10,000 Hours

You know those moments when the stars align? When the fates have you in their grasp, and are making it blatantly obvious the path you should choose? I am finding myself in that moment.

Let me set the stage.

Two weeks ago I attended an amazing conference. While there, a new friend told me what she wished someone would have told her when she was just starting out. “Don’t submit too early. Don’t be in a rush to get to success. Take your time and learn your craft. Make sure your story is really, really good before you send it out.” She suggested an incredible BOOK. I wrote it down. I thanked her for her advice. 

Just hours after I returned home from the conference a book coach emailed me a highly anticipated evaluation of my YA manuscript. The book coach loved it. But there was oh-so-much work to be done. There were some cool characters, and apparently my dialogue rocks. But there were some massive plot considerations, and the in-story romances needed some serious attention. It was also about 20,000 words short for a YA fantasy. My story had a good foundation, but it needed WORK.

That evening I sat down to work, not on these changes, but my lesson plans for class the next afternoon. While in a search for a way to prove the sentiment that “practice truly does make perfect” I stumbled upon this VIDEO.  In it, the you-tuber Evan Carmichael, discusses the 10,000 hour theory proposed in Malcom Gladwell’s book OUTLIERS. The theory is, that to achieve mastery level of a skill and success in a given field, you must spend 10,000 hours perfecting your craft. Gladwell uses The Beatles and Bill Gates as case studies to prove his point. Over the course of the semester I would have my students in my precious presence for a total of 108 hours. A far cry from Malcom’s requirement for mastery. In order to improve their reading and writing skills they’d need to do some work on their own.

And then, those stars I mentioned before, they lined up.

“Hey Pot, this is Kettle. Black, we are both black.”

Gottcha Kettle. Heard you loud and clear.

Maybe I could use some practice of my own.

What would happen if I kept track of the hours I spent improving my writing craft?

Practicing?

Reading craft books?

My time at my writing club and critique group?

How long would it take me?

10,000 hours is a long time. Over 416 days.

If I spent 8 hours a day on your craft, it would take me 3.42 years to reach the hourly goal.

Would I notice a difference in my abilities at the end of the 10,000 hours?

Would paying attention to using my time in a targeted fashion make a difference?

In all honesty, I will probably spend the rest of my life writing, in a constant pursuit of improving my skills. It isn’t the amount of time that is holding me back from buying into this plan of improvement. What is giving me pause is the consideration proposed by Evan in the video. What if hours spent with an expert counted for more than free writing? What if taking a class of targeted skill instruction was more beneficial than slugging through the revision process of honing a manuscript’s plot on my own?

Let’ say it does. Let’s say that the time spent with an expert counts double. For example, let’s look at my weekend at the SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) Conference. The ten hours I spent in workshop sessions or listening to keynote presentations would really count for twenty hours. This doesn’t even count the wisdom gleaned during meal time conversations or tips and tidbits shared by professional writers at the social events. I learned exponentially more in this one weekend than I had in the entire summer.

So, I’m gonna put my money where my mouth is. I’m answering the kettle’s call and stepping up to the plate. (Apparently I’m also going to use a lot of cliche phrases in the process.) During the month of October, I am going to document my hours of practice, my hours with an expert, my hours learning, writing, reading, revising… all of it.

At the end of the month I’ll report back. I’ll let you know…

1. Was the process of documenting THE WORK beneficial? Was it tedious? Motivating?

2. Do I see a difference in my level of skill after one month of dedicated and focused practice?

3. Do I still think that an hour with an expert is worth double? Is it worth more? Less?

4. Will I continue documenting my practice time in pursuit of the mountain top view earned by 10,000 hours?

In case you’d like to chart your own hours… whether they be  hours spent writing, horseback riding, cooking, yoga posing or painting… here is the chart I plan to use. Here is a link to the GOOGLE DOC which you can make a copy of and then use yourself. 

If writing is the skill you’d like to improve, consider joining me in October for Story Seedlings, a one month online writing class that is part challenge, part community. You can learn more about in HERE. 

I’d love to know your thoughts on this! Have you tried it before? Do you want to try it now? What skill would you like to improve? Share in the comments below!

Sidenote: I showed my student the video mentioned in this blog post, and it really made an impact. Apparently calling myself their “reading trainer” or “writing coach”, was seen has more valuable than “teacher”. After class, students actually asked questions, and wanted to complete the practice work… and have me look it over. Trainer. Coach. Not Teacher. Huh, go figure. Ah… another blog topic, or another day.

Invitations

I have to warn you. If you spend any amount of time with me… I will most likely… invite you somewhere. Church, a baseball game and a family dinner/parade/party/tradition usually top the list. But this invitation habit doesn’t stop at my personal life. It extends far and wide, and today I’m inviting you, yes all of you, to some really cool word nerd events. For the record, you’ve been warned. Proceed at your own risk. Fun, opportunities, merriment and writing improvement may lay ahead.

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Wine and Words, Books and Beer 

Love a good story? How about a good cold adult beverage? Good news, you can get them both in the same place this Thursday night, September 21. At The Brick House in downtown LaCrosse, 12 local authors, including yours truly, will be reading short excerpts from their book, and also selling their titles at this second annual event. Sponsored by my writing club, Women’s Writers Ink, this is sure to be a fun night.  Click here for more info. 

Story Seedlings

During the entire month of October I will be facilitating an online writing community. If you have an idea for a story, but aren’t sure what to do with it or how to get started… this is for you! If you need a kick in the pants to get your daily writing habit back on track, this is for you. If you have a sequel that should have been started yesterday… guess what? Story Seedlings is for you! During the month you will write 22 scenes for your story and be given feedback (by myself and other participants) on your work. You will also get the opportunity to virtually hang out with some pretty awesome word nerds and make some new writing friends. If you are interested in learning more and signing up, click here. Only 8 spots still remain!

Teen Read Week Writing Workshop

Calling all young writers! You are invited to come to the La Crosse Public Library to celebrate Teen Read Week by flexing your writing muscles. In this two hour, interactive workshop, we work to improve our writing by looking at some of our favorite YA Authors. The evening will end with an opportunity for teens to read their work aloud for a small audience of parents and interested members of the public. This event will take place on Monday, October 9 from 5:30-7:30 pm. ** If you have a work in progress, bring it along! **

Girl Scout Expo 

On Saturday, October 21 from noon to 2pm, I will be sharing information about the Girl Scout programs I offer to help individuals and troops earn their badges. The expo will take place at Onalaska High School and is sponsored by the Badgerland Girl Scout Organization. If you are a troop leader, stop by and learn all about the fun reading and writing experiences I can offer. Click here for more info. 

Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators 

Okay, so this one isn’t an event. It’s the opportunity to be a part of hundreds of events over the course of your writing career. This past weekend I attended my first SCWBI conference. It was three days of glorious word-nerdiness infused with the power of beautiful art. Through my time at the conference I was able to forge new connections, make new friends and create new possibilities. I would love to invite you to join this incredible organization so that next year at the fall conference, and at a bunch of other SCBWI events in between, you can do the same.

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Alright. That's all I got. I think. To be sure you don't miss any opportunities, check back on my events page from time to time. I hope you take me up on my invitations and that our paths are able to cross in the near future. Happy nerding friends! 

Crazy

Often people tell me I am crazy. It seems I have heard this phrase more times this fall than at any other time in my life. And I get it. I do.

I am crazy busy. Crazy productive. Crazy ambitious. But I am also crazy supported. Crazy blessed. And to be honest, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Crazy Busy

I work full time as a middle school teacher and am married to a husband that does the same. We have two sons who go to two different schools, and who are in two different sports. We also each have a passion project which we pour our hearts and souls into. His is baseball and mine is writing. These obsessions put an extra two to eight hours of work into our lives DAILY. And then to make it even crazier I added an extra five hour a week tech college teaching gig on top of it. When I shared that news, people responded in kind. You are crazy! Crazy busy! Your life makes my head spin.

