Wednesday's Words of Wisdom for Writers (and Everyone Else too),

From The Pocket Muse by Monica Wood



"My friend Alyson Hagy, whose writing makes me swoon, gave me the best writing advice I ever got:

you have to be willing to write badly"

(The Pocket Muse is a great source for ideas and inspiration).

This advice is hard. Life is short, and the willingness to write badly--meaning that it will all take ever so long until, fingers crossed, it comes out good--is tough. I've just finished a first draft and I know I wrote badly. I can't bear to look at it, which is a good thing, 'cos it's going in a drawer for at least a month.

On the other hand, I'm brimming with a new idea. It's grand, it's sparkling... am I really willing to write it badly?

On an upbeat note, the Oregon SCBWI conference is this Saturday. One whole day of writing and writers. I'm very willing about that!

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom for Writers (and Everyone Else too)

Cheffing and scribbling

As a previous post about the musician Jamie Cullum indicated, I'm always on the lookout for stories about other professions that resonate with my idea of what it is to be a writer. Yesterday, I came across an article in The Oregonian about the well-regarded Portland restaurant, Paley's Place. I've never actually set foot inside, even though it's been a jewel in the Portland dining scene since 1995. It is owned by chef Vitaly Paley and his wife, Kim, who runs the front of the house. (When I sell my first book, I'm heading there for a shindig! What say you, Marie?!)

This is what Vitaly Paley had to say in answer to journalist Michael C. Zusman's question: "To what do you attribute Paley's longevity?"

It's been a journey of discovery learning what it is we do here, and I can honestly say that it's only been in the last year that I really have begun to feel confident in my own ability and potential and to feel happy in the kitchen.

The thoughts don't always translate to the fingers--the technical prowess lags the thought process. So, sometimes you are able to think of these crazy interesting new ideas that seem perfectly logical in your head, but when you get it on the plate (page, in my case) all of a sudden you say to yourself "What was I thinking?"These days it seems like my fingers and head are a lot better synchronized.

When I read this, I nearly dropped my tea mug and shouted "Eureka!" It was such a sobering thought: a longtime chef who is so respected feels as if he is just coming into his own. I also loved the phrase about "the thoughts don't always translate to the fingers." I am plodding towards the end of the first draft of a fantasy novel that I thought would be the greatest thing since sliced bread, with all those same "crazy interesting new ideas" a la Chef Paley. But, ditto the Chef: "What was I thinking?" I just hope I can do it better justice in the rewrite.

Mood: Steady Eddie (thanks to lashings of tea and Trader Joe's Fair Trade chocolate).

Big Event coming up: Oldest son treading the boards in the school musical of Grease, starting tomorrow. He's worked very hard and I hope it will be a smashing success. Break a leg, son!

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom for Writers (and Everyone Else too),

The deadline for the Kay Snow Writing contest is only two days away. Last year I won third place in the adult fiction category and this year I'd like to go even better.

But I'm struggling. I've decided to send in the first chapter of my middle-grade novel but have succumbed to "beginning-itis." That is, I keep changing the start. There's a lot of 'wanting' going on: wanting more of a hook; wanting the character's voice to shine through with more humour; wanting to avoid The List pitfall which is overdone in children's writing just now. As in:

1. I initially wrote this in first person present tense.
2. I changed it to first person past tense.
3. I've just rewritten the beginning for the sixth time.

You get the idea.

As is my usual modus operandi when in freefall doubt, I hurried to my groaning bookshelves. (I own more writing books than most public libraries.) But today nothing was speaking to me. So I bundled the three-year-old into the car, with the promise of reading three million picture books, and sped off to the Central library--the one library that reasonably competes with my stack. There was one book in particular I wanted, but I left the library lugging seven tomes in my classy green library book tote.

Two of those books were by Michael Seidman. He used to be an editor for Walker and Co., and it was in that role I met him at a long-ago writing conference. (I don't remember much of that pitch, except that he was kind and a good listener and requested the first pages of my ms.) I believe he now works as an editorial consultant, at least if Google is to be believed.

I opened his book, Living the Dream, An Outline for a Life in Fiction. I hoped I'd find something for my scattered, anxious soul;

"Don't worry about failing, don't worry about being wrong. Enjoy what you're doing for the sake of doing it... And when you're done writing, when all the words are on the page, then look at them closely, examine each one and decide if it's the word that belongs there... Is what you've written better than what you wrote yesterday? Is there growth? Is there honesty? Is there you?"

Growth: you betcha. Honesty: darn tootin'. Me: I sure as hell hope so.

Somehow, that calmed me down.

I've got 48 hours to get the words right. Wish me luck.

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom for Writers (and Everyone Else too),

Boy do I ever need this one! First draft: are you listening?

The skills of organization are not wanted in the first draft... the author should still be brooding, maundering around the material...It is a great mistake at that point to start 'applying writing skills' or anything like.

Carol Bly The Passionate, Accurate Story

This is why writing is so hard on the perfectionist.

How do you approach a first draft? Are you a plotter or a plunger?

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom for Writers (and Everyone Else Too)

Not quite the zippy title I was initially planning, but I figured most of what I want to say could be applied to a broader readership than just "writers."

My blogging is beginning to take on a schedule:

Sunday: Pagi-nation. (I like "Random Reading," which is what one commenter called it)

Monday: Microfiction Monday

Wednesday: The NEW and SHINY "Words of Wisdom." I will come up with some little aphorism or quote that I can carry through the week. I will also use the space to plug blogs I've come across that I particularly like. This week there are two.

Anyway: here's this week's "WoW" courtesy of Cervantes.

"Digo, patiencia y barajar."

Now I'm tempted to let you all think I am a master of the Spanish language, instead of just having studied it for O level in England. (The equivalent of Harry's OWLS, for you Potter fans.) But I actually came across it in my trusty Concise Oxford Dictionary of Quotations while looking for a snappy rejoinder for how impatient I am feeling about this writing business. I mean, everything seems to move at glacial speed. And I'm not the most patient person on the planet. So "What I say is patience, and shuffle the cards." I presume Cervantes didn't mean the Tarot deck, either.

What are you feeling impatient about right now? Will shuffling the cards help?

Finally: additions to my (Blog)Roll of Honor. Casey McCormick's Literary Rambles is just plain excellent: agent spotlights, writing tips, and more. All authors should subscribe.

I've also just come across Robert Kent's Middle-Grade Ninja blog. Again, more great stuff: 7 Questions for Writers, book reviews, and the Ninja's musings (this week it's on The Muse.) Check out Robert's writing. I couldn't have put his "musings"better myself. Literally.

Patience, people!