Writers on the Interwebs

http://icanhascheezburger.com

I've been stalling for a few days, trying to figure out what to say for this post.  See, I wanted to talk about online communities, how to find one that fits your style and how to make the most of them, but I kept running into an impasse.  The internet is a BIG place and there are so many options that it seemed any selection of online communities I mentioned would be horribly minuscule and wouldn't come close to representing all that the internet can offer.

The second part of the post (how to make the most of online communities) was also giving me trouble because who am I to tell you all how to make the most of your blogging/tweeting/web-surfing?  I'm basically a newbie at it myself.  I mean, I've only had this blog for six months and I joined twitter even more recently.

http://icanhascheezburger.com

This is why, instead of giving advice in this post, I've decided to tell you all a little about my own journey, what I've found that works for me and resources that have helped me along the way.

I started blogging back in 2007 with two blogs: one for knitting and one for writing.  Both were terrible, or at the very least, seriously unfocused.  I had no idea how blogging "worked" and what the "rules" were (mostly because I spent all my time writing and very little time reading other blogs).  I just wrote about whatever came to mind on that day and since my mind was often empty, I didn't post very often.  I mean, for crying out loud, I had more pictures of my cats on those blogs than I had of stuff relevant to my actual posts.

So I put those blogs out of their misery.

Then in grad school, I decided to give the blog thing another go with swimagainstthegrain.blogspot.com  It still exists… I left it up, because some of the posts are not terrible.  Early one Sunday morning, I started doodling in my notebook and before I knew it, I had drawn this little guy.

I kept doodling and by the time my hubby woke up, I had pages and pages of iggi scattered across the office floor and I had transferred the image to the computer.  It was at that moment that I realized iggi was my "brand" and I needed to adapt my blog accordingly.  So I rebooted my blog, moving from the old url to this one and iggi and I have been a team ever since.

Along the way, I've found a series of really useful resources that have helped me figure out the big scary world of the internets.

• inkygirl's Writer's Guide to Twitter taught me everything I know about tweeting, twitter chats and twitter etiquette.  She also has a list of twitter chats relating to writing.
• Adventure in Children's Publishing does a recap every week of Best Articles for Writers every Friday.  It's organized according to category so it's easy to find topics you're looking for.
• Jody Hedlund's blog is chock-full of useful posts about writing, blogging and social networking.  Here are just a few of the goodies you'll find on her blog: Learning How to Use Social Media Effectively and How Important is Blogging for Unpublished Writers?
• Elana Johnson just wrote a great post on Monday about building a blog audience: Blogging Trifecta Explosion!
• And no list of online resources would be complete without the fabulous group of writers that brought us WriteOnCon!  Though I was in Ireland during the conference, I have browsed through some of the recaps and I'm continually amazed at all the wealth of information that's there.
• Don't forget also to look up professional writer organizations.  I found this list of Writers Associations that looks to be pretty good.  At the very least, it can serve as a jumping off point.

For those who are new at following blogs, one great tip I got from my friend and fellow blogger, Ghenet, was to signup for Google Reader.  If you have a gmail account then you essentially already have it, you just have to set it up.  As you subscribe to blogs using RSS feeds, the blogs will appear in your reader, allowing you to browse all the new posts of the day in one screen.  Kind of like a newspaper.

Long-term Goals: if you don't already have Google Reader (or something like it), set it up and start connecting with different blogs.  If you've been resisting Twitter, consider setting up an account, even if all you do at first is follow tweets.

Today's Task: Since we're talking about community, today we're doing a group project!  Please share in the comments which online communities or resources you visit and tell us why you find them especially useful.  If we all pitch in together and give one or two unique answers, we can collectively put together a comprehensive list of online communities and resources.  Later in the month, I'll go back through the comments, add some more links and put together a user-friendly Resources list to post at the end of DIY MFA.

Building a Reading List

One of the most important parts of a DIY MFA is putting together a reading list and working your way through it.  A few weeks ago, I wrote about The Essentials (books about writing that I can't do without).  Now it's time to look at the books that make up the rest of your reading list.

There are four types of books that should go on your list.  Two of the categories revolve around your current writing project while the other two should be unrelated to your WIP.  (For the purpose of giving a concrete example, I'm using an old WIP that's currently on the back-burner.)

