Guest Post! Finding the Time by Abby "I rock at writing" Minard

Hey guys,

It is my honor to introduce you to my friend Abby who, as I have mentioned on this blog before, is an aspiring young adult author and my critique partner. I asked her recently to do a guest post and she took the time out of her very busy schedule to do it. She is a great writer and a good friend, and your lives will be better for having read her guest post.

Finding the Time

As I sit here, surfing the net for bedding sets instead of writing, it made me think of this post I’m supposed to be writing for Andy. So, I thought I’d start it now. What a better time to write a blog post about time management when I am wasting my time as we speak! Well, not anymore since technically now I am not wasting my time since I am writing a post I told Andy I’d do.

Anyway, we all have different ways of managing our time. Some of us are great at it, and get everything done on their “to-do” lists and then some. I like to call those people “overachievers”. Then, there are those that procrastinate and do everything other than what is on their to-do list. I call those people…well, me. Okay, I’m not that bad I guess. But let me tell you, trying to juggle a “day job”, a 4year old, a house, writing a novel, a social life, and oh, did I mention a husband in there somewhere?…is just plain hard!

I just read a really great blog post by Maggie Stiefvater about time management, and she really hits the nail on the head for me. She talked about having children, and making time to write when you are just starting out. It’s what I am going through now, as well. The number one thing for me, is that I need to carve out specific times during the day or week that is “my writing time”. If I designate a time to do it, it’s like going to my job. It’s on my calendar-in pen- so I have to do it. If I dedicate myself to that, then most of the time it gets done (with a little bit of procrastination on the side).

But the big question for those of us with children is, when exactly do I have time to write? My answer- if you love it, you’ll find time. I love my daughter, and I love spending time with her, as well as my husband. But my Little Monster (I call her that because she is obsessed with Lady Gaga, and she calls her fans her “Little Monsters” so, she is her Littlest Monster) is not my WHOLE life. I am not her slave. I do not wait on her hand and foot. I know some people whose children are what they live for. They are their whole lives, and they know nothing else. They don’t know what’s going on in the world, they don’t keep up with the latest trends in whatever, and they don’t have much interaction with adults. If my life was like that, I think I’d explode. No one would like mama, then.

So, I make time for myself. Little Monster has quiet times during the day, and I utilize that time to work on what I need to, be it writing, reading, keeping up with blogs, or keeping up with My Shows (I have to have My Shows, people!). I am trying to narrow that down to mostly writing right now, so I can get this first novel up and running, but it takes time to adjust (the procrastination thing really gets me some days). I also have Monday nights as my night to write. Little Monster goes to bed early, and then after that I just write until I’m dizzy and the screen’s all fuzzy. Hubs is at work, so I have no distractions.

And that is how it has to be for now. Hopefully, once I can get my first novel published, the goal is to be able to write full time. That will open up a whole new slew of time management issues. But for now, I deal with the reality of my situation and do what I need to do. Because I love to write. I love telling stories, and yes, it’s very hard and sometimes I just want to give up. But in the end, I come back to it and coax it back to life. Because it’s what I want to do, and it’s who I want to be, and it makes me happy.

Thanks Andy, for letting me invade your blog to drone on and on about making time to write! Seriously people, if you love it, stop making excuses and just sit down and do it! Now to listen to my own advice…wait, Old Navy’s having a sale? Let me just check on their website…

May the Fourth Be With You!

Because most fantasy readers are scifi readers (although I detest most scifi), and because most fantasy and scifi readers are at some level nerds (I do acknowledge my nerdiness although I try to keep it under wraps most of the time), I am "forced" (hee hee) to ask two questions:

1. Which is the nerdiest day of the year? Is it:
A. March 14th aka PI day
B. May 4th aka Star Wars Day
C. April 5th aka First Contact Day
or
D. Should I get a wedgie and shoved in a locker for 1, asking this question and 2, knowing of all three of these days?

and

2. Which is the best scifi series?
A. Star Trek
B. Star Wars
C. Battlestar Galactica
D. Something else
E. Why you taking scifi when fantasy is the superior genre
or
F. OK back in the locker you go!

Now for the first question, Star Wars day is very nerdy but Wars is generally more culturally accepted than intelligence or Trek. However, PI day has to potential for businesses actually giving away free or discounted pie, which makes me happy. And I think that all americans can get behind free pie. Therefore in my option PI is the least nerdy and First Contact Day is the most nerdy. (I mean celebrating something that has not happened yet?)

The second question? I just want to see what you think. Leave your answers in the comments below.

My next post will be a guest post by my critique partner, so make sure that you come back and check it out!

Facing my First Major Writing Slump

I suppose it happens to every author. You hit a writing slump. I have been in a bad one for the last month and a half. Every line of dialogue has felt stale, every story twist seems contrived. Part of this has been that I have been very busy in my work and personal life, but the real reason for my slump has been a combination of several things.

