This Summer, At Writers Camp...

My first week at writers boot camp—cleverly disguised as an idyllic online summer camp, with cabins and marshmallows and even a lake—started off with a bang. But now, as I find myself thousands of words behind on my new manuscript at the end of Week Two, it’s turned into something more like a whimper. But I’m not discouraged. No sirree Bob!

For those who may not be familiar with Camp NaNoWriMo, it’s a one-month virtual writers marathon held each April and July. It’s related to the larger annual National Novel Writing Month in November, where you have thirty days to write 50,000 words. (That’s 1666 per day—notice anything ominous about those last three digits?) In the camp version, you can set your own goals, but I thought it would be inspiring to go for a midsummer Five-Oh-Thousand. Was that a mistake? Well, maybe. But when the writing gets tough, the tough get going, right? (Answer: Yes. Straight to the fridge for an ice cream break.)

(Giphy)

Every night after Taps (you just hum it to yourself), campers post their word counts for the day. And unless you specified a preference for a private cabin, you’re sharing a bunkhouse with up to 19 other writers. Cabinmates share cheers and group sprints and write-ins—and there’s always plenty of encouragement for those campers who have a little (ahem) trouble getting started…or keeping up the furious pace.

Camp NaNoWriMo isn’t supposed to be stressful, of course. It’s fun as well as productive. In addition to picking your own word count, you can set your own writing schedule. You can write at the crack of dawn (nooo, thank you, rooster fans) or anytime until the stroke of midnight.  Some days, between my day job and procrastinating in just about whatever way I can think of, I don’t sit down to the keyboard until almost 11 pm. So I have to fudge the cut-off time just a teensy bit and write til the wee hours of the next morning. My cabinmates agreed that wasn’t cheating, really. The first day I only got in a thousand words—just 666 short. Hmm…

(via Giphy)

Luckily, the word count is cumulative, so you can write however many words you want each day. And by the time July 31^st rolls around (it comes up fast, trust me), you have a pretty decent chunk of a brand new, spanking manuscript. You might need to collapse and take the month of August off, of course, but at least you’ll have bragging rights.

There’s another incentive, too: In addition to nifty badges you can earn (yep, former Girl Scout here), there’s a little target graphic with an arrow that moves closer and closer toward the bullseye to show your outstanding progress. As it happens, my favorite activity at actual summer camp (next to reading my way through the Nancy Drew library) was Archery. I’m not Katniss from the Hunger Games or actress/Olympian Geena Davis, but I might work a quiver full of arrows into a murder mystery sometime. That’s me on the far right.

So now it’s Week Three—time to glom myself to the keyboard and attempt to catch up on that elusive word count. The important thing is DON’T EVER GIVE UP!!!! Today my cabinmates and I are going to try to pound out as many words as the fastest writer in camp. If all else fails, we may just short sheet her bed.

(via Giphy)

Anyone else out there at writers camp this summer? Let us know—or share your favorite camp memory!

I SPY: The Write Balance

Join the authors and friends of Not Your Usual Suspects for an occasional series of posts about their world of reading, writing and publishing.

Short and sweet, hopefully both informative and entertaining - join us at I-Spy to find out the how's and why's of what we do.

TODAY'S POST: I-Spy something beginning with ...

The Write Balance

(The following is a repost of an older I SPY from 2013, but seeing as we're at the beginning of a brand new year, and my attention always turns to goals and what I want to improve in my life, I thought it might be good to revisit it. All of us here at NYUS wish you a very happy—and balanced—2017!)

The longer I live, the more I’m convinced that a balanced life is the key to happiness. This is true for writers as much as anybody else.

The needed amounts will vary among individuals, but when I analyze the balance (or lack thereof) in my life, I basically look at four realms that impact each other and often overlap. 