1) Competitive Books: In this category are books that I consider to be my WIP's closest competition.  In the case of the above WIP, this would mean books where one or more children either run away from home or go on a journey.  (Examples: The Lightning Theif, The Wizard of Oz, Bud Not Buddy, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Alice in Wonderland.)  The goal in reading books in this category is to know what's out there and figure out how your WIP can stand out.

2) Informative Books: This category contains books that are similar in theme as my WIP but not necessarily in the same genre or age-group.  In other words, this is where I put all the "road trip" books on my list (Travels with Charley, On the Road, Cold Mountain) as well as The Odyssey, The Aeneid and The Epic of Gilgamesh, which are the original "road trip" stories.  The books in this category might not necessarily impact my WIP directly, but they should help inform my writing and expanded my vision.  This is also where you put any books of research you need to read for your WIP.

3) Contemporary Books: This category fluctuates more than any other because there's always something new out that I'm dying to read.  I have piles--literally piles--hiding in the corners of my room or under my futon.  The point here is to be aware of what's new in your genre and read a selection so that you know what's out there and where the genre is going.

4) Literary Fiction or "The Classics": Right now I'm focusing only on short fiction for adults and classic children's books.  For me, classic children's books are ones that existed when I myself was a child (so figure 1990 or earlier).  My goal in reading the classics is to build a solid repertoire so that when I start teaching later this month, I'll have examples of different craft techniques ready on the tip of my brain.  Even if I don't use these books in my teaching, my hope is that they'll make me a better reader.

As you can probably already tell, there's a lot of overlap between the four categories, and that's OK.  The point is, in order to maximize your productivity don't just read books willy-nilly, choose books that serve a concrete function for your goals.

Your task for today: This week, take some time to put together a reading list.  Think about the next four months and figure out how many books would be reasonable to read during that time.  Now go on Amazon or to a bookstore and start browsing.

Eventually, your goal for the day is to make a list, but it's best to browse because some books might jump out at you that you wouldn't have thought of otherwise.  (Remember to browse outside your genre, too.)  Try to include books in each of the four categories above, though it doesn't have to be split evenly over all the categories.  The idea is to find a balance of books relating to your WIP and books that will inform you as a reader.

Who You Gonna Call?

Blockbusting is nothing more than a matter of developing strategies and putting them into action.  Of course, before we can come up with any strategies to break through blocks, we must identify the blocks themselves.  Identifying the offending specimens is the first and most important step.

There is a fabulous book on busting through blocks: Conceptual Blockbusting by James L. Adams.  Although this book is mostly geared toward corporate creatives, a lot of the information is relevant to any kind of artist, including writers.  Today I'll highlight a few of the blocks that are most relevant to writers and discuss how we can break through them.

Fear of Taking Risks:  Many writers like to write "safe."  I've seen a lot of this in writing classes and academic environments, where writers produce work that they're lukewarm about but that will get a "safe" response.  I'll admit, I was a risk-averse offender from time to time and I almost took the easy way out when I was getting ready to write my thesis.  Then I thought, what the heck?  I'll write what I like and so what if it's terrible.  This meant resurrecting a novel that I thought had gone to it's final resting place.  In the end, that piece turned out to be one of the best things I've written to date.  Try this: If you feel your writing stagnating, ask yourself what risks you can take.  Add a character.  Kill a character.  Change POV.  Change the hero into a villain or the villain into a hero.

"First you jump off the cliff and you build wings on the way down."

Ray Bradbury

No Appetite for Chaos:  Similarly to being risk-averse, many writers are afraid of chaos.  You live and die by your outline.   You have to edit as soon as you get your critique papers because heaven forbid your draft remain "rough."  But chaos sometimes goes beyond the surface of the writing.  For instance, I have a hard time writing anything that deals with tough emotions because I like to keep my writing life neat and clean and free of messy feelings.  Of course, the minute I allow myself to delve into my characters' emotions is when I finally make progress.  Try this: Is there an area of your life where you impose orderliness?  Can you give yourself permission to make a mess?  Let yourself play and see what happens.

