Thankful in Failure

Posted on November 30, 2013 by Evelyn Puerto

I’ve failed. Winning NaNo is not going to happen this year. Family events and dramas that cannot be ignored devoured too much time and energy.

Still, I’m thankful. Without too much trouble, I can come up with a long list of reasons.

1. I had the privilege and honor of serving my relative in her final days. Had I not had this experience, I would not been able to imagine describing it in this way. I’m also grateful that her time of suffering was short, and that she is now with the Lord, where there are no more tears and no more sickness.

2. My husband demonstrated (for the millionth time) his support for my writing, encouraging me to give NaNo a try. Nearly every day he asked if I’d found time to write.

3. I learned a lot about how I write and how to be more productive. And which of my excuses for not writing are pretty lame.

4. My second novel is at least halfway drafted. If I hadn’t tried NaNo, I’d have zero done.

5. As I wrote, I found that while I had the plot and structure well worked out, I could have done more on character development and setting details. Now I know what to work on next year.

6. Writing did give me an escape from the melancholy event that was fast approaching, almost as good as getting away to an exotic place.

7. Even though some of the family drama has been painful (all the more because I abhor drama and try to avoid it at all costs), I now have material for some new characters and some great dialogue.

8. God has been with us all, every step through this very difficult time.

9. The time I spent with my relative and her daughters has given me memories I will cherish the rest of my life.

This week was consumed with wrapping up loose ends after my relative’s passing and Thanksgiving preparations. Instead of writing, I made my husband’s favorite apple pie.

I’ve been reading a lot about the need to write every day, to keep that professional discipline in force. Sometimes, though, it’s more important to love the family and friends you have around you, to treasure them while you can. While I’ve often thought of my favorite books as old friends, they are no substitute for the living and breathing variety.

So I’m thankful for the people in my life, the lessons I’ve learned in success and failure, and the many ways God has blessed me and my family this year.

What are you thankful for? I’d love to see part of your list in the comments.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

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NaNo Week 3: Never Give Up

Posted on November 22, 2013 by Evelyn Puerto

Last week, I gave up. I was sure I wouldn’t finish. With all the family events and holidays, finding time to write looked as impossible as finding a place to walk in a hoarder’s house.

This week, I have a bit more energy and a little more time. I’d had such good momentum going on my novel in NaNo’s first week, and the story was flowing well. I hated to give up.

So I decided to give it a try. I’d fallen way behind. Doing the math, knew I’d have to put in several three or four thousand word days to hit 50,000 by November 30.

Given all that’s going on with the family, plus Thanksgiving, I’m not sure I’ll have the writing time I need.

But I lose nothing by trying. Whatever I get done, won’t have to be done later. I resolved that whenever I had a spare 15 or 20 minutes, I’d put by butt in the chair and start typing.

I did have two good writing days, and learned two important things.

1. If I feel like I’m bogging down, it’s time for a break. A short one. Get a drink of water, walk a little, make a phone call. It’s amazing how energized a feel just getting up for a minute.

Which brings me to…

2. It’s a lot easier to put your butt in the chair if the dog hasn’t taken over.

At the end of week 3, I’ve passed 35,000 words. How are you doing?

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NaNo Week 2: Not so Good

Posted on November 16, 2013 by Evelyn Puerto

The first NaNo week went great, with almost 18,000 words written. This second week was not so good.

Why? Because life, or in this case, death happens.

The relative I was caring for passed away on Sunday, putting an end to her long battle with cancer. While we all felt sad, we couldn’t help feeling a sense of relief that she is now out of pain, and that Jesus took her home to the place where there is no more sickness and no more tears.

This week I made an effort to write when I could, partly because I needed a distraction from what we were facing. What I didn’t anticipate was the profound fatigue I would battle, and how busy we would all be. Arrangements and cleaning and calling family and friends consumed my time and energy, leaving little room for anything else.

So I had to come to grips with the fact that I won’t be winning NaNo this year. Still, I’m halfway done with my novel, and have set the goal to finish it by Christmas. I’m glad I gave NaNo a shot. My relative was also glad I tried it. She was the kind of person that didn’t like to give trouble to anyone. She wanted me to continue my writing and “not bother” about her. She didn’t realize what an honor it was to serve her in her final days.