Physical

• Regular Exercise Routine – 30 minutes a day seems to be the recommendation, including a combination of strength-building and aerobic activities. 
• Diet – While I grew up with the “food pyramid,” my kids are learning about the “healthy plate.” A combination of the two seems to explain what is considered a balanced diet. Drinking water is always a great idea.  Eating plenty of plants is also recommended, and they say half your plate should be plant-related sources.
• Sleep – While 7-8 hours a night seems to be the immediate answer to “how much sleep do I need,” the National Sleep Foundation says there are many individual and environmental factors that can affect this. For more information, follow this link.

Psychological/Emotional/Cognitive

• Express yourself – i.e., don’t bury emotions. When emotions threaten to overwhelm, writers can naturally channel them into their writing, but when that isn’t so easy, we are a creative lot. Consider other creative outlets such as scrapbooking, journaling, painting, or dancing.
• Challenge your brain – I may be biased, but it is my belief that writers use more of their brain, and more parts of their brain, more regularly, than anyone else. We have the ability to imagine and create at the same time we are analyzing grammar and sentence structure. We are amazing creatures.
• Coping with rejection – Nobody enjoys being told they aren’t wanted, needed, or desired. The business of writing necessitates hearing these words on occasion. Finding a way to manage the stress of being told “no thanks” is the key to perseverance.
• Comparing yourself to others – Writing is often a solitary profession, where sometimes it feels the only way to measure progress or gauge success is to look at the sales, readership, or awards of others. But writing is also an individual journey. Each author’s path to success is different, and we would do well to remember that when the temptation to compare arises.

Social

• Family – While some people find safe harbor at home, others find family members might not be so supportive. As with any career, it’s sometimes difficult to balance the needs of spouses, children, pets, and extended family, but those same people can also bring a joy and satisfaction not found elsewhere.
• Conferences, Writing Groups, and Critique Partners – Feeding the writer’s soul via gathering with other writers can be rejuvenating. As mentioned above, in such a solitary career, it’s important to find like-minded individuals with whom to share.
• Get out and about (a.k.a., leave the writing cave) – Inspiration is often found from the real world, which is why you need to get out and do things. Step away from the computer and experience the world.
• Get to know other people – This is another way of filling the creative well. Whether meeting new people, getting together with friends, or just interacting briefly with the barista at the local coffee shop, seeing other people reminds us what (or who!) we’re writing about. Inspiration for character abides in the real world.

Spiritual

• Feeding your soul - Whatever suits your belief system - communing with nature (gardening, walking, etc.), meditating, prayer, church attendance – DO IT. It’s so easy to put these needs aside to squeeze in time for things that are more temporal, but your spiritual health is just as important as the other realms.

Disclaimer: There is rarely a time in our lives where all of these “boxes” are equal or proportionate. More likely, there is always going to be something out of whack. The key is to be in tune with your needs – physical, psychological, social, and spiritual – and adjust as needed.

How’s your balance? What things do you do to maintain happiness, and what things do you think you can change to work toward your own happy-ever-after?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Anne Marie has always been fascinated by people—inside and out—which led to degrees in Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, and Counseling. As a games hostess at Sea World, tutor, waitress, personal and family counselor, and high school counselor, she indulged her curiosity through sanctioned professions. Now, as a stay-at-home mom of three children, her passion for understanding the human race is satisfied by her roles as mother, wife, daughter, sister, and writer. She writes to reclaim her sanity. 

Connect with Anne Marie at her website, Facebook page, or on Twitter.

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Telling 2016 To Hit The Road

December is doing its usual “Where did the year go?” acceleration and for once, I’m happy to see the calendar page turn and close out the month and year.

Let me race back to January for a moment.

Ah January, where everything is fresh and sparkly and full of great resolutions.

Every January, a fantastic group of authors lets me hang out with them for our MLK weekend writing retreat. We get tons written, plot, and do yoga to counteract all that hunching over keyboards—and state our goals for the upcoming year. Buoyed by the thousands of words hitting the page that weekend—or maybe it was the residual effects of Rachel’s chocolate martinis—I optimistically vowed to finish the book and do a couple of other random acts of intrepid marketing.

