Surviving the Holidays with Your Work in Progress-and Sanity-Intact

Recently I was asked to contribute to my local RWA Newsletter about writing during the holidays. Needless to say, I was stoked. But when I sat to put thought to type, I realized I didn't want to just give *my* tips to the masses. In my opinion, articles that include a variety of people give much more bang for your reading time. So I turned to friends, Twitter, and my amazing Entangled pub sisters for tips and advice--and the info simply ROCKED!

 

Honestly, it was way too much--and too good--for just one article. Even better, the majority of the tips don't just apply to the holidays. These are golden nuggets of wisdom you can use 24/7/365. So I wrote the article, and saved the rest for exclusive--doesn't that sound impressive??--bloggy fodder for y'all :-)

 

So tune in every Friday for the next few weeks to discover ways to eek out writing time during holidays, when children are afoot, and when you plain out just don't wanna! I'll also have handy-dandy New Year's resolutions that you'll want to give a whirl, too!

 

Do you have tips or suggestions to add? I'd love to hear them! Maybe you'd like to contribute a guest post on starting the new year on the write foot (ha ha, I kill myself sometimes). Send that baby on. You can reach me at the Contact tab above, or at RachelHarris1 at gmail dot com.

 

And now, onto the good stuff! Take it away . . . me. 

Deck the walls with red and green, fill the oven with cookies and turkey—the holiday season is upon us. And even though Christmas itself has practically come and gone, many of us still have several weeks of children at home, extended family visitations, and hours logged in cramped cars and stuffy airplanes. What’s a good writer to do?

As a homeschool mom, I deluded myself into thinking the holiday season wouldn’t be different from any other day. My kids are always crawling around, asking for a snack or even a sweet hug right when I hit a good part in my work in progress. But as it turns out, I couldn’t have been more wrong. The copious amount of consumed sugar and familiar specials of glee on television have turned my two darling princesses into miniature, crazed beasts. And I know I’m not alone.

So in the spirit of holiday giving, I present this guide to getting through the holidays with your work in progress—and blessed sanity—intact.

• Get Creative - Yes, I know. Writing, by its very essence, is creative. But I mean get creative carving out writing time. You may be used to a quiet, peaceful house when you sit down with your characters, but while school’s out, you’re going to have to kiss that dream goodbye. (Unless you’re some type of wizard, in which case please share your mojo!) So until things get back to normal, my suggestion is to work with what you’re given. Marilyn Almodovar, mother of two, challenges her older children to write a story in half an hour. Younger kids can tell stories into a tape recorder. Techniques like this give you thirty minutes to write in peace, and may even encourage a budding author!

• Live in the Moment - I don’t know about you, but I have a tendency to feel guilty. When I write, I’m thinking I should be with my family or doing laundry, and when I am doing those things, I’m worrying about word count or the next scene I’m going to write. It’s like my brain is a laptop, and I have hundreds of screens minimized that can pop up at any given moment. NYT Bestselling author Bente Gallagher says the only way she survives the holidays is by living in the moment. “When you’re writing, give it 100% for whatever time you have. Even if it’s just twenty minutes while the kid is watching Rudolph. And when you shut off the manuscript and spend time with the kid(s), do that 100%. Nothing worse than half-hearted attention, guaranteed to make a kid feel crappy about their importance or lack thereof.” Ouch! 

• Let them in on the Fun – When their stories are finished and Rudolph is over, but you still have a deadline to meet, give them a project. Author and editor Louisa Bacio suggests setting them up with a small craft like making holiday cards, or even wrapping simple presents. “I pre-cut the paper, and the new pop-up tape works well. Also, send them shopping with Daddy! They need to pick out Mom a gift, right?” Another solution is incorporating your family into the madness. NY Times and USA Today Bestseller Caridad Pineiro does this whenever possible. “Even when my daughter was younger, I would try to take her to book signings and/or let her help out with assembling promo things. It made her feel like she was part of my team and my success and that goes a long way to lessening the conflict.” 

• Get Thyself Some Help - I don't know about you, but I have a hard time admitting I can’t do it all. I don’t know where my Super Woman complex came from, but one of my New Year’s Resolutions is to kick it to the curb. I have to accept that I don’t have magic powers, and can’t wiggle my nose and miraculously have the house sparkle and dinner cooked. That’s why I loved USA Today bestselling author Natalie Anderson’s simple advice for finding writing time during the holiday madness. “Get help with the housework, or simply ignore the less important parts of it. Don’t ever feel guilty for something that’s so important.” How, you may ask, do you get that help? Perhaps the easiest solution is to hire someone to clean for you, even if it’s just once. But if finances don’t allow that, this is where the children come back into play. Give them a washcloth and let them pretend to be Cinderella for the afternoon. Bribe them with more of that holiday sugar they’ve been consuming. Or bat your eyelashes at your significant other. Hey, whatever gets the job done, right?

