Five ways to complete your novel

With NaNoWriMo a little more than a month away, I thought I'd share some of the tips that helped me finish my books.

1. Outline

After starting out as a never-outliner, I slowly migrated to the outline crowd. After seeing how much it helped with my most recent book, I was finally sold on the idea.

First, I write a short summary of what I want to happen in the book. Then I write out a detailed outline, chapter by chapter, of important scenes and character developments.

For my current project, I also have a chart of all characters' names, descriptions, and motivations.

I use a Word document to outline, but other writers also use spreadsheets or dedicated writing software.

2. Connect with other writers

Writing groups are important because writing can be a lonely process. I love reading the #amwriting hashtag on Twitter, but there are ways to connect on every social media site. It's helpful to hear advice from more experienced writers, and you may find betas (people willing to read and provide feedback on your work) this way.

If you can manage it, joining a writing group in person (through a school, library, or bookstore) is also a great way to share feedback and encouragement.

3. Make it a habit

Setting a schedule to write consistently (as much as possible) is important. Every day off is dangerous because you can take another ... and another ... so what's one more, or a hundred? Taking too much time off can make it harder to come back and focus on the project.

Some people set a certain time to write, or block off their weekends. Whatever works for you, do it. 

4. Use a "sandbox"

For a long time I thought I was the only person who did this, but other writers say they've done it as well. When you're writing a rough draft, your focus should be getting everything down on paper. But as you revise, what do you do with scenes you don't need (or aren't sure you need)? 

I move out-of-place scenes or descriptions to another document that I call the book's "sandbox." That way, if I decide later that I really do want to use the scene, it's still there.

5. Reward your progress

Tweet about it, blog about it, share it with your friends and family - whatever you do, when you finish (or just finish a really great chapter), share the news. 

You also might want to reward yourself with a break from writing when you hit your word count, or think of other rewards that will encourage you to keep going. 

Similar posts:
Book Review: L'art de la Simplicite: Living More With Less
On the Shelf: Book Riot's 2017 Challenge
Writing Challenges and Time Management

Book Review: Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things

Photo by Ashim D’Silva on Unsplash

I picked up Stuff, by by Gail Steketee and Randy O. Frost, after reading an article about hoarding. The book explores the lives of several people who hoard--some who manage to recover, others who never accept help.

The book explains that hoarding may involve a disorder of processing information. People who hoard might look at a pile of papers, get overwhelmed by information, and become unable to throw anything away. 

I was surprised to learn that many hoarders are extremely intelligent. Some have hoarded their entire lives; for others, a traumatic event brings on their hoarding. I don't recall learning about hoarding in any of my psychiatry classes, but it can be treated with therapy.

This book was published in 2010, but still feels relevant. I'd recommend it to anyone who works in public health or psychiatry, or who knows someone who hoards. 

Alternately, if you need motivation to clean, reading this book will do the trick. After I read it, I donated two bags of clothes and cleaned our entire house in an afternoon. 

Some notes I took when reading the book:

Hoarding

- identified by excessive acquiring of items and inability to get rid of them

- often makes homes uninhabitable and can affect relationships

- people may hoard may not allow people inside to repair their homes or provide services

- adversely affects quality of life

Who are hoarders?

- extremely intelligent, often have college degrees

- may have difficulty processing information, anxiety, or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) 

- often have family members who hoard

- often do not realize the scope of the problem

Signs of hoarding

- exits blocked

- narrow pathways among clutter

- bathrooms or beds unusable

- a large number of pets that are ill or living in unsanitary conditions

- insects such as cockroaches

Why people hoard

- may have experienced a traumatic event

- many begin to hoard after the death of a spouse, parent or caregiver

- a family member may have helped them clean, but after they died, the home spiraled out of control

How to help

- similar to addiction, people must understand there is a problem and accept help

- may be best to focus on quality of life, ex: make exits accessible, remove flammable objects from near stoves, make necessary repairs


Similar posts:

Book Review: L'art de la Simplicite: Living More With Less

On the Shelf: Book Riot's 2017 Challenge

How do you manage your book collection?