Anyone else hear the universe laughing?

Thankfully I can’t find the actual list of goals, but I suspect in January, my retreat-mates will laugh with me over the abysmal results for the year. I did stumble over the following list sent to my online goals group:

1) survive day job transition, which has mutated into an overwhelming 10-12 hour/day beast

2) survive the snowy snowy cold winter by reminding herself it’s next summer’s water

3) survive building the house without killing the builder or doing something equally stupid and dramatic

4) you’ll notice so far writing has not appeared on this list.

5) grow a pair and do all the marketing to put Tree Farm out there

6) write the sequel to So About the Money

7) rediscover the joy of writing 

I shared this list with my retreat group (as a more realistic assessment of how the year shaped up). Kris, the philosopher in our midst, said, “That’s part of what we retreat for—to pull back, regroup, and start anew.  If it was a good year, it can be a look-back & a reminder to keep on the same trajectory. If it was a spectacular failure in some way, it’s a reset button.” 

Maybe we need those failure and frustrations to refocus. 2016 was tough for many people. But ya know, stepping back from last spring’s frustration, I still have a job (that pays me twice a month!) and we finally (finally!) finished the house and moved in a couple of weeks ago. And if I didn’t get as much written as I planned, the creative urge is still lurking inside, just waiting for a chance to bust out.

What about you? 2016 – boost or bust?

I SPY: Goals, Motivation, & Conflict (GMC)

Join the authors and friends of Not Your Usual Suspects for an occasional series of posts about their world of reading, writing and publishing.

Short and sweet, hopefully both informative and entertaining - join us at I-Spy to find out the how's and why's of what we do.

TODAY'S POST: I-Spy something beginning with ...

Goals, Motivation, & Conflict (GMC)

Writers have many tools for crafting a story. One of the techniques I use is Debra Dixon’s concept of GMC: Goal Motivation, Conflict. Her book (which can be purchased new through her website here, if you’re interested – beware the exorbitant prices of used copies on other sites) outlines in detail how to use this technique. In this post, I’ll briefly discuss how I’ve utilized and adapted her concepts to fit my needs.

Basically, working through the GMC of each character (especially the ones who have a point of view) helps me get a firm grip on what needs to happen in the plot to help each of these characters reach their full potential. Near the beginning of a manuscript (sometimes I’ll write a couple chapters first to get an idea of my characters), I sit down with paper and pencil and sketch something like this out (please forgive my handwriting):

At the top, I have a two-word description (usually adjective and noun) of the character, such as “ex-military loner” or “overworked CEO." Here, I've described Rachel, the heroine of a novella I'm working on, as a "dedicated nurturer." (She's a doctor who works too much, and her personal relationships suffer for it.). This descriptor is something that gives a snapshot of that character (and often makes it into my blurb about the book).

The chart has “Internal” and “External” on the x axis because we’ll be looking at each item as it affects the character internally and externally. In my experience, the "internal" column is especially important to character development and growth while the "external" often impacts the plot points.

On the y-axis are three rows, divided into Goal, Motivation, and Conflict. The Goal is WHAT the character wants or needs to achieve. The Motivation refers to WHY the character wants that goal. The Conflict is the WHY NOT, or what is preventing them from achieving their goal.

In my novella, what I have of the plot so far involves the heroine going to a high school reunion and, having had no time for a significant relationship, deciding to ask an old boyfriend to serve as her date. He agrees, but when she arrives at the hotel room, he's been murdered. She's been framed. The detective who shows up (the hero) knows her and tries to help.

