A Retreat to Creativity

Our writers group is planning a retreat.  For me personally, I always enjoy our retreats. They are a great opportunity to get better acquainted with my fellow authors, other people like me, who listen to the voices in their heads and aren’t ashamed to admit it.  I can’t tell you how life affirming that is to know that if I am crazy for listening to the voices in my head and writing down all they tell me, I’m in VERY good company.

At one of our retreats several years ago, Jackie Kramer presented a wonderful day-long workshop.  My favorite part was when she gave us this sentence, “Toby looked across the crowded room.”   Then she told us we had ten minutes to write the beginning paragraph to not one, but three separate stories.  Trust me – it’s not as easy as it sounds.  The point of this exercise, I think, was to teach each of us how to first, trust our writing instincts, and two, not to dismiss any story idea.

So below are my three separate story beginnings. (As you can tell, I was in the mood for a ghost story.) I’ve posted my story ideas below. Now I invite you to post too. But you’re on the honor system – you get ten minutes to craft your beginning.

Clock’s ticking.

#1.  Toby looked across the crowded room. He saw the ghost of a young child holding a heart-shaped box. The child beckoned with her eyes and held the box at arm’s length. As Toby crossed the room, a green-eyed demon stepped into his path and snatched the box away.  “You can’t have that. It’s mine,” the demon jeered. “But it’s my heart,” Toby said.

#2. Toby looked across the crowded room. A painting of a white house with green shutters hung on the wall opposite him. The picture tugged at his heart, although he’d never seen the picture or the house before. But he knew it was where he belonged. Urgently, he scanned the gallery looking for the artist. He had to know who painted the picture and why this house called to him.

3. Toby looked across the crowded room. The woman standing near the base of the stairs stood out from all the other mourners at his mother’s funeral.  The woman was dressed in a wedding gown. He threaded his way past the groups of family and friends who gathered today pay their last respects. As he reached the foot of the stairs, the woman turned and started up to the second floor. He followed her. “Who are you?” he asked.  At the top of the stairs, the woman in white turned and without a word reached out to gently stroke his face.  She stepped back then vanished before his eyes.

Turning Pages

There’s nothing like turning the page of a good book to see what happens next. To see what adventures the characters will explore. What obstacles and adversities they will overcome. To see them tested before they finally claw their way to success to find their happily ever after.

During this time of year, life will imitate art. Thousands of high school seniors are leaving the security of their basic education and embarking on a new life, one they eagerly anticipate. They don’t know what awaits them (of course, none of us really do), but they’re shedding their childhoods and becoming adults. Some will go on to technical schools, some to college, some to the military. Some will walk down the aisle to say their vows, then starting their own families.

Whatever their paths, their lives will be like a new page, a new chapter or even a new book. They know what they’ve left behind as it has shaped them as a person. Everyone they’ve come in contact with from their families, to fellow students, to their teachers have influenced them in one fashion or another. Now it’s up to them to write the next chapter of their lives. To work toward the goals they’ve set for themselves.

I hope they never stop. Never stop learning…never stop growing.

Never stop turning those pages.

THE COUNT

No, I’m not talking about the adorable count on Sesame Street. (Vne, Two, Thrrrree! Bwa-ha-ha-ha!) Not even talking about Count Dracula.

I’m talking about your manuscript’s word count. (Thanks, Linda, for the chat and the blog idea. I needed it!)

This isn’t one of those blogs where I’ve got the answer and I’m going to, finally, magnanimously share it. This is honest-to-goodness-I-really-really-want-to-know.

Serious question: How do you get your word count to climb?

For some of us, it just ain’t that easy.

Don’t misunderstand. I’ve taken classes on it. I don’t remember much about the first one I took. I don’t remember the teacher’s name or the class name. I do remember the main thrust.

First, you write for a week and see what you average. The next week you add so many to your daily word count. I don’t remember exactly how many. Maybe twenty-five words? Fifty?

Say you test yourself and find you write 200 words a day. For the next week, you push yourself and make it 250. The week after, 300. The result is, after several weeks you should be writing 1000 words a day in the same amount of time it took you to write 200.

I could do it, but what I wrote was a little stinky (!) because I was thinking about the numbers more than what I was putting on the paper. And that’s just dumb. Might as well draw a target on my foot and pull the trigger.

