A great quote from Judy Blume for children's/YA book writers and illustrators

"Do not let anyone discourage you. If they try: get determined, not depressed." - Judy Blume

Happy New Year's! Plus thoughts on New Year's Resolutions, time management and finding focus

 Above: Quickie sketch experiment -- First I did the ink drawing by hand using a Pentel Pocket Pen Brush on sketchbook paper. Then I scanned it, imported into Photoshop, and digitally colored the drawing.

Happy New Year's, all! Apologies for the hiatus. Between the Toronto ice storm (we were one of the households that lost power) and work (auditioning for a veryveryvery cool book-related project; please cross your fingers for me!), I didn't have time to do much blogging.

For 2014, I've decided not to post any specific resolutions except for one: Strive for focus. 

Those of you who have been following my various blogs over the years already know that I have a wide variety of creative interests. Some come and go while others have remained constant. My challenge: there are WAY too many things I want to do and learn to do well, but not enough time. Plus I tend to be prone to the "ooo shiny" reaction when I come across cool and inspiring things. Which, um, is often.

This year, I have a pretty intense work schedule in terms of book writing and illustration work. I'm very excited about it all and want to find ways to be more productive. Don't get me wrong: I strongly believe in the importance of CREATIVE PLAYTIME, but I also think that I have way too many creative playtime interests at present. 

This year, rather than try to do them all and just feel frustrated and scattered, I'm going to deliberately cut back on my usual "going to find time to do more xxxx this year" goals as well as cutting back on related Physical Stuff.

Like:

SEWING STUFF - Back in 2008, I decided to learn how to use a sewing machine and a serger (I won the latter in a raffle and had no idea what it was at first), learn how to sew my own clothes, make all kinds of cool sewing thingies, blah di blah blah. Years later, I am having to admit to myself that I simply Don't Have Time. So I just gave away my serger, dressmaking form, and am also giving away most of my sewing notions, extra fabric, and throwing out all the partly-finished projects I abandoned a while back. Keeping my one simple sewing machine, though. :-)

CRAFT STUFF - I am a craft supplies addict, I admit it, and am inexorably drawn to the sales at local craft shops. I have accumulated jewelry-making notions, beads, glues, rubber stamps, inks, different types of paint, scrapbook stuff, glitter etc. etc. over the years. To make more room for my sketchbooks, drawing materials, mini photo studio (a Christmas gift from Jeff, for my found art doodles), higher-end printer, watercolors and other materials more directly related to my current work, I am also giving away boxes of other craft stuff.

I did a huge office purge over the holidays, and am pretty happy with the result so far.

Next step: Reduce my online clutter and distractions to improve focus and productivity. I've already found some great tools and tips, and will be sharing this over the coming year, in case it helps anyone else. 

Anyone else have a New Year's Resolution they'd like to share? Or tip on focusing?

Work deadline organization: My new book deadline custom cork board

With multiple book projects coming up, I've been looking for a way of listing upcoming deadlines in such a way that I could visually scan everything at a glance from where I sit at my desk. I do have digital tools like CulturedCode's Things and Evernote to help me with day-to-day task organization and looking up project details, but I really wanted a way I could easily see an overview. (Note: I'd love to hear about YOUR project organization system! Please post in the comments section)

Reason I like to get an overall picture in one glance: If I find myself in a quiet period (waiting for feedback, for example), I can be working ahead on another project. Before committing to other events or projects (whether personal or work-related), I can quickly scan my board and check feasibility. I also like being able to look across my office while I'm working and remind myself of the overall picture any time I want.

I spent a lot of time researching Gantt chart solutions, but found all of them either too expensive or too complicated. I knew that if it wasn't super-easy to use, I would end up abandoning the software after the "oo, this is so slick and cool" honeymoon period.

In the end, I opted for an old-fashioned physical solution.

The challenge: my basement office has very, very little free wall space. I started out with a paper chart that I taped onto one side of a supporting pillar. This system was ok, but the paper kept tearing and shifting, so my husband volunteered to cut and install a custom cork board for me (he's a programmer/techtype but also loves building physical stuff as well).

I created a template in Photoshop for each deadline listings, using different colours for different types of project deadlines:

Light blue = manuscript deadline

Yellow = sketch deadlines

Red = final art deadline

Green = publication of the final book

Some issues I still have to work out:

- I'm finding that the deadlines listed in the book contracts get changed around. So do I list the contract deadlines or the modified deadlines? Or both? I'm opting for the latter, but I'd still like to be aware of the contract deadlines as well.