"No one welcomes chaos, but why crave stability and predictability?"
Hugh Mackay

Inability to Incubate:  Another problem that many writers run into is failure to incubate an idea.  Not all ideas or projects are conceived ready for the page.  Sometimes an idea needs to simmer for a while and if a writer tries to force it into being, the idea ill balk and exact its revenge.  Sometimes we have to give our ideas room to breathe and grow.  Try this: Is there an idea that you've been forcing into action?  If so, let it incubate for a while.  If you feel nervous about letting the idea sit, do some productive procrastination and do some research or character sketches for your story.

"He that can have patience can have what he will."
Benjamin Franklin 

Lack of Flexible Thinking:  Sometimes writers get locked into a perspective of their story and they bypass a series of much better options.  For instance, when I first started working on my current WIP, I had the view of the antagonist as being a prototypical "mean girl" at school.  My protagonist would have to juggle conflicts at home with her desire to fit into the school world dominated by said mean girl.  I was so stuck on this idea that even though I kept hitting the wall, I still saw this antagonist in this stereotypical way.  Then my adviser suggested I bring the antagonist into the protagonist's world instead of vice versa.  The result was a pile of pages written in the antagonist's POV (which were cut from the current draft but were still invaluable in developing the current story.)  Try this: If you're finding yourself stuck in a certain mindset, ask yourself: what's the most drastic change you can make?  Now make it.

"Si quelqu'un veut un mouton, c'est la preuve qu'il en existe un."

(If somebody wants a sheep, that is a proof that one exists.)

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Conceptual Blockbusting contains many more blocks with exercises to test your thinking and detailed explanations of how to turn these blocks on their heads.  In the end, it all comes down to one thing: if you keep moving, maybe these blocks won't catch you.

"Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it."

 Henry David Thoreau

Five Stages of Writer's Block

When writers aren't writing, they hurt.  They may not realize that they miss writing, but their behavior speaks volumes.  Often, writers will go through a series of stages of writer's block before they reach the other side ready to write again.

(1) Denial:  "I don't have writer's block, I'm just really, really busy.  So busy in fact, that I just can't seem to find time to do all that writing that I know I should do.  But just you watch: as soon as I'm not so busy, I'll be writing up a storm."

There's a reason why denial is the first stage of writer's block.  If you're going to get a writing impasse, you first have to identify that it's there.  The sooner you realize you have writer's block, the sooner you can get over it and start writing again.


(2) Anger:  "Why can't I think of any good ideas?  Clearly there is someone at fault here because I'm supposed to be writing the greatest story/novel/poem EVER, but instead I'm here busy with this job/family/life that is taking all my time.  It's so horribly unfair."

Anger is often a defense mechanism writers use to avoid writing.  It's easy to get angry at the world around us for not letting us write, but the truth is, if we want to write, we find the time.  Getting angry is just a way for writers to mask the truth: that they're not writing.  The cure is simple.  Just start writing.  Heck, write right AT the people or things that make you angry.  Before you know it, the anger will be gone and you'll be writing.

(3) Bargaining:  "OK, I've got it all figured out.  If I don't write today, but I write doubly much tomorrow, it will even out, right?  And if I don't write tomorrow, then I'll just write a triple dose the day after.  Easy-peasy."

Bargaining is a fancy technique but really what it boils down to is denial.  When you start making rationalizations about why you're not writing or why you can't write right now, you're simply denying the fact that you need to write.  The truth is, paralysis breeds more paralysis and the more excuses you make for not writing, the harder it becomes to start writing again.  Don't let the cycle pick up momentum.  Instead, nip this sucker in the bud.  No rationalizations.  Just sit down and write.

(4)  Depression:  "What's the point?  Everything I write is lousy so why bother?  I only had one good story/novel/poem in me anyway and I've already used it up.  I'll never write again."

This is probably the darkest stage of writer's block because it is at this point that the writer begins to doubt his or her actual ability.  Up until now, the focus of the writer's inability to write has been external, but now the focus becomes internal.  Freud said depression was anger directed toward the self, and I think there is some truth to that.  The depression phase of writer's block happens when writers let their frustrations with a certain project become personal.  I was once given a fantastic piece of advice which I'll share with you now:

"Don't say 'I failed,' say 'this failed' and then move on."