First, I started (and finished) reading a new series. (For more on this see www.greenbeanteenqueen.com) When I am reading I am not writing, one because I fear that I will unintentionally steal ideas and two because when I actually find a series that I really like I dive into it.

Second, I do not like where I am in the story. My main characters are both in a transition period which is really difficult to write and even more difficult to make interesting.

Third, I think my series is going to run longer than I origionally planned, which to my ADD mind is very hard to deal with until I restructure how I think about the series.

Finally, I am worried about the quality of my work and so it makes me try to avoid working on my story.

So how have a I broken out of this slump? Well credit goes to two people. First to my wife who has been an encouragement to keep writing. She provides me with motivation everyday and is so supportive my my dream to become a professional writer. Second to my critique partner who is a much more talented author than I am, but still takes time to work with me, encourage me, and kick my butt when I need it. (On a side note, when her work gets published you are all in for a real treat!)

But most of all, what has broken this slump is actually writing. Forcing myself to sit down and write. Yesterday I did a guest post on www.greenbeanteenqueen.com. The last night I had a terrible nightmare, the plot of which I am hoping to make into an amazing short story. I am charged up again to write, and I hope that I get to show you some fruit this renewed passion soon.

I would, as always, LOVE to hear your thoughts! My next post will be about what I have gotten done since my first major writing slump.

Building a World

My writing philosophy is very structure and I follow the Tolkien model of fantasy world building. Instead of merely writing a story and then building the world around it, I build my world with its history first and then write the story in this world. i feel that this give the world a larger field, and makes it feel more authentic.

Of course this model has its drawbacks as well. The biggest frustration is if you change one thing it effects so much. It effects the history, it effects the story, and it effects the whole world. You change something as small as a name and the ripple effect is huge and quite frankly difficult to keep continuity.

But these changes are worth it because I am excited that I have created an expansive beautiful world that I hope my readers will get lost in.

Any thoughts?

My next post will be on my first major writing slump.

It's been a while!

Wow exactly a month since my last post. I am sorry that it has been so long. I told you last time that I would right about fantasy world building but I will postpone that until next post. Today I want to talk about who writers should write for.

As I write I often find I do not like myself very much. My writing is fairly dark and serious and I consider myself to be a very fun loving upbeat person. How could I write things that are so dark.

Along this thought comes some shame in my weaker moments. I feel shame that my parents will not like my adult books. I feel shame that I am not using my talent to further my career or my faith. I wonder sometimes why I write, what is the purpose.

But more than that I wonder who I write for.

Am I writing to get published? I would like to get published but I am not writing to be published.

Am I writing because I have this story and these characters in my head? Do I owe it to these characters and this story to write? This I think is my primary motivation, but is that good enough?

Should I write my story even if it offends my loved ones? I am, but I do not feel good about it.

Am I an artist? Do I compromise my art to assuage my conscious? How does that apply to editorial notes that I receive when I try to get my work published?

These have been my thoughts lately...what do you think?

Butt in Chair

Perhaps my favorite quote on writing comes from J.K Rowling, and while I cannot find the exact quote it goes something like this. "People who sit around talking about writing are not actually writing. Writing is being butt in the chair and doing it." (Paraphrased) This has been my biggest problem since I have started writing. I want to spend time with my wife and dog, I want to go looking for a house. I want to play World of Warcraft or hockey on my Xbox 360. I want to read Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series again. I want to help keep our apartment clean. It is hard to make time to write, and I need to put my butt in the chair. So it is up to you! If you see me relaxing ask me if I have written today. If I have not, feel free to kick my butt a bit.

Next week I will be talking about building a fantasy world. I look forward to your comments and accountability.

Expectation: It hurts so good.

One of the biggest challenges that I am finding as I am now in week three of blogging and writing is the problem of managing expectations. I am a perfectionist particularly when it comes to my own creative efforts and trying to balance my expectation of perfection with my need to grow as a writer is something that I am finding difficult.

Another expectation that I am struggling with is the desire for originality. I am working very hard to have not only an original story but to make the world that I am designing unique. I know that inevitably in fantasy that some similarities are going to occur, but I am hoping that in my writing if you do see my influences you that they do not overshadow my creation.

The next expectation that is difficult are the expectations that I, my wife, and my critique partner have for me. I want to write a minimum of 500 words a day with a goal of 1000 words. I am finding this difficult to achieve and have not written 500 words total in the last two weeks due to illness or responsibilities. (although I have been editing) Tonight should be a good night for writing though so I am excited about that.

Finally the expectation to get published. This is the the worst of all. I think every writer wants to get published, but most never do. Being a perfectionist all I want is to get published, have it be critically lauded, have it be beloved by fantasy readers around the world, have it be made into a blockbuster movie, and have a series of spin off novels set in the world I make. That is not too much to ask is it? But it is that very hope that gets me writing.

And speaking of getting my writing my next blog will be called Butt in Chair. I would love to hear you comments.