I have accumulated a lot of books over the years. I do read a lot of e-books, and I borrow books from libraries. However, sometimes I end up buying a book if it's not available in one of those categories. I like to keep nonfiction to refer to them, make notes, and bookmark pages. And cookbooks are much easier to read and use in print form.

A lot of my books are old textbooks from school. I've taken a lot of classes over the years, and sometimes (due to a new edition) the books are not worth anything when I'm done. Some I kept as a reference, though they get outdated quickly.

Ideally, I'd keep them all forever. But sometimes I know that I'm not going to read certain books again or they have no sentimental value, so I remove them from my collection. After all, I'm going to move someday, and books are heavy.

How do you get rid of old books you don't need anymore? Fiction that's still in good condition can go to charity, usually either a library book sale or a thrift store. Really outdated books, or books in bad condition, can be recycled. Bookscouter is also a good way to find sites that buy back textbooks.

And as for the remaining collection? I have a huge bookshelf to display my books. I try to group them by subject--fiction, cookbooks, textbooks, etc.--but more often I tend to group them by size, just so they fit on the shelf.

If you have any tips for managing a book collection, please leave them in the comments.

Similar posts:
Book Review: L'art de la Simplicite: Living More With Less
On the Shelf: Book Riot's 2017 Challenge
Writing Challenges and Time Management

Saturnine sale

In the spirit of Prime Day, I'm putting Saturnine on sale. The thriller/sci-fi ebook will be 99 cents for a limited time on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords. (It should be available on Kobo and Apple soon.)

Description:

"They don't want her. They want me."

Thomas Huxley is an agent in the twenty-sixth century. When his agency is breached and his identity revealed, his wife, Zoe, is kidnapped.

His friend Ariel, a time traveler, knows that the kidnappers are working with an old enemy of hers, Bailey Tyler. If they can unravel Bailey's plans and stop her, they might have a chance to rescue Zoe. 

But the kidnappers are killing agents, one by one, and Thomas's name is on their list...

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Book Review: L'art de la Simplicite: Living More With Less by Dominique Loreau

As part of my Book Riot challenge, I've been trying to read more nonfiction. My life has been complicated, so I chose a book about simplicity: L'art de la Simplicite: Living More With Less by Dominique Loreau. I read the English translation, and it was originally published in French.

This slim volume packs a lot of wisdom into the first few chapters. It's one part declutter movement and one part minimalism. A lot of the tips seem to be aimed at women. One tip is: don't carry a handbag that weighs more than three pounds when full. It sounds simple, but if you're like me, you probably haul around a lot more stuff than you think you need. The author also boldly states that if you carry a handbag, you shouldn't need a wallet; the pocket(s) in the bag should suffice. As someone who has owned a wallet since I knew what money was, that was surprising (and liberating). 

The first few chapters give a zen-like outlook on life, but the second part of the book didn't resonate with me as much. A lot of the advice, such as eating less and reducing clutter, is good, but other tips (such as only buying fresh food and never canned, and not eating leftovers) are more strict. Most people can't make such a drastic lifestyle change, due to time, money, or other obstacles. The book also doesn't provide very good advice on health, and at one point discourages therapy, which is necessary for many people.

I'd still recommend reading the first part of the book, and have re-read parts of it because it is so light and optimistic. I'd have liked the parts on minimalism and decluttering to be a little longer, but then again, simplicity is short. 

My thredUP review (Updated)

Awhile back, thredUP asked their customers to write a review of their site. And because I'm so conscientious, I wrote one ... within six months. They didn't offer compensation, but just asked customers to spread the word. ThredUP.com allows you to buy and sell secondhand clothes (and some accessories) online. Right now it only has clothes for women and kids; apparently it hasn't been cost-effective to sell men's clothes.

I like to go to thrift shops -- they're better for the environment, and have low prices -- but I find it overwhelming to try to find brands and styles I'll like. ThredUP does make searching for clothes easier for me. Their prices are reasonable, and I can sort by brand, size, color, etc. They frequently have 10% off coupon codes as well.

The clothes arrive in a cute cardboard box wrapped in tissue paper. There's no plastic bags, unlike other stores, so everything is recyclable. You have 14 days to return items if you don't like them. I've been seeing a lot of items that are "final sale," though, which sometimes makes me skip them.

