by Charlene Teglia | Nov 9, 2008 | Uncategorized
I admit it, I am on an anti-historical turn. The proof? Auto-buy Loretta Chase sitting on my table, unread. Next to Julia Quinn. And there’s the embarrassingly dusty Johanna Lindsay I have not read yet, either. Because right now the only rake I have any interest in has a long wooden handle and will be used to put leaves into recyclable bags for pickup at the curb.
I dunno why, but there you have it. I’m reading non-fiction and YA and fantasy. I am finally getting around to reading Good Omens, which you’d think I would have read years ago when I first glommed Discworld, but there’s no time like the present. Especially when I’m not into the past, unless it’s ancient history, which makes my toes curl.
What are you reading? Anything good?
by Charlene Teglia | Nov 5, 2008 | Uncategorized
Now that the election’s settled, what will we focus on? I suggest Christmas cookies. Or what to make for Thanksgiving dinner. Whether or not eggnog calories count. Or that NaNo thing. But personally I’m leaning towards Christmas cookies.
by Charlene Teglia | Nov 4, 2008 | Uncategorized
Tonight, I watched history on a scale I have not seen since the Berlin wall came down. I watched Barack Obama become the new President of the United States.
Tomorrow looks brighter. Yes, there are big problems ahead. But for every problem, there is a solution, and a country that shows up to vote in numbers not seen in 90 years cares enough to follow through and continue to support our new president in the changes we need to make. Together, we can do anything. Yes, we can!
by Charlene Teglia | Nov 4, 2008 | Uncategorized
Since my niece is doing NaNo, I will be writing some posts this month to cheer her on. Or make her come after me with a pitchfork, whichever comes first. Hey, that’s what family is for.
So let’s start with the right way to write. Guess what? There is no right way. There is only whatever way gets you to the finish line. Or whatever gets you through this page or this sentence.
As Somerset Maugham said, “There are three rules for writing the novel. Unfortunately nobody knows what they are.”
And it gets worse. The way that works the last time may not work the next time. This is why writers eat vast quantities of chocolate. And occasionally are found beating their heads against their keyboards.
So if you have some idea that if you just learned the right method or technique the doors of writing would open up and a heavenly choir would sing, honey, get over that delusion right now. Except possibly when it comes to the three act structure. Or Motivation Reaction Units. When you meet the MRU, you might truly see the light.
But the main thing to remember is, there is no right way, so let go of the fear that You Are Doing It Wrong. And hey, even if you are, that’s what revisions are for. You can fix it! As many times as it takes! So relax. There is no right. There is only write.
by Charlene Teglia | Nov 3, 2008 | Uncategorized
I salute the sprinters out there doing National Novel Writing Month for the first time. The world is full of “someday maybe” people. You’re actually doing it; sitting down to write that novel. No matter how it turns out, that’s a life-changing accomplishment. I know. I have not forgotten the day I decided to Just Do It and wrote my first book from start to finish.
I didn’t do it in NaNo. I did it in 3 months, because I figured with my schedule that’s how long it would take to write X pages a day. And it did. Whether you sprint out that novel in a month or marathon it over several, the process and the outcome is much the same. Either way, you commit to staying the course.
When the book was done and I saw that printed out stack of paper, the reality of it hit me. I had done it. I’d written a whole book that didn’t exist before. Of course I was immediately terrified I couldn’t do it again, so I had to write the 2nd and the 3rd…eventually somewhere around title #8 or #10 I relaxed and quit fearing each time that I was a fraud, that my past ability was a fluke.
Okay, not really, those thoughts still lurk, but the truth is, every book is impossible at some point. Writing a book is a miracle. So when you hit the impossible stage, don’t let it stop you. You’re making a miracle. And you do it one page at a time. Sometimes one sentence at a time, but the way impossible becomes possible is to just keep going.
And don’t take miracles for granted. Have faith, but understand that what produces the miracle of a finished book comes from a complex combination of factors that start with your ability to stuff your imagination with images and textures and ideas and what ifs and your joy in playing with those raw materials, turning them this way and that.
Creativity works best in a supportive atmosphere, so protect yourself from harsh criticism. Creativity thrives on fun, so don’t make it drudgery. Play games with yourself. Remember to rest, to relax, to eat right and drink enough water and take walks because it is far more physically demanding than you realize and if you don’t take care of the body, the brain will feel it. Be good to yourself, and when you finish the book, be especially good to yourself.
Writing is amazing, energizing, exhausting, frustrating, thrilling, terrifying, exhilarating, but there is no feeling in the world like knowing you have finished that book. No matter how many times you do it. Finishing the book is a mammoth achievement, and no matter what happens after that, nothing can take that achievement away from you. You aren’t a someday maybe person. You’re the real thing. You wrote a book. It changes you. It changes your life.
Stay the course. You won’t be sorry.
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