- Right now I'm working with three publishers. What happens when/if I start working with more? I'll probably end up shrinking the size of my listing template. Or maybe find a different place in my office for another cork board? 

Advantage of having a physical project deadlines board:

In addition to other reasons listed above, it's super-easy to move listings around. I can also make quickie temporary changes by adding a small handwritten note that I can "formalize" later on in my Photoshop template.

Disadvantage of having a physical project deadlines board:

I can only use it in my office. The only way I can see it from my mobile devices is to take a photo, make that photo accessible, and then zoom in the see details.

Summary:

While not perfect, this solution works pretty well for me right now.

p.s. If I could tell my younger self that I'd eventually need a system to help me keep all my book projects organized, I wouldn't have believed me. 

p.p.s. I've blurred out a few of the projects because I'm not allowed to announce them publicly yet. Hopefully soon, though!

Interview with Jo Knowles on writing process, writer advice & SEE YOU AT HARRY'S

I've been a fan of Jo Knowles ever since reading Lessons From A Dead Girl and even more so after See You At Harry’s (Candlewick, 2012) plus I love her fun and positive tweets from @JoKnowles on Twitter. I've also heard great things about Jo's Pearl and Jumping Off Swings, so am looking forward to reading those next!

 Jo has a master’s degree in children’s literature and taught writing for children in the MFA program at Simmons College for several years. Some of her awards include a New York Times Notable Book of 2012, Amazon's Best Middle Grade Books of 2012, An International Reading Association Favorite 2012 Book, an SCBWI Crystal Kite Award, the PEN New England Children's Book Discovery Award, and YALSA's Best Fiction for Young Adults. Jo lives in Vermont with her husband and son. Her next book, Living With Jackie Chan, a companion to Jumping Off Swings, will be available September 2013.

Q: What's your writing process? What was your writing process for SEE YOU AT HARRY'S?

So far for all of my books, I've just started writing and discovered the book as I went. Not surprisingly, my first drafts are big messes. After I clean things up a bit and have a basic rough draft, I create a storyboard to help me get organized and figure out the themes, plot and rhythm of the book.

Storyboard from Jumping Off Swings.

The storyboard process I use I learned at a workshop with Carolyn Coman. Basically, you get a sheet of paper that's large enough to fit enough squares to represent each chapter of the book. Then you follow these steps:

1. Think of a scene with the strongest image that best represents that chapter. Draw it as best you can in the first box.

Part of a storyboard series from READ BETWEEN THE LINES, Jo's newest project.

2. Write a very brief phrase that describes the point of that chapter and write it in the bottom of the box.

3. Think of the strongest emotion conveyed in the chapter and write it at the top of the box.

Repeat for each chapter, one per box.

Part of a storyboard series from READ BETWEEN THE LINES, Jo's newest project.

This leaves you with a big visual that illustrates the movement of the book both actively and emotionally.

Part of a storyboard series from READ BETWEEN THE LINES, Jo's newest project.

Since my books tend to be less action driven and more emotionally driven, seeing the book this way is a big help. I can see the spikes of emotion and how they play out in the text, and where I need to insert more or less action, or emotional peeks.

Seeing the images also helps me to think about how stagnant certain chapters or groups of chapters might be, and helps me pinpoint where I need to move my character around more. (For example, in PEARL, Bean spent way too much time on the roof, which was her place to escape. I don't know that I would have realized this if I hadn't drawn a storyboard and had that visual.)

Q: What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

Remember that getting published is not a race. I recently read a blog post by someone who had taken three years to sell her first book, referring to her journey as "The Long Road to Publication." Long road? Three years?? Oh my.

In reality, I think the average time it takes most people going the traditional publishing route is more like ten. I think people tend to measure success on how quickly they can sell their first book. This is a shame because speed has nothing to do with it. I think longevity AFTER you sell your book would be a better marker.

Childhood restaurant that inspired Harry's in SEE YOU AT HARRY'S.If you want to be an author, you need to take time to learn the craft and learn it well. Read a thousand picture books. Study the rhythms of your favorites. Type out the text and close- read it without the pictures. Pay attention to the types of details that are in the text versus the ones that are implied or easily and more effectively shown in the illustrations.