You know what? It makes my head spin sometimes too. But it will be worth it because I have a big dream. And I’m not afraid to work for it. Replacing a full time, benefit offering teaching salary doesn’t happen over-night. And if I really want to do what I’ve been telling people that I am going to do… I better put the time in and do it right.  So for now, crazy busy, working three-ish jobs is the way its gotta be.

Crazy Productive

My friend Colleen is working on a book project of epic and global proportions. We met through an online mastermind group and have been each other’s cheerleaders ever since. Recently we decided to work together on a professional level. We spend our time together talking equally about business and writing, life and family. Colleen tells me all the time that I am crazy productive. I tell her it is because I don’t watch TV. But it’s more than that. When I pair my crazy busy life with my crazy big goals, I know that in order to get a decent amount of sleep at night (I require seven hours at a minimum) I MUST WORK QUICKLY.

It’s kind of like being a college athlete, which I was… but not a very good one. Most students on campus had from the time class ends, let’s say 4, until the time they go to bed, approximately 12, to get their homework done. 8 hours. In that 8 hours they probably hung out, played a few video games, had dinner, contemplated homework, watched some TV (Netflix wasn’t a thing when I was in college) and then at 11 decided they were too tired to put forth the effort of thinking needed to study. My teammates and I lived a different life. Practice 3-6. Dinner 6-7. Study 7-10. And then you go to bed because you were just plain exhausted. Because we had a limited amount of time in our schedule for homework, we sat down and hit the books… because if we didn’t use that time slot, it wouldn’t get done.

I operate the same way today. The kids go to bed at 8. I go to bed at 10. I better do something with those two hours, or the blog won’t get written, the manuscript won’t get revised, the email won’t be sent. I’m crazy productive because I have a dream, time’s a ticking and I refuse to let either one slip away.

Crazy Ambitious

I have big dreams. I want to write full time. I want to traditionally publish a book. I want to create and sustain a writing co-op that nurtures a writing community within my hometown.  People start small business and live the life they’ve dreamed every day. I want to be one of them.

But there’s more to the story. Crazy busy, crazy productive and crazy ambitious are only half of it.

I am also crazy supported and blessed. (I know that doesn’t work out mathematically, but just go with me here… I am a self-proclaimed word nerd, numbers aren’t really my thing.)

Crazy Supported

I am crazy supported by my parents. I can always count on my dad to respond to my monthly mailchimp emails. Even if no one else does, he’s there, cheering me on, every time. My mom likes and comments on every single one of my Facebook posts, shouting out how proud she is of me on a daily basis. And when the schedules collide (or sometimes explode), they are always there to take care of our kids, allowing us to pursue our dreams while they love our children in our absence. Much the same can be said for my in-laws, who take the kids for entire weekends during baseball season so that I can catch my breath, or at least administer disaster aid relief to my kitchen and laundry room.

Crazy Blessed

Every week my husband carves out hours for me, my writing and my sanity. My crazy productivity would not happen without him. In addition to this herculean feat, he gives me words of encouragement and gifts of flowers or a massage after his long day/weekend/tournament at the field have left me for long hours at home as a single parent. These gestures are the fuel that push me forward. I am crazy blessed because I know that he is 100% on this journey with me.

I am crazy blessed to have an incredible network of writing friends. I have my amazing Luna writing group that word nerds with me twice a month, offering equal shares wisdom, practice, encouragement, and fun. I have mastermind friends across the nation who give advice, buy each other’s books, share resources, and offer up guest blog post spots all in the name of collaboration and “pay it forwards”. I am blessed to have a sister who convinces her entire book club to read my novella, and who posts a review on each of my books, without me even asking. I have a critique partner who will road trip with me when the occasion strikes and a forever friend who will edit every manuscript I send her way. I am blessed to have two amazing sons who tell everyone we know, and some people we don't know, that their momma is an author and she writes books. How could I not find success with all these people in my corner?

And if that isn’t enough, I am crazy blessed to have an amazing extended family, the best babysitters on the planet, friends who inquire about the next book, and a God who gave me a brain to dream and talent to accomplish big things.

So, that’s fine. Go ahead and call me crazy. I agree, and couldn’t be happier about it.

Once Upon A Book Club Interview with Author Amanda Foody

So last week I wrote about the enchanting book subscription box Once Upon a Book Club. I told you all of the behind the scene details on how this incredible reading experience came to be and how you can get it delivered to your doorstep. This week I was lucky enough to interview the author of the YA September box book, Amanda Foody.

The Daughter of the Burning City, is Amanda Foody’s first book and is making a pretty big splash in the YA pool. The book was released in July (2017) and already has 930 rating on Goodreads. 

I myself am about 100 pages into this bewitching tale. Here’s the run down on Amanda’s debut novel.

Sixteen-year-old Sorina has spent most of her life within the smoldering borders of the Gomorrah Festival. Yet even among the many unusual members of the traveling circus-city, Sorina stands apart as the only illusion-worker born in hundreds of years. This rare talent allows her to create illusions that others can see, feel and touch, with personalities all their own. Her creations are her family, and together they make up the cast of the Festival's Freak Show. 

But no matter how lifelike they may seem, her illusions are still just that—illusions, and not truly real. Or so she always believed…until one of them is murdered. 

Desperate to protect her family, Sorina must track down the culprit and determine how they killed a person who doesn't actually exist. Her search for answers leads her to the self-proclaimed gossip-worker Luca. Their investigation sends them through a haze of political turmoil and forbidden romance, and into the most sinister corners of the Festival. But as the killer continues murdering Sorina's illusions one by one, she must unravel the horrifying truth before all her loved ones disappear.

Here’s what the author had to say!

How do you balance your writing and a second full time career? (I also do this, and would love to glean any new tips, tricks and techniques in maintaining this super power!)

Keeping myself busy keeps me productive! If I have too much free time, I definitely get lazy, so even though I fantasize about open schedules, I tend to work better in "crunch times." I think my main tip is being ok with writing really terrible drafts. Sometimes you're not inspired, but if you don't have time to wait for inspiration, just...write bad stuff! At least it's writing! My first drafts are almost always entirely rewritten, inspiration or not, so this works well for me.

After glancing at your website, I quickly spotted FanGirl, Pillars of the Earth, Maggie Stiefvater and Game of Thrones. (Seriously, if I had to make a top 5 list... these and Harry Potter would make up the coveted spots... we might be literary soul mates!) So many people say, write the book you want to read. Is that what you have done? How do your favorite authors inspire you?

I have definitely written the books I want to read. As a fantasy reader, I've seen it all--dragons, wizards, waterbenders, etc. Sometimes I love the familiar; sometimes I love a good twist on a classic. But for me, I always think of magic as the unexpected. By definition, magic is to explain the unexplainable, to search for the more hidden within the cracks of our world and manage to grasp it. If I am writing magic, I want it to be unexpected. I want something the reader has never seen before. 

My favorite authors usually inspire me in tangential ways. I typically take stylistic elements from their writing rather than actual ideas (which I find in duller, more ordinary places, like finding a world of magic in my financial accounting book. I love fantasy born out of mundane). For instance, Game of Thrones opened my eyes to creating morally gray characters. Naruto made me realize how broad I could make the scope of my projects. A Darker Shade of Magic taught me how many layers I could create over a world. J.K. Rowling taught me that the thrill is in the details. 

What is your favorite Harry Potter book? 

Order of the Phoenix! Angst-y Harry is the best Harry. Also how could you not love Dumbledore's Army?

What are your thoughts on being included in Once Upon a Book Club, Young Adult edition?

I'm thrilled! I always thought Daughter was a good discussion book. There are a lot of open-ended questions and development remaining--not necessarily for a sequel, but as talking points. Especially about the characters and unreliable narrators.

What advice would you give to teen writers?

Read craft books! They were my teachers. Once I devoured them, I got so much more knowledge out of the books I read, and I was able to develop my own opinions and style.

