Writing

Yes, You Wrote It and Yes, It’s Okay To Like It

~ shawnaborman ~ 2 Comments

Howdy, howdy!  After a nice rest, I’ve been digging into the second novel attempt (it doesn’t have a title yet).  I’m currently just reading through it to get back into the voice and to figure out where I left off, but something strange has been happening during this process: I actually really like this story.  Like, I’d be willing to buy it if I came across it in a bookstore kind of like.  It’s weird.  Personally, I’m the type of person who usually hates everything she writes, so this is a scary concept for me.  I know I’m not alone in hating everything I write, so I thought I’d share a little about why I think I’m that way and what this experience has taught me thus far.

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Yeah, that kind of “like.”

First off, for anyone who thinks their words suck, you will be asked (repeatedly) why you keep working on something you feel so bad about.  You are not alone.  Most people don’t understand the usefulness of self-loathing.  For me, I think it’s mostly just a defense mechanism.  If I tell myself that story I just submitted sucks, then the inevitable rejection won’t hurt so much.  And yes, while a story is in the limbo of a slush pile, rejection is considered inevitable.  Maybe I’m a pessimist.  Anyway, it’s not that I actually hate my work, it’s just that if someone else ends up hating it, it doesn’t hurt as bad if I can say “yeah, I know it sucks.”

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It doesn’t suck, it just sucks.

So, what happens when self-haters can’t help but admit what they’re working on is good?  Lots of mixed emotions, that’s what.  There’s denial: “I didn’t write that.”  “There’s no way my thoughts are that organized.”  Then there’s the fanciful rationalizations: “The writing fairies got ahold of it while I wasn’t looking and changed everything.”  (Yes, they exist.  We’ve all opened our manuscripts to find things we know we couldn’t or wouldn’t have written.  It’s usually just a word or phrase, nothing too obvious.)  And finally, there’s acceptance.  That “Holy crap, I wrote this…” moment.  And you know what?  It’s okay to feel that way.

I’m still at the point in this novel where I don’t have to share it with anyone.  Where all that matters is what I think.  So, I’m allowing myself to indulge in that rare book-narcissism that I see others constantly immersed in.  Why not wrap myself in the warm fuzzy feeling of liking something I did all by myself?   The book’s not even a third of the way finished.  There will be plenty of time for hatred and disgust later, right?

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In other words, even if every fiber of your self-loathing writerly being says to resist, know that it’s okay to like your words.  Hell, some people would go so far as to say it’s a natural feeling!  Not me, of course, but others.  You can worry about all of the potential rejection later.  Right now, accept the warm fuzzies!  Accept them!  That’s right… just let it happen.

Word Count? Who Needs That?

~ shawnaborman ~ 4 Comments

Hello, hello!  It’s that time again.  Today, I want to talk a bit about word count.  It’s a subject that Lew Andrada suggested when I asked for questions and comments and all that.  It’s also a subject I struggle with, because it’s pretty arbitrary.  Anyone you ask seems to have a different answer when it comes to the correct lengths of things.

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We’ve all encountered a scenario like this one.  I actually kind of think that’s where the concepts of word counts really help (me at least).  It gives me a firm goal to keep in mind and work toward, that way I can have a more realistic idea of how long a project will take me to finish.

So, how do I approach word count?  I keep it simple!  I basically follow SFWA’s counts for the Nebula awards.  In other words, these rules:

Short Story: less than 7,500 words.
 Novelette: 7,500 words to 17,500 words.
 Novella: 17,500 words to 40,000 words.
 Novel: 40,000 words or more.

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Now, I know that “novel” is an extremely broad category that can be broken down by genres or even target audience age.  In fact, the list above is just one example of many break downs you’ll find with a quick Google search.  No, none of them are the same.  Yes, it gets really confusing really fast.  On top of all that, you also have lists for middle grade, young adult, adult, and a relatively new category dubbed new adult.  It’s complicated.  I don’t like complicated things.

In other words, I don’t bother with all of that crap.  My goal is based on my story.  If I’m going for a flash fiction piece (<1000), I usually aim for 900 words.  A short story?  Around 5,000 words.  A novel?  It depends on what it feels like.  I tried for 70,000 to 75,000 for my first novel after tons of research on word count.  It is a supernatural YA, so on top of feeling like a good amount, it also turns out to be a fairly average count for that type of book.  The novel I’m currently working on is different.  I’m going more by my gut for this one.  My current aim is 80,000 to 90,000 just because that’s what it feels like it will need.  I’m sure my past research is playing some kind of unconscious role, but whatever.

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On the other hand, enforcing a word count can lead to fears of rambling.  Don’t worry!  You can fix all of that during edits.  That’s also another factor that goes into choosing my own word count.  I like to choose a middling number, just in case I need the wiggle room.  I have space to brutally cut out all of the nonsense if I need to, but I also have room to fix anything that’s not fleshy enough.

What I mean to say is that word counts are great tools, but don’t let them freak you out.  Let them help you establish a more concrete timeline for finishing your work, but don’t let them rule your work.  Keep it simple and fun, or it’s not worth doing.  At least that’s how I feel about it.  What are your thoughts on word count?