The next step is to learn how to revise. To learn how to listen to feedback and make the best use of it. I can't tell you how many aspiring writers I've met who have told me they didn't want feedback because they felt their work was as polished as it could get. But they hadn't shared it with anyone but family members!

One of the hard lessons I learned when I first started out was that I really didn't understand what revision meant. When an editor suggested a revision without a contract, I happily addressed the changes she proposed, but not to the degree I should have. I tweaked, I didn't revise. There is a very big difference.

Revising is rewriting. Not rearranging. Not fixing typos. Not deleting a sentence here and there. That’s what you do at the copyediting stage. Better to learn this with critique partners guiding you than with an editor who doesn’t have the time or patience to teach you him- or herself.

There is just so much to learn and so many early mistakes to be made when you're first starting out. It's worth it to take your time and get lots of feedback from other writers (and make those mistakes with them, not an agent or editor). Not only that, you will develop some wonderful relationships and create a community–a support network–which will be invaluable when you DO start submitting.

I am as impatient as the next person, but for new writers, I can't emphasize this enough: Please don't treat the time it takes you to get published as a race, or measure your journey against someone else's and use that as a marker for success and failure. Instead, think of your journey to publication as a travel experience to savor. The more you learn, the more people you connect with, the better prepared you will be for your final destination. And the more people you will have to celebrate your success with!

Q. What are you working on now? Any other upcoming events or other info you'd like to share?

I'm currently working on two projects. One is a contemporary YA novel called READ BETWEEN THE LINES. After writing JUMPING OFF SWINGS I swore I'd never write another book with multiple points of view, so naturally this book has ten. It's kind of a "day in the life" sort of story about how each character's actions affect the next. While I wait for my editor's comments on that, I've started a humorous middle grade/tween novel tentatively called FROM THE COMPLAINT BOX, about a boy who goes to a funky independent school and the adventures/mischief he gets into with his two best friends. When I told my agent I was writing something funny he said, "That's how you described SEE YOU AT HARRY'S and it made everyone weep!" So, he's suspicious. We'll see!

Where can find out more about Jo Knowles:

Jo Knowles website - Jo Knowles blog - Twitter (@JoKnowles) - Facebook

SEE YOU AT HARRY'S book page

TWEETABLES:

Don't compare w/someone else's progress as your success/fail marker. Savor the journey. @JoKnowles bit.ly/11UDU4K (Tweet this)

Writers: Remember that getting published is not a race. - @JoKnowles: bit.ly/11UDU4K (Tweet this)

==========

Also see other Inkygirl Interviews.

Inkygirl Golden Cupcake Winner: Kite Tails Newsletter

Congrats to the SCBWI Tri-Regions Of Southern California KITE TAILS newsletter for winning an Inkygirl Golden Cupcake Award!

KITE TAILS is a free online newsletter published by the Los Angeles Chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. 

Each issue is packed with all kinds of useful info about the craft and business of writing and illustrating for young people, including interviews with agents and editors.

Some of the focus is on the West Coast, but there is still a ton of valuable advice and information of use to all children's writers and illustrators.

In the current issue, for example, you can find:

- What is a Sketchcrawl?

- Common Core State Standards: Education Reform and What It Means For Illustrators

- Report from SCBWI-L.A. Illustrator's Day includes useful details about what attendees learned. Advice from children's book writer/illustrator Dan Krall: "Don't try to second-guess what other people to see."

- If It's Work, Is It Supposed To Be Fun? A First Look At SCBWI-L.A.'s Working Writer's Retreat 2012

- On Queries - by literary agent Michael Bourret

- A Will Write For Chocolate comic by yours truly :-)

- Journey To The SCBWI Summer Conference - by my friend Maple Lam (who won a place in the SCBWI-LA Mentorship Program!)

- A Poet's Perspective - by Sheila Ellis

- The Hollywood Writer's SChmooze

- Profiles of local authors and illustrators

....and sooooo much more.

You can browse past issues in the Kite Tails archive online. And I should remind you again: all this info is FREE.

Congrats again to Kite Tails on winning the Golden Cupcake! :-)

-----

Here is a list of other winners of the Inkygirl Golden Cupcake Award.

David LaRochelle: Children's Book Author/Illustrator AND Pro Pumpkin Carver

Wow, check out the amazing kidlit-focused pumpkin carved by children's book author/illustrator David LaRochelle:

From David:

"Chronicle Books held a promotion in conjuncture with my new book "It's a Tiger!" The winning bookstore won a custom designed pumpkin carved by me. Here is the pumpkin I carved today for Riverwalk Books in Chelan, Washington."