That's the gist, but I use the GMC to flesh things out a bit more. Using the GMC grid, I have the following for Rachel:

• Internal Goals: 1.) Connect with someone AND 2.) Find love
• External Goals: 1.) Survive her 10-yr. high school reunion AND 2.) Find out who killed her ex-boyfriend

• Internal Motivation: 1.) Tired of being alone AND 2.) Desires a deeper connection (love)
• External Motivation: 1.) Wants to be a success (to outrun her family's past/reputation) AND 2.) Wants to be cleared of ex-boyfriend's murder by finding out who killed him

• Internal Conflict: 1.) Works too much (no time for relationships as she builds her medical practice) AND 2.) She's learned from her parents how painful love relationships can be.
• External Conflict: 1.) In high school, she was the odd girl, the one with a bad family reputation AND 2.) She's attracted to Detective Jake Flynn, so working with him leads to other distractions and issues. Besides, he might have to arrest her for murder if he can't help her prove her innocence.

At the bottom of the same page, I usually add a couple sections where I can jot down specific features of my character. Under the header “Physical Traits” I put things like hair and eye color, height, age, and the like. Under “History/Background” I can jot down things like when and where the character attended school, what their degree was, a sketch of a family tree, relationship history, and anything that helps with timeline and personality development. Some of these things I know up front and some notes I add as I write the story.

The magic of this technique is it helps me create a one-page cheat sheet for each character. I use it as a reference tool as I write. Also, once I have a grip on the GMC of my hero and heroine, villain, and anyone else who is vital to the story, I usually gain a lot of insight into how the story will unfold. But plotting is another topic (and another chart — complete with color-coded sticky-notes) all together!

How about you? Do you have any questions about GMC? Have you used a similar technique to develop your characters?

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FUTURE POSTS will cover:
Kindlegraph / the art of research / writing male/male romance / rejection and writer's block / building suspense / writing love scenes / anti-piracy strategies / audio books / interviews with editors and agents / using Calibre.
We welcome everyone's constructive comments and suggestions!

Milestones

I’m sure I’m not alone, but for me, this time of year always inspires reflection and self-evaluation. I find myself looking back at what I’ve accomplished, determining what I have yet to do, and then looking ahead toward where I want to be. This applies to all types of goals—physical, career/skills, social, and spiritual. I look at several things: Do I still want to meet those same goals? What has changed over the past several months that should have me re-prioritizing? What do I want to focus on in the new year if I have limited energy and resources? What have I learned in the past year that I can apply to the next one?

It is also a time for looking at how far I have yet to go to meet my major (or long-term) goals. Yes, they say life is about the journey, not the destination, but I'm not one to leave everything to fate. I'm a planner. An organizer. I can't help myself, and checking things off my goal and to-do lists makes me all giddy inside. But I often have to remind myself that it's not all about the big milestones (publishing a book, making a bestseller list, etc.). Milestones can be more subtle than that. (And sometimes we don’t know we’ve been on a journey until we’re well underway.) So don't forget the smaller mile markers in between the bigger, flashier ones. And make sure you celebrate each appropriately.

Speaking of milestones, hubby and I will celebrate our anniversary on New Year’s Eve. It’ll be number nineteen, and we’re already looking ahead to how we want to celebrate the big two-oh. We’re talking about traveling, maybe to a warm beach somewhere…and possibly renewing our vows. The excitement of thinking of these possibilities and marking time in special ways is what had me thinking about milestones today, and about how these celebrations are necessary. (And sometimes, just making it through the day with the whole family intact is worth noting.) Big or small, achievements must be celebrated.

In this new year, I hope you find many reasons to celebrate, and enjoy the journey along the way...

Where would you go or what would you do to celebrate a big anniversary? How do you mark the milestones in your life? Where do you see your journey taking you in 2014?

Expectations: Help or Hinder?

I don't know about you, but I try to practice what I preach. Of course, sometimes it's easier said than done. I tell my daughter not to expect things. Go into a new experience with an open mind, make the best of it and let it play out the way it's supposed to. It's kind of like going to a movie. Don't you hate when you go to a movie that you've heard glowing reviews about and you leave thinking "meh?" But when you go to a movie that you know nothing about and end up having a great time, you get so happy you feel like you might smile for hours?

