4 Ways to Battle Discouragement

When you are so very, very tired of yet another rejection, when discouragement threatens to overwhelm you, what do you do?

Friends: One antidote is to stop writing and be with friends. Writer-friends are especially helpful because you can commiserate endlessly (read: complain) about how callous those horrible editors are, how short-sighted, how bad their taste in literature is not to recognize genius when they read YOUR mss. Second best is a DH, who’s been there through the worst of it with you and been there through the good (Thanks, D!) Mostly, you just need someone who love you and understands that these creative efforts are necessary for your well-being–even when you get rejection after rejection.

Past Successes: Yes, you have past successes. You have finished a story, maybe even a whole novel. Don’t look right now at the fact that it needs a big overhaul; just look at what you’ve accomplished! 50,000 words in a month! 3 picture book manuscripts polished and sent out this year. You’ve taken solid, positive steps in the right direction. Your cup is half full, not half empty! Look!

Get out of Town: This weekend, my DH and I went camping and hiking. Back to nature, where no words on a paper/computer screen make a difference. Here’s a couple shots from the Buffalo National River. One thing this does for me is remind me to look for small details. It fills my tank of sights, sounds, smells, textures, so I have something to put in my writing later. The shoe was at an old abandoned farmhouse. You may not like camping (silly you!), but sometimes you need a break, a change of scenery, a day off. Get out of town!

Earbie Campground, Buffalo National River. Click to enlarge

The view from Goat Bluff, near Earbie Campground. Click to enlarge

Shoe: found at Farmer's Farmstead, abandoned farm near Earbie Campground. Click to enlarge

Read Art and Fear

If all else fails? Read Art and Fear. It’s a book that I cherish as something that keeps me grounded. It talks about common fears that artists (they talk about painters and photographers, but it applies to us) must face as they work and publicize their work. We walk in a dichotomy of needing to create, yet needing to grow the audience for our work, so we can create more.

There have been days–when I receive a rejection letter after 14 months of assurance that a contract was coming–when all I can do is sit at my desk and cry. And read Art and Fear one more time. And turn to the computer and start to write because everything this small book says is true. I write because I must; and those who love me best know that I must. Discouraged? There is help. Read this book.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Wisdom, the Midway Albatross

by Darcy Pattison

Giveaway ends March 11, 2012.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

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OK, so I have this revision to do and one key element of it is to deepen characterization and relationships. Uh, oh. My weakness! How did the editor know that it was my weak area? Even after spending agonizing hours on characterization, I’m still not hitting the mark.

Which left me stumped on this revision. I’m not blocked. Just don’t know what to do next.

Here’s my analogy. In China, we passed by open doorways that led to teensy courtyards from which four houses (or more) might front onto. We could look through the doorways, but the glimpse was brief, you didn’t get much detail.

That’s how I tend to write characters, from the outside looking in. But this week, I’ve been rephrasing the question.
NOT: How can I deepen this character?
INSTEAD: What is the relationship in this scene? How do these characters affect each other? What is each character fighting for in this scene?

The answers can NOT change the plot, the actual actions of what is going on. I’m actually happy with the plot. Instead, I’m looking at the inner person, the relationship which is revealed by the plot events.

Asking about relationship seems easier to me than asking about how to characterize. It’s interactive, as one character does something, the other must respond. If I can find a central thing around which I can center conflict and reveal character with that, it will work.

In the current scene, the characters are discussing going somewhere and they both agree that they need to do that. Well, there is conflict in the plot, because it’s a daring thing they do. In the revision, though, I’m having Character A hesitate, wondering if she should consult her father or someone other adult before going. Meanwhile, Character B is impulsive and confident. “A” generally has a superior attitude to B, so she can’t let him get the upper hand by being so bold. And thus the relationship develops. Who will bluff the other into action? Who will compromise their ideals to prove to the other they are tough?

It’s like zooming into that Chinese courtyard to see the small details. Suddenly, the relationship has revealed details of the character and we see clearly.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Wisdom, the Midway Albatross

by Darcy Pattison

Giveaway ends March 11, 2012.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Writers Plan Around Life Events

Do you plan your writing year? Do you plan a month or a season ahead? How do you deal with stressful periods of life?

I view my writing as my work, something I am privileged to do every day. I do try to plan ahead and make sure I’m accomplishing something. I set goals: this year, I’ll write a new MG novel. In the next month, I plan to block out the plot of that novel and the month after, I’ll write the first three chapter of the novel. Things like that.

But I also find that life has a way of interfering. Novels are emotional stories and I need some modicum of stability in order to do this.

Beyond the issue of deadlines, what I’m passionate about at the time, etc. it seems there are two types of writing times.

Stable and Quiet. This is when I work like mad on a novel, trying to get as much written as I can. Novels seem to need longer stretches of time and they need emotional involvement.

Busy with Events, Stress, Upheaval. This is when I work on speeches, websites, writing lessons, publicity materials, magazine articles — things that don’t take my undivided attention and full emotional strength. Sometimes, picture books can work in here, especially when there’s a day or a couple of calm days in the midst of a busy month.

Do you plan out your whole year? How do you deal with the stressful periods?

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Wisdom, the Midway Albatross

by Darcy Pattison

Giveaway ends March 11, 2012.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Last night we had the next session of Fearless Writing, led by Crescent Dragonwagon. CD focuses on the writing process and creativity.

If you Show Up, the Work Will Flow

CD talks about necessary percepts or perceptions, ways of thinking about our work. Not precepts, but percepts. One is that if you consistently show up, the work will flow.

We started by doing a timed, fifteen-minute free write on any topic you wanted. After that, working as a group, we made lists:

• List of 5-6 fears
• List of 7-8 places humans could shelter (cave, bed, tent, etc.)
• Looking back at our free write, we were asked to circle five verbs.
• Then we contributed verbs to a list of about 10-12 from the group.
• Looking at our free write, we circled nouns and contributed to the group list of 10-12 nouns.
• Looking at our free write, we circled descriptive words and contributed to the group list of 10-12 nouns.
• Finally, we were asked to give a number between 1-100 and the name of a tree; then the name of a former President. These gave us addresses of 88 Oak Street and 8 Roosevelt Rd.

The result looked like a hodge-podge of random words, with different vocabulary levels and different topics. After all, they came from the text of a dozen different writers, writing about a huge variety of topics.

Finally, we were asked to pick out one of the feelings and write it in the top right-hand corner of the page; then fold down that corner so no one could see it. We chose an address and a shelter, both part of a title: The Tent at 88 Oak Street. Then, in a fifteen-minute timed write, we were supposed to write something that incorporated all the other words. ALL of them.

The results were amazing. The flow came for most people and somehow, out of the chaos, story lines appeared. Nothing perfect, of course, but enough to demonstrate that Stories Want to be Told, and that Flow Will Come if You Show Up.

One more session tonight for our final percepts.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Wisdom, the Midway Albatross

by Darcy Pattison

Giveaway ends March 11, 2012.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win