The clothes have always been as described, but they used to arrive with a floral scent that took a few washes to get out. The latest box didn't, and the scent hasn't stopped me from buying.

So, that's buying. Sending clothes to them -- and potentially getting money for your clothes -- is easy. You request a bag, and it arrives in the mail a few days later. Then you pack it with clothes, wait in line at the post office (or schedule a USPS pickup) and mail it off. They subtract $6.99 from the payout (was $4.99 or so when I tried it) to cover shipping costs, or you can opt to have the proceeds donated to charity. I picked clothes that were in good condition but not a good fit for me: too big or too small, or the wrong style.

Is it worth it to send stuff to thredUP over a charity? I'm not sure. I sent them a bag, but it will still be a few weeks before I find out my payout. If you have expensive clothes, you might want to try selling them on your own first. And it may be more eco-friendly to give them to a charity shop in your area.

Fast fashion has created a trend where clothes are bought and discarded quickly. Hopefully secondhand shops (both online and brick and mortar) can temper that a bit. Any thoughts?


Update 8/12/17: I've read that thredUP is no longer sending out clean-out bags. It shows up as available in my account, so this is likely dependent on location. I also discovered that the site is heavily impacted by where you live--they will only show you the items in the warehouse closest to you.

The bag I sent to them was processed after around 6 weeks. Most of the clothes were either in new or like-new condition. My payout was $2, which I was sort of expecting after reading their usual payout amounts. But I was surprised that clothes I thought wouldn't be accepted--such as Old Navy and Champion--were the ones they took. I wouldn't send more expensive items, and for that payout, it's easier to just have charities pick up my clothes. For that reason, I'm not recommending the clean-out bags.

I also sent a return a week ago, and it hasn't been acknowledged yet, either by e-mail or on the site. I had to check the package tracking number to make sure I didn't stick the wrong label on the box. It will be delivered to the return center on Thursday--so four more business days. (And the return was for store credit, not a refund.) For comparison, I shipped out an item to another company on the same day, and have already received my payment.

I have been able to find some unique items at thredUP, and I was happy with them in the past, but I'm going to wait a little while before I make my next purchase. 

April Check-In

Spring is finally upon us, and I started working in my garden.

Tiny daffodils. #spring

A post shared by Laura E. Bradford (@lauraebradford) on Apr 15, 2017 at 9:15am PDT

I have been wondering if I should release Saturnine in print, but there hasn't been that much demand so I'll wait a bit on that. I suppose I should actually do some marketing first.

I have some notes for a third Flyday book, but as I said, I'm not sure there's much demand for it. I've got an outline and a few chapters of a YA novel written, so I'll try to keep working on that.

I haven't been on posting Twitter as much lately, but if you send me a message I'll get it. Happy spring!

What to do when you have too many ideas

I've stepped away from my series for a bit, and I'm writing some stand-alone books. My current work-in-progress is a YA novel, but right now I have too many ideas. Some writers might say that's a good thing, but when I have ideas for six books I want to write, the process gets muddled. When I come up with a great plot event, should I use it in my current book, or save it for a future book? If I'm struggling with the current work, should I slog through or switch to writing something else?

I try to stay on the same book, but it isn't easy. The project I'm working on now? I've been writing it, off and on, for the last few years. I try to outline, but I don't view writing as re-discovering a story that was already there, like a paleontologist chipping away at stone and finding fossils. I write drafts upon drafts as I edit, plan, and shape. In other words, I write like someone taming a wild horse.

When I get an idea for a future book, I write it down in that novel's file, but then I have to return to the main project, or it will never get done. If I'm not sure whether to use an idea now or save it for later, I use it now. There will always be more ideas.

And the ideas I get when I first start a book are always the fun ideas, the exciting premise. But actually writing an entire book--the nitty-gritty of character development, fixing plot holes, and rewriting and editing--is hard work and takes more than just creativity.

Right now I'm taming horses (that is, making sure the plot makes sense) and keeping a running file of stray ideas that haven't been assigned yet. Hopefully I'll be able to make it through this book, and write many more.