She also didn’t realize what an inspiration she was. Even when hospitalized, she continued to study to try to finish her degree, to fulfill her dream of getting an education. She didn’t allow the cancer to get in the way of working toward her goals.

I’ll always think of her when my writing bogs down, and be inspired to press on.
What about you? What people have encouraged you to work through difficult times to achieve your goals?

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What I Learned from NaNo: Week 1

Posted on November 8, 2013 by Evelyn Puerto

I thought I was crazy to attempt NaNo this year. So far, I was wrong.
Instead, I’ve learned a lot about writing, how I write, and the excuses I make for not writing.

First, I learned that careful plotting is extremely helpful. Before I start writing, I look at the chapter summaries I wrote (usually they are no more than three sentences) and visualize the scenes in my head. I think about what I’m going to write and dive in. The words just seem to flow and the characters start talking for themselves.

I also learned where my prep was lacking. I had a bunch of minor characters that had no names. Sometimes it’s ok if a minor character is nameless, but it can get awkward if two of the principles are discussing that person and never say his or her name. Good thing I had a list of possible names handy. Usually I could pick a name from the list and get right back to my story.

Then I learned about how I write. What’s hardest for me is getting started. I waste a lot of time thinking about sitting down to write, or getting myself psyched up to write. Having big blocks of time is one way to solve this.

On the other hand, I run out of steam in an hour or hour and a half of steady writing. The trick for me, them, is going to figure out how to take a break and revive my brain without losing momentum or having to go through the get-psyched-to-write routine.

Most of all I’ve learned about my excuses. I was sure I needed silence and solitude to write. And it would be impossible to write when I’m tired. This last week I’ve written while my relative watched Spanish-language soap operas or talks to the nurse who has come to check on her. If I try, I can tune all that out and lose myself in my story.

And big chunks of time? They happen, but not often. I’ve surprised myself of how many words I can squeeze out of fifteen or twenty minutes. And when I only have fifteen or twenty minutes, I have to use them writing, not getting psyched. That little ritual, I’m afraid, can only be called procrastination.

So at the end of week one, I’m closing in on 20,000 words, which is more than I’d have had I not signed up for NaNo. I’m grateful that it has spurred me on to achieve more than I thought possible, while it gives me something to think about other than my relative’s approaching death. I can turn my thoughts to a world I can control, one where the destiny of my characters is something I decide, instead of make my peace with.

If you didn’t try NaNo this year, I highly recommend giving it a try, even if you think there is no way you can finish. If you are doing it, what have you learned so far?

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NaNoWriMo–I’m in!

Posted on November 1, 2013 by Evelyn Puerto

I must be crazy. But I couldn’t help myself.

Other writers were signing up for National Novel Writing Month (NaNo), and I wanted to be part of it. All year I’d looked forward to participating. Ever since I finished the draft of my first novel in May I started plotting the second, the one I wanted to write during NaNo.

It sounds like so much fun, sharing progress with other writers, encouraging each other to stick to the word count goal and be serious about creating a work of fiction. Not to mention the prizes for all the winners.

Then life happened. I returned to St Louis to care for a relative in hospice, along with her handicapped daughter. I was sure the care giving would wear me out and keep me busy. Add to that my birthday and wedding anniversary and Thanksgiving. It will be a challenge to find writing time. I read of people with small children or full time jobs who win NaNo, and think I don’t have more going on than they do.

The daughter is in an adult day program. While she’s gone, relative rests a lot, and watches TV. When she has the energy, we talk. She’s not eating much, so cooking isn’t taking up a lot of time.

As NaNo approached, I thought, “why not?” I might even have a shot at winning. It wouldn’t be that hard. I drafted the first novel in 18 days. Surely with 12 extra, I can make the 50,000 word goal that would qualify me as a winner.

So I’ve spent the last week, in the hours I do have in between giving morphine and doing laundry and taking care of business, plotting and pacing my novel. I’ve even been able to rough out a few character sketches.