(5)  Acceptance:  "Maybe I have writer's block and maybe it's awful and there's nothing I can do about it.  But that's OK.  I can still sit down and write through it."

The reason writer's block is so painful is because writers really do hurt when they're not writing (whether they're cognizant of it or not).  Writers need to write the way most other people need to breathe and when they are not writing, writers grieve.  They mope.  They wallow.

Oftentimes, all it takes is one small step, one tiny push in the right direction to get a writer back on track.  I've found that for me, the best cure is acknowledging and then moving on.  Sometimes the trickiest part of writer's block is actually identifying that we're hurting.  Once we identify the pain behind the writer's block, it's just a matter of finding the cure.  After all, if writer's block is nothing more than pain from not writing, then the easiest way to get rid of it is to... write!

Today's Task:  Today's task is a choose-your-own-adventure.  If you are currently experiencing writer's block, go to choice A.  If you are not currently having writer's block, choose B.

(A)  If you chose this task, it's because you're currently experiencing writer's block.  Good for you for being aware and identifying the problem.  Now as best you can, try to identify which stage of writer's block you're at right now.  Remember, recognizing the problem is half the battle.  As we mentioned previously, writer's block is often recycled pain from not writing, so our task for today is gently coax yourself into writing a list.  This list should contain baby steps you can take to break out of the clutches of whatever writer's block stage you're in.  Your tactics will be different depending on the stage, but whatever steps you choose, this task should end with you writing (even if it's just this list).

(B)  You lucky writer, you.  If you chose this task it's because you don't have writer's block right now.  You may want to refrain from sharing that fact with the rest of us, lest we get jealous. :-)  Seriously, though, while you may not have writer's block right now, I'd be willing to be that you've had it in the past and that you will experience it again someday.  That said, choose the stage where you often find yourself "getting stuck."  Now make a list in your notebook of things you can do to prevent yourself from falling into that stage's trap.  This list might contain activities that help jump-start your creativity.  It could also include writing prompts you can use to shake up your ideas.  Depending on what stage you choose, your list could be dramatically different.  (If you like, you could make a list for each of the stages.)  The goal here is to make a preemptive strike against writer's block and be ready for when it rears it's ugly head.

Orientation Week in Review

This post marks the end of orientation week and the beginning of DIY MFA!  *does happy dance*

How did this week go for everyone? For me it was lots of fun and a little crazy, which is just how I like it. 

Recap of this Week in DIY MFA:

Saturday: School Supplies! 

People seemed pretty excited for getting school supplies, which didn't surprise me since I think most writers are.  What did catch me by surprise was how much people seemed to like the sticker idea!  Anyone earn any gold stars or smiley faces this week? (If you'd like a "sticker" for your blog see below for details.)

Sunday: Measuring Success

This one seemed like more of a challenge, but it looked like a lot of you managed to set some good, concrete goals.  The main theme of this post was that while it's good to have amorphous big goals, you need to break them down into concrete goals to make them more manageable. 

Monday: What's Your Holy Grail?
It's fun to dream big and in this post we talked about finding that dream that propels us and motivates us to take all those concrete steps we talked about on Sunday.  iggi's holy grail is to take over the world and mine... well, aside from taking over the world with iggi, I'd also like to write a picture book.

Tuesday:  Why Writers Need Community
Writers need community to keep things in perspective and to have like-minded companions who can celebrate or commiserate with them.  It sounds like lots of people agree that community is super-important in the writing life.  There was also a suggestion to set up a DIY MFA community (thanks Sonia!) and I'd love to hear what you all think of this idea.  Would you be interested in participating in a DIY MFA community?

Wednesday: Welcome to iggi U!
Check here for details on how to register for iggi U and other information.  This post also covers the four facets of DIY MFA: reading, writing, critique and community and suggests a way to find a balance between them.

Thursday: Stealing Time
Many writers sooner or later will run into a situation where they need to steal time.  Whether it be between familial responsibilities or corners of time tucked around the workday, writers need to learn to write "on the go" or in the nooks and crannies between things.  Even writers who are lucky enough not to need to steal time, should practice it now and again.  Because you never know when life will sneak up on you.

So tell me, how did this week go for you? 

