Organization is key

Organization is key when it comes to me doing some things. I am not talking about creating outlines, nor making sure that my sentence structure is organized well. It’s about my home. My office area looks like hell has hit it and that there may be no return.

There will be a return to normalcy though. Labor Day is going to mean just that. I am working on my space and getting it fixed the way I like it so that I don’t have to deal with *stuff*. The only thing I have to do is write.

I have several things that have been a work in progress. They are pressing on me and I have to get them taken care of. Writing is one, of course. Research is another. I am well on my way there. Getting back into a good routine. That’s final. I am not in a good sleep routine and it’s making my brain function non-existant. It’s also hindering my creativity. Therefore, I have more to work on. That’s ok, life is a work in progress.

That being said, it’s gone midnight here and it’s time for me to catch a few z’s.

L.

NaNoWriMo

The NaNoWriMo contest commences November 1st. It’s a writers chance to sit down, turn off their self-editor and write 50,000 words in 30 days. Well, technically, it’s a novella. But it means that what comes out of you has to be pure. I have stated many times that my self-editor is my worst enemy. It makes my writing stilted and forced. That is why I have made this choice. The only thing I am going to do to get my bases together is to think of what I am going to write and maybe outline it. That is perfectly legal. But, I am not going to really fool with it until sometime in October.

I am sitting here and trying to think of what describes my feelings about this contest. For me, it’s LUNACY. Seriously. It’s November. My in-laws generally visit for Thanksgiving and as they leave on Thanksgiving day, I cook Thanksgiving for them the day before and for my grandparents and the rest of my extended family the day of. I am just going to have make plenty of counter-top space wherever I am. If you have watched the movie “The Doors”, there is a scene where they all get stoned and let the turkey burn to a crisp. Now, imagine they aren’t stoned, just utterly stressed because they need to write 10k words in 4 days. That is how I am picturing it.  Smoke pouring out of the oven and everyone saying how great the ultra-crisp skin is. I wonder if they would believe it’s Cajun? I imagine I would have to provide gallons of gravy ….

This week, I am not writing unless I am hit with something full force. It’s the last week I have with my son before school starts back and we are getting ready to play Seuss-opoly. Monopoly for the Dr. Seuss crowd. I love it. He’s eight now, so I think that we are going to start playing Scrabble together. I think he would find it a lot of fun, especially if we can find his spelling words on our list.

Next week? It’s a different story. I am joining my local writers group and getting down to business in a general sense of things. Plus, I need to do some deep cleaning at home. That’s where I get some of my best ideas, while cleaning or in the shower. It’s a therapeutic rush of purification, which causes my mind to pour forth ideas. It’s great…unless you have shampoo in your hair and can’t jump out at that moment in time to scribble something down. Such is life.

Inspiration, coffee, lunch and a little art.

Sometimes, inspiration comes from the most unlikely sources. I had a few hours all alone today in my local booksellers. My husband and son were off to see the Clone Wars and I chose to spend my time reading and checking out new releases. I should also mention that I spent time with a delicious blueberry scone and cup of coffee.  I also enjoyed the chance to people watch. The coffee shop of my bookshop is on the second floor. It’s optimal as you can view the entire store. You see who is going into what section, what they are picking up and reading and their reactions. You can call it voyeurism. I call it a fascinating look at the literary world away from sales charts and best sellers lists.

This birds eye view also gave me something else…perspective. I was able to see how others lived in daily life, without being in their lives. I saw what they would glance over and go back to for a longer look. While I was doing this, I was trying to voice what they were thinking. “Do I really need this Zagat guide when I am trying to lose weight? What’s the likelihood that my kids will find this book about spicing up our sex lives? Do my kids really need another book about animals?” It goes on and on, deeper and deeper.   

On a lighter note, after I got all jacked up on caffeine, we went out to lunch at one of my favorite places, Zada Janes. It’s a funky little diner painted in vibrant colors and so ultra retro and hip. I love it. In fact, I will share a picture of the art work above my table that I snapped with my mobile phone.