• Start Those Resolutions Early - New beginnings rock, whether they’re shiny, new ideas and projects, or brand new years complete with blank slates. Typically at this time of year, I make all kinds of plans to focus more and blog surf less, to drink more water and not stay up so late. But much like that vow to wake at dawn and power walk three miles every day, those plans tend to fizzle a few months later. So what I’m saying is if that’s true for you, too, why not get a head start now? That’s what award-winning author Tracy March is doing. She doesn’t have kids, but she still battles finding time to write in the midst of holiday decorating, baking, shopping, and wrapping. So she’s instituted her New Year’s Resolution a month early, carving out “black-out” times in her schedule where she’s forbidden from getting online. “It’s so easy to get distracted by email and Twitter and . . .” (Yeah, I have a plethora of social media habits to fill that dot dot dot.)

And finally, when all else fails

• Look for the Positive – This one can be hard, and it probably goes back to the whole living in the moment thing. Mass media has fed us visions of what the holidays should look like since birth, and when reality doesn’t match, it can be frustrating. Equally so is having your house taken over by a bazillion relatives, and an uncle who can burp Jingle Bells. So my final piece of advice is to step back, take a deep breath, and people watch. Agent and author Lauren Hammond finds seeing family she hasn’t seen in a while actually inspires her writing. “Holidays in my neck of the woods is like the Griswolds—it makes for some pretty funny scenes.” And if humor doesn’t exactly fit your work in progress, I’m sure you can find something to use if you just look close enough. 

YOUR TURN: Like I said above, I'd love to know your tips or suggestions! Add them in the comments below (and leave a link for us to find you on the web) and I'll shout them out next week! Until then, Happy New Year's y'all!

Social Media: Can Anyone Help A Sister Out?

So today marks a new chapter for me . . . again. I woke up at 5:15 this morning and walked for an hour. I think I know the distance, but I really don't care because that's something Old Me would've obsessed over. Made charts and lists and plans to time myself, up my pace, shoot for longer distances, and put all sorts of pressure on myself. Um, yeah, I kinda tend to do that.

The sad thing is that I don't just do it with exercise. I do it with EVERYTHING! I just can't seem to give myself a break, and since I'm a perfectionist, often if I can't do something awesome or can't keep bettering myself somehow, I giveup. Or lose my passion for it at least. But this morning, while pounding the pavement, I decided that with all the things I'm stressing over right now, all I need to do is just take one step at a time.

So this week, my plan is to hash out all my issues publicly. I'd LOVE to get your advice, thoughts, input, and suggestions. Today's topic is one that I've been obsessing over particularly . . .

Social Media

Okay, this one in particular has my brain juices sloshing all over the place. I don't actually know what I mean by that, but the image seems to fit the whirly, confusing, stick-my-tongue-out-and-make-googly-eyes feeling that comes over me when I think of all there is to do and how to do it right.

Recently I jumped onto the Klout wagon. And my score was actually pretty good. But then I realized it was everything that was under the name "Ending Unplanned," which I had stupidly put everything under last year when I started this whole writing/blogging/tweeting thing. To my defense I did try "Rachel Harris" originally, but there is a famous comedic actress who has my name--though she spells it differently--and she seems to have scooped up our name in all the various social type things. So I went symbolic.

Yeah, I know, bad for branding.

Anyhoo, so then I made a new account for my @RachelHarrisYA twitter name and my Facebook Page (which by the way, if you click on that link, would you mind liking me? *bats eyelashes and smiles sweetly*). And of course, my score dropped since its newer. Automatic deflation of high spirits. I shook that off and went on a mission to raise my score, by staring at all those grey boxes under my name, showing ALL the social media things I wasn't involved in. Am I the only one who felt like a complete loser seeing all the things I'm not involved in--felt like high school or something--and the strong desire to hurry up and do all of them?

So then I joined Linked In. And promptly, accidently, sent invitations to 300 of my closest and some not-so-closest friends. Some of them got the invite twice somehow. Yeah I deserve a spazz award. But now I'm growing on there, getting some contacts, but I just don't know how to work it properly. I know I can attach my twitter feed on there, but then I don't want to bother people with random RTs and rambling stuff. And I'm sure there are really good ways to not just collect people's names, but actually network, that I'm just not getting. Can anyone help a sister out?

 Then back to my Facebook Page. I am so confused over what stuff I should post on my page vs. my normal "this is me"profile. Now that my book is actually going to be published (SQUEE!!), I'm hoping that readers eventually find my page and "like me" and start following me. But I write YA, so what types of things would they want to see on there? Obviously book news and where I'll be if anywhere, but should I post things that are from pop culture? Do they want to know occasional cool writing tips I find in the blogosphere? Do they want to know my twitter ramblings, which occasionally are completely silly and about my children's missing teeth? (just to be clear, they are five and six and are losing baby teeth . . . they aren't like rotting out or anything lol) Then, where do I link my twitter feed to--my facebook page, or my regular profile? Do I accept all the friend requests I get for my regular page, and let them see family pics and hear about my game day meals for LSU and Saints football watching?  Anyone? Advice? Please?  

