Category: Quick Tips

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From the Pros: Tips for Productivity

*Guest post by Lynnette Bonner*

Let’s face it. We’re all busy. Most of us writers have that disruptive day job that constantly cuts into our writing time. Many of us have children, grandchildren, church, exercise, and other volunteer activities we feel are important to squeeze into our day too. So where does that leave time for writing?

I’ve often been asked how I find the time to write. My answer is almost always the same: “You make time to do the things you love.”

So my first tip for productivity would be for you to assess your passion for writing. You obviously love writing or you wouldn’t be sitting there reading this post. But where is your must-write-or-die level at, right now? We all go through seasons. When I had 3 little boys at home and was homeschooling, I didn’t get a whole lot of writing done. There were nights when all I could do was fall onto the couch and summon the energy to click the power button on the remote. I slowly worked on one book over the course of about 10 years. But now that my kids are older and I’m not their educational teacher, I have more time for writing and have produced 4 books over the last 5 years, or so.

Cover-The-Unrelenting-Tide

Once you’ve assessed the above realistically, you then have to meld your discovery with actual availability. Look at your schedule. What time slots can you set aside for writing? Do it and mark them on your calendar and guard them like gold. Treat them like any other responsibility. When that friend calls to see if you’d like to go shopping, you can then say, “I’m sorry. I already have an appointment at that time.”

Now it comes down to the actual writing time itself and I want you to think through one more aspect. What motivates you? Your personality will have a lot to do with how to assure your success when you finally sit down at the keyboard. If you take me as an example, I’m extremely goal oriented. So I like to make lists. And I take great satisfaction in crossing items off my list and find great vexation when I can’t cross something off. So it is a real good motivator for me to put “write 1000 words today” on my to-do list because I hate not being able to cross it off for the day. I’ve heard of some writers who demand a certain word-count of themselves before they let themselves eat breakfast. (Just don’t skip the coffee, or you might end up with a garbled mess!) Some writers respond to rewards – ie., “If I get this chapter done I can go shooting at the gun range.” Some may need an accountability partner to keep tabs on them. (Although if that’s you, I would seriously reassess your passion for writing.) Some surround themselves with inspirational pictures that put them in the mood of the piece they are working on. Anyhow, whatever it is that works for you, find it and implement it, and stick with it.

Once you sit down at the keyboard turn off your phone, your email, even your internet access, if you have to, and just WRITE. Feel free to let the words flow from your fingers in as rough a manner as necessary to get them on the page. Editing can come later.

Here is a thought to ponder: 500 words a day for 6 months would result in 90,000 words, which is a full length novel, or one and a half to two devotional books. At that rate you could write 2 full length novels a year. Maybe you can’t do 500 every single day, but I bet you could do 1000 words 3 times a week. Why not challenge yourself?

Assess, meld, get motivated and WRITE! You can do it!

Lynnette Bonner just released her 5th title, a romantic suspense titled: The Unrelenting Tide. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, four children, and one very spoiled PomChi pooch.

Pick up a  copy of Lynnette’s latest book on Amazon here!  http://www.amazon.com/Unrelenting-Tide-Islands-Intrigue-ebook/dp/B00CLMKQI6/

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Reaching Out for Inspiration

One of my favorite means of finding inspiration is talking to other writers. Nothing shakes off the cobwebs gathered during a stint of writer’s block quite like a good conversation with an author who has been in your shoes.

Pearl
Grab a couple friends and visit one of our Destination Inspiration locations for great conversation and brain storming.

Recently I’ve had the pleasure of touching base with some fantastic writers, some of whom are honoring us with tips and advice in the coming months via our “From the Pros” series. It’s amazing to me how just talking out plot points or bouncing ideas off of friends can rekindle a lost spark or provide fuel to scribble out a scene that was needed to tie everything together.

While writing is generally an isolating profession, it’s important to remember that a big part of our inspiration comes from living life and engaging those around us. Encouragement is fodder for the soul and I truly feel that it’s essential for a healthy writing life. Reach out to authors you admire. They may seem far away, but an email goes a long way and you may be surprised at the response you get.

Get connected with other writers, published or otherwise aspiring. Critique groups are great for this purpose. Communication with kindred spirits can wonderfully clear your vision, steady the nerves, define your purpose, sweeten and strengthen the spirit.