Photo by Unsplash.

On the Shelf: Book Riot's 2017 Challenge

A friend of mine pointed me to Book Riot's 2017 Read Harder Challenge. I considered myself pretty good at selecting diverse books, but lately most of my reading has consisted of nonfiction, and I need to shake things up a bit.

I'm currently reading Neurotribes by Steve Silberman, about the history of autism, and on just about every page I feel an almost static shock of recognition. As for novels, I'm reading through Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie's excellent Half of a Yellow Sun.

But reading through the list made me realize I do box myself in. Read a book about sports? I had never thought of it, but after scanning through the list, I realized there are some interesting books about running I'd like to read. I've never been too fond of travel memoirs, but I stumbled across an interesting one while looking for recipes. Since Book Riot recommended I read a travel memoir, I added The Sweet Life in Paris by David Leboviz to my to-read list.

There is a library close to my job, so I'll attempt to check a few items off the list. I don't think I'll be able to get to all 24 suggestions this year, but the challenge opened up some ideas about great books I could be missing out on.

Looking for guest posts

Hi all, I've featured some guest bloggers in the past (see examples on the sidebar) and want to open it up again. I want to highlight indie writers, but any writer is welcome to apply to have a post about their writing experience, a new book, etc. Please e-mail me at laurabradford08@gmail.com with a brief summary of your post for consideration.

Saturnine release

Saturnine is out today on Amazon and Barnes & Noble! It's ebook only for now.

If anyone needs a copy to review, e-mail me at laurabradford08 (at) gmail.com (specify if you want pdf, epub, etc.). I am also available for interviews & guest posts.

It's been a long road, and I want to thank everyone who helped along the way. Your encouragement made all the difference.

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October check-in

The leaves are falling, the ... snow ... is falling? Weather in New England is always unpredictable. It's nice that you can experience four distinct seasons here - sometimes all within the same day.

I decided I really wanted to go back to school, so it's bittersweet that I am doing that instead of NaNoWriMo this November. While I absolutely loved NaNo last year, I absolutely do not have the time this year. I will still try to cheer participants on through Twitter, and I'll set my own, much smaller writing goal.

My (wonderful) betas have read Saturnine, and I'm making final changes before I decide when this book will be ready to be flung out into the world. I'm not quite comfortable revealing the back-cover copy and excerpts and all that before I have a firm release date. However, the cover is already out there and is currently my Twitter icon. I was going to have a skilled photographer take an author photo of me by a nice tree with autumn foliage, but see the first line about snow.

I'm also trying to decide which book I will write next. I have three interesting choices, and I'm writing notes on each of them as I think of them. A top contender is the YA paranormal romance I've been hinting at in my Twitter for about the last year, and I think that will appeal to a wider (though different) audience.

In any case, the next time I update, I hope it's to announce a release date. As always, post any comments here or @lauraebradford.

Some progress!

You may have noticed that I cut back on blogging and tweeting a bit in recent months. That's because I was working hard to finish a draft of Saturnine that I could show beta readers. I had a draft years ago, but that version was not ready to publish and needed a lot of changes.

So last November, I participated in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), and I completely re-wrote the book. By the month's end, I had 50,000 words, but it was still a rough draft.

Since last autumn, I've been writing and rewriting, and last weekend I finally opened the door to let a few readers critique it. One full write-up of the novel is on my desk, and I'm starting to plow through the editing stage. At this point I have no idea what any release date will be, but I will keep everyone posted. So that means I'll try to be on social media a little more.

Four Ways to Create Suspense

You don't need to be writing a thriller to need a way to keep readers engrossed in the story. These techniques can help you plot your novel, and move your characters (and readers) to The End.

1. A gun on the mantle

Just about every writer has heard of Chekhov's gun: the idea that, if you introduce a gun in Act 1, it must go off in Act 3. Writers are often taught this so they don't leave any loose threads at the end of the story, and so that actions have time to build up so the resolution does not seem implausible or coincidental.