See a video of David carving pumpkins:

Pro-Pumpkiner from Ben Garvin on Vimeo.

A Thank You Letter To The SCBWI

Back in May, I wrote a thank you letter to the Society Of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators. Stephen Mooser wrote back the following:

Hi Debbie—Wow and Congratulations—we keep a file and a posting of SCBWI Success Stories, and not only is yours one of the best, but it may also be the most entertaining of all time---you have made our day and we are so happy for your well deserved success—looking forward to seeing you again soon—all best wishes from all of us here at the office, Steve

 As I was doing some prep for the SCBWI conference in LA next week, I realized that posting my thank you letter publicly might be of interest to some of you out there…especially those who have never been to an SCBWI event:

-------------------------
May 19, 2012

Dear SCBWI,

I’m writing to thank you all. Since I started attending your conventions regularly in 2009, so many opportunities have come my way.

I first heard about your organization and events from Santa Barbara area author named Lee Wardlaw, who was my writing mentor. Lee also introduced me to her agent at Curtis Brown, Ginger Knowlton, and Ginger eventually became my agent.

I was nervous when I decided to register for the Summer Conference in LA in 2009. I had attended many years before, but Lee had been there to introduce me around. This time I'd be going alone. What if no one talked to me? 

When I got to the conference, I was surprised and delighted to find out that my fears were unfounded. Everyone was friendly, and I met kindred spirits everywhere: sitting beside me while we were waiting for a workshop or keynote to begin, at the many social events throughout the weekend, even in line for the women's restroom. Especially in line for the women's restroom.

And the BNA's were friendly and talked with me. Yes, even Jay Asher! 

(You can see other comics I did leading up to the event here: http://bit.ly/xRxKRk )

I learned so much at that event and came away incredibly inspired plus during the year, I kept in touch with many of the people I had met.

Fast forward to the 2010 Summer Conference.

After I was rejected for the manuscript critique (it was my fault; I had misread the rules),  my illustrator friend Beckett Gladney suggested that I enter the SCBWI Illustration Portfolio Showcase instead. I thought she was crazy because (1) I had no art training and (2) I had no portfolio. Beckett went through sketches and doodles I had been posting on Flickr, and helped me put together my very first portfolio.

AND THEN SOMETHING AMAZING HAPPENED.

Not only did I win one of two runners-up in the overall Showcase, but I was also chosen for the SCBWI Illustration Mentorship Program. In addition to one-on-one sessions with six industry experts during the convention, I also met a wonderful group of illustrators who have since become friends. 

We encourage and commiserate by e-mail, launched a SCBWI Mentees blog for children's book illustrators called KidLitArtists.com , and joined forces with Mentees from other years. Late last year, some of us got together for an inspiring, informative and calorie-laden Lost Weekend at the home of Caldecott-winning artist and SCBWI Illustration Board member, David Diaz.

 

 (Photo from Lost Weekend with David Diaz in Nov/2011)

BUT WAIT...THAT’S NOT ALL!

Back to the 2010 Summer Conference:

One of the SCBWI Portfolio Showcase judges that year was Justin Chanda, publisher at Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, and he offered me a contract to illustrate Michael Ian Black's new picture book, I'M BORED. !!!

Working with Justin and art director Laurent Linn was amazing. Don't tell anyone, but I couldn't believe that someone was actually paying me to do something that was SO MUCH FUN. I'm blogging about the process at DebbieOhi.com/boredbook , and I can't wait until the book comes out this September.

But wait, THAT'S NOT ALL....

  Earlier this year, Simon & Schuster BFYR offered me TWO BLANK CONTRACTS (!!!). One is for the next picture book I illustrate for them, still to be determined. The other contract is for a picture book that I will WRITE and illustrate...my very first own picture book. I just recently had my first phone meeting about my story with Justin Chanda, who will be my editor on the project.

None of this would have happened had it not been for the SCBWI. 

I’m grateful to Lee Wardlaw (who is on the faculty for this year’s Summer Conference, yay!) for first telling me about the SCBWI.

And I’m especially grateful to the SCBWI Illustration Mentors who have given me advice and encouraged me: Priscilla Burris, David Diaz, Bridget Strevens-Marzo, Cecilia Yung, Pat Cummings and Rubin Pfeffer.

