Fixing Things

Writing a long work of fiction is so different from what I usually do. Typically, I write magazine profiles and service articles. A little background research, a few phone interviews, some time drafting the article, and then I turn in the completed piece and invoice. I only wish writing a novel was that easy. I felt really good about my first draft until I stepped back from it for awhile and came back and read it with fresh eyes. I did not like what I saw.

For one thing, it may not be long enough for commercial fiction right now. It also has one of those nice, "tie it up in a bow and present it" type endings right now. I realize there needs to be an additional chapter or more of conflict before I can conclude the story.

These realizations have left me feeling more than a little frustrated, as there are two opportunities rapidly approaching that would allow me to show a query letter and sample chapters to a few agents. I don't want to have to pass these opportunities up, but moving ahead means I'm going to have to kick myself into high gear over the next two weeks. Can I do this? Yes. Even with a few article deadlines looming over my head. No, make that YES!

I happened to be flipping through the channels this weekend when I came across an old episode of VH1's "Storytellers," featuring one of my favorite bands, Coldplay. This particular episode was taped right as they were promoting the album "X&Y." They played the very moving song, "Fix You," live for one of the very first times. Lead singer Chris Martin talked about how much they worked on the song to perfect it, writing it roughly at first and recording it while on a world tour. They eventually scrapped some of the original lyrics and rewrote it, and it remains one of the songs they're proudest of.

Hearing how hard they worked on that song cheered me up a little bit. It also made me very emotional because a few years ago, after listening to that song for the very first time, I began to get the idea for my novel. That song has always been on my playlist as I've struggled to outline the story of four friends who survive a devastating accident in high school, only to battle their own personal demons five years later instead.

It's funny how one thing can inspire such a complicated piece of work, but I will always be grateful to Coldplay for writing and producing that song. It finally gave me the inspiration to do what my friends and mentors have always told me I could do -- write a book.

Now, onward and upward!

Documenting the Process

While it only took a month to complete the rough draft of my first novel, it feels like the revisions are taking forever. Every time I look over it I find a new typo. Oh well. No one ever said this was easy! But it is exciting to see it all coming together . . .

In other news, I've finally rescheduled the freelance writing workshop I was supposed to hold back in January, before several weeks of inclement weather foiled my plans. This is part of the LakeNormanMommies Learning series, and will take place at my home in Huntersville on May 8 at 2 p.m.

Below are the details:

During this two-hour class (which includes coffee/snack time), you'll learn how to:

• analyze the mastheads of local publications to see where writing opportunities are
• brainstorm article ideas
• find expert sources to quote in your articles
• query a national publication

My writing credits include:

The Charlotte Observer

Lake Norman Currents

Charlotte Parent

Little Ones

Carolina Parent

Piedmont Parent

www.iParenting.com

Huggies Baby Network

Funds for Writers

The Writer

You can find more bio information on my web page, www.FinishedPages.com.

The class fee is $20 and a portion of the fee will be donated to LakeNormanMommies as a fundraiser. There will be door prizes, too, and great opportunities to connect with other creative LKNM moms! Contact me if you would like more information.

Write Book, Check!

On March 29, I completed the rough draft of my first novel. It was a great feeling -- well, more than great, really. I've talked about this project for so long it's hard to believe I'm one step closer to being a published author. Now, the real fear of failure sets in. I've been afraid to even read the first few pages of the manuscript. This is the mental block that always kept me from writing my story down in the first place, only now it's bogging me down in what is supposed to be the revision process.

So I've had two weeks away from my rough draft, and it's time to pick it back up. I'm pretty sure the prologue needs to be revamped, and many of the first few scenes can be condensed into longer chapters. But deep down, I feel like I did a good job with character development, pacing, and dialogue. Only time will tell, I guess.

I just returned from a short vacation to visit family out of state, and I'm looking forward to diving back into all sorts of projects now. They include sending out more query letters for articles, setting up phone mentoring appointments, teaching a possible local freelance writing class, and maybe even an outline for my next novel idea. And of course, researching potential agents and fleshing out a query letter for my book!

9,000 Words (more or less) Left and Counting . . .

It's hard to believe, but the first draft of my first novel is almost complete. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't starting to get a little tired. I love my characters and everything, but we all need some time away from each other.

Who am I kidding? I'm leaving for Texas next Saturday to visit family for spring break and what do you want to bet I'll be holding my completed manuscript in one hand and editing with a red pen in the other while we're up in the air?

I can't help it. I can hardly believe I've made it this far and will soon hold a semi-completed piece of work in my hands. And I even managed to do it without pulling any all-nighters. For me, that is a miracle.

But this final leg of the journey is a little bittersweet. I know that once I return from my trip I'll have to go back to pounding the pavement for freelance work and crafting article queries for magazine editors, which will be hard because writing fiction has been so fulfilling. I can't believe how much it has renewed my spirit and energized me. I am hopeful for the future, and anxious to work on an outline for a new story in the next few months. I highly recommend the Book in a Month program to any writer who wants to take their writing to the next level. It's worked wonders for me!