I may be crazy, or overly ambitious, or overly optimistic about how much writing time I’ll have in the weeks to come. A major life event could change my plans. But in the meantime, I’m going to learn from the example of my relative and use the time I have to count for something.

So this morning I began. I got 528 words done in 40 minutes, then my husband called. One percent of the way there, and it’s not yet 8:00 am. Stay tuned to see if I can hit that 50,000 word mark by November 30!

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Formatting Books: Lessons Learned

Posted on October 25, 2013 by Evelyn Puerto

My experience with formatting for CreateSpace, Smashwords, and Kindle Direct Publishing

While it sounds like a simple matter, formatting books can become a bad dream. What turns the whole exercise into a nightmare is the knowledge that if your book isn’t formatted well, it can be turn readers off and cost you sales.

Cover of Read Me Before You WriteEarlier this year I finished my second book, Read Me Before You Write. Formatting it was almost harder than writing it.

Before I found some guides (click for my review), I was stuck. I knew I could do the eBook formatting, but CreateSpace was killing me. I just could not make the template work. I wasted a lot of time and had to start over several times.

The guides all advised to forget the template and stay in Word. They were right.

Key to the whole process is making a copy of your manuscript and format it, not the original. As happened to me, I did something that made a mess of my file that I had no idea how to undo. Because I had the backup, I could start over with a fresh copy.

As I was formatting, I found a few typos and other errors in need of correction. Don’t be like me and think you’ll remember all of them and where they are. You won’t. Next time, I’ll keep a log of corrections I make to the copy I’m working with so my original copy can be corrected as well.

The copy is important for another reason. Formatting for a paper version is much different than an eBook. A mistake I made was thinking I could format my book for Create Space, and then use that version for Smashwords. Not a good idea.

What I would do next time is to start by stripping the formatting from my copy. To strip formatting, save the file in Notepad, then bring it back into Word. The reason this is helpful is it gets rid of formatting that creeps in through the Word defaults or by mistake. If your manuscript has been worked on from different computers (like yours and an editor’s), odd formatting can appear that you aren’t even aware of. The stripping process gets rid of all of that stuff that can cause problems later.

Then I would create two copies, one for the hard copy and one for the electronic version, and start with the hard copy version. The reason for this is formatting actual paper books is harder and requires more scrutiny to get it right. It’s more likely I’ll spot stray typos working on the paper version.

Then I’d go back to my copy of Format YOUR Print Book with Createspace …and Lulu, using Microsoft Word. by Tim C. Taylor, which was the most helpful of the guides I used. By following this guide, I was able to format my book with the proper page headers and numbering, following the standard conventions in publishing.

The most tedious part was getting the pages to line up properly. After uploading the file eight times and all my tinkering only made it worse, I contacted the help people at Create Space. They responded promptly and suggested saving my file as a PDF before uploading it. Problem solved.

After that, Kindle Direct Publishing was a breeze. I sent my Create Space file to KDP, and they took care of the rest. Smashwords has an extensive but surprisingly easy to follow formatting guide. I used my second stripped copy, and within a few hours, my Smashwords version was live.

As a disclaimer, my book just had a simple table of contents, no images and no charts. My sense at this point is that I just don’t have the ability to format photos and more complicated features properly for electronic books, and the learning curve to do that properly would be pretty steep. If I ever publish something that includes these items, it will be worth it to me to save the time and headaches and hire a designer.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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Writing in Desperate Times

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Evelyn Puerto

It’s a sad fact that the writing life is not just creating great art at the whim of a muse. The words rarely flow from the imagination from brain to paper with ease, falling into place naturally. Writing is just sheer hard work, sometimes bordering on drudgery, almost as distasteful as cleaning up after the dog. Concentration, an effort of the will, and just putting the rear end in the chair and the fingers on the keyboard are what is needed to produce some kind of coherent prose.