Your next book is called Ace of Shades, and will be released in April 2018. Any hints you can give us?

If you enjoyed the atmospheric setting of the Gomorrah Festival, you'll love the City of Sin. It isn't as whimsical, and the magic is less showy, but the neon lights and raunchy cabarets make up for it in the performance department. Daughter is dark, but Ace is greater. Daughter is endearing where Ace is sexy. Plus, Ace has two narrators, and who doesn't love the dynamics of those forced into an unlikely companionship?

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Thank you so much to Amanda for her time and amazing answers. If you didn’t get the September box, including Amanda’s book Daughter of the Burning City, you can click here. I will leave you with one last piece of advice from our featured author. Until next time word nerds, happy reading! 

Once Upon an... Entreprenuer

Have you ever wished that reading could be your job? Like seriously, to sit around and be paid to read good books? Michelle Wolett gets to do this every day and has pretty much the best job on the planet. She is the creator of Once Upon a Book Club, a subscription box. It is one of the most fun reading experiences I’ve ever had, and I can’t wait to tell you all about it.

Here’s how it works. Each month, for the bargain price of $34.99, a box arrives on your doorstep. Inside your box (both adult and young adult options are available), awaits hours of reading entertainment and enjoyment. The box contains a book (sometimes paperback, sometimes hardcover) and three to five wrapped gifts. Set the gifts aside (I promise your patience will be rewarded…) and start reading. After a few chapters you will come across a little post it note that says, open your gift! Find the gift with the corresponding page number and voila! The very item you were just reading about, is now in your hands! It is pure perfection for my geeky little soul.

The anticipation and full sensory experience of reading a book this way is incredible! Here are a few examples of past books and the gifts included so you can see what I’m talking about.

It’s genius right? I recently caught up with the creator of this curated reading experience, Michelle, an Arizona momma-prenuer of Rockstar levels, and picked her brain on the how and why of her business, as well as asked her some nerdy, bookish questions.

When did you first have the idea for Once Upon a Book Club?

I came up with the idea in May of 2016 when looking for a gift for my mom.  I had recently read "The Nightingale" by Kristin Hannah.  I thought it would be cool to include a gift of something that was actually mentioned in the book and decided to pair it with a wine from the region the book takes place. 

At the time, I had already ran a subscription box service for phone cases called "Once Upon a Book Case". I immediately started thinking about how this concept of books and paired gifts would make a great subscription box. I thought, “What if we could create something that makes you feel like you were physically a part of that world? ” My mind started brainstorming and I eventually came up with the Once Upon a Book Club.

When did you decide to take the leap and put your idea into the world?

I'm the type of person that doesn't waste time.  As soon as I had the idea I created an Instagram page and started working on prototypes. Then I set up my website.  We started accepting subscribers in mid-June 2016 for the July box, and just a little over two months after I had the idea, the first box went out on July 17th.

How many subscribers did you start with your first month? How many are you up to now?

Our first month we sold out at 200 subscribers! Since then we have grown massively and are now averaging about 1,200 boxes a month.

What has been your biggest challenge with Once Upon a Book Club?

Planning and staying within a budget.  I underestimated how hard it can be to find a good book that a large audience would enjoy.  A lot of time is spent reading- and sometimes books don't offer up good gift ideas, or we have already done a certain gift or theme that was mentioned. Sometimes we begrudgingly have to put the book down and find another!  Also, our discounts for books aren't as good for certain publishers- so sometimes we have go into our gift budget- which makes it hard! It can truly be a puzzle to put together the perfect reading experience, but this is also what makes it fun.

What has been the greatest surprise with Once Upon a Book Club?

The community!  I especially love how involved everyone is active on our social media sites like our Instagram and Facebook pages!  We have read-alongs and discussion questions each month where readers can chime in with their thoughts. I just love the little online reading community we have built!

Who are the top three authors on your pipe-dream list to include in Once Upon a Book Club?

Hmm,,, that is a hard one- I really love authors that are great at describing details. So definitely Kristin Hannah... Sarah J Maas... and Sarah Addison Allen.  Each is so different- but they are all so good!

What advice do you have for running a great book club?

Book Clubs are about Community!  You want to create a space where readers not only discuss books, but discuss their lives and feelings. 

What advice do you have for other entrepreneurs?

Just take the leap!  Test things out and if they don't work- move on to something that does.  My favorite quote is by Erin Hanson "What if I fall?  Oh but my darling, what if you fly?" 

Anything else you'd like to share about Once Upon a Book Club?

Once Upon a Book Club is a lot of work, but it has been the best thing I have ever done.  I have been able to quit my day job, and support my family while staying home with my little one to watch her grow. What could be better? Plus, I get to read a lot of books!

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So there you have it. Michelle and Once Upon A Book Club. What do you think? I just received my first box last week, and already I am in love! What book would you love to see turned into a Once Upon a Book Club box? (P.S. I created a set of gifts to go with my book, Champion Chocolatier… if you are in need of a divine holiday gift, you know where to find me! Michelle even featured this book combo on her Facebook page!)

Happy subscribing, and happy reading!

Switching Up Your Skill Set and Style

The task of writing encompasses many skills. While your abilities may lean toward one type of writing (fiction), it is good to occasionally brush up on the other (non-fiction). So even though I almost always write fiction, this past week while on vacation, I decided to brush up on my observational and reporting skills and deliver you a fact filled report.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I proudly present, 5 Interesting Facts on the British Island of Bermuda.

Bermuda Fact #1

Well, I lied. I guess this isn’t really a fact. (See, I told you it was good to practice!) Bermudian folklore says that twenty-five years ago a hurricane came and devastated the island… damaging land and physical property. Amidst the damage goods were many chicken coops, leaving the chickens to run free and wander the island. The birds were never collected, and learned to live off the land. Now, feral chickens and roosters freely roam, clucking and laying eggs here and there, crowing when they please, despite the fact that the morning hours have long since passed. Our host asked us to please not call animal control, because they would be forced to shoot the birds. It appears, the Bermudians liked the chickens just the way they are.

Bermuda Fact #2

The roofs in Bermuda are specially designed to collect rain water. This water is then purified with lime (and another mineral component I can’t remember… see, detail collecting, need to improve there too!). It is the only water the citizens have to use, unless they pay to have more delivered to their homes. The environmentalist in me loves this, and I’ll admit had me acting a bit more conscientious about my water usage. It rained almost every day while we were in Bermuda, and each time, instead of being crabby, I was grateful.

Bermuda Fact #3

In Bermuda the cemeteries are above ground. Our taxi driver, Ken (include a source with your material to make it more credible… check!), told us that they can fit twelve coffins into each grave. The bodies and wood decompose quickly in the hot and humid climate and after a time, they compress and crush the remains to make room for more coffins and bodies. Slightly creepy, but super interesting.

Bermuda Fact #4

A supply ship, called Deliverance, was forced to crash land on Bermuda in 1609, before the island was inhabited. The ship, carrying fresh supplies and colonists for the quickly declining colony of Jamestown, took ten months to rebuild and then another two weeks to finish their journey to America. It is said that these people and supplies saved Jamestown. The ship secretary, William Strachey, chronicled the events, and his writings later inspired William Shakespeare to base his play, The Tempest, on the real-life events. (Using historical figures and allegorical writings, increases the quality of your writing and take it to a whole new level of awesomeness!)

Bermuda Fact #5

Some of the particles of sand on the beaches in Bermuda are red, creating an overall vision of pink sand. This result is created by the countless lobster, crab and mollusk shells that have been broken down by the relentless ocean waves. This pink sand is featured in souvenir shops in the forms of snow globes, jewelry and tiny bottles with shells. While on vacation I even ordered a Pink Sand Pina Colada that was both beautiful and delicious. (Adding a personal experience to your writing provides both credibility for you as the writer, and an enjoyment factor for your readers.)