If I could send a message to my younger self, I would tell her the following...

GO TO SCBWI CONFERENCES.

As children’s book author Nancy Parish says: Writing may be a solitary endeavor, but trying to get published doesn’t have to be.

To everyone behind the scenes at SCBWI:

THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.

Debbie Ridpath Ohi

Twitter: @inkyelbows

http://Inkygirl.com (my blog for those who write & illustrate for young people)

Video: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking

People who meet me at conventions sometimes think I'm an extrovert because I tend to be enthusiastic and talkative. The truth:  I consider myself an introvert.  I'm the happiest and most productive when I'm in a quiet space. I far prefer one-on-one conversation than chitchatting within a large group. I need solitude to recharge my batteries.

Thanks to children's book author Mike Jung, who posted about Susan Cain's book on his Facebook Wall. The title appealed to me so strongly that I immediately investigated Susan's website, watched the video, and bought the e-book version:

QUIET: The Power Of Introverts That Can't Stop Talking.

LOVED this Tedtalk. 

Make sure you listen to the end, where Susan talks about the irony of being an introvert, loving the writing process where she works alone, and then having to come out of her solitude to have to promote the book about introversion with public talks like the one in the video. :-D

Just signed up for the Story A Day May Challenge!

I know, I know -- writing an entire story every day sounds crazy. But according to the rules of the challenge, it doesn't have to be a super-long story. I'm going to use this challenge as motivation to come up with SOME story plot every day: each with a beginning, middle and end. Some of these might be turned into picture books, middle grade novels or YA novels.

May is the first month in a while where I won't be doing any traveling, so I actually have a chance of completing this challenge. You can do the challenge on your own, of course, but there's also the opportunity of commiserating with others via the StoryADay.org online community. I've joined the Kid Lit group, for example.

Story A Day is the brainchild of freelance writer Julie Duffy. "Sick of starting and never finishing writing projects, in April 2010 I announced that I was challenging myself to write a story a day in May." She opened the challenge to others and was surprised at the response. "The enthusiasm for the project amazed me. It spoke of a hunger to write, no, a hunger for permission to write that I never dreamed was so widespread."

After May, I'll take the best plots and put them in my Rainy Day Story Folder to inspire me when I'm looking for new book ideas.

For more info about the challenge, visit StoryADay.org and follow the #storyaday hashtag on Twitter.

So who's with me?

Comic: Perseverance In A Shoe

You can also find my comics for writers on Tumblr and Pinterest.

Virtual Housekeeping and Resolutions

Today was the first day in my new work schedule, where I try to stay offline for most of the morning. As I mentioned before, I resigned as Writersmarket.com publishing industry columnist as of Dec. 31st, 2011. After 10 years, it's hard to break the habit of going online first thing in the morning to check publishing industry news sites, blogs and Twitter feeds.

I did check e-mail once for anything urgent but resisted answering or posting. I got a ton of work finished this morning in one uninterrupted block of time.

I spent part of last week doing email housekeeping. Instead of just deleting mailing list emails and newsletter that I never read, I took the time to unsubscribe from as many of them as possible. I revamped my email filter system. I got my email inbox down to ZERO emails.

I feel virtuous, productive.

But I'm also aware that's only the FIRST DAY.

Doodle Guest Post About Idea Notebooks: PiBoIdMo Blog

So how are you all doing with your writing challenges, whatever they may be?

Thanks to Tara Lazar for inviting me to be one of her guest bloggers during PiBoIdMo month (Picture Book Idea Month). Click on the image to the left or go to Tara's blog to see my VERY FIRST Doodle Guest Post!

Writer & Illustrators: Don't forget the fun!

Above: Me, in the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, CA.

Nearly finished final revisions to illustrations for I'M BORED (and created a new Facebook Page for I'M BORED -- if you're on Facebook, I'd appreciate it if you could Like it at http://www.facebook.com/boredbook).

Meanwhile, though, I'm still trying to do a little bit of writing and illustrating every day purely for the fun of it. Sometimes I post this publicly, sometimes I don't. I strongly feel that doing something creative & fun with your craft on a regular basis is vital. I find it helps keep me from getting in a rut, gives me a chance to experiment, and sparks new ideas.

Off to do some doodling now...

