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First Three Pages?

Are you kidding me?

I have to be interesting within the first three pages?
Wait, you said paragraphs...
That's not better.

I have a tendency to ramble into something good. I often fail at landing there directly.
When authoring a book there is a challenge--be interesting fast.

If you're reading this with the hope of my secret trick to overcome this obstacle you're in luck!

My Solution:
Write whatever comes out; Edit until you're left with something interesting.

Where does that leave me now?
Revising/Editing.

Finding a Medium

Medium has nothing to do with balance.
Good, that's out of the way.

I have been trying to illustrate some images and sketches for a couple of my writing projects.  I'm not the world's worst at pencil drawing, but I am inconsistent.
Terrible inconsistent.
If I get an image I like, I have NO WAY of duplicating it in any other pose or setting- it's just one single picture in one single pose that can only be used one single way. 
So not very useful if I need more than one illustration for a story.

I have been beating myself over the head trying to force a skill I haven't spent time to develop or improve on.  It's ne of my favorite past times (pretend like a skill is going to magically grow inside my head without study or practice- I blame The Matrix and Kung Fu for my ignorance).

I managed one sketch I approve of for one story aid.  Yeah!  So proud of me!!!

Even better I stopped trying to dream an undeveloped skill into my finger tips and decided to get back to my old standby- Glue Gun!
Yes, it's a form of being pro-gun.  I'm all for defending my rights!

I pulled out that finger blister contraption and got to work. 
My true medium is globs of glue the temperature of lava and otherwise useless scraps of fabric, ribbons, and buttons. 

I'm not sure if there is a class on improving your glue gun/scrap cutting skills, but if there is I'm sure I'd be a natural and ACE it! 
I can wield the otherwise-discard-able scraps into fabulous miniature dresses and runway worthy frocks (two dimensional versions of course).

You would think all my problems would be solved- but making little bitty flat outfits s really only helpful for illustrating one type of book.  Luckily I have a story line I've been working on in need of that exact illustration.  The rest of my writing efforts are still being battered with osmosis.  I've read basketball players can benefit from practicing in their sleep- If I keep dreaming that I'm an infallible illustrator it's bound to come true "I know art" will be uttered by me some day! (credit Keanu).

For now, I have realized my true medium is in hell-glue.  Or is it glue-hell?

I have been distracted by EVERYTHING!

I'm pretty sure I suffer undiagnosed adult ADD.
I have no idea how I got through grad school with this condition.  There were a lot of late night crunch time procrastination induced B level papers...  But, thanks to having stacks of research pre-done but unorganized, I was able to eek the basest of A grades.

I have reached a point where my ideas and my efforts just won't align- thus distraction city!

It doesn't help that social media caters to those of us with ADD.  New tweets rolling in every nano-second allow me to let my brain skip beats to multiple notions at once. 

Maybe if I only followed one or two people right?  I've thought of that. 
Problem: You get tweet posts from about ten gazillion people you aren't even following because annoying companies keep promoting stuff I have no interest in! 
I'm going to start the trend to boycott all promoted items/companies. 

But, I can't blame the media.  It wouldn't exist if people looking for the distraction from our mental battle didn't exist.  I am basically feeding my demons! 

Airplane Mode!  Yes, I use it to force myself to be productive.  How often?  Not enough.  I reset to mandatory airplane mode at least once a week for two hours.  If I wanted to get more done I would be disconnected from the internet everyday- for a set amount of time: not just once or twice a week!

I feel a new goal coming on.

Also, I need to organize my frustrated mind.  Just turning off the internet connection isn't enough for one as distractible as me.  There is Sudoku and Bonus Words to fill the void- and those aren't dependent on the internet.

So, how do I force myself to organize a naturally and perpetually disorganized brain complicated by a sticking point in my progress? 
I'm going to have to revert to Blue's Clues.
It might be because my 2 year old has that show running 24/7 right now (the Steve version- I will not acknowledge the purple shirt dude as a legitimate Blue-man).