A few insignificant things I learned… Itty bitty pig tails work best for my hair in this humid climate. If you are willing to pay $7.20 for a 6 pack, which I am, you can enjoy Diet Pepsi in Bermuda. Long sleeves are not required. Sleeves in general are unnecessary. Roundabouts drive to the left, and the taxis are a MUCH more efficient way of traveling, albeit, a bit more expensive.

So there you have it. Thank you for allowing me to both tune up my nonfiction writing skills and relive my vacation. I hope you learned a few fun facts about Bermuda, and a few writing tips as well.

When Worlds Collide... Education and Writing

As the school year approaches, I thought I would do something fun that crisscrossed my two professional worlds… teaching and writing. So, I interviewed teacher-author Sarah Thursby. Sarah and I have a lot in common. We are English educators, both writers, both mothers of young children, trying to balance the demands of life. While I am from Wisconsin, she is from Minnesota. I saw just one musical this summer (Hamilton!) and she saw FOUR, in New York no less! Today we are talking about how our education and writer lives intersect, overlap and enrich each other.

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Word Nerd: Hi Sarah! Thanks for visiting my blog today and sharing your teaching and writing experiences with us. We'll start with a few easy questions! What grade levels and subjects do you teach?

ST: I teach 9-12 / Reading Foundations, English 10, American Literature, Intro to Theater and Theater Productions.

Word Nerd: What a line up! What are you most excited about for the school year?

ST: I'm most looking forward to getting involved in the extracurricular theater program and being able to make connections with my students during school by getting to know them after school. We are really going to be hitting accent work and nearly all students will have to try and understand and learn a unique accent. I'm incredibly excited to see them raise to the challenge.

Word Nerd: How do your teaching world and writing worlds overlap?

ST: In the district I’ve worked in for the past year, I have been hired to direct the high school musical and play each year! Very exciting, yet quite overwhelming.  Because I was willing to share my worries and proactively work to ensure success, my school sent my colleague and me to the Broadway Teachers Workshop in New York City! 

Word Nerd: Wow, that sounds amazing! I love the way that going to a conference or class can totally fuel my passion for teaching.

ST: Yeah, it was great! During this three-day event, I was able to attend masters classes with directors, actors, writers, musicians, stage managers, etc.  As if all of this wasn’t enough magic, I also got to attend FOUR Broadway performances: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Anastasia, Dear Evan Hansen, and Come From Away.  

Word Nerd: I’m sure you were watching with a critical eye, trying to glean anything you could later relate to your students. What did you walk away with? (Besides several songs stuck in your head!)

ST:  Well, the first show was quite disappointing. There were several mistakes in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. My students are putting on this show during the upcoming school year and I was thrilled to have the chance to see it live on Broadway, but unfortunately, it was a less than stellar performance.

The actor playing Willy was an understudy, and allowed his top hat to fall off.  Several times.  Every time his hat fell off, his microphone was inaudible.  The second time his hat fell to the stage, he didn’t even go to pick it up! Awkwardly, another cast member went behind him, picked it up, and placed it on his head! Then as Augustus was getting sucked up the tube of chocolate, we could hear the Oompas singing, and yet there was not an orange faced, green haired factory worker in sight!  As the cast members stood uncomfortably on stage peering into the wings, the audience began to mumble to their neighbors about the scene.  How could this be?  

Have no fear - a voice boomed over-head stating: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE ARE EXPERIENCING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES. WE WILL BE WITH YOU SHORTLY. Then, to make things worse, the cast began to talk to the audience…

“You guys are really lucky! You get to see that scene again.”

“Now you know the music. Wait until you see the Oompas!”

They completely broke character, chattered to the audience, and completely ruined the stage magic and illusion. It was awful.

I learned that even though Broadway is the Disney of live performances, people and technology are imperfect; it comes with these imperfections that we are given the opportunity to struggle together as one… both the actors and the audience. We are all relevant pieces to this puzzle of life.

Word Nerd: Yikes. So sorry to hear that. I'm glad you were able to pull something positive out of the poor performance. Tell us about the other shows.

ST: We saw three more shows that set our passions aflame.  Anastasia was utterly breathtaking with the dancing, costuming, acting, and singing.  If you haven’t seen it and love the SPECTACLE of a big show, this is the one for you.

Dear Evan Hansen is a fantastically modern tale of depression and loneliness where tragedy strikes.  Through tragedy and a little crude humor, these young high school students and their families find ways to bond together and heal issues that were never even spoken.

Finally, I want to promote one of the most noteworthy and beautiful productions I have ever seen in my life: Come From Away.  This TRUE STORY is a conglomeration of hundreds of hours of interviews with the locals in Newfoundland, Canada.  The day of 9/11, so many airplanes and passengers were routed out of the airspace immediately and directed to the small island.  With the island’s population doubling and then some, these rare and amazing Canadians bent over backwards to accommodate people from all around the world!  They literally gave the clothes off their backs, the food from their stores, and the beds and couches in their homes.  

To top all of this inspiring history, the cast (made up of only 12 members playing several roles each) contained two people from the small island of Newfoundland itself.  If you, like me, love a wonderfully told story, both effortless and seamless, as well as rarely distinctive music, this show is a must see on Broadway.

Word Nerd: Any final thoughts?

ST: All in all, I am so grateful for having been allowed this amazing trip.  I’ve learned more than I thought possible in a three day time span.  As a teacher especially, I wouldn’t have been able to afford to attend all of these shows, so I know how incredibly lucky I am. I'm really glad that I was able to combine two things I really love, theater and teaching. 

Word Nerd: I'm sure you can't wait to share your incredible experiences with your students! Some good, some, not-to-much... but either way, I’m certain it will enhance their education and only serve to make your rendition of Charlie simply scrumptious!! Thank you so much for visiting my blog today Sarah! Have a great school year!

Sarah's Bio

I have been a high school English and theater teacher all around the state of Minnesota for the past eight years, and I currently reside in Mankato with my husband and two little boys. Although I am an aspiring Young Adult novelist, my current and completed manuscript of an apocalyptic adventure is resting quietly on my hard drive. As this dream sits in wait, I am pleased to explore another dream of heading up musicals and plays, as this fall I am directing Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Life is kind to those who persistently seek out their passions. You can contact Sarah via email here: sthursby@newulm.k12.mn.us.

Literary Decor

My word nerd tendencies can be found in pretty much every aspect of my life. Where I spend my time, how I spend my money, what I choose to talk about… usually revolves around the almighty word.

Last October we moved into our new house, and this summer as we were getting ready to host a family reunion breakfast (for around 40 people!) I realized that I still had a bit of decorating to do. I also noticed that quite a few of my decorations leaned toward the literary persuasion. And because I am not shy about my word-nerdy-ness… I decided to share them with you.

1.       A framed poem, written for me by The Roaming Poet while on vacation in Denver, CO. It sits on my bed side table. The frame is from Hobby Lobby.

2.       A close-up of the framed page art I purchased at Target last week. 

3.       The three pieces of framed page art, as they hang from above the mirror in my bathroom.

4.       A printer box, that used to hold letters for a printing press, now hold my knickknacks, including a metal bookmark, now re-purposed as a decoration.

5.       In my basement, book cases and copies of my books (framed by my husband as a gift to me each time one is published) help to decorate the space.

6.       A poster autographed by my favorite author hangs on a wall to decorate my yet to be finished writing space.

7. This massive Z was one of the first pieces I bought for our new home. It was from the craft and hobby store, Michaels, but I don't believe you can buy them anymore. 

8. This word-art was a house warming gift from a friend and accented by shelves and gold tipped feathers from Target. The phrase could not be more perfect. Thank you, Lisa!

9. This final item was also a house warming gift from one of my long time friends, Sarah. She knows me pretty well, huh? Thank you fellow word nerd, for adding to my literary decor collection. 