Some days that just seems impossible. Right now I’m living with a relative who’s in a home-based hospice program. I’m sharing a two bedroom apartment with her and her two adult daughters, one of whom is mentally retarded. It’s almost like being back in college again, sharing a bathroom and kitchen with roommates. But the circumstances are not nearly as joyful, and I was a lot younger then. At times it’s all I can do to find a minute to collect my thoughts enough to write a check.

I’m trying to use these times as best I can. Here are three things I’ve learned to do to keep my writing career moving along:

1. Use every spare minute

If I can find fifteen minutes, I can usually get a blog post drafted, or edited. The same fifteen minutes used well can get a page or two of my novel edited, or some plotting or research done. Every little bit I do adds up.

2. Capture the emotion of the moment

I had an argument with my relative, fed up and frustrated with her attitude. It left me feeling like a brute. How could I be so impatient with a dying woman? It also left me feeling unmotivated to work on my novel. Instead, I wrote a short piece, replaying the incident, trying to capture my frustration, resentment and guilt. One day I may have a character in a similar situation, feeling regretful or guilty for having won an argument and I’ll have a good description of how that person would be feeling.

3. Set goals that fit the situation

Setting goals is a great way to keep making progress. I’ve had to let go of the goals I had for the last four months of the year, and revise them to be realistic, both in terms of my time and energy. (I still toy with the idea of trying to participate in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), but maybe I’m kidding myself).

This is what I’ve learned from trying to write in circumstances that often feel desperate. Anyone have any other thoughts?

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5 Tips for Blogging When you Just don’t Feel Like It

Posted on October 11, 2013 by Evelyn Puerto

Cat dozing on laptopThis week, I’ve been having a hard time coming up with a blog topic that interests me enough to want to write about it. I’m sure if I’m not interested, no one else will be. I started a few, but the posts weren’t turning out to be interesting or useful. It’s been an exhausting week, which could be part of my problem. The temptation to skip a week was strong. I resisted, and thought about why I blog. In doing so, I came up with five tips for blogging when you just don’t feel like it.

1. Remember why you started in the first place

For me, the main idea is to serve my readers, whether with some information that will help them as either writers or readers, or simply be entertaining. I’m also trying to generate some interest in my books, whether already published or in process. If I want people to follow my blog, I owe to them to blog regularly.

2. Consider what being professional means

I’m also trying to make a living as a writer, which means that I intend to make writing my profession. Amateurs and hobbyists can write whenever they feel like it. Professionals write, day in and day out, forcing the words out and doing the work it takes to make them entertaining or informative. If I truly want to be a professional writer, I can’t give myself the option of skipping a week for any old reason.

3. Use the feeling to reassess the topics you usually blog about

Maybe the sense of not wanting to blog is because you’re in a blogging rut, stuck rehashing the same old topics. If so, come up with a new list of topics you can get excited about.

4. Take a break from the routine

Along the same lines, maybe all you need is a little variety from your blogging format. If you just can’t summon up the will to actually type out a post, try making a video blog instead. Or a collection of photos with captions, or book covers, or images that relate to your book.

5. Stop thinking and get writing already

I got over my malaise by sitting down and writing about it. All day I was stuck thinking about it; only when I took action was I able to get past it.

I hope this helps you next time you are stuck on a post. Anyone have any other helpful tips?

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Plot and Structure

Posted on October 5, 2013 by Evelyn Puerto

As I revise and edit my novel, I’ve been thinking a lot about plot and structure. I want to make sure that the plot is compelling and the novel is structured in a way that will keep readers wanting more. In other words, I want to tell the story in the best possible way.

To help me out, I read Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell, which proved to be a very helpful resource. This book does a great job of laying out the basics. Especially helpful was his explanation of the three-act structure and the two doorways of no return that move the story from act to act.

Other chapters reviewed writing beginnings, middles and ends, and how to make each one serve its purpose in moving the story forward and sending the reader into a new world. Of great help to me were the exercises at the end of each chapter. I did one very long one on analyzing the plot of novels I enjoyed. It was amazing to me how each one conformed to the three-act structure Bell presents as the most successful structure for novels.