But, there are key repetitive aspects of Blue that can help me in my distractions. 
First- take things in small and simple steps.
Deal with no more than three things at a time.
Write down the three issues to be tackled in one sitting- and LITERALLY SIT DOWN TO DEAL WITH IT!!!

That's right, no eating over the sink or pacing the hallway- I have to sit down and DEAL- organize.

!). Airplane Mode Goal- has to be upped to every day. *Grunt

2). Three step tackle- (I literally had to stop myself from skipping to football after writing that- I may be worse than I thought on the distractible dilemma).
Sit and work on three points relating to one thing at once- not three separate projects, but organize one thing into three manageable steps or points. 

This is going to be challenging- yay, I like a challenge!

Love to write, Write to love!

The More you Give the More you Get!


But, if you don't do your part and write in the first place you will probably be out Intec cold wondering where all the love is...

I'll tell you, it's at WANATribe, MyWANA, and WANACon.

Connect to other writers, bloggers, and tweeters of writing and blogging. 
I am still learning, but the resources and connections are uplifting and encouraging, not to mention educational.

I still have no idea how to make blogging more useful for myself- hence the weeks of absence from the effort.  But I have found editing, revising, scene description, character development, plot arch and other writing skills to be improved.

Connections have also brought better insight into when, where, and how to go about query, submission, self publication and the absolute NEED to have a professional editor phase before you approach any of these coveted steps in your writing process. 
I'm still searching the best editor/revision fit for me- just like finding the right doctor or shrink for you on a professional and personal level.  There is a right fit for you on a genre, professional, and personal level- you better find one! (speaking more to myself than anyone else).

My favorite part about finding online writing connections? 
It just feels good to let someone know they're doing well and you appreciate their example in writing. 
Try it.
Trust me.
It's worth your time to let someone know you appreciate their efforts. 


Write to love; Love to write!

Make it BETTER!

You know when you create something you can clearly see where it needs improvement?
Anyone suffer the grand delusion that your creation doesn't need improvement- ever?

I recently discovered that I am not deluded nor do I have clarity.
I'm confident on some areas to improve upon, but have no vision as to how to accomplish that.

I do have a great idea how to make Pinterest better.  Not that it will help me, unless having a pin of an illustration on your wall for an extended period of time gives you publishing rights.  Don't worry, I'm not holding out for that.
I do think the pinning site should adopt more of an 'allRecipe' style.

Most of the items I post are crafty, DIY, baking, or 'I wish my house looked like this' kind of pins.  Wouldn't it be handy to search by supply list instead of some word jumble in a search bar?
I envision one of those pages where you can click on the supplies you have on hand and need to use up. 'paint' 'yarn' 'staples', etc
Click on the supplies and the site would filter to any project or post listing those as materials used- FANTASTIC!  Then I would know right off the bat if it was realistic for me to pin the thing in "I'm really going to do this" board or my "just trying to look cool" board.

Simplified idea for my needs and wants.  However, my writing is more difficult for me to pinpoint- or just freaking pin!  Where is the Pinterest board for my writing projects?  I need to just highlight and pin sections under 'needs setting detail' board, 'add character information/emotion' board, 'lacks conflict' board, etc. 

That way if I were feeling 'conflict' I could just go to my 'needs conflict' board and start filling in the gaps on that part of a story project.
Emotional day?  Just click on my 'add emotion' board and  engage in some writing therapy while developing more complex and repayable characters.
Olfactory senses firing on all cylinders?  Pull up the 'setting detail' board and stink up my story.

Definitely a good plan for making it better.

Confessions of one battling a StoryFighter


I've been talking steps to improve my writing skill.
Doing drill and practice (okay, I did those for about three days and found myself distracted with story ideas and all the drill and practice became story puzzle pieces).

Researching method, style, content, and, resources. 
In truth this can be a highly depressing activity, and if I had a standing Zoloft prescription I would be better at this step.  As is, I have to search my house top to bottom for the chocolate remnants left over from Christmas to calm my amateur realizations of how many vast areas I need to improve.  Also, there are a ZILLION successful writers out there- seriously, once you start trying to learn from those willing to share, it's overwhelming... just thinking about the oceans of things I have to figure out-- where's the chocolate?!?