** I'm not sure where my friends purchased these gifts (#8 and #9), but if we are lucky, they might chime in, in the comments below. :) **

What do you think? Which one is your favorite?

What’s your obsession? Does it show up in your home décor? Comment with a picture below! Until next time nerds, happy writing and happy decorating!

Writing Reviews

What do you do when you read a good book? You tell somebody about it, right?!?!

“Oh my gosh, you have to read this book! I stayed up way too late finishing it. It’s going to change your life! You just have to read this!”

— You, when you L-O-V-E a book

You become a walking billboard for the author. You tell everyone at work, your mom and your sister, every member of your book club, all of social media, even your dog groomer knows that you love this book.

Why? Why do we do that?

Because we don’t want the reading experience to end. If we can talk about the book, it isn’t really over. And if we can convince other people to read the book, then we can talk about it with them, and relive all of the drama and glory of the story. Telling people about a good book, is almost as much fun as reading it in the first place.

But many of us stop there.

Believe me, authors L-O-V-E when you talk about their book. Word of mouth is by far and away the biggest success factor a book has in it’s corner. No matter who published it, who endorsed it, how many ads it has in People Magazine… if people don’t like it and talk about it… the book is unlikely to sell well.

But do you know what is almost as important? Reviews. The Amazon Algorithm (yes, with a capital A) is designed to visibly introduce online shoppers to products that have been purchased AND reviewed. If a book has zero to few reviews there is a snowball’s chance in hell that it will show up in the “also bought” section of your screen. Even slimmer are the chances that it will appear in the ads slots on Amazon or even Facebook.

Reviews are also a factor for consumers as they decide which book will win their hard-earned money. A cheesy review with a glowing 5 stars that was likely written by the author’s high school English teacher doesn’t hold much weight. But an honest appraisal of story, pace and character is much more helpful. People want to know… did you enjoy this book? Is it worth my time and money? They do NOT want to know the end, or who the girl ended up with.

So the next time you finish a book, go tell everyone how much you loved it. Tell them that a character quirk drove you crazy until page 378 when it all suddenly made sense. Tell them you wished the sequel was out tomorrow, instead of November. And then… go online and write a review.

To put my money where my mouth is, I wrote two reviews this week.

The first is a fun beach read of a book, Absolutely True Lies by Rachel Stuhler. A Hollywood writer down on her luck gets the ghostwriting job of the century. After landing the job, she lands a thousand other places she wouldn’t expect. Both the protagonist and the reader better hang on if they expect to make it to the end of this book in one piece. Here’s my review.

4 Stars “I took this book on vacation and was so glad I did. It was the perfect summer read... something light and fun with ever shifting character motivations that kept me guessing until the end. It was fun to imagine if the realities of the celebrities in our world live the way the author depicted them... especially since her bio said she has spent some time in the Hollywood scene. The final scene sets us up nicely for a sequel and I for one would be interested to read more of Holly's author adventures in Hollywood.” – Absolutely True Lies by Rachel Stuhler 

You may remember a blog post I did earlier this year on the amazing resources written by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi. Well after purchasing and using their newest resources (The Urban and Rural Setting Thesauruses) I was overjoyed to write this review.

5 Stars “This book, like the others in its series, is pure genius. If you are looking for a tool to take your writing to the next level, buy this entire set immediately. The extensive forethought and detail that has gone into creating this resource is incredible. It has definitely made a positive impact on my writing.” – The Urban/ Rural Setting Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman  and Becca Puglisi.

What is the best book you have read this summer? Comment with the title below and then go write a review!

P.S. If you have read one of my books and haven’t written a review… I would be forever grateful if you’d consider. To make it super easy, I’ve left this handy dandy link for you to click, RIGHT HERE. Just click on the title, then reviews, and then on the little white button that says. WRITE A REVIEW. Thanks in advance! Hugs and happy reading/review writing!

The Roaming Poet

I spent last weekend in Denver, visiting my sister-in-law and her husband. It was a great, adult-only, getaway, full of all the typical Colorado tourist destinations. We watched a Rockies game, toured the Coors Brewery and wandered through the shop and restaurant filled Union Station. We had a lovely dinner at my in-laws’ house, enjoying good food and good company, without the presence of Midwestern mosquitos. One of my favorite moments of the trip, however,  came on the last day of our trip when we visited the historic bookstore: Tattered Cover.

“We are a Denver institution, a community gathering place, and an experience you can't download,” the bookstore owners say of itself. With several locations around the city, they are proud to support indie authors and boast and incredible 400+ author/illustrator/public figure/reading events per year.

As I meandered the wooden-floored store, browsing books on aging shelves, I felt as if I was looking at someone’s personal library, rather than a cleverly curated display meant to entice the money out of my wallet and into the cash register. Entire sections are tucked away in corners or alcoves. In some cases, like the children’s section, a separate room hosts the books, both used and brand new. The arrangement leaves you free to select your book and read the first few pages almost in private.

As much as I enjoyed the store itself, another treasure sat outside. A poet. “Pick a Topic. Get a Poem” his sign declared.

“Hello,” I said. "I’d like a poem about books, please.”

The poet took a small sheet of paper and threaded it into his typewriter. After a moment’s pause he began hunting and pecking the keys. I stood, transfixed as he composed my commissioned art from a folding chair on the sidewalk. He stopped once, stretching out his arms wide, twirling his wrists and wiggling his fingers as if to pluck the perfect words from the hot, city air. Then he went back to the keys, tap-tapping and bar sliding until he slipped the paper from the machine and asked,

“Would you like me to read it to you?”

“Yes, please!” (and I am so glad I did.)

The timbre of his voice, the cadence of the syllables, the bob of his head while his feet remained firmly planted on the ground. The performance itself was a souvenir. We traded cash for poem and then a few questions and answers.

The Roaming Poet  has been setting up shop all over the country, working as a full time writer for four years, writing an estimated 10,000 poems a year. Denver, Chicago, New York City, Moab, Vegas. Staying at Airbnb’s, camping in his car, and his favorite, using couchsurfing.com so he can experience a city through the eyes of his local hosts. In addition to street writing, he also can be hired for private parties, including weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, and funerals. 

The couple who requested a poem after me said, “Hey man, where’ve you been? We have been wanting a poem for a month!”

“Sorry,” he replied. “I was camping in Yellowstone for a while.”

While he wrote for the couple, a line formed. People snapped pictures and waited for their own slip of a verse. I wanted another poem. Would gladly pay again to watch this writer craft words on the spot. This time I would pay more attention. Ask to video record the reading. Think of some literary question to ask.

But it was time to go. Lunch, and afterward, a flight home, called.

So until next time Roaming Poet, thank you for your words. I hope our paths cross again.

Hey readers, I’m curious. What topic would you have given the Roaming Poet to write about?

Beyond the Fantasy of Working From Home - Guest Post from Tallitha Reese

Working from home – it’s the ultimate dream, the ideal goal, the plan of blissful paradise for someday. I know that’s what it was for me.

As I trudged daily into job after job that I would eventually grow to hate, I told myself that someday, I was going to be freelance writing from home full-time, and then everything would be better. It had to be better…someday.

I watched my glorious days of working from home play out in my head – I would wake up in the morning to start my day with an energizing workout, or maybe I’d go for an early morning walk as the sun was rising and the dew sparkled on the grass. I’d enjoy a cup of coffee or two at my leisure, followed by a full healthy breakfast.

Then I’d get to work in my designated home office space, where I would churn out piece after piece that someone, somewhere was paying me handsomely for. I’d take a long break for lunch, maybe another quick stroll outside to stretch my legs. Eventually, I’d find my way back to my desk overlooking a window to finish up some work, and move on to my own creative writing projects. It was beautiful, and I longed for those days to arrive.

Since I recently jumped into freelance writing full-time, and started to work on building my own business, I’ve discovered that the reality of working from home isn’t quite like that.