Using Story A Day May and NaPiBoWriWee To Brainstorm Book Ideas

At first I was torn between participating in Story A Day May and NaPiBoWriWee, but then I realized that I can do both. I'm using these two challenges to come up a month's worth of picture book story ideas. I'm aiming for an average on one picture book story a day.

These stories will obviously be VERY rough and will be far from polished, but each will have a beginning, a middle and an end. In terms of the Story A Day challenge, my stories are going to be super short .

I figured I wouldn't have time to enter StoryADayMay until Julie said that the stories could even be Twitter-length. Geez, I thought. I could do do that! In fact, I was pretty confident I could do longer stories that would be a bare bones outline that I could choose to polish later.

When the challenge is over, I'm going to cull the list to my the top favourites and will start polishing each: fine-tuning the story, paging them out into picture book format, starting rough sketches.

What about the rest of you? Are you participating? If so, what are your goals? It's not too late to jump in, by the way. Today's only Day 3 of each challenge.

I interviewed the founders of each challenge recently, which you can read below:

Interview with Paul Yoo about National Picture Book Writing Week (NaPiBoWriWee)

Interview with Julie Duffy about Story A Day May

Paula Yoo and National Picture Book Writing Week (NaPiBoWriWee)

National Picture Book Writing Week starts tomorrow! Founder Paul Yoo explains the event...

What exactly is NaPiBoWriWee?

NaPiBoWriWee stands for National Picture Book Writing Week. The goal is to write 7 picture books in 7 days. I have to clarify this by stating that I do NOT think picture book writing is easy. On the contrary, it's incredibly difficult. This was just a fun event I started to inspire myself and others to stop procrastinating by trying to not only write but FINISH an entire picture book draft. That way, once you have the first draft (or seven first drafts!) done, then you can take your time and revise them and polish them until they are ready to be submitted.

What motivated you to start the event?

I was inspired by the National Novel Writing Month (aka "NaNoWriMo") in which people try to write a novel in 30 days. I wanted to motivate myself to stop pcroastinating and finish a couple of picture book drafts I had
ignored for way too long, so I created this fun event to see if I could finally write these drafts. I had no idea this fun event would turn into an international phenomenon. I hope people are inspired to stop procrastinating and just get that first draft FINISHED. That's half the battle - finish a first draft!

Apart from NaPiBoWriWee, what are you working on now?

I am currently a writer and producer for the show EUREKA which airs on SyFy. The paperback edition of my 2008 YA novel debut "Good Enough" comes out June 7, 2011 from HarperCollins / HarperTeen. And I'm of course working
on more book ideas - both novels and picture books - whenever I have spare time! :)

Julie Duffy on the Story A Day May Challenge

Starting Sunday, May 1st: Story A Day May Challenge! Founder of the challenge, Julie Duffy, was kind enough to answer a few questions about the event for me:

What exactly IS Story A Day May?

Story A Day is creativity challenge for writers: write (and finish)
a short story every day in May. It's quite silly in a way because it's
an almost-impossible challenge. In another way it's quite serious (and
plenty of writers take it that way) because committing to writing a
lot is a fabulous way to learn how to write well. Possibly the only
way.

What motivated you to start the event?

I had always written but life kept getting in the way and my
writing was slowing down. I was sick of starting stories and not
finishing them. I was starting to think I couldn't write. I was
intrigued by the idea of NaNoWriMo but wasn't interested in writing a
novel. So I decided to adopt NaNoWriMo's hell-for-leather approach and
commit to writing a story a day for a month. I know it seems strange
when I wasn't writing anything at all, to decide on such a huge goal,
but it inspired me. And, as it turned out, lots of other writers too.

How did the event go last year?

I knew I had to make the goal public so that I didn't give up. As
soon as the idea hit the web, people started pledging to join me, and
we ended up with about 80 people writing every day. Only a handful

came out with all 31 stories, but many people wrote more than they had
in years, and some people ended up taking their stories and doing very
cool things with them (expanding them into novels, polishing them and
getting them published, entering them into contests and events...).

Loads of people used Story A Day May to get excited about their
writing again, and to remind themselves that yes, they could write.

Any advice for writers who are thinking about signing up but are worried they might not be able to finish?