Some months ago, I read Story Engineering by Larry Brooks (my post on it here). Brooks goes a bit deeper into the three-act structure, giving a few key points that must be observed. Both of these books offer valuable advice. Plot and Structure, in my opinion, is more for beginners and intermediate writers, while Story Engineering takes writers to a higher level.

Is it really that important to write a novel that conforms to the accepted structure? I would have to say it is. From what the books tell me, traditional publishers won’t accept novels that deviate from this structure, at least from unknown authors. I’ll take their word for it.

And the independent authors who publish without passing through the gauntlet of the traditional publishers? I’ve read quite few indie works. The ones I’ve enjoyed most do follow the three act structure. When I’m reading the ones that don’t, I find myself unsettled, expecting something to happen when it doesn’t, or I’m wondering what the main goal of the hero is. In others I feel adrift, wondering where the story is going.

After reading Plot and Structure, I went back and reviewed my novel. I was very encouraged that I had more or less nailed the three-act structure, and just need to add a few scenes to strike the right balance. I also had most of the milestones from Story Engineering occurring at the right time. This gives me some confidence that I’m telling my story in a way that readers will enjoy.

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Fun Genre-bending Reading

Posted on September 27, 2013 by Evelyn Puerto

This month I tried a few genres I don’t usually read, as well as some that bend genres I’m more familiar with. Here’s the best of what I read this month.

Stitch

I usually don’t read paranormal romances, and that’s what I thought this was when I picked it up. The wonderful writing quickly drew me into Alessa’s world of college, her grief for her dead parents, her recurrent nightmares and glimpses of a ghost.
I thought I knew where the story was going. Then the twist occurred. I did not see that coming. What I thought was going to be an above average ghost-as-love-interest story turned into something so much better. I loved the genre-bending and the sheer inventiveness of this story. Who would have thought that a sorority house could play a part in a dystopian novel? Stitch (Stitch Trilogy, Book 1)is highly enjoyable, and I’m looking forward to the next in the series.

A Thousand Perfect Things

Another genre I tried this month was a sub-genre of fantasy: alternative history. A Thousand Perfect Things is set almost 200 years ago, in a world with just two continents separated by a vast ocean. Tori, the heroine, lives in Anglica, a culture of science and reason, somewhat modeled after Britain. Recently a very long bridge was constructed that connects Anglica with Bharata, an India-like land of magic. Based on her grandfather’s last words, Tori travels to Bharata to find a mythical golden lotus, and there encounters a clash of the two worlds. It took me a little while to get into this book, but the imaginative story and beautiful writing kept me going. After a while, I couldn’t put it down.

A Natural History of Dragons

Still another twist on the fantasy genre, A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent is a memoir of a British lady from the Victorian era who has a deep love of dragons. She maneuvers her husband into joining a scientific dragon hunting expedition, and along the way learns as much about herself as she does about dragons and the people of the remote land she travels to. I loved her sarcasm, as well as how she looks her own flaws in the face and owns them, and the bitter consequences of her own actions. The book reads in part like a memoir, part like a scientific discussion, part like mystery, but somehow it comes together to make an enjoyable read.

The Savvy Demon’s Guide to Godly Living

I saved the best for last. When I first heard of The Savvy Demon’s Guide to Godly Living, my first thought was that it would be another Screwtape Letters wanna-be. Not so.

This book starts with a bored demon, Melchior, drinking because the folks at the local church (including the pastor) are practicing a watered-down, powerless version of Christianity that is no threat to the agenda of Satan. Melchior has nothing to do. He gets drunk and pays a visit to the pastor, with the result that the pastor and his wife wake up to realize they are living a pale imitation of Christianity. Along with a few others who band together with them, they start trying to live their faith the way God intended it to be lived.

Witty and clever, The Savvy Demon’s Guide to Godly Living holds a mirror up to the church, forcing thoughtful readers to consider just how much their faith impacts how they live their lives. There are some edgy scenes, lots of censored profanity, but these all have a purpose in showing the redemptive work of God in the most difficult situations.

It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book that made me think so much. On top of being a highly enjoyable and humorous fantasy, anyone who considers themselves to be a Christian should read this book and ask if the way they live their life would bore a demon or give him lots to worry about.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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