For one thing – I’m probably the epitome of “not a morning person.” If I grunt at my husband when he kisses me good-bye as he leaves in the morning, he considers it a good start for me.  There’s no way I’d be up walking while the sun is rising. My designated “home office” also serves as our storage room/spare bedroom/library/extra closet, and I desperately need to clean and re-organize it, but instead I just avoid it, and when it gets to be too much I take my laptop downstairs to work at the kitchen table. I haven’t worked out in months, and I haven’t had the time to really focus on my own creative writing for a long time.

Not to say that I don’t love working from home, and feel absolutely blessed to have the opportunity to do so, but it isn’t quite like I imagined it. It’s a lot harder.

When you don’t work from home, but want to (and who doesn’t?), you hear all the stories about how challenging it actually is; how it’s difficult to stay on task, and how much you miss the daily social interactions that come with a typical 9-5 office job.

I remember hearing those stories, and thinking, right. How difficult it must be. I’ve had to work in hectic, crazy busy environments before – I’m a master at time management. And missing social interaction? Ha. I’m an introvert, so sign me up!

But it really is challenging. I’ve always prided myself on meeting deadlines. In college, I always procrastinated and stayed up all night right before the due date, but I got my papers written. When I worked as an editor, the paper had to be done every week by the end of the day Tuesday. I didn’t go home until it was complete, and after a while I started turning in my portion of the paper early.

But those were all deadlines enforced by someone, or something else. Some external power that was more important than me, and could affect my job and paycheck. Sometimes deadlines set by someone else are a little easier to abide by.

The perks of working from home are undeniably great. I get to choose when I work, but I also have to live with the consequences if I don’t make myself do what needs to be done. Depending on the situation, those consequences could be losing a potential client, or not getting paid, which are scary when you’ve quit a job that provides a steady bi-weekly paycheck, even if you did slack off a bit on Friday afternoon at the office.

You can’t really leave work at work when you work from home either. Because of that, it can be hard to draw boundaries sometimes. Of course, with any job you’ll have days or nights where you need to pull some extra work to get ahead, but when your office is largely operated out of your personal cell phone and laptop, you really cannot escape those pings that signal an incoming email or text from a client.

There are days where I’ll work long past the typical 5 pm “closing time” or be answering work related emails on my phone while I’m on vacation or at a weekend BBQ. Just because I may be wearing PJ pants or I might not be sitting in a corporate office while I do those things, doesn’t make the work/life balance any easier.

Having said all of that – working from home is amazing. I’m much happier now, being able to write and work on projects that I choose, than I ever was sitting in an office all day, following directions from someone else. I get to make the decisions, which is both a good, and a scary thing, if I’m being perfectly honest. But I’ve learned that even though working from home is a dream come true, it’s not quite as easy or effortless as I once envisioned.

Learn more about Tallitha and her writing services by visiting https://www.wordsbyreese.com/

Tallitha Reese is a professional writer and content manager based in Wisconsin. She savors rural, small town life, although she enjoys the offers of the big city as well - particularly theatre, dancing, coffee houses and bookstores. She is married, and has two extremely entitled cats.

Tallitha has a professional background in journalism and communication, having worked in newspaper, corporate communications and marketing in the past. She studied English, Journalism and History, and holds a BA in Literature With a Writing Emphasis.

The Story In You

I can remember it very clearly, the day I realized that I was a total hypocrite.  I was standing in the front of my classroom, in front of 25 4th graders, and I was teaching a lesson on growing ideas for narrative writing.

 As you might imagine, some of the kids really struggle with this.  I take them through different examples about how other authors come up with their ideas. We share how some famous authors have stumbled upon the seeds for some of their most famous books.  Some of them think of something immediately, but others whine, “I don’t know what to write about.  I don’t have any good ideas.”  

 It was when I said, “You guys, the thing is-writers write the books that they wish existed in the world.  If it’s not out there, it’s up to us to write it!” that it dawned on me.  How long had I been wishing that there was something out there for me, a book that would help me and others know that we are not alone?  That other mamas who had lost babies and struggled through grief were having the exact same thoughts and feelings, and none of us were crazy after all?

 Here I was, urging my students to do something that I really needed to do myself.  I knew that I needed to take my own advice and get started-The problem is that writing takes so much bravery.  You are taking a huge leap into this world where you know you’ll be judged for what you have to say, and how you say it.

 That exact moment was why I started writing.   I began writing my memoir that very night and 65,000 words later (and almost 3 years!), I’m now in the final edits and ready to start querying publishers.

 I’ve read somewhere that something like 80% of Americans want to write a book, or feel they have a story in them.  I’ve also read that the chances of making the NYT Bestseller list is akin to winning the lottery.  I would be lying if I told you I didn’t want that, but I am telling you that I honestly don’t expect it.  That’s not why I write.

 Writing (and reading) has provided so much  so for me throughout life.  I’m a total word-nerd, just like Amanda, and there’s a reason for that.  As a child, books offered me an escape, I loved jetting off into that fantasy world whenever I needed.  As an adult, so much of what I seek out to read is to educate myself on the world around us.  Reading makes us better people.  The more we know, the more empathy we have.  I mean, I didn’t realize when I was a kid how much you’re learning about life even through fiction books like the Baby-Sitter’s Club (I mean, I always knew that Kristi had leadership skills and I wanted to be the one in charge, LOL!)  

 Now that my book is almost done, and I’ve started blogging, updating Facebook, and getting jobs writing articles, I am writing for a totally different reason.  Now, I have become addicted to that beautiful feeling when someone has connected to my words.  I now live for the moment when someone says, “Oh my gosh, me too!”  

This is what pushes me along now.  It’s what makes me give up my precious fleeting moments of free time to write blog posts and engage with followers on social media. I don’t get paid anything monetarily, but do I get paid in relationships.  I can find meaning through my words and through the positivity I’m attempting to put out into the universe.

 Reading and writing may seem like they’re just hobbies.  To me, though, they are more than that.  We read and write because it connects us to everyone else.  Through words we are reminded that we matter, and that we belong.  The power is in the knowledge that others are going through similar things to us-both the good and the bad-and that, no matter what, we are never alone.

 There is nothing like knowing that you are not alone.  Keep reading and writing, fellow word-nerds.  We need each other!  Now, go get started!

Christy Wopat is a 4th grade teacher and writer.  She lives with her husband and two hilarious, energetic children, who provide more than enough material for Um, You Guys?, her humorous blog and Facebook page where she talks about parenting and parenting after loss.  You can find her at:

http://umyouguysblog.wordpress.com

https://www.facebook.com/umyouguys/

Head Down. Blinders On.

July 1st marked my first day out of my Mastermind group. For the months of April, May and June I checked in daily with my group to watch a video posted by our fearless leader, Dan Blank. Once I inputted my daily dose of wisdom, I shared and collaborated in our private online group, as did the other ten participants. Our goal? To learn how to make connections in a way that would further our creative careers.

In these three months I stretched my thinking, applied some best practices, met new friends, made big plans and learned A LOT. And now… that it’s all done… now what?

Now I put my head down and my blinders on. I need to do something with all of that thinking, all of that learning. Now, I am going to say NO to new learning. NO to opportunities that pique my interest. NO to anything additional. That might sound weird, especially coming from a teacher, but hear me out.

Unless I take time to honor what I just learned, take time to complete my current works in progress… the learning didn’t really ACCOMPLISH anything. I put a lot of time into this Mastermind, a lot of time into my learning and connecting. If I don’t produce any RESULTS from that hard work, it will not have been time well spent. It will have been time wasted.

So in July and August, I am going to work. HARD. Mostly on my own. And I hope that come September, I will have some great things to share with you… the result of a lot of learning, and an equal amount of doing. I’m also going to reward myself by going on some vacations, so you’ll see some guest posters in the weeks to come. In my absence, please welcome them and show ‘em a little word-nerd love.

I’d love to hear what you are working on this summer in the comments below!

