A new year

It's the end of 2009 and a time for revisiting the year, evaluating your accomplishments and devising new resolutions to start 2010.

When it comes to writing, completing a novel can overwhelming you. You've come up with a wonderful, great idea, but sitting down to the computer and putting the words on a page is difficult. The best approach I have found is to break your novel into sections. Make things easier for yourself. Set reasonable, obtainable goals, so that the novel does not feel like a burden or work, but a joy.

I believe everyone has a novel in them. The trick is to learn how to express yourself and put those thoughts and emotions into words on a page. Don't let life, friends and even your family keep you from reaching this goal. For me, the best time for plotting is during the drive to work. I keep a tape recorder close in the car and put all of my ideas on it. During my lunch break or twenty minute break, I transcribe my notes and figure out where they belong in my manuscript.

Each morning between 4 and 5 am, while my husband is sleeping I go to my desk and write. Before I leave for work, I print the pages and somewhere doing my work day I edit them. This works for me. Find the approach that works for you. It's out there, you just have to figure it out.

A new year is coming, bringing with it a new opportunity to get that novel completed. Don't let it pass you by.

What do you think? I'd love to hear from you. Email me at karenwowens@gmail.com.

Remember, don't be a stranger.

Karen

The Dynamic nature of language

It’s not uncommon to hear the phrase, “I speak the queen’s English”. It’s often used when one is correcting another for some egregious misuse of the English language; or when someone is being defensive about their unconventional use of the language. Though the expression is more commonly heard in the UK and its former colonies, it is sometimes used in the US. Sometimes it’s said with such emphasis you’d think the queen invented the language. The thing is, sticklers for “The queen’s English” treat the language as if it is static and often forget its dynamic nature. The English language changes as cultures, customs and technologies change.

A recent article on CNN reminded me of the dynamic nature language. It was the unveiling of Oxford dictionary’s new word for 2009: UNFRIEND. It means to remove someone as a 'friend' on a social networking site such as Facebook. I could only imagine my junior high school English teacher’s reaction had I dared use such a word. She was a stickler for the “Queen’s English” and would probably mark a huge red X through the word with a little note beneath in her neat handwriting, “no such word exists”. Webster’s dictionary came out with quite a few others: hashtag, sexting, netbook, … This is a clear indication that the English language is changing. It is after all, a spoken language.

Even the meanings of words change. I recall when the word gay meant happy. The connotations have since changed. In fact, at University of Virginia football games, whenever a touchdown is scored the spectators would join hands and sing “The good old song”. A line in the song says, “We come from old Virginia where all is bright and gay”. That came from a time where the word meant happy. Students however, when they sing that line would shout immediately after “Not gay”. While I was a grad student there, an advocacy group took offense to the shouting “not gay’, labeling it as homophobic. The students were admonished and the practice was abolished, at least for one season.

In a social context, words that were once acceptable or even legal jargon, can change and become “bad words” or at least socially uncomfortable words. The acronym “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, a legal term of a past century is now an expletive. When I was growing up, we were comfortable referring to a male fowl as a cock and a pussycat as a pussy. Now people are more comfortable saying rooster and kitty or cat for obvious reasons.

My six year recently reminded me of how easy it is for language to change. She is afraid of tornadoes, even though they are relatively rare where we live. A few weeks ago we were watching “The Wizard of Oz” and we were discussing the tornado. She said to me, “Mommy, let’s make tornado a bad word, that way we can’t say it.” The next time I said the word tornado she said, “Mommy you said a bad word.” Of course my husband not privy to our new bad word later mentioned it as we discussed the movie and she accused him of saying a bad word. You can imagine how perplexed he was. So now tornado is the “T-word.” Imagine if she was an influential figure.

So the next time someone adamantly insists that they speak “The queen’s English,” ask them “which version?" Because, like computer programs, the language is forever changing.

Since we're so close to the New Year, I'd like to wish everyone a bright and prosperous 2010. May all your writing dreams (and other dreams) come true.

Guest author Katrina Spencer: Get Happy

Katrina Spencer is the author of Six O’Clock and her next novel, Unbeweaveable, will hit stores summer of 2010. To learn more about this former hairdresser who started writing on a dare, visit her website at katrinaspencer.com.



Imagine the scene. You’re in the mall. Your child is throwing the worst temper tantrum.

“What is the problem?” you ask them.

“I’m sad,” they cry.

“For what? I just bought you the new (video game, Barbie, Tonka truck—insert appropriate toy here), and you’re in here acting a fool. If you don’t stop crying I’m going to take back that toy.”

This makes them cry harder.

“Don’t take my toy away! I want it!”

“You better fix your attitude then. Get happy.”

They sniffle and wipe their face. They look up at you and smile.

“See? I’m happy now.”

I shake my head at how easy it is for children to get happy. Their happiness can be commanded at will—one minute they're crying, the next, they're laughing.