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A Productive April

Books

A beautiful spring here in Seattle has beckoned us to explore sunny nooks and relish pre-summer trips. We’ve been busy learning from other writers and stretching our own craft as we’ve pressed forward, reaching and expanding in our own individual niches.

To begin with, we wrapped up a Destination Inspiration: Portland series with a taste of Powell’s City of Books and also visited a great place to catch up as we’d been parted for a while through travel and spring plans.

Powell's Banner

In Writer’s Kitchen, we celebrate food bloggers who had recently released books. Cheers to our fellow authors!

Books

Finally, and possibly most excitingly, we started our “From the Pros” series in which we are fortunate to have guest posts featuring advice and encouragement from successful and inspirational authors. This month we heard from Lesley Ann McDaniel about finding your character’s Achilles Heel.

Direction

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How to Give Your Character an Achilles’ Heel

*Guest post by Lesley Ann McDaniel*

Every hero needs an Achilles’ heel. But what exactly does that mean?

In one of my current manuscripts, the hero gets an opportunity to rescue the heroine in the climax of the book. What kind of hero would he be if he didn’t, right? Since the story takes place on an island, it makes sense that the water surrounding it would figure into the final mêlée. I knew from the start that the hero would jump in to save the heroine, but when the time came to write that moment, he wouldn’t do it. He wouldn’t jump.

It was then that I discovered his Achilles’ heel. It’s his overwhelming fear of water.

Direction

So, what exactly is an Achilles’ heel, and where does the term come from?

According to Greek mythology, Achilles was an exceptionally brave warrior. When he was born, his mother tried to make him immortal by dipping him in the River Styx, which presumably held magic powers. Unfortunately, the heel she held him by remained dry and, therefore, vulnerable. All an enemy had to do was aim for the one part of Achilles that was still mortal.

So any weakness, whether in a person, a thing, or an idea, can be referred to as an Achilles’ heel.

As writers, how do we apply this to our characters? Think of it as their greatest fear or weakness, like Indiana Jones and his fear of snakes.

Why does this matter? Because it’s an effective way to raise the stakes for our characters, and a reliable tool to prevent a “sagging middle” in our stories. Knowing a character’s Achilles heel lets us create more difficult decisions for him, if we do it right.

In the example of my poor water-fearing hero, his choice has been elevated from ‘save-the-heroine or not-save-the-heroine’ (a pretty ho-hum choice) to ‘face-my-darkest-fear or continue-to-be-a-coward’. The moment is more powerful because he has to face his greatest weakness.

Here’s how to effectively utilize a character’s Achilles’ heel:

  1. Set it up early in your story.

As with every story element, this shouldn’t announce itself as a set-up. Reinforce this component of your character, but don’t project the pay-off. Let the reader’s curiosity build.

2. Your character must acknowledge his weakness early on.

He can either deny it, decide he’s fine with things just the way they are, or maybe even express a desire to overcome it someday.

3. If your character has a nemesis, that nemesis has to take advantage of your character’s Achilles’ heel.

4. Let your character face his weakness in an interesting, unexpected way.

Ideally, this would come at the 2/3 inciting incident, or the climax. Maybe both, as long as the second event is even more creative and unexpected.

5.   Your character doesn’t necessarily have to overcome his greatest fear, but he does have to face it.

Be creative. What’s the most interesting Achilles’ heel you can come up with?

 

LESLEY ANN MCDANIEL writes romance, romantic suspense, and young adult fiction. Her new book, “Lights, Cowboy, Action” will be released through Heartsong Presents in June, 2013. Contact her at lesleym3@juno.com or visit her website at www.lesleyannmcdaniel.com.

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From the Pros

The beginning

All writers learn from those who have come before. In my case, I am blessed with a circle of friends who are successful in their writing right now and have books coming out soon. Part of me celebrates with them and the other part wants to learn from them. Lucky for you, we’ll be doing both here at Nooks & Cranberries!

Over the next few months we’ll have guest writers sharing tips and tricks about writing and what’s worked for them. In addition, we’ll fill you in on some of their work and their upcoming books.

First up, next Thursday, Lesley Ann McDaniel, author of “Lights, Cowboy, Action” will share about discovering your character’s Achilles’ Heel.