The Working Mother Balance Dance

As a mother there is always a balance to maintain… a precarious line we must toe in order to meet our family’s needs while also maintaining our own sanity. Being a working mom creates additional challenges and obstacles. And working from home… well you might as well sign up for ballroom lessons because the steps and twirls required to make it all work out are complex indeed.

I won’t pretend to be your instructor in this life lesson, but today I’ll give you a peek into my life, and how I attempt to GET IT ALL DONE. To do this I am borrowing an idea from a fellow creative, Jennifer Garbers. Last week on her blog she shared her work day with us in the form of a photo essay. She took one photo an hour, all day. To see what her writing work day looks like, click here. 

I took my photos last Friday. My kiddos were home all day with us, so I think it truly exemplifies the working-mother-balance-dance. I will also note, that because my husband and I are both teachers and home in the summer, he makes this dance possible. He is the best dance partner a working-writing-mother could as for.

7 o'clock hour: Catch with online work (emails, social media, Story Seedlings posts, etc.) for an hour while the house is still quiet.

8 o'clock hour: Drive to a meeting

9 o'clock hour: Meet with the Weber Center Interim Director about hosting an event. (Top Secret for now!!)

10 o'clock hour: Errands, including cashing checks (woohoo!) at the bank and Target.

11 o'clock hour: Library with the kiddos

12 o'clock hour: Lunch!

1-2 o'clock hours: Quiet time for the kids, work time for me! 

3 o'clock hour: Arts and crafts. Creating aliens for the Summer Library Program

4 o'clock hour: A wagon ride to the park

5 o'clock hour: Dinner... which for me was cereal and watching my Dan Blank Mastermind Video

6 o'clock hour: Take the sheets off the line and make beds

7 o'clock hour: Ice Cream!

8 o'clock hour: Outline a blog post while the kiddos watch a movie

9 o'clock hour: Bed Time. (THANK GOODNESS!)

10-11 o'clock hours: Working on finishing up a portion of my YA Fantasy. (Sooooooo close to done... both the manuscript and my day!) 

12 o'clock hour: Not pictured... collapsing into BED!!

This is what most of my days in the summer look like. It is a busy dance floor we have created for ourselves, but together, we manage the chaos the best we can. And at the end of most days, we smile and say... that wasn't a masterpiece of a day, but we did pretty good.

What about you? How do you manage to get your work done? Do you have any tips to share with us as you attempt to DO IT ALL? I'm sending you all productive vibes, and a huge dose of encouragement to help you do what you love, while you care for the humans you love.

Advice from a Cocoon

My friend Colleen and I just spent a week on a writing retreat in the cocoon of her family’s cabin home in Northern Minnesota. In the quiet isolation of the lake we were able to reset our creative clocks and write with purpose and vigor. Free from the demands of our typical schedules and responsibilities we were able to write for hours, stay up late, skip normal meal times, indulge in two hour Skype collaborations, brainstorm, dream, strategize, and then, write some more.

 But it wasn’t all work. One day we blew off steam racing around the lake on jet skis. We started taking walks in the afternoon and one night we even went out to have dinner and cocktails at the local establishment. Our cocoon afforded us the luxury of both blinding productivity and sheer laziness.

 It was incredible, but after five days it was time to leave our cocoon and head back into the real world. I packed my bags with memories, new opportunities, big plans, 7,500 new words in my manuscript and a few left over snacks.

Colleen and I stood in the driveway delaying the inevitable. Our cocoon was safe. Fun. Productive. I didn’t want to leave. But there was work to be done that couldn’t happen in the isolation of our quiet space. It was time to go. And so I did, but with me I took so many things, including these lessons, which I am now sharing with you… Advice from a Cocoon.

Colleen and I plan on having many more retreats together. In fact, we are in the process of planning an epic series of writing getaways. If you are looking to spend time in a safe, fun and productive cocoon and would like to join us, drop a comment below or email me at wordnerd@amandazieba.com and I can keep you in the loop. But for now, I wish you all the best as you spread your wings in the real world. Fly away... and then write about it. 

Writing Deadlines

Today's guest post comes from author Leann Betts. Her new book came out this month. So after you read this post, click over to Amazon to check it out! 

In the writing world, there are two kinds of deadlines: the ones imposed by others; and the ones imposed by you.

The deadlines that others set for you in your writing might include a contest entry date; a critique group submission due date; a time frame for the submission of a proposal and first three chapters to an editor or agent following a contact at a writing conference such as the ACFW National Conference; a request for a full manuscript; the acceptance and signing of a contract; first draft approval; intermediate revisions; and final revisions prior to publication. Each one of these deadlines is critical to the process of writing, of keeping everything flowing, and of ultimately achieving the goal, whether that be winning a contest, being a productive member of a critique group, acquiring an agent, or publication.

And there are the self-imposed deadlines, the ones you set for yourself. And whether you realize it or not, you set deadlines every day, some that are related to writing and some that are not. For example, you get up at a certain time of the day. You have set the deadline on how long you're going to spend sleeping. If you have children, you get them off to school. Each deadline, while not specifically adding words or pages to your work in process, is a practice at meeting a deadline.

So how do you set self-imposed writing deadlines when there is no agent, no editor, no promise of an advance or a royalty looming over your head?

Treat your writing seriously, or you won't set goals. Look at the book you're working on, look at your schedule--because face it, we all have a life outside of writing--and determine how much time you can spend on writing, and how much you can reasonably expect to get done in that time. For example, I was working on a novella. When I started the book, I was excited about the story, excited about where the characters were going. I figured this book would just leap out of my mind, through my fingers, and into the computer.

That didn't happen. I was so convinced I could have this done in no time that that's exactly what I spent writing--no time. Suddenly the story was boring, and the laundry looked more interesting.

So around the middle of the third month of not writing, I decided enough was enough. I set a goal for the end of the month to have the story finished. I was about 20,000 words from the end. Still didn't happen. Seemed I had all the time in the world. For other things. So I buckled down and started writing seriously three days before the end of the month. I wrote 2,500 words the first day, 1,500 words the second, and 4,500 words the final day. I didn't quite make my goal because the story wasn't finished. But I was on a roll. Spending every day in the story made the story more real to me. And setting a deadline made me feel like I real writer.

Did I set a bad deadline? No. The problem was I wasn't serious enough about the work required.

Should I simply dump the story and move on? No. Writing every day has kept me in the story and opened some new plot points and back story points, and that's exciting for me.

How do I learn from this experience? I won't take the next deadline for granted. I will treat the deadline as if a contract, an advance, or publication depend on it.

Takeaway: I will act like I am a writer under a deadline imposed by someone else.

Exercises:

1. What work in process would you like to finish?

2. Take out the story, read through it to ground yourself again, and set a deadline.

3. Write every day, even if it's only for a few minutes, to keep yourself grounded in the story.

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Author Bio

Leeann Betts writes contemporary suspense, while her real-life persona, Donna Schlachter, pens historical suspense. She has released five titles in her cozy mystery series, By the Numbers, with Hidden Assets releasing the end of June. In addition, Leeann has written a devotional for accountants, bookkeepers, and financial folk, Counting the Days, and with her real-life persona, Donna Schlachter, has published a book on writing, Nuggets of Writing Gold, a compilation of essays, articles, and exercises on the craft. She publishes a free quarterly newsletter that includes a book review and articles on writing and books of interest to readers and writers. You can subscribe at www.LeeannBetts.com or follow Leeann at www.AllBettsAreOff.wordpress.com All books are available on Amazon.com in digital and print.

Facebook: http://bit.ly/1pQSOqV

Twitter: http://bit.ly/1qmqvB6

Books: http://amzn.to/2dHfgCE

Hooray for Summer!

I thought I'd do something a little different on this Writing Wednesday! So here's a video!

I'm pretty excited for summer and all I have planned. What word nerd things do you have on your summer calendar? Got a stack of books to get through? Attending a conference, workshop or retreat? Starting or finishing a novel? I'd love to hear about all of your literary adventure plans in the comments below!