For the last month I’ve been in a real funk over my writing career. My first book got published—the first book I’ve ever written—got published. The reviews were few, but good, so it really challenged me to keep going, to keep reaching for other stories to tell. I worked two years on another novel—what I deemed my break-out novel—and the only thing it broke was my heart. No one wanted it. My rejection letters had handwritten notes scribbled on the bottom saying, “Good characters, emotional story, but inappropriate topic, too sad. No one wants to read sad books anymore.”

Getting a stack of rejections like this was devastating. With no contract on the horizon, I did what I do best—I complained.

“This was supposed to be the book where I get my agent! This was supposed to be my break-out novel!”

“It happens when it happens,” my husband said. “Write another book.”

And I did. I wrote another book and sold it with just a synopsis.

But I couldn’t stop thinking about the novel that wouldn’t sell. I kept sending it to people and it kept getting rejected. My husband rubbed my back and listened as I tearfully told him how important that book was to me, and how it would never see the light of day.

“And if it doesn’t? What then?”

“I’ll be sad!”

“You have a book coming out this summer. You’re working on yet another novel. You have a beautiful family. You have so many blessings, Katrina. Just get happy.”

It didn’t happen overnight.

I had to write a list down of everything I had.

When I wrote the list of everything I didn’t have (writing-related) I was surprised by how short the list was.

I’m an author. I’M AN AUTHOR!

My dream had come true. But did I focus on that? No, I was too busy looking at the never was, the never had, and the almost.

But, hot dog, I’M AN AUTHOR!

I sniffled and wiped my face.

I smiled.

And I got happy.

Happy New Year!

Well not quite, but this is my last post at Novel Spaces for 2009, so I thought I'd better get in that greeting before I continue.

I hope all of you are enjoying the holiday season. Christmas seems to get better every year here in Johor. It's not the capital, or even the state where the country's capital is located, but there's no doubting the effort behind the locals in trying to get into the spirit of things. Last year, all we could find were various bedraggled artificial trees at Tesco, Carrefour and a few at Jusco (three of the four big supermarket chains).

This year, the range at smaller shops has significantly increased but, as is usual in this country, the biggest changes are those reserved for food. Frozen turkeys? Not a problem. Have a hankering for some yuletide pastries? The local supermarket bakery has been carrying stollen, panetone, cranberry muffins, and a light sponge-based fruit cake. The sushi section (sushi is BIG here) has been producing an "Xmas series" in various sizes, all on festive Christmas-themed trays. And there have been specials on still and sparkling wines. (This last point is of particular interest to me as I consider alcohol to be one of the major food groups.)

I have some issues with the various Fatwa Councils and the way Islam is sometimes interpreted in Malaysia (banning yoga??? sentencing a (Muslim) woman to whipping for drinking a beer??? legitimising divorce by SMS??????????), but everyone seems to get right into the swing of things when there's a festival on, regardless of how much public censure may emerge from the mouths of the hardline muftis. Hmmmmm. Maybe there's hope for the country yet.

In any case, greetings from the Equator to all of you. Have a safe and happy New Year and I'll be back in January. Who knows, maybe I'll even discuss writing! Take care.

Precious gifts

I've been reminiscing about some of the best gifts I've ever received. I remember gifts of gold and precious stones, gifts large and small, thoughtful and baffling, touching and hilarious, beautiful and hideous. (Actually, the only one I think of as 'hideous' is a set of putrid pink drinking glasses from a guest at my wedding - a woman who had not been invited! Note to wedding crashers: at least bring an attractive gift. :D )

These are some of my favorite gifts of all time:

— My first ever visit to Barnes & Noble. (You knew the first would have something to do with books, didn't you?) The cousin with whom I was staying in Miami in 2000, probably sick of hearing me mention how much I was looking forward to visiting that particular bookstore, dropped me off at the nearest one early a Saturday afternoon, slipped $50 into my hand and said he'd be back to pick me up in four hours.

— A drawing of a swan, all curving lines and big eyes, that I carry in my wallet at all times. The artist is my son, who was four when he drew it.

— The news that the lump in my sister's breast was not cancer.

— A hike to a waterfall with my son two Mother's Days ago.

— A sweet letter from my favorite ex one Christmas after a horrible breakup saying, among other things, that I had a good soul.

Hm. Just noticed most of my favorite gifts cost little or nothing. What are some of your most precious gifts?

—Liane Spicer

Meeting Deadlines

I'm usually good about meeting deadlines. As long as I see the end of the trail on the calendar, I can manage to pace myself to be ready by then. That may still mean I am up all night until the last minute meeting the deadline, but by the time the sun rises, or sets, determined by how I perceive the actual time and day due ("Is that beginning or end of day?"). The closest I ever got was in high school, when I once finished a paper due after lunchon a portable typewriter at lunch in the schoolyard.