I set attainable goals.  I researched writing goals and time triggers, and even had a cute little saying.  It was actually working great, until I met my own inner nemesis once again- today.
My StoryFighter.

The StoryFighter is that part of me that refuses to get along with all my warm welcoming efforts to write out a story.  I am supposed to be encouraging my characters, coddling their efforts to share their adventures and divulge their true natures. 
However, the StoryFighter likes to trap my characters in setting that they can't get out of. 
Right now two of my characters in a project I'm working on are trapped at a University setting I know too little about to help them, and the StoryFighter keeps researching a butch of crap to make it impossible for them to move on with the storyline.

StoryFighter wants to hide the base and selfish intents of the antagonist, which I would like the characters to reveal and rise above.  I want them to come to terms with their less than favorable nature and make a valid, perhaps not always successful, attempt to improve.
Come on StoryFighter, not everyone is a Tris or a Katnis!  Though there is a big spoiler I could share for those who haven't indulged in their Divergent series yet.  I almost spilled some beans that really agitated my StoryFighter, but the aspiring writer in me LOVED it!

StoryFighter wants flat characters and more explosions.  Huh...  I wonder if Michael Bay has an inner MovieFighter.... 

StoryFighter also has ADD.  Seriously, can we stick to one storyline at a time?  I'm trying to help my characters navigate their existence and StoryFighter is inventing 27 new storylines all crazier and more complicated than the last.  Inception, I'm pretty sure StoryFighter wants to be BFF's with your concept developer, if only to know how they interpreted the last scene.  And also to flip ideas around that most people would think could only come from drug induced brainstorm sessions.

StoryFighter thinks 'when the kids are napping, you should be napping too.'
I might agree with this one.

StoryFighter likes Sudoku, but no one knows why. 

StoryFighter is intent on letting me know that none of the efforts, revisions, and skill building are getting me anywhere.  Thanks a LOT!

I guess I just keep battling.  The only thing worse than dealing with my StoryFighter would be becoming a StoryFighterBattleLoser.

Grudgingly Returning to a Good Habit.

What is it about letting something slide for more than two weeks that makes it so difficult to pick it back up?

Lifting weights?  I was doing great at that for a good three months; Hello Thanksgiving, goodbye routine.

Up at 6am happily?  Ok, lets gets realistic, I am NEVER up that early with a smile, unless I'm camping because then I can sit by the fire and sip some cocoa.

Writing a weekly blog- who really cares the topic right now, just the fact I put some opinions and experiences on a predetermined template because I have no idea how to adjust it. Ugh, the worst right now.

I haven't stopped typing away on writing the editors worst nightmare, but have no idea how to define the process right now, 

I'm proud of the ground I've made finding resources and other blogs and articles that have fantastic writing advice and connections.  Definitely read Kristen Lamb, if you want experienced words or wisdom.

You know the old idiom "the more you learn, you learn the less you know, or ever knew".
Somehow I've experienced a euphoric drive to hone the skill, or is it just learn some skills? 

But a sheepish hesitation to taut my blunderings. 

Despite having an attainable writing goal established and so far maintained this year, yes I'm claiming an unbroken resolution 4 days into the New Year, I have not set a blogging resolution.

Reality, shouldn't have to set a new goal.  I had a fantastic mediocre habit well established.  I simply let it slide with the mask of Holiday and Family time. 

The trudge of reestablishing a good habit is more painful than establishing it in the first place.  First hand knowledge, *three fingers raised tightly in the air.

So this year my real challenges are getting my slowly growing rear end back on the treadmill and writing whatever crap comes out on a yet to be determined basis, neither of which I have any intention of making into a resolution because they aren't 'ambitions' they are habits that I intend to put the tortured time into reestablishing.  But I will take the time to write out how much I'm kicking myself for letting such good habits lag.

*KICK