Take our careers for instance. We all strive to be the best we can be (in an author's case, to write the best book we can every day), but how do our expectations help or hurt us? If I expected to be a NY Times Best Seller, I might be waiting my whole life, not to mention be hugely disappointed if I never made it there. That might very well affect my writing which might affect future books. But if I go into a book, concentrating on my expectations for that ONE book and make it the best it can be and move on, then my expectations can be met (more easily). Let's face it, there are a TON of great books out there that never make lists for many reasons. Poor marketing, lack of promo...there are so many factors involved. Not to mention luck and timing.

I bring this up because in mid-March I attended the SoCalRWA Writers Conference and met Barbara Vey. I'd met her briefly years ago at an RWA conference, but never really had the chance to sit down and talk to her. Of course, I'd always (and only) heard lovely things about her and was thrilled to discover they are all true. She's fun and honest, very refreshing and I'll toss in delightful for good measure. (It all fits!) I was beyond thrilled when she asked to interview me for her Publishers Weekly Beyond Her Book Blog. What really floored me was her invitation to be one the authors at her Readers Appreciation Luncheon next April in Milwaukee. Talk about exceeding my expectations! (Of which, I should stress, I had none! BTW - Here is a shot of us after I moderated her workshop on Building Reader Loyalty.)

When you think about it, I have a conflict actually. How does my "no expectations" work with my publishing goals? I've been on this writer's road for thirteen years now and am doing the best I can to keep up with the job. (Sometimes it's overwhelming and sometimes it's pure bliss.) If I don't expect to make a list, but a list is my goal, then will I ever make it? I guess the answer is in the Universe somewhere...unless any of you can help me with it.

Let me know, what are your views on expectations vs. goals?


Dee J. Adams lives in Southern California with her husband, teenage daughter and 2 rescue dogs. Her Adrenaline Highs series is available at Carina Press and wherever e-books are sold.

What About After?

Recently at my blog, I was talking about dreams. Not the kind that wake you up in the middle of the night, but the ones we chase during our waking hours. As I wrote about not giving up, another aspect of realizing a dream came to mind. The afterward part.

So let's say you've worked really hard for a lot of years to... oh, I don't know... write a book. Then you write a few books. Then you SELL those books? You realized a huge dream. Now, in actuality, you're LIVING the dream, right? But what happens if there's a side to the dream you never realized. The stressful, I-can't-do-it-all side. Then that very thing you struggled so hard for is now crushing you with stress and heartburn. (Okay, I don't actually have heartburn, but some people do.) Now what? Is it possible to find that place where the pressure doesn't intrude with your creative side...when you don't think about the end result, but instead find that happy place where the words flow and the stress melts away?

(Thought I'd include a pic of one of the things that helps ease MY stress.
Here's my cuddle monster,  Zachy. Mr Zen.)

How do you do it? No matter what your dream? How do you avoid or deal with the stress of the journey or if you're lucky... the aftermath?

Spring Cleaning

It’s that time again: Spring! And you know what that means…an insane, irrational impulse to clean! I, too, have been known to succumb to the madness at this time of year. But this year is different. I have deadlines to meet, words to produce (and edit), and no desire to bury myself in housework when I could be outside in the sunshine (or immersed in a story inside my head).

But spring cleaning can apply to anything, right? (Hint: The only answer I’ll accept here is an affirmative one.)

By channeling extra springtime energy toward my writing, I’ve been clearing the cobwebs of my story that have gathered into little dust bunnies in my mind. Besides, spring is an excellent reminder that a quarter of the year has gone by. (Actually—and I don’t mean to panic you here—a third of 2012 is already gone! Gasp.)

Spring is also an excellent time to re-evaluate goals set at the beginning of the year, when we were buried in snow (and maybe a few extra pounds from the holidays), to find renewed energy to pursue such goals, and to celebrate the ones we’ve accomplished (or at least made great strides toward).