Here’s looking forward to learning, honing our craft and celebrating success. Cheers and happy writing!

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Cowboy in the City

Here at Nooks & Cranberries our motto is that “there are plenty of reasons not to write, but we’re here to ensure that a lack of creativity isn’t one of them.”

Lately I’ve had plenty of creativity, but what has kept me from finishing the many projects that I’ve started is fear. It’s a silly fear really, but what it comes down to is that I’m afraid of killing my characters. You’d think the fact that I write thrillers and murder mysteries would have hardened me, but really I’m quite sentimental. In this case however I’m not talking about actually murdering my primary characters (although let’s face it, someone always has to die), I’m speaking to the fact that when we write a story, even a short one, we are committing those involved to a path. A path of identity. In a way, we are locking them in to certain facts. If dear ol’ country boy Mitch has a drawl and a swagger that makes the girls melt, you have just locked that feature into the minds of your readers and now that’s a permanent part of him. Having that as part of his identity is going to forever guide his choices and therefore will determine the road he takes. Now the possibilities of him being anybody else are, in a sense, dead.

Douglas Duncan on the street in NYC
Cowboy Douglas Duncan on the street in NYC. Image from wnyc.org/blogs.

This character killing reality has been a roadblock. Country boy Mitch will never have the street smarts of someone who was born and raised in the city. But then I realized something, just because I’ve used Mitch in one story doesn’t mean he is dead to every other story I write. Part of being a writer means having the liberty of reviving anyone I want and using them in another chapter. And having locked Mitch into his country persona doesn’t mean he can’t change. It’s all about justification. And I don’t mean the ‘excuse-disguised-as-reason’ type justification. I’m talking about authenticity. Perhaps being attached to certain characters and wanting to use them can open up options, not just close them down. Perhaps a certain journey Mitch takes transforms him into a city-wise country boy that adds a depth to his character that wasn’t there before. What we have to be careful of in the long run is making sure our intentions are genuine. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that while our uncanny ability to justify anything and everything can be very useful in the world of writing, it can also bring about some awfully flat and unbelievable drivel.

Here’s my challenge to you: wielding this power of justification, take a second look at some of your characters. Pick one that seems a bit flat and see what changes you can justify in their character that could give them more depth and perhaps some new plot twists!

Cheers and happy writing!

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Chelan Writing Retreat: The Barrel Feast

It was a gorgeous weekend. The sun was out, the sky was clear and the snow capped mountains were a gleaming backdrop. The best part was that we were viewing all this splendor from the car as we drove out of Seattle and made our way to Chelan for a quick writing retreat.

The kids were set to spend quality time with the dads and the women were off to let the their writing minds take them where they may…well, with a loose itinerary. We were to visit a few wine tasting rooms, meet a press contact for dinner, stay the night at a lovely resort overlooking Lake Chelan and then meet for a “Wine Immersion” experience the next morning. Boy were we in for a treat!

Chelan Horizon

By the time we had settled in at The Lake House and tasted some of the wine provided in the room, it was time to meet our contact for dinner. We were privileged to meet about a dozen or so people for the intimate Barrel Feast at Tunnel Hill Winery. What a fantastic experience! We arrived and were led into their barrel room in which was set a long table with a silk copper runner, candles and place settings lined by four wine glasses each. After a brief meet and greet, we took our seats and were presented with a four course meal, complete with wine pairings. Our host, Guy Evans, introduced the cook who is the head chef at Cafe Mason.

Beet Salad

We poured over the mouth-watering courses with the wine pairings and got to know the people sitting around us. As I looked up and down the long table, the writer in me started to churn…or more accurately, the fiction side of my writing mind. Sure, I could write a compelling piece about how lovely our trip has been and how tasty the local fare is, the travel magazines would surely eat that up. But the fiction-writing side of my brain was looking for something a little more thrilling, mysterious even. It kept wondering ‘what if’. Like, what if someone left for the restroom and didn’t come back? What if the next person to visit the restroom found the previous person’s body slumped against the wall, dead? Of the people I’ve met so far, who would make the best victim? Who would make the best murderer? Perhaps the congress woman sitting next to me, political motives are often seedy. Or what about the innocent-looking newly wed couple to my right? They do seem a little too innocent. What could they be hiding? Or this contractor across the table, how far would he go to win a bid? My brain went on like this, humming in the background as I made pleasant conversation and secretly gleaned information for character development.