But foreshadowing is great technique to build suspense. You don't need to include a literal weapon to create tension: just a hint at a serious conflict that will affect your main character. For example, in A Doll's House, the "gun on the mantle" is a secret a character is keeping from her husband - one with psychologically explosive repercussions. The audience knows from discussions that the secret going to come out, and they keep following along with the main character until the truth is discovered. When it does, the character must act - and how she responds to the crisis defines the play.

2. Ticking clock

There's an old cliche of a character trying to deactivate an explosive device set to go off in 60 seconds. However, a ticking clock in fiction could be anything: a deadline for ransom, a deal that needs to close to save a business or career, or a character who must declare his love before his ex-girlfriend's plane takes off (or before she marries someone else, etc.).

When it comes to characters' personal ticking clocks, I often think of The Little Mermaid: the main character has until "the sun sets on the third day" to make her crush fall in love with her, or she becomes the sea witch's prisoner. Those stakes make most thrillers look tame. But to create suspense, main character just need to resolve a goal within a short period of time, and not take a backpacking trip through Europe while thinking over their life - while readers' interest wanes.

This can also combine with #1 - "I need to act BEFORE such-and-such happens." And you can also...

3. Make it personal

This can be anything as serious as a kidnapped family member, to a character's personal convictions being challenged. The hero may be righting a wrong, or a villain may have her own reasons for seeking revenge. If the audience understands the character's motivation, they'll follow along. If not, they'll wonder why the character is giving so much for so little in return.

4. Kill your darlings

This is put to great effect in Game of Thrones. With multiple characters, each with enemies and a potential to win or lose, it keeps audiences on the edge of their seats wondering who will be next.

Another famous example is Psycho, in which the main character is killed off early in the movie. Audiences were shocked by the move. It doesn't have to be that drastic, but killing off a character early sends the message to readers that anything can happen.

Realistically, if you have a main character narrating the story, readers know that he or she will likely survive to the end. But maybe another beloved major character is put in danger, and their future called into question. If readers care enough, they'll keep turning pages to find out what happens.


Connect: 
Twitter: @lauraebradford
Facebook: facebook.com/lauraebradfordbooks

Writing challenges and time management

Photo from Unsplash.

I'm still editing my NaNoWriMo draft, six months from the day I finished my word count. I had to cut or rewrite lot of scenes because they were repetitive or just plain irrelevant. Fortunately, though, I saved the original draft in case I want to go back and use certain scenes again (which has happened several times). Writing 50,000 words in a month kick-started a lot of great scenes, and really got me thinking about the book.

Writing challenges like NaNoWriMo are excellent because they force new writers to focus on finishing a draft. As the old saying goes, you can't edit a blank page. The problem is that November can be a tough month for students, and planning Thanksgiving can take time away from writing for a lot of Americans. I don't think I'll be able to participate again this year, let alone finish. Fortunately, there are other options available all year round.

NaNoWriMo is probably the most famous writing challenge, but there is also A Round of Words in 80 Days, which is a lot more customizable. It has a community-based approach, like NaNo, but you don't have to write an entire book.

If you already have the community part locked down, there's also the Pomodoro Technique, a time management plan. Admittedly I haven't tried in a long time, but a lot of people use it to write quickly and efficiently. (I hear it also works for studying.) And a lot of writers swear by Write or Die,

The main goal, though, is to have a routine and stick to it. You can't reliably compare your word count against anyone else's - it's a little more complicated than that. Novelists have to balance plot, characters, dialogue, and description. They have to write draft after draft. Writing challenges certainly help, but you'll know when you're done. However you get there is your choice.


Related posts:
The power of identity
Five things I learned from NaNoWriMo

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The power of identity

It's been awhile since I last updated, but I'm still writing (and editing my project that has been years in the making). I've been trying to "check in" to Twitter when I write, so you may be able to catch me on there sometimes.

I've noticed that when other writers are between release dates, they post updates about their kids or their dogs. I have neither, but I do have cats!

As time goes on, I realize more and more that it's hard to keep up the identity of a writer. When I get my city's census form back, or file my taxes, and my occupation isn't listed as "writer," it's a little jarring. But I am! a small voice inside me cries. I'm a writer.

Every time I get a royalty check, as small as it is, I think, Wow. That was from my writing.