Who’s up for a little self-evaluation? I’ll go first…

1.) Health: My health goal was to lose 15 pounds and work out more regularly.

How far have I come? I’ve managed to lose five pounds and keep them off. (Yay, me!) I work out 2-4 times a week.

How can I improve? I have another 10 pounds to lose, but given that a third of the year has gone by, I’m right on track. Lately, the workouts have increased in frequency, and that can only be a good thing.

2.) Career/Writing: Finish my latest manuscript. (Actually, I’d love to get two manuscripts out this year.)

How far have I come? I was 50,000 words into a new project (thanks, NaNo!) at the start of the year. I am now at 85,000 words, but the plot is a hot mess (I believe I mentioned the dust bunnies above...). I also have 50,000 words of a different project (thanks to the previous year’s NaNo!).

How can I improve? I’ve set a new deadline with the goal of trading off my manuscript with a fellow writer. Having a concrete deadline will hopefully lead to massive productivity in the next couple weeks. I WILL have a complete and readable draft by May 1^st!

3.) Family: Treasure every moment.

How far have I come? One of my goals this year was to live more in the moment. After spending most of 2011 watching a loved one struggle with cancer, I’ve vowed to no longer take things for granted. I think I’m doing a good job of taking more time for myself and my family. One thing I’ve started doing is taking stock of the day at the end of each day and listing the things I accomplished as well as the things for which I’m grateful.

How can I improve? While I feel I’m on course for this goal, I think I need to keep working on appreciating what I HAVE achieved each day instead of focusing on the things I haven’t.

How about you? How will you channel your springtime energy? What goals did you set months ago, and have you taken stock lately? How far have you come and what could you do differently to ensure you get to the finish line?

End of the Year Tally

I'm so excited to be a part of this great new blog and I am humbled by the terrific company I get to keep here! For my first post I totally lucked out and got to hang out here on the last day of the year.

Now as much as I love suspense, I also have a burning desire to know what the future holds for me. I've always been one to look ahead to the coming year on New Year's Eve. It's a brand new start, a shiny new coin waiting to be spent on some wonderful surprise. It's also a time to set goals. For me, that means giving myself a daily calorie maximum, a weekly word count minimum and a monthly spending limit.

But 2010 has been a pretty awesome year for me so I want to look back as well. When I started counting the ebooks I released I was pleasantly shocked to discover there were nine of them. I also signed with a terrific agent and sold a book to Carina Press. It'll be a challenge to outdo 2010 but one of my goals is going to be to do just that -- to make 2011 even better than 2010.

I think it's important to look back from where I came in order to figure out how to get where I want to go. I've seen what works and what doesn't.

So here's my challenge to you: Post your two or three biggest goals for 2011 in the comments. Sometimes saying it aloud -- or in this case, tossing it out into the blogosphere -- puts extra pressure on to get it done. I'll go first.

In 2011 I want to:

1. exceed 7,000 words every week or 350,000 words for the year.

2. lose at lease one pound a week - every week.

3. exceed my 2010 savings goal by $100 per month.

And since I've seen some great recipes here, thought I'd throw in one of my family's favorites, a Wynter original I've never shared before, although I've been asked. (You should feel honored:-)

Wynter's Famous Hummus

1 - 15 ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained

2/3 cup fat free sour cream (can use low fat instead)

3 tablespoons tahini (optional - to make recipe fat free, leave this off)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 cloves fresh garlic, minced (more or less, depending on how spicy you like it)

dash salt (optional)

dash cumin

Put all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth. Serve with pita chips.

I'm looking forward to blogging with all the talented authors here. My first book with Carina Press, Protective Custody, comes out in May, but I'm not a brand new author. I have many books with Ellora's Cave as well as a couple with Red Sage and Loose Id. You can find me on the web at www.WynterDaniels.com.