And then there is Twitter. I spent a year on my @EndingUnplanned account and have so many friends on there, but I know I need to be using the one with my actual name in it (no duh, right?). But @RachelHarrisYA is newer and at present only has a little over 500 followers. A few weeks ago I had tried to do what all the "experts" say : to try to keep your follower account way above the count for those you follow. But see, that just doesn't work for me. Even before this past week when I reached out to a bunch of people to make connections (thus curently making my following count about 30 people more than being followed), I had a hard time not following back someone who follows me. That just feels like I'm playing elitist or favorites or just plain out being a snob. And I loathe snobs. So let me ask you, lovely blog reader: Does follower to followee ratio matter to you or affect your decision to follow someone? Do they look less cool if there numbers are roughly even?

And a talk of Social Media for Authors wouldn't be complete without mentioning Goodreads. This is definitely one of my favorite sites that I grossly under used until the past month or so. I love seeing what other people are reading, salivating over books to come out, and discovering new treasures. I love following my favorite authors and getting a list of their blog posts sent to my inbox every Sunday . . . and I can't wait to make my own Author Page. (for those lovely people who've contacted me to ask, I hope to have an Author Page in a few weeks, just as soon as I get an ISBN number for MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY). I've made some great friends the past month and found so many awesome groups, but it would be entirely easy to just stay on that site all day long chatting in the groups, looking at books, and forgetting about actually writing. Or showering. That's important, too. I know there are other authors involved in groups and using Goodreads for promotion purposes, but it just seems like there's so much to learn. How do keep up with all the groups? How do you use Goodreads?

Q4U: Well, this whole post is questions for you, huh? So after leaving whatever tips you may have on the above, I'd LOVE to know your links for the above social media accounts so I can follow, friend, like, K+, and whatever else there is to do out there, YOU!

So, yeah, I'm gonna be PUBLISHED!

Wow. Typing those words . . . it still doesn't feel real. I've had a few weeks now to supposedly get used to the idea, but I don't know if I ever really believed it would actually happen. But now I've spoken to my editor and discussed things like cover design, author bios, formats . . . and it's finally sinking in. And my whole body is just like one massive happy goose bump!

Ever since I can remember, I've loved the written word. I was born a bookaholic and made up stories fill my old journal. Creative writing classes were by far my favorite electives in high school, and to be honest I was pretty good. But I never let myself dream I could be published. That I'd get my own book, with my own name on the cover, filled with characters I created and a story world straight from my own slightly crazed brain. That someone else would love and believe in my writing so much that they would take a financial chance on me. The reality is so humbling, and that is exactly what the awesome people over at Entangled Publishing decided to do. To take a chance on ME! :-)

Last week I added my bubbly signature to an actual publishing contract for my YA Magical Realism/Historical, My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century, AND its spin off, A Tale of Two Centuries. EEP!

 

*jazz hands, happy boggie, little squeal*

The tentative expected publication date is summer 2012 for the first one, with a possible December date for the spin off, which means soon I'll be heading back into the writing cave to finish drafting the sequel, along with probably several fun rounds of edits on MSSSC. And to be honest, I'm excited, scared, shocked, and just plain out amazed. It just feels surreal, you know?

With all the excitement, I decided to move over here, to my brand new author site. I've imported my old blog Ending Unplanned over here, and I love having everything in one central spot for peeps to find me . . . BUT sadly I lost all the beautiful smiling faces in my follower box over there.

*sniffles. Looks back at all those gorgeous people. Now looks at my lonely empty one here.*

I'd be tickled pink if you'd choose to follow my publishing journey with me. I've met countless wonderful people who have made the last year so much fun, and I know my dream wouldn't be coming true if it wasn't for the amazing friendships I've made in the blogosphere. Thanks in particular to Trish, Tori, Lori Ann, Demetra, Hope, Lauren, Nancy, Mary, Rose, and Natalie. You chicas are made of awesome!

Q4U: So, that's my HAPPY news, now I'd love to hear some of yours! What's going just absolutelym, pinch yourself to prove it's real spectacular in YOUR life today?

Got The Call and GIVEAWAYS Galore!

Whew!

The past few weeks have been CRAZY! There are so many changes and things happening and really, it's been a complete whirlwind. But things are finally getting back to normal and in some form of a routine, and I'm so happy to be back!