Oooh, also: I've decided to make a series of iggi "stickers" that you all can put on your blogs if you like.  To find the iggi stickers go here: iggi Stickers.

Stealing Time

OK, today I know I'm going to get smacked for what I'm going to say, but it needs to be said.

There will be moments when the people and things you care about most will sabotage your writing.  This is a fact, so no point trying to rationalize their actions.  Of course, they don't try to do this, it just happens.

"Hey Mom, where are my socks?"
"Yo roomie, it's your turn to take out the trash."
"Honey, what's for dinner?"
"Meow, meow, meowmeowmeow."
Any of these sound familiar?  This is just a small sample of the tactics that our loved ones use to separate us from our time and our writing.


And don't even get me started on things like gainful employment, grocery shopping, and getting the car fixed.  These alone already make finding time to write a challenge, but then add on all our social and familial obligations and... wham!  Sometimes it seems like everything in our lives are out to get in the way of us doing any writing.

But this post is not meant to be a rant on how life has hijacked my writing time.  On the contrary, this post is about fighting back.  The fact is,  it's easy for writers to become the victims.  "Poor-writer-me, I never have time to write.  Life always gets in the way."  Get over it.  I don't believe in being a victim, I believe in taking action.  If someone tries to steal my writing time, there's only one thing I can do:

I steal it back.

And it feels great.

What do I mean by stealing time?  Stealing time is when you grab a chunk of time that normally would be used for something else and you steal it for your own purposes.  Most people call this "multi-tasking" but I think "stealing time" sounds more deliciously subversive and sneaky.  I am a chronic time thief myself and I steal time to use for my writing.  For instance, on the trip to Ireland, I carried my notebook with me everywhere and wrote several of these posts while standing in line at the Book of Kells, or over afternoon tea.  Those of you with small children are probably already experts at stealing time, because you have to be if you want to write and have a family.

Over my years of temporal kleptomania, I've happily discovered that I'm more productive during a stolen block of time than if I just had a spare chunk of time lolling around waiting for me to grab it.

Why is stealing time so effective?  It gives your writing a sense of urgency.  If you know you only have a short span of time before your responsibilities tackle you back into submission, you're more likely to be efficient with what time you do have.  For some people, short writing spurts can actually lead to more progress than if they had smushed those short chunks together into a long writing spree.

Today's Task: Plot a Time Heist.  Steal a chunk of time today and use it for your writing.  Don't worry if it's not much (it can be as little as 5 or 10 minutes).  The point isn't how much time that you steal but that you actually steal the time.  No fair taking a chunk of time you already had free--that isn't "stealing time," that's just "not being lazy."  So search out a chunk of time that life has taken from you and steal it back.  As with all heists, start small and build to bigger targets with practice.  Pretty soon you'll be a pro and you'll be thieving time left and right.

Welcome to iggi U!

Omigoodness, do you know what today is?  Do you, do you?

Of course you do, because it's the day we've all been waiting for...

 DIY MFA at iggi U is finally here! 

For those just joining us, we've been enjoying a few days iggi U Orientation, which will continue through Friday.  Don't worry, classes will be starting on Saturday and go for a full four weeks, through the end of September.

To register officially for classes (and be part of our super-exciting contest), check out our Course Catalog and then fill out the Registration form.

As you put together your DIY MFA, you can find links to past DIY MFA posts and more information on the iggi U page.

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Now that we've reviewed those details, let's get down to business.  Over the last week I've been writing a lot about goals so today we're finally going to get started on planning specific goals for the DIY MFA.  I'm a firm believer in the idea that a full writing life must include the four main strands of the MFA in writing.  The trick is finding a balance between these strands, and this balance can vary from person to person.

Reading: Writers who don't read are at a serious disadvantage because they're working in a vacuum.  Reading, both in your genre and outside it, helps put your work in context.  In DIY MFA, Love of Literature represents the reading component.

Writing: This one's a no-brainer.  If you don't write, you can't be a writer.  It's that simple.  The trick here is not just the quantity of your writing, but the strategy of it.  I've seen writers who are so prolific it makes me want to pinch them to see if they're human, but then when I look closely at their work it reads like variations on a theme.  The idea of a DIY MFA isn't