First, carry a note-book around and capture ideas wherever
you are. Capture ideas all day long. Writing a story a day requires
lots of story sparks that you can call on when you sit down to write.T

Keep the challenge fun by interacting with other people at the site
(http://storyaday.org). There's a social network with groups and
forums and a news feed. Some of the writers are teaming up into
accountability groups, others do this on a more informal basis. There
is no greater feeling than posting "Today's story is finished" in the
"Victory Dance" group at the site, and watching the congratulations
roll in.

And remember that you're aiming to write first drafts and they can be
any length. Some days all you're going to have the mental energy for
is a Twitter-length story and that's fine. Any creative attempt keeps
your brain in that "writer's space" and makes it easier to write again
tomorrow.

Finally, set your own rules: if you need to, decide that you'll take
Sundays and Wednesdays off, for example.

On some level, any writing is better than no writing. Last year so
many writers told me they amazed themselves by how much they wrote and
how happy they were, that I couldn't resist doing this again. If your
writing needs a kick in the pants, come and join us!

Anything else you'd like to add?

Anyone who signs up for the StoryADay Mailing list automatically gets the StoryADay Creative Challenge
workbook which walks the through the decision process and provides a personalised reference for the days when it gets tough.

It works for any creative challenge and helps you analyze:

*how you'll make time for writing

*how you'll find ideas

*what you have to lose or gain from trying

*practicalities of writing every day

---

For more info about Story A Day May, see http://storyaday.org/

You can also find Story A Day May on Facebook.

Inspiration from Libba Bray

Love this quote from Libba Bray's latest blog post:

This is the magic/curse of writing: That in crafting your fiction, you leave yourself open to sudden moments of unguarded truth, and you have to be willing to tolerate that again and again. You have to keep raising your sword and charging, even knowing you could retreat scorched and missing a limb. You have to keep doing it even when you don’t want to. Especially when you don’t want to.

Want To Write? 18 Great Writers & Thinkers Show You How (Guest Post: Julie Duffy)

Julie Duffy is a writer and the host of StoryADay.org, a creative writing challenge held in May every year. This Friday, March 25 is the start of her 3-week Warm Up Your Writing short story course. (http://storyaday.org/wucourse/)

I was tickled to see Debbie's recent cartoon, No Magic Beans, Just Write because I was researching that very topic for this blogpost. There is a curious truth about the writing life: You could wait your whole life for time and the inspiration to write, but it is not until you force yourself to simply start, that either will turn up.

JUST WRITE

The good news is that the more you force yourself to sit down and write, the more inspiration and writing time you'll find. And the happier and saner you'll be. I'm certainly not the first person to discover this:

Life grants nothing to us mortals without hard work. - Horace

Nothing will work unless you do. - Maya Angelou

Laziness may appear attractive but work gives satisfaction. - Anne Frank

The harder I work, the luckier I get. - Samuel Goldwyn

The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary. - Vince Lombardi

Of course, the problem with reading inspiritional quotes is that they can leave you feeling like, well, a bit of a slacker. You might agree with all of those quotes, but still find it difficult to sit down and write. You need more than motivational tidbits. You need a little empathy, support and a few good tactics to help you get through the difficult labour that comes with delivering a story to the world. I can help you there, too.

DON'T FEEL BAD: IT IS HARD!

You're not the only one to find it hard to be creative. Perhaps it would help you to think of this difficulty as a noble, essential part of the process. Andre Gide did:

Art begins with resistance - at the point where resistance is overcome. No human masterpiece has ever been created without great labor.

Well, that makes it seem a little better, doesn't it? And if you want to feel even better about the bullets you're sweating, how about a little Thomas Carlyle:

Every noble work is at first impossible.

We're doing the impossible here, folks. So don't feel bad when you're finding it a bit tricky to plot out the next chapter. And know that even experienced writers feel the same fear you do as you plonk your inadequate words down on the page or screen.

We sit there alone, pounding out words, with our hearts pounding in time. Each sentence brings the sickening sensation of not being right. - Isaac Asimov

Wait! Isaac Asimove?! Didn't he write about five hundred books, including no less than a complete, annotated companion to the Old Testament?! OK I'm starting to feel a bit more grounded. How about you?

TACTICS FOR OVERCOMING RESISTANCE

Start - You can plan all you like, but until you start writing, you're just procrastinating:

Procrastination happens before hard work. Incubation happens after hard work. - Mark McGuinness

When you have started work on a project, only then you can stare into space productively - wrestling with character traits or searching for one perfect word. If you are staring into space before you've started writing, you're probably just killing time or arguing with your inner critic. And I'm not sure how we think tomorrow is going to be better if we haven't started writing today, but it is a favourite stalling tactic of writers. Elbert Hubbard, however, quite sensibly points out that,

The best preparation for good work tomorrow is to do good work today.

