HELP! A modern morality tale about the perils of not planning ahead

I'm a writer.

I'm also a teacher.

During the school year, that's not a great match. If I'm doing my job well, I have little left over energy for creativity, but if I only write on vacations, it's too easy to lose track of a story. My solution has been to promise myself to write at least 100 words every day on my story (the same story - no jumping around allowed).

I have been very good at keeping that vow, but it's left me with a very different problem.

See, the way I kept the vow was to write 100 words on whatever scene I thought of - or to write sort of a narrative outline to tell myself the story.

That's good because I wrote something every day.

It's bad because it left me with a huge mess!

A 529 page mess to be exact!

I've been reading a lot of blogs lately by people who are planners. Their dedication and planning style is starting to rub off on me. Since summer vacation is approaching, today I had the bright idea to plan out how I would finish this book.

Uh oh!!!!!

I very quickly felt overwhelmed by what lay ahead (see, planning is not my natural style!) so I decided to treat my notes and narrative outline like a rough draft. I'd print it out and read and take notes.

That's when things got scary.

See, in order to adapt to my busy life (and penchant for collecting electronic gadgets) I've been writing in Google Docs.  Google Docs is great because I can access my work from anywhere and not worry about having to transfer files from iMac to iPad to school computer that uses only Word to laptop, etc.
Alas, what Google Docs is not great at is pagination (or at least not that I've discovered).

So when I printed out those files today - turns out I have a whopping 529 pages written!

So now what do I do? (Besides cry???)


The best I can figure at this point is to take my trusty red pen, post-its, a notebook, an endless supply of coffee and tea, and start reading and taking notes about what stays, what goes, what needs to be rearranged, what works, what almost works, etc.

Or I could trash it all and play with another book. *hmmmmm There's a shiny new idea hovering above my laptop screen...



Seriously, though, I'm begging for advice.

How do you organize your "notes" or your planning. I DO want to be a better-organized person in the future.

Happy Memorial Day

Read Forever

Have you seen this Nook ad?

I rarely watch television, but I happened to turn it on today just as this commercial aired. I confess it made me misty.

Whether you love print books or you read with a Kindle, an iPad or a Nook, the sentiment is identifiable for any reader.

Which inspires you more?

I read a thought-provoking post over at Rachelle Gardner's blog this morning and it got me to wondering about how we read as writers.

The first part of my musings had to do with becoming a writer.

Over the years, I've read so many authors say it was one of those wall-tossed books that inspired them to write and prove they could "do better."

For me, it was an article I read aeons ago about how Rosemary Rogers and Shirlee Busbee got their starts writing that inspired me. I was in a hotel room on a business trip and leafing through a magazine. The article was something like You Too Can Be a Writer.

Honestly, that was the first time it occurred to me that I could. Me write a book like all those amazing authors? No WAY!

All these years later, I still haven't convinced myself I can, but I love trying.

So which inspires you more as a writer - an amazingly well-written book or one you want to toss at the wall?

Happy Easter!

I love this song by Matt Maher.

Good Friday

I read an inspiring reflection this morning.*

Yes, there is much suffering in the Passion of Jesus - repeated beatings, the crowning of thorns, the carrying of the cross, the pounding of the nails in his flesh,  the hanging on the cross. But most of all there is much love. Instead of merely feeling sorry for Jesus, let us accept the challenge to follow his way of loving - a way that inevitably includes the cross. Then we will have yet another reason to call today Good Friday.

Jesus, I thank you for your great love. Help me to imitate your selfless way of loving - even when it includes the cross.

I leave you with these two videos of songs by Matt Maher. His music does things to my heart.







*From Toward Glory - Lent in the light of Easter
Sister Melanie Svoboda, S.N.D

Of Genesis and Joy and Black Beans

A few weeks ago, on March 25th, I vicariously enjoyed the excitement of all the writers receiving calls about the Golden Heart and RITA contest. Even though I hadn't entered a manuscript, I felt the same tingling nerves and jittery anticipation as people awaited calls.  I shared the joy of those who got calls and felt the pain of those whose phone didn't ring. I've been on both sides and know the feelings well.

Fast forward to this week. Or maybe rewind to the end of February. It's been a long time since I entered anything in a contest, but back in February, I made the decision to submit an entry to ACFW's Genesis contest. It was a risk, a leap of faith to seek feedback for a new direction I'm taking in my writing. I didn't have high expectations, just hope.

I was brave enough to hit send, but a total coward about the results so I purposely didn't pay attention to the date when the semi-finalists would be announced. No pressure, no expectations, right?

Wrong!

Two days ago I was reading something on the ACFW website and noticed that semi-finalists were due to be announced this week.

I really didn't want to know that.

Good news - Thursday was so busy that I forgot all about it,

Bad news - I woke up this morning and remembered.

But then a funny thing happened. I was sitting reading a Lenten meditation this morning and the message was all about not needing approval from others. Timely reminder, I told myself. This is my clue not to be disappointed when I don't get a call today.

Um, sure.
I need to pray more for help with that!

Today was another busy day at school, but I have to admit, every once in a while I'd glance at my phone to see if maybe, by some impossibly remote chance, I'd gotten a call.

Nope. Nada. Zilch.
Then it was lunch time. Still no call. Now I resigned myself to not making it and deliberately put it out of my mind. Tried to remind myself about not needing the approval of others.

And there I was, standing at the Smartboard, teaching a lesson on fractions, when all of a sudden the phone in my back pocket started ringing. The display was a number I didn't know. Dare I hope???
The kids must have wondered what it was about fractions that suddenly had their teacher grinning like a fool.

Oh the suspense until I had a break and could actually listen to the message.

"Congratulations!" the voice said.

WOW!!!!!!
What a feeling.
Suddenly I was no longer worried about the state of publishing or the many solitary hours spent staring at a screen.

That thrill, that absolute euphoria that comes from knowing that someone has read your work and liked it enough to give a great score, that is an absolutely indescribable joy.

I'm still smiling.


Oh - the black beans part of the title - today is my day over at Healthy Writer.com and the topic is healthy recipes for black beans