Top 5 Distractions and How Not to Avoid Them

~ shawnaborman ~ Leave a comment

 Welcome!  Last time, I talked a little about creating a writing schedule, so I thought I would discuss distractions a bit.  Now, I know people who swear by eliminating ALL distractions, even if that means cutting off all those fancy electronics they’ve collected over the years.  I’m not one of them.  Personally, I believe in indulging those procrastination itches in moderation.

displayI’m going to go through the top five instances of procrastination (and yes, realizing that that’s what they are is half the battle) I face or hear about , so I can show you what I mean by “moderation.”

1.  Let’s start with the hardest one: Social Media.  Who really goes more than half an hour without checking the Book of Faces or Tweeter or whatever social site is hot that week?  It’s damn near impossible.  I know.  I get those urges, even when I know I’m supposed to be writing.  I don’t suggest going cold turkey.  If you’re anything like me, ignoring the urge only makes you fixate more.  I moderate things by only allowing myself a five minute break when I hit a lull in writing.  Even then, I limit myself to checking my professional accounts or my writing group.  Otherwise, I’d get sucked down the rabbit hole.

down-the-rabbit-hole 2.  The most annoying of all: Calls/texts.  It’s not annoying because of the people (unless they know it’s your writing time and do it anyway), but because we have this weird desire to know who did what when.  Personally, I keep my phone in sight.  I allow myself that half-second glance to see if it’s important.  If it is (it rarely ever is), I respond.  If it’s not, I write on, assured in my knowledge that I’m not missing anything important (aka everyone I know is safe and nothing life-threatening is happening)!

3. Music.  I classify this as a distraction because many people think it is.  I allow it to play while I work.  Once I get into a scene, nothing can really pull me out of it.  If you’re the type to get easily distracted by music, but still want to listen while writing, I suggest instrumentals or something in a language you don’t speak.  That way, you’re less inclined to sing along and lose focus.

GTGKW4. TV Shows.  I rarely get this urge, but I know it pesters a lot of people.  When it does strike during writing hours (or bursts or however you write), if I’m in a lull (always wait for a lull), I let myself look at the episode description and remind myself that watching that episode will be my reward when I’m done doing productive things.

5.  Food and drink breaks.  A lot of people I know sit down to write and are suddenly overwhelmed with hunger or thirst.  Lies!  It’s just your brain saying “Waah… I don’t know what to write.”  My advice, keep a drink with you and keep snacks in your writing area.  My chocolate and Pocky stashes are on my desk.  Pick something bitesized and keep it nearby.

I guess what all this is meant to convey is that you don’t need to eliminate distractions.  In my experience, it’s better to acknowledge and moderate them.  All work and no play makes work freakin’ unbearable.  Just make sure to limit yourself so you still get your work done!

Schedules vs. Spontaneity

~ shawnaborman ~ 2 Comments

Hello all!  Today, I want to talk about having a schedule vs. being spontaneous when writing.  I chose this topic because I hear a lot of people complain about not having time to write or not being able to find the words when they do have the time.  I’ve also found that, more often than not, these people don’t have a writing schedule.  Some people can make the whole spontaneous writing lifestyle work, many can’t.  That’s okay!

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Personally, I have a schedule that has some spontaneity built into it.  I write five days a week.  Never on Sunday.  That extra day off, I decide based on 1) whether I have anything to do during that week that will require a day off, or 2) how I feel any given day.  I tend to try to save that day for later in the week, even Saturday if I feel like it.  That’s where the spontaneity fits into my writing schedule.

Now, I’m lucky in a lot of ways because I don’t have a full schedule in the first place, so my life can revolve around my writing.  Many aren’t so lucky.  However, while they’re complaining about not having time to write, they’re surfing Facebook or watching Netflix or any other number of entertainment tasks.  Yes, entertainment is important.  You need time to relax, which is why taking days off is important, but if you can binge watch your favorite show on Netflix, then you can schedule some writing time!

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 For a long time, I was a spontaneous writer.  I used every excuse in the book to avoid writing, including that the Muse is a fickle bitch (an excuse I hear repeatedly).  I admit, even after two years on a schedule, I still have days where it’s hard to get started.  In the beginning, I spent more days free writing than actually working on specific projects, but even that kind of writing was productive.  From that, I can now say I have four ideas for future novels.  And now that I’m on a schedule, when I sit down to write, it’s much easier to actually do the writing (even on difficult days).  Writing, like anything else, becomes a habit if you do it enough.  You just have to train your brain into thinking “oh, hey, this is when we write.”  Yes, you will have crappy days, but craptastic words can be edited into something magnificent, zero words can’t!

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I guess what I’m trying to say is, if you’re having a hard time finding time to write, take a good look at your daily schedule.  Yeah, you might have to DVR that episode of Bones and watch it on your day off, but BOOM!  There’s an hour for writing.  Going to play that video game for fifteen minutes?  Wait until your day off and surprise!  (If you’re anything like I used to be when gaming, fifteen minutes = three hours) You have three hours to write!  Yes, it’s hard.  Especially nowadays, when instant gratification is so easy to achieve.  But if you can stand to put off the entertainment for even a little while, you can make your own writing schedule.  It seriously helps.  Go on.  Try it.