The Home Stretch

Twenty-three days ago, I finally started work on my first novel. I received Book in a Month as a prize in a recent writing contest and used it to give me the final boost I needed to get started. I turned in a few paid assignments at the beginning of March and one yesterday, but other than that, I have been diligently cranking out 2,000-3,000 words a day to get me to my final goal of a 70,000-75,000 manuscript at the end of this month. This is a rough draft at best -- I'm envisioning weeks (maybe months) of revising and hair-pulling beginning April 1, but at least the hard part will be done.

I've had the idea for this book for a few years, but it's amazing how much the plot, tone and characters have changed since I wrote my first outline. It still surprises me how easily the words and dialogue flow once I make the commitment to sit down at my computer each day.

This has not been an easy process. Every now and then, I'll sit down to write and have a panic attack. What if the completed product is no good? Will I ever be able to actually show this to anyone? What scene am I supposed to come up with next? Is this too personal?

I'm feeling a little cranky as I enter the home stretch. The house is a wreck. The inside of my car looks like clowns have been living inside it. Dinner tonight is eggs. Lady Gaga is getting me through with a few dance breaks here and there and my heroine is getting ready to do something really stupid. I'm planning to finally read the Twilight series as my reward after I finish the rough draft. My family has been wonderfully supportive. This morning my 6-year-old daughter asked me how much I was going to get paid for my book. I wish! And I already have an idea for my next book, if you can believe it. Thanks to all my friends who have been cheering me on! And now, back to throwing together dinner for my hungry children.

The Healthy Writer

In this week's issue of "The Prosperous Writer," Christina Katz addresses the issue of writers maintaining good health to achieve the ultimate success both professionally and personally. This is a topic I think about often, as my job often calls for me to sit at my desk drinking nothing but coffee for hours on end.

About two years ago I woke up one morning and took a good, hard look at myself in the mirror. While I had reached a point in my career where I had a steady flow of work and a job as a stringer for the local newspaper, my health was suffering. I was at my heaviest and my mood was all over the place. I wanted to be a better role model for my two small children.

Like many writers, I am a person of extremes. In college, I put in long hours working on the campus newspaper sitting in front of a computer, chain-smoking and often eating only one meal a day. Needless to say, I was the skinniest I had ever been in my life, but I was far from healthy, and it took a toll on my mental state as well. Two years ago, the opposite was true. I craved comfort foods, sugary, frozen coffee drinks, and I wasn't getting enough sleep or fresh air. Again, I was not as happy with my life as I should have been.

I made the decision to be a healthier person. I began working with a personal trainer who taught me a great deal about the proper nutrition. Within three months, I had dropped 15 pounds and was running road races and lifting weights regularly. I looked and felt great.

I've now incorporated what I learned then into my daily writing life. I have slip-ups, as do most people, but I try to make it to the gym 3-4 times a week. My mind is so much clearer after I've worked up a good sweat. I also keep cut-up vegetables and hummus and fresh fruit in my refrigerator for morning and afternoon snacks and plenty of water in the bottle on my desk. I still have a love/hate relationship with coffee, particularly around deadlines. I was even able to write and sell a few articles about my lifestyle changes, so my career benefitted from the changes along with my health. What good is a successful career if you don't live long enough to enjoy it?

We all need to be mindful of taking care of ourselves while we're nurturing our inner artist. It's all too easy to let yourself go in the name of a deadline or rough draft that needs revising. Take a look around you and see if there are any health changes you could stand to make. I'm sure we could all find a few.

Who Really Gets These Jobs?

At different points in my freelance career, I've focused on scrolling potential job leads each day and applying for a multitude of jobs. These jobs range from article writing, blog posts, editing, public relations, copywriting, etc. I always hear that branching out and diversifying your client base is the surefire way to increase your income.

The problem is, I don't think I've ever gotten one solid job from any of these leads. Right now, the majority of my work comes from editors I've already worked with in the past. I've grown tired of tailoring my resume and writing the perfect cover letter to apply to all these telecommuting jobs I never get.

Are there too many of us out there? Do my cover letters suck that badly? Are the employers who advertise the jobs even serious?

I did recently get a bite from a local posting I found on Craig's List. The potential client e-mailed a group of writers (names were masked) who had obviously responded to the ad, described the project he needed completed and asked us all to give him quotes. I didn't think that was a very professional way to handle the situation, and I don't like quoting on a per project basis with someone I've never worked with before. I e-mailed him my hourly rate instead, and shocker, never heard from him again.

Who really gets all these jobs I like to apply for? I've decided to refocus my efforts on pitching magazines and working on fiction. Maybe I'll actually see results there.

Have you ever found a great gig in the online job boards?