Then not so long ago, I took a class given at Rose’s Colored Glasses called WRITE 50 BOOKS IN A YEAR.

Now Rose is giving it as a free week-long class this summer. Check it out HERE.

The workshop includes–

1. What do you want? (Good question.)
2. What’s stopping you?
3. Prewriting planning.
4. Cranking out the pages.
5. Tools for goal setting and planning.

In case you’re wondering, YES, I signed up for the class again–unless they kick me out for flunking last time. And for sharing the free class thing.

Do you recognize any of your write too slow problems? #2 and #3 look good to me.

I’m horrible at getting people to comment on blogs, but just this once (please?) SHARE WITH US. (I promise we won’t think you’re bragging or hate you for being prolific.)

• How do you keep life from getting in the way? 
• How do you work through the rough patches?
• How do you keep the sirens from luring you onto the rocks?
• How do you write so many words in a day?

Whether you can’t (or won’t) answer any of those, how about answering this one–HOW MANY WORDS DO YOU AVERAGE A DAY? Let us (me!) know how many I can shoot for. And so I can touch you on the head. ( And maybe get some of it to rub off on me.)

My Val. Speech

I know I speak for pretty much everyone when I say that I am sick and tired of graduations that feel like funerals. I for one am proud of each and every one of us for dragging ourselves out of bed every morning, monday through friday, for years. Today it all pays off; we did it! It wasn’t easy. Life is made of learning from mistakes. education was like an electrical outlet, and we were all curious children at some point. One time should have been enough, but no; some of us are off to higher voltages.College, and jobs. The lessons we’re about to learn are going to be tougher than what we’ve already seen. the good news is that our minor shocks as kids have prepared us for going out and hugging transformers.

the trick to being ready is looking back on all that you’ve been taught, even if you were taught the hard way.

hours spent playing cards are not wasted, as long as you’re in good company.

racing wheelie-chairs is a great momentum-vs-friction experiment. you get to class Mr. Starr!

Start planning for may in august. Procrastination takes time.

always be nice to people who make your food. Thank you Lunch Ladies!

Being in clubs and having homework is like juggling. Its fun, sometimes, and very impressive to watch, but eventually there will be book to face contact, so be prepared.

if you think no one cares about you, try not turning in a paper or missing a payment.

what doesn’t kill you does make you stronger.

Dont sleep in Mr. Saunders class. Unless, that is, you are not afraid to show off and bust a move.

quick writes are a great time to show your teacher your creative writing skills. “I rode into my battle against the ninjas on a unicorn made of steel!”

Turning on the lights, when its been dark for so long, is a good thing. Sure, it hurts, but at least you can see again.

When mrs steele or mrs asher says you’ll have a hard time in her class, its a challenge to try harder, not a warning to get out.

Talk to everyone, especially those who look at you funny. They may think you’re weird, but they can get to know you. then they’ll be sure…

no one is above the law: if you’re chewing gum in class, Mr. Saunders will catch you.

Dont just a book by its cover. Even if that cover is awesome, and has fire, lasers, or a dinosaur on it.

Sometimes you have to be in a group with people you don’t know, or like, in order to get anything done.

To paraphrase Mrs. Steele “Math is kind of like being in a fight in a dark alley. You can either lay down and die or fight your way out anyway you can.”

Know the law: For some reason, its illegal to go whaling in Oklahoma. See, its graduation, and you’re still learning…

Circling X doesn’t count.

My little brother will always get Luigi!

Never make eye contact with a crying parent or friend.

(Quadratic formula)

Some people dont change, some people change too much.

authority figures never think its as funny as you do.

I know there’s this thing called a friend zone, but sometimes having your boyfriend, be your best friend, is pretty great.

cherish nap time while you can!

It takes aproximately 3500 sticky notes to cover a buick.

Respect: you gotta give it if you wanna give it.

Being funny is much harder than it looks…

Dr. Seuss means a lot more to 18 yr olds than it does to 8 yr olds.

and Finally, as you can tell, be yourself is the worst advice you can give some people…

SECOND CHANCES

One of the reasons I write romance is because I believe in happily ever after. Usually, that means, when after many times of kissing the frog, you finally find your prince.  Sometimes, the HEA doesn’t come until you have a bad first relationship and have to learn trust in order to accept the one meant for you. This is what we call the “second chance”.