I normally don't post on Wednesdays, but I couldn't wait until tomorrow--I just had to come and shout out all my exciting news today. (I can be impatient that way). Really, there's THREE things I wanted to let all of you wonderful readers know about, so I thought I'd do it quick and fast bullet style.

• First, the biggest news that I never thought I'd get to say: I got the call!! Actually, I first got the email two Fridays ago, then a marathon three hour phone call last Monday, followed by a week of talking to a lot of other agents and pulling all nighters to finish my revision. But I can now PROUDLY say that I have an agent!! Lauren Hammond of ADA Management, the agent of awesome, believes in me and my writing, and is such an enthusiastic, passionate advocate that I honestly couldn't be happier. From the very first email, she made me feel so comfortable and it was like we've known each other for years. Equally exciting is that my CP and writing sister Trish Wolfe is also now my agency sister!

• Along with sharing an AGENT OF AWESOME, Trish and I have also now joined forces on YA Bound. Trish started that blog almost a year ago to review YA books, and over the last few months has been kicking it up a notch. Now we've decided to really focus our attention on spreading the YA love with LIVE Author chats, a fun new hashtag/meme on Thursdays (be sure to hop over there tomorrow!), interviews and tons of giveaways! Today is our kick off post and we interviewed each other random question style, so come hop over to discover which YA author I'd love to be for a day and all about Trish's favorite YA bad boy.

• And finally, the GIVEAWAY news! Over at YA Bound we're gonna have a ton of giveaways each month, but to CELEBRATE our new agented status and kick off the new phase of the blog, we're having FOUR giveaways this month alone! Come back every week for a chance to win a different ARC of a book coming out this month, and if you follow us over there and snag our snazzy button above for your blog (and let us know about it) you'll be automatically entered into all four! So excited about this :-)

Q4U: So that is what I've been up to--what about you? What has kept YOU busy and crazy this summer? Do YOU have any exciting news to share? If so, please leave them below! I'd love to celebrate with you!

Revisions and Rewrites: Gotta Love 'Em

Say the word revisions around a group of writers and you're bound to get some interesting reactions. For some people, it's worthy of a gallon of ice cream, sprinkled with M&Ms, followed by a case of their caffeinated beverage of choice. For others, it's just another day at the old writing desk.

For me, revision was never really that big a deal because I normally revise as I write. I've tried to do it the other way, just let the words flow and come back when they are all down and tear them apart. My brain does not compute that way. I need the revision time while I'm writing to understand my characters, understand my story, know where I'm going--even though I have my huge plot outline already complete. I may go into the storytelling knowing the plot, but it is while I am writing that I decide how I will tell it. And revising as I go helps me do that.

Another reason I revise as I go is because I send each chapter to my critique partners after I write it. Getting their immediate thoughts helps me to see if the way I chose to tell the story worked or not, and it makes me actively choose the path to take next. Doing this also helps me to shorten my revising time after the story is completed.

But there is another kind of revision out there. A word that used to elicit fear from me. A word that I did everything I could to avoid.

Rewrite.

Oh that word is freaking scary, isn't it? Like nightmare, chill to the bones, freaky-leaky scary.

But I've found that strangely enough, it's liberating, too.

Last month, I rewrote my YA Contemporary Romance. I mean I tore it up, taking out scenes, combining them, adding others, changing motivations, sharpening up the arcs, throwing out subplots. It was crazy. But a lot of fun. I also took an editor's suggestion and changed it from first person dual to third person, and went from past tense to present tense. Basically, there wasn't a word in this story I didn't touch. But I think it is a much better story for it. And my critique partners agree.

By tearing up the story and losing some of my 'darlings,' I also lost some of my fear of rewriting. It was much easier the second go thru because I knew these characters already, I knew the story and I knew where I wanted to make my changes. I just had to do it. It called on a whole other level of writing skills and I think by going into the story, digging deeper, I came out a much stronger writer.

Since the rewrite, I started another story and found that I changed again how I told my story. I am going deeper the first time, after having injected emotions and deeper motivations in my previous rewrite. I found I was connecting more with my characters from the get-go, which will hopefully save me a lot more time later.

So I was rocking and rolling, enjoying this new story, when an agent emailed this weekend asking for a revision of one of my stories. I think had this agent emailed me two months ago, I would have said "heck no." Or at least "heck no, not right now." Not because this agent isn't worth it--oh she is, believe me--but the idea was too scary. Too foreign and unknown. Now I am kind of approaching it as a fun challenge, digging back into this story that I love and the character that I adore, and making it . . . more.

Dare I say I am looking forward to it?

Okay, maybe not quite that much, but I'm not shaking in my seat at least, so there's an improvement.

Q4U: How do you feel about revisions and rewrites? Do you revise as you go, or draft fast and tear apart later? Have you had to do a rewrite, either by a personal choice or desire, or for an agent? What did you think about the process and final result?