

28. silly inside jokes

29. cat whiskers

30. Tinkerbell

31. catching snowflakes on your tongue

32. walking in the park

33. jungle gyms

Historical Writing Milestone

For the first time EVER in my life I have FINALLY reached the 50,000 word mark while writing a story!!! I know it's a huge no-no to use multiple exclamation points, but I'm so happy! Usually by this time I've convinced myself that my story is pointless, abandoned it, and started from scratch on a completely different one. Sweet, sweet success! Anyway...now that I've said what I wanted, I'm going to continue on my story. I think it'll be about 75,000-100,000 words before I've found a good ending. Happy writing!

The Dangers of Writing: Part One

"Writers are not just people who sit down and write. They hazard themselves. Every time you compose a book your composition of yourself is at stake." ~E.L. Doctorow

As far back as my earliest memories of writing when I was six and seven years old I do not remember the gripping, sweat-on-the-palms fear of failure that has inhibited me for the past decade. When I was a child, I wrote stories about whatever took my fancy, be it faeries, goofy little mice, detectives. Back then I recognized writing as part of me, a vital part, that was natural and wonderful. Everyone has their "thing" and writing was my gift, my talent, so why shouldn't I share it? Once when my sister was sick (I don't recall with what) I spent the day writing and illustrating a collection of short stories I'd had floating in my head and taking up valuable space. Whenever I wrote a story I had no qualms reading it to Mom and hearing her opinion.

I think the first time I was shy and unsure about my writing was a regional Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators contest. I didn't want to even enter the contest but Mom persuaded me to do it and, as usual, I was later grateful that she'd given me the helpful shove in the right direction. I made the top three or five (I don't remember exactly which), but even when I was interviewed for the local tv network I was ashamed and blushing as I read an excerpt of my story.

Having people, even my mom, review my work and critique it gradually made me incredibly embarrassed and ashamed of anything I wrote. I don't know, I'm probably just too thin skinned, but whatever the reason, I became increasingly secretive with my stories. A few times I renounced all hope of ever becoming an author (one time lasted for two years) which nearly killed me. Obviously that phase passed, but I still struggle with telling people my ideas or letting them read my stories. Like the quote from Doctorow says, it feels that if your story isn't quite good enough it means you aren't adequate. Every criticism of something you've created feels as if the whole world is telling you that your idea is stupid or just plain weird. Usually I start off writing fully confident in my story and the characters fueling it, but around 50 pages in this nauseating self-doubt kicks in. What if everyone reads my story and thinks it weird? What if everyone reads my story and thinks I'm weird? What if my story is stupid? No one will read it and it will accomplish nothing. So, I let yet another story fall by the wayside and I start over and then I repeat the vicious cycle yet again.

While writing my current story I ran into the same problem around the same time, but I miraculously forced myself through it and continued writing. Then at about 100 pages it came again, I pushed through it again. Now I'm only a few thousand words short of 50, 000 and still not close to an end, but I'm still moving forward. If you are ever going to grow as a writer, you have to stop caring about what people think. Ironically, being a successful writer depends a lot on others' opinion but if you cater only to what the masses demand there would be a plethora of horribly written vampire romances and zombie-fied Jane Austen novels...oh wait...that's already happened. :/

If you stay true to your convictions and creativity, you'll fail a few times and people may or may not be interested in your work. To write is to expose your true heart and soul to anyone who cares to take a look, to be scrutinized in the hopes that it informs, entertains, or enlightens. Vampire and zombies might be selling now, but they're predictable and commercial and will never become classics (except Twilight because it's the monster that started all this madness). Don't try to be something you're not and don't write something that isn't inspired. Go to any secondhand bookstore and three-fourths of each shelf tells the story of a failed book and the "havenot" author. But some of those books are unexpected gems, originals in a sea of lookalikes. Some of those authors might think they failed, but they don't know what that one book might mean to a small group of fans. You could be published and on the bestseller list, but that doesn't necessarily mean you're a good author.

"Everywhere I go I'm asked if I think the university stifles writers. My opinion is that they don't stifle enough of them. There's many a bestseller that could have been prevented by a good teacher." ~Flannery O'Connor