Zada Janes

Afterwards, we cruised over to the Mint Museum of Art, however by the time we arrived they had closed and appeared to be preparing for a function. However, I am glad I stopped by as they have a new exhibit starting October 4th: Andy Warhol Portfolios, Life and Legends. There is to be approximately 60 selections from various portfolios and I can’t wait. I love the Pop Art Movement and these selections will be stellar.

Andy Warhol Portolios at Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte, NC

It’s been a great day. I wrote for two hours. I say that like it’s an afterthought, but it’s not. I didn’t plan on writing, but went prepared in case inspiration struck. It did and I am happy that I came prepped and ready to listen to my muse. She spoke, I listened and in the process filled page after page. It was wonderful.

Have you ever tried writing the blues?

Neither have I, but in order to complete one of my stories I have to write the blues. Now, let me tell you about the blues. The blues are inordinately simple, but when you are sitting down and you are not a musician who has been playing the blues, nor a person who listens faithfully to the blues, things tend to get difficult. I also realize that the last sentence was horribly written, pardon me. I just feel like rambling.

Rambling isn’t a bad thing…when I start to ramble, especially when writing, I come up with some great stuff. Free-writing is more beneficial at times than anything else. I just sit, start scribbling and I usually pull something new out of my head…or get a new look at an old subject. 

So today, I am streaming the blues online, getting the feel for the rhyme and the rhythm. If I get the feel of that…I can incorporate it more appropriately. That’s important to me. Not only do I want the manuscript to flow well, but I want it to be musically accurate.

Otherwise, life is good. I am making loads of progress. I checked out 7 boosk from the library today for research and later tonight will sit down with a cup of tea, read, and take notes. I love that part. Research. I am one of those geeks who loves finding out new information and generally overloading my brain trying to absorb it all.

Happy days to everyone. I am out of here to tire my fingers in the pursuit of creativity!

Necessary Research

Last night was a late night for me. I am feeling the effects of it today. I didn’t get any writing done per se, however the research I did will prove invaluable.  My research efforts included going through my Children’s Writers Market and reading the entire listing of every single book publisher. I then highlighted the ones that were relevant and went to the back and highlighted them in the index for easier reference.  I noted types of books they look at, whether they accept queries, just the manuscript, or queries and manuscripts simultaneously.

I actually feel better. My next step is to read the writers guidelines on the publishers websites. If they aren’t posted, I will be sending out letters tonight and tomorrow requesting the information along with their catalogs of publications. After I make a listing of books that might be relevant to mine, I will head over to the library, see if they have them, read them and check out the “fit”.  From there, I will compare my notes about the already published books and the ones I have written and decide on who to send them out to.

That’s about it today. I have a lot on my to-do list and times “a-wastin”.

Inner Muse

There is a little girl trapped in my head named Harriet and she is screaming to come out. Well, not screaming, but at midnight last night she had me writing in long hand in bed about her adventures in life. She is an idea that I had written down and put into a file folder full of other notes and ideas for further exploration. Last night, she was having none of that.

My inner muse/rightbrain/”write”brain kicked in and I put forth somewhere between 300 and 400 words in an hour. I just let it flow and once the flow started, it didn’t want to stop.  I haven’t even thought of writing since last Wednesday due to a nasty stomach virus that I picked up at my sons doctor’s office. Needless to say, she must have been waiting all of this time to come out, because I dreamed about a little girl while I was sick. It must have been her, waiting in the trenches.

I am feeling so much better about myself. It’s hard to shift from logical left-brain mode to right-brain mode a lot of times and I am learning what situations, circumstances and places cause the shift. I have the most rapid, inspired shifts while I am in a bookstore or at my local coffee shop. I carry a notebook with me at all times and my husband is my official note-taker if I am driving. It looks like chicken scratch, but is translateable.

We shall see how Ms. Harriett does today. She may come out, she may stay in. Either or I shall welcome her little tiny voice happily.