Ah. Good point. Turn Up - Even if you think of yourself as the kind of person who doesn't like routines, you have to commit to turning up and writing on a regular schedule. Don't resist this step. It will really help, I promise, and so does my pal Gustav,

Be regular and orderly in your life so that you may be violent and original in your work. - Gustave Flaubert.

And when it is hard to turn up because you are second-guessing yourself, turn to everyone's favorite failure, Vincent Van Gogh, who cries,

If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint' then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.

Sensible man, that Vincent. Make Mistakes - Remember: it does not have to be perfect in the first draft.

The only way I can get anything written at all is to write really, really shitty first draft. - Anne Lammott

That's a blunt way of putting it. They don't have to be that bad, but you have to be willing to allow them to be. You can clean up later,

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep. - Scott Adams

And even then don't worry too much about getting it all right.

The artist who aims at perfection in everything achieves it in nothing. - Eugene Delacroix

Our old friend Isaac Asimov writes stories full of great ideas, but no-one ever accused him of writing brilliant, well-rounded female characters. That doesn't make him a worthless writer, as his billions of sales attest. Don't try to be perfect --- and bland! If All Else Fails, Steal - If you are having trouble writing it's no surprise. You're trying to juggle with five balls in the air. You're thinking about character, plot, setting, language and dialogue - and that's after you've carved out time, hog-tied your inner critic and decided on a topic. Sometimes it's all too much. So don't be afraid to steal one or more elements, to free your brain. After all, Lionel Trilling said,

Immature artists imitate. Mature artists steal.

He has a point. If you're having trouble getting started, warm up by re-writing a fairy story, or steal a character from real life. Steal from nature: go outside and describe a maple tree in spring. Steal someone else's framework (it worked for Neil Gaiman, who stole the Jungle Book's structure, hung his own story on it and went on to win about seven thousand awards, including the Newberry Medal). We don't have to make all this stuff up. We just have to put our own twist on it. Which is impossible for us not to do anyway. Hooray!

REAP THE REWARDS

Procrastination is exhausting. Physically, if you tend to clean your house or exercise to avoid writing; mentally if your favorite sport is 'beating myself up about not writing'. Yes, writing is difficult. And scary. And frustrating. It is hard work. Well, what more could you ask for in your life? No, seriously. Theodore Roosevelt nailed it, saying,

Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.

And your writing is work worth doing, not only if you become a published author with riches and fame. It is important for your quality of life and your mental health. And if that sounds unreasonable, that's OK with me, and it's OK with GK Chesterton:

The Greeks were right when they made Apollo the god of both imagination and of sanity. Imagination does not breed insanity. Exactly what does breed insanity is reason. Poets do not go mad; but chess-players do. Mathematicians go mad, and cashiers; but creative artists very seldom...Most of the very great poets have been not only sane but extremely businesslike…

So yes, writing is hard; and no, you're not alone. Equip yourself with tactics for the tough times, get writing and get ready to reap the rewards.

Some Useful Further Reading

How To Write First Thing In The Morning - Leo Babauta

Write First - My own call to action on this topic: http://storyaday.org/write-first/

Procrastination vs Incubation - Mark McGuinness's excellent article on the topic: http://www.wishfulthinking.co.uk/2007/10/23/whats-the-difference-between-incubation-and-procrastination/

Routines For Writers, Erin Bow and Writing Spaces

One of my favourite sites for writers: ROUTINES FOR WRITERS. Their posts are almost always inspirational and/or informative. Not surprising, considering their tagline: "Helping Writers Write More"

Today's post on their blog is no exception, an interview with Erin Bow. I've always enjoyed learning how about how writers organize a space, and it was fascinating to read how Erin ended up using a pole dance studio for her writing office (!).

I'm also intrigued by the fact that her office has no Internet access, no phone and no doorbell on purpose, so she can totally focus on her writing. Wow, now THAT'S dedication. Since so much my work is tied into being online, I don't think I'd be able to do this.

But hm...maybe a variation? Must think on this...

Meanwhile, congrats to ROUTINES FOR WRITERS on winning an Inkygirl Golden Cupcake Award!

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