But do I talk about it every day? No. I'm sure many people I know don't even realize that I write. I wonder if sometimes I should have been a little more persistent about being a writer from the get-go, and not make a "backup plan" - another career that has the potential to take over your whole life.

However, I'm still writing, and really hopeful to have another release later this year.

Five Things I Learned from NaNoWriMo

1. Start with an outline

I used to be a writer who never outlines. That makes it very hard to finish a time-limited exercise like NaNo. While a ton of scenes still seem to come out of nowhere when I write, it was extremely helpful to me to have "beats" of the story to aim for. On days when I didn't have any ideas, I looked at scenes I hadn't written yet, and tackled them.

2. I wanted to quit so many times

I was under par just about every single day until the end. When I reached 25,000 words, I realized that all that work I did, I was going to have to do over again. But I kept going. By making a daily habit of it, I made it less of a chore and just a part of my routine. And this was actually the first year, out of many, that I completed the goal. 

3. It takes a village 

Seeing everyone's tweets and posts on various websites was incredibly helpful, encouraging, and at times just the reminder I needed to keep writing. In the future, I want to plug in with a writing group. 

4. It's just a draft

With a writing exercise like NaNo, writing an entire novel in a month, you have to forgive yourself for a lot of dead ends. I told myself that something ought to be salvageable. On Dec 1, it's better to stare at 50,000 words (even if only some are usable) than a single blank page.

5. Back it up

One copy on your hard drive is not enough. Look into cloud storage, have a back-up drive, e-mail the story to yourself as you go, print it - whatever you do, make sure it's secure. My cats jumped on my keyboard a lot, and my computer isn't as young as it used to be. Don't let one glitch wipe out all of your hard work.

Questions? Thoughts? Leave them in the comments or tweet me @lauraebradford. 

New words throughout the years

So the Oxford English Dictionary added some new words recently. I don't think I've heard of cakeage (I know it as the bland, descriptive "cake cutting fee"), but I use hangry and fast-casual all the time - probably even in the same conversation. I've heard many of the other words or phrases numerous times, without ever stopping to think if they were "official" words yet.

It's interesting to see how language evolves over time. The year 2012 gave us such gems as earworm, a music favorite of mine - and how did we ever converse without referring to our bucket lists or game changers? That year had a lot of negative words about the economy, so I'm glad that now things are (a little) better and we can focus on the important things in life - food.

Could you write for 1,000 days in a row?

I just finished reading the post 1,000 Posts in 1,000 Days. My initial reaction? Amazement. I don't think I could keep a habit like that going for nearly 3 years. Even after 30 days, I tend to fall off the wagon.

But writer Bradley Charbonneau's post is extremely motivating.  "One day at a time," he wrote. "Through sick days, bad WiFi, low batteries, a creative mind full of zero original ideas, I made it through."

It reminds me of the "No Zero Days" system. It works for fitness, for language learning, and especially works for the creative arts. The idea is to just keep moving - that if you stop once, you're more likely to stay stopped. An object in motion and all of that.

Some writers don't abide by that at all. Some take weekends off, others walk away from the page when they're stuck and seek inspiration elsewhere.

But part of me wants to write every day. I get a great idea, jot it down, but then someone asks me something and I'm right back in the real world. Just now, I had to walk away from this post for a few minutes to get something, then one of the cats meowed and wanted to be petted, and I saw that the shrubs outside were getting tall and needed to be trimmed.

But I came back to this post. The cat is happy enough sitting beside me, and it's almost dark - the shrubs can wait until tomorrow (when it's cooler out, anyway). I'm not sure I could write 1,000 posts in 1,000 days, but maybe I can write a few more.

End of year update

Photo by unsplash.

So I thought I'd write up a little update just to let everyone know I'm still writing.

I participated in NaNoWriMo -- I didn't win, but it really jump-started my writing. I'm revising Saturnine and working on a paranormal YA project.

I had a very hectic but lovely year, in which I started a new job, graduated with a bachelor's degree, got married, and then moved -- all within four months.

Then we got a kitten! You can see a lot of her on my instagram.

They say when it rains, it pours. I turned my attention back to writing, so maybe I can keep at it.

Have a joyous end of December.