While I am fortunate to have a steady job as a freelance writer, sometimes the pressure to produce non-fiction material takes over and my fiction muscles feel neglected and atrophe. This trip was a nice opportunity to stretch those muscles and get back in action. I’d like to encourage you, if you have a passion for writing fiction, to allow yourself to let go every once in a while and run with the wiles of your imagination. Of course, do your due diligence, if you have a non-fiction deadline, but then exchange that notepad for your story-telling notepad. Soak up the characters around you and let your mind wander down the path of ‘what if’s’.

Writer’s Tip: Having a restricted setting with a set cast can force you to get creative with your limited options.  Next time you go to a restaurant, find the table with the most people and use them as your cast of characters. Write a short story that takes place in that restaurant with just that table of people.

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Yoga Pants

There are a handful of books I come back to whenever I’m in a writing bind. They are like a lucky shirt or an old pair of jeans – the things I slip into when I feel blah. They are my yoga pants.

I’ve been in a writing pickle lately. Overwhelmed and not sure where to start. So I turned to one of my all time favorite default books, Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott. She is one of my writing heroes and this book has the magical ability to pull me back from the edge of despair and remind me that when you are overwhelmed, just take it one chunk at a time.

Bird by Bird

She says in her book that if when you sit down to write and are bombarded by the mountain of laundry that needs to be done, or the dishes or that thing you needed to take care of last week that you forgot about until just now – when all that stuff comes to the surface, take a breathe and tell yourself all you’re going to do right now is write one small paragraph. One small paragraph of one small scene, perhaps the scene where we first meet your character at the bus stop. Or the moment your character walks into a restaurant and sees the woman he is going to marry, or maybe that moment you decided to quit your job and become – oh, I don’t know – a writer. The point is, take baby steps. Start with these little snapshots and allow the rest of the world to slide off your back as you fall into your groove.

This is where I convince myself that I did buy these yoga pants to work out in, I am working out my writing muscles. I know, bad joke…but it’s the truth. We all need those comfort items to go back to when we feel overwhelmed, those things that steady us in the turbulence and bring clarity in the fog. Consider your writing comforts, do you have a book that inspires you every time you pick it up and read that first sentence? What are your safety defaults in times of writing stagnation?

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Valentine’s Day Special

Today is Valentine’s Day, so it only seems appropriate that we talk about romance. I don’t mean the romance in your own life, I mean the romance in your fiction life.

Romance and Roses

I know what you’re thinking…”Harlequin novels? Bodice rippers? Ew, no thank you. I’ll pass.” Let me assure you right now, that’s not where I’m going with this. I’d just like to share a few tips to add romantic tension, perhaps even create a little chemistry between two unassuming characters. So here are the basics:

-Start with two strong, appealing, sympathetic characters. Be sure they are three-dimensional so you can mess with their heart strings.

-Add conflict. There are two kinds of conflict: Internal and External.

Internal conflict should be the writer’s main focus: defined by either character—the opposing forces within a personality, motivations and aspirations—or by an emotional situation within a relationship—for example, an unexpected pregnancy or an arranged marriage.

External conflict should only be brought in as additional support to the developing romance and plot. External conflict is defined by misunderstandings, circumstances or a secondary character’s influence.

Ideally, give the characters something they have to overcome together…this is where they bond, not necessarily where they connect. Throw several conflicts their way that they work through to create emotional highs and lows. Have them grow closer with each resolution.

-Just as they are starting to realize their chemistry and connect…throw a wrench in it! Heartbreak!

-Many writers will be tempted to bring in a secondary character at this point. It’s an option, but be warned…use secondary characters with caution. You don’t want to muddy the focus on your main couple.

-Then add the final conflict…this one usually requires a lot of sensational dialogue.  Dialogue is the key tool to give life, energy and pace to your writing. This is the epiphany moment! Remember to keep it relevant and consistent to your characters. Let them realize and come to terms with their differences and come together as a couple at last. Hooray!

So that’s writing romance in a nutshell. Strong characters, lots of conflict with emotional highs and lows, all driven by great dialogue to a happy and satisfying ending.

Cheers and Happy Valentine’s Day!