But there is another kind of second chance. My father was lucky enough to have one.  He and my mom were married almost 60 years before she died. Their marriage yielded two children and six grandchildren as well as a host of happy memories. And when my mom died, my dad was willing to wait until the Lord called him home to rejoin my mom.

But the Lord had other plans. Her name was Marie LaBrake. She was 75 years young, beautiful, and warm natured. Watching the courtship between her and Daddy was like watching a couple of teenagers.  They held hands, sneaked kisses, and told each other “I love you” frequently through the day.

Seven months ago, they got married and set up housekeeping in their shared assisted living facility.  That consisted of sharing a room, laughing together, solving the world’s problems, and sometimes fussing with each other.  When he had his stroke, she worried herself sick until her son got her up to the hospital.  And when she was diagnosed with terminal cancer four days later, Daddy raised Cain until he was released back to her.  When she died, he was at her side.

So, this blog is to honor that wonderful woman who made my father so happy.  To her sense of humor, her graciousness, and her courage. Thank you, Marie, for making my dad so happy. Thank you, the LaBrake family for sharing your mom and grandmother with us.  And thank you, Lord, for letting my daddy have a second chance at love.

Congrats!

This is a short post today. With KT graduating from high school this week, our schedule is hectic.

KT I am so proud of you. You’ve worked so hard these past few years. Now all that work is paying off as you graduate not only with a 4.0 but as Validictorian. The future holds so much promise! People keep asking me if I’m sad to see you graduate and go on to college. The answer is “no”. I’m excited to see you go on to achieve your dreams.

So go Pokes!  And go KT!  I love you and I’m so proud of you!

 

Building Chops

“I want it. And I want it now!”

Okay, mature adults might not say that, but most of us would love to live our lives getting what we want without having to work years to get it.

Who wouldn’t love to be at the top of the game from the word, “Go!”? To have every word you write drip from your fingertips, sparkling and bright, and have editors and agents jockeying to get a chance at it?

Who wouldn’t love to have the knowledge before you ever start trying to write that each and every manuscript you pen is going to be so good, so lyrical, that people will line up the night before it goes on sale, just to have a chance to buy it?

An Instant Society is what I’ve heard it called. Newlyweds expect to have what their parents took years to save for. New businesses spend as if they have the same budget as their long-lived counterparts. New employees want to have the same authority as the boss and TV Star.

Think about instant a moment. Instant Coffee. Instant Tea. Instant Success. Is that really what you want? I’ve never been able to stomach Instant coffee or tea. Although I know people who drink it, I’ve never met anyone who names it as their first choice. “Not bad for instant,” is usually how they describe it.

Look at how long it took some artists to become who they are. Take the Beatles, for instance. They were all performing with other groups by 1957. They went through a time when, after they’d found each other (at least some of them) they worked in Germany playing eight-hour shifts.

They gained members and lost members until finally, in January of 1962, they recorded 14 songs for Decca Records and they didn’t pass the audition!

In October of that year, they released, “Love Me Do,” and “PS. I Love You,” and hit the charts.

Six years of constant work, work, work to become an “instant” success.

Was it worth it?

Just as there’s a difference between instant coffee and coffee that’s been brewed from good, roasted and well ground beans, there’s a difference between instant success and those who’ve taken the time to learn and built the chops to be the artist you’d like to become.

Without discouragement. So what if you don’t sell in the first year? Or even after five years? Many of the writers I know have written for ten years or more before selling their first book. But it’s worth it.

“http://youtu.be/3ResTHKVxf4

What nobody tells people who are beginners — and I really wish someone had told this to me . . . is that all of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, and it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not.

But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase. They quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this.

My advice, for what it’s worth–Take the time to learn what you need to know. Don’t worry about how long it’s taking you or if you’ll ever be able to sell it. Learn it for the enjoyment of learning. Write it for the love of writing.

Find the joy in doing whatever it is you do, and you’ll never have to work.

BTW: Whatever your endeavor, whatever your goal, you may just find the most important ingredience is tenacity.

Or, as they used to say when Shep was a pup, “Keep On Truckin!’”

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