The YA Summer Scavenger Hunt

X marks the spot! You've found the next location on the treasure map! Congratulations! Now read on for your secret word! It is hidden in this blurb for my YA Science Fiction Novel: Breaking the Surface. Read it now for only $.99 on Kindle and then check out the sequel: Bridging the Tides.

When Flynn gets the chance to leave her home on the ocean floor to spend some time on the surface, she has a long list of things to do. Things like: make friends, eat a cheeseburger, go to the beach, shop, go on a date and get her driver's license. She didn't really expect "reverse a science experiment gone wrong" or "save family from impending doom" to show up on the list. But now that they have, what will she do? This book is author Amanda Zieba's young adult debut. It is an original dystopian that promises to deliver readers with drama and adventure. Join Flynn as she navigates THROUGH the perils of high school, and as she figures out how to define "home".

If you'd like to stay connected join one of my eNewsletter lists! Click here for the one for readers, and here for the one for writers (this one comes with a free writing prompt gift!).  

Best of luck on the rest of your hunt!

Happy hunting, reading and writing!

Amanda Zieba

Hungry Heart

As an educator who uses the Common Core State Standards as her curriculum bible, I am supposed to expose my students to a variety of written material. I am specifically instructed to divide those text experiences between nonfiction and fiction, allocating 55% of the text used in class to the first and 45% to the latter. I get a little help from my social studies and science co-workers who teach with primarily nonfiction text, and that helps to balance out the scales. For the most part, we make it work.

I do not, however, follow those regimens with my own personal reading. Aside from dabbling with National Geographic during my weekly trips to the library with my students and an occasional article on Facebook, I am a strictly fiction kind of girl. Why would I spend my free time reading about reality? I LIVE in reality every day, all day. No, give me something fantastical that will sweep me away and give me a break from real life. That’s what I want to read.

So I find it kind of odd that the last four, maybe five books I have purchased or been gifted have been nonfiction. Where is this sudden draw to reality coming from? I’m not entirely sure, but I think as I travel further down the road to full-author-dom, I am trying to glean any advice, vicarious life experience, and wisdom I can. When I read Hungry Heart by Jennifer Weiner, I got all of that… and more.

The blurb describes this book as “hilarious and moving, a book about yearning and fulfillment, loss and love, and a woman who searched for her place in the world and found it as a storyteller.” This book is about not fitting in and about finding your own path. It is about balancing the responsibilities of motherhood with the ambitions of your soul. It is about the value of words and why some seem to “count” more than others. This book was funny, honest, thoughtful, inspiring, encouraging, and reflective (both of the author and of myself). It is nonfiction and I loved every single bit of it.

When I was growing up I debated between a career in writing and one in education. I chose education because it was KNOWN. I knew teachers. I knew what their life and their salary, their schedule and expectations… I knew what all of that looked like. I couldn’t say the same for an author, or even more generally, a writer. I wish this book were around when I was 18, so that I could learn, authors come from all walks of life. Anyone, who is willing to work hard enough and have a healthy level of stick-to-it-ive-ness, can be an author. Thank you Jennifer for teaching me that lesson now.

Jennifer Weiner is a champion of words. A champion of women. A champion of the underdogs, underappreciated and undervalued. And I will vote for her, shout out her praises, buy her books and validate her work, every single time I get the chance.

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Here are a few of my favorite lines from the book.

“Book were a series of magic carpets, each one with the power to deliver me to another, better place.” (p. 32
 

“I want to toss the book like a like buoy to those girls and women, and to the girl I had been, and tell them, Hold on to this, and I promise you, it’ll be alright.” - p. 182

“Every time you judge another woman’s appearance, an angel gets a gallstone.” - p. 251

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So whether you are a nonfiction junkie or a fiction fanatic,

     an aspiring author or neck deep in a different career field,

          if you are craving a truthful tale or an escape into someone else’s reality,

                 whether you have no children or ten,

                          if you need a cheerleader or want to be one,

pick up Hungry Heart and have your appetite wholly satisfied, one chapter at a time.

Miles on the Road Less Traveled

Some people make goals for the year.

I did that. I wanted to save 20% of my writing earnings in an envelope to prepare for a full time writing career. It is marked GO-PRO and currently has $1,390 in it! I also made a goal to drink more water… and have been less successful at that.

Some people pick a word to represent the direction they want to go for the year.

I did that too, thanks to the prompting of the leader of my writing group. My word is connections, and in another blog post, on another Writing Wednesday, I will explain the way I am living that out, literally one day at a time.

Some people make SMART goals, create charts to track progress, resolve to do A,B and/or C, get accountability partners, and the list rolls on and on. This year I did something a little different. I picked a theme song.

This isn’t something totally new for me. When I was in high school and on the gymnastics team, we would pick a song to play during the warm up for Floor Exercise. For two minutes we would tumble and leap and dance and stretch and get ready to compete. Each year a new song would be chosen to play during this time, to pump us up. The year I was a Junior we listened to “I’m in a Hurry” by Alabama. It must have worked because we hurried ourselves all the way to a second place finish at the state meet that year. Every time I hear this song, I still think of my teammates, and that season, and all of our hours together in the gym.

My former co-workers and I also used to pick a song that signified our school year… something to help us make sense of the crazy days we lived in public middle school education. One year Billy Currington was our man, and his song “God is Great, Beer is Good and People Are Crazy” seemed to sum up our year perfectly.

So I shouldn’t have been surprised when this song singled itself out. I didn’t think, “Hey, I need a song, a motivating force, to remind me what I’m doing in this big crazy journey of authorprenuership.” I didn’t think, “I need something that will pick me up, fire me up and push me onward”. But the song found me and it stuck.

Take a listen.

I could wax on and off about the meaning of the lyrics and the ways they connect to my goals and dreams, my emotions and my work… but I think they are pretty obvious. No moody, read-between-the-lines-to-interpret-my-soul lyrics for this girl. (At least, not this time.)

It’s all out there. Plain and simple. I want to be a full-time writer and writing coach, and as crazy as that might seem to some people, I don’t really care. I am giving it my all and working by butt off to get there. And this song is my cheerleader.

On an even more basic level, this big dream of mine has taken me, quite literally on the road. Since January 1st I have participated, facilitated, taught or presented at 13 author events (and have 4 more scheduled for June). In the past 5 months I have driven 2, 124 miles to be where my work takes me.

Here’s what that looks like.

Each trip, each location, each event, each presentation, each business card I handed out, connection I made, each and every mile on the road this year has brought me closer to my overall destination. So far the road of 2017 has brought me pretty far. I’m excited to see where it leads to next.

1: Rainy day road trip to Ontario, WI for Brookwood Family Literacy Night, 2: Along the shores of Lake Winnebago after an event for the Wisconsin Geocaching Association in Fond Du Lac, WI, 3: Author badge at WEMTA (Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association) Conference, 4: Hitting the road to Chippewa Falls, WI for a Gifted and Talented Workshop in my fabulous heart shaped aviators. 5: Driving past the paper mills that produce my favorite consumer product on the east side of the state, 6: The earliest time I ever stopped at the Kwik Trip near by home (5:25am) before hitting the road for Eau Claire, WI. 7: All fueld up with my life blood (Diet Pepsi - not sure where I was traveling here… to be honest, I wouldn’t even have to be traveling to take this picture), 8: Placard outside of the Charmant Hotel in La Crosse, WI for my reading/speaking event about Champion Chocolatier, 9: Untitled Town website (where I spoke for Green Bay’s first annual book and author festival), 10: Showcasing the new ride (I am super proud of this picture because I now make enough money as a writer to make the monthly payments on this vehicle. It feels good that my passion project can contribute to my family financially), 11: Windmills on the way to the east side of the state (for those of you who know me, you know these gargantuan pieces of machinery freak me out. I had to document the occasion.)