A friend gave me a paperweight that says "The ultimate inspiration is the deadline". I keep it on my writing desk to remind me that writing is work, not magic, and that there will be times when you have to finish, inspired or not. That's when the reflexes kick in, the muscles built up over years that know what you need to write and think it out, fill in the space enough for inspiration to strike. It comes in funny ways sometimes -- take this piece. I was supposed to be visiting my sisters today until they rescheduled me for tomorrow. It was only then that I looked at the calendar and realized that I let the holidays distract me from my deadline reminder for today's blog.

As I struggled to think of what I could say to fill in a page or two at the last minute it hit me. A piece on meeting deadlines. How appropriate! So the little I have to say comes to this:

- Use a calendar! Put the day your project is due on it, and a reminder a week or days before to give you a nudge. I actually like to make my own deadline a day or two before the client's deadline.

- Pay attention to your calendar! Don't just write things down, look at them every day and assess how much progress you've made.

- Pace yourself! Do a little every day. Don't put it off thinking you can cram through it like a midterm final. Give your work the time it takes to be its best. It's better to have it done and a day or two to correct and rethink.

- Give yourself enough time. If you are given a task and have the ppwer to set the deadline, make it one that REALLY gives you the time to do the work well. I tend to undercut the time I give myself, in an unconscious attempt to make the client happy, but have started to add days to weeks (depending on the overall time available) more than my first impulse. I'd rather turn it in early than late.

You can't always control how work is received, but you can always determine when. Being a good writer should include being a professional, not an artiste or a dilettante. As my obligations increase, I am still working on making sure I can meet them. It is a continuing struggle, but one worth the effort.

Conference Networking for Introverts

We writers sit alone at a desk for hours at a time, day after day, writing. It’s no surprise that writers tend to be introverts; most extroverts would run screaming from such a regimen.

As a result, professional conferences can be daunting for many writers, particularly those who, like me, are at the extreme end of the introversion scale.

Two recent blog posts give some excellent advice on “working” a writers’ conference:

advice from Ami Spencer, nonfiction writer

advice from Mary Robinette Kowal, speculative fiction writer and puppeteer

I’ll add some points of my own.

Business cards don’t have to be expensive. Vistaprint has low-priced cards you can buy in small quantities, and cards are often on sale. (Note: Order from Vistaprint well before your conference because Vistaprint takes a long time for standard shipping and charges a lot for upgrades—I suspect that’s how they can offer their products so cheaply.) Vistaprint has a broad selection of templates for you to customize—great if your design skills are shaky or if you’d also like matching stationery, envelopes, return address labels, sweatshirts, etc. For a more professional card, you can upgrade to heavier stock without the tiny Vistaprint ad on the back.

Another option is to design your own card. You may have shied away from this option before because of the shaggy edges of homemade cards. But today’s stock for printing business cards breaks apart cleanly. Homemade cards have big advantages. You get exactly the mood, typeface, and art you want—no compromising. You can change your card on a whim. If you rarely need cards, you don't have to pay for a printer's minimum of 250 or 500 cards. You can customize your card for each event—adding a blurb on the back for your newest story or book, temporarily removing your phone number or address for privacy, or changing the art or color scheme to jibe with the genre of the conference.

I try to exchange cards with everyone I meet. Afterward I note on the card where I met the person and any interesting facts and file it. I may not meet the person again for a year or two or three, but when I do, there’s a good chance I’ll remember them if I’ve gotten their card. Exchanging cards also helps other people remember me.

A trick I learned when I used to man booths at trade shows is to go armed with a set of memorized sentences that fit most situations. If my mind goes blank when I met a new person, as it usually does, I fall back on my sentences. Some of the ones I use for writers’ conferences are:
•Are you enjoying the conference?
•What’s the most interesting panel you’ve been to?
•I had a great time at [name of panel, party, or event]. Did you get to go?
•This is my first time at this conference. How about you?
•Are you going to [name of panel, party, or event]?
•Have you found any interesting places nearby to eat?
•Have you met anyone famous yet? (not to be used when talking to someone famous)

I make a point of looking at the name tag of the person I’m talking to and try to work the name into conversation. Doing so helps me remember the name and links their name and face (and book) together.

One of my pet peeves is people who don't wear name tags or put only their first name on the tag. Does the person think they are so famous that I should recognize them on sight? Does the person not want me to remember them or buy their book? If you go a conference where you know I'll be, please wear your name tag, place your full correct name on it, and hang it face out. Thank you.

Do you have any hints for meeting people at conferences and making professional connections? I’d love to hear them.


Thanks for visiting. I’ll be blogging again on January 7, on a topic I have not yet chosen. (If you want to suggest one, go ahead!) Until then, I wish you happy holidays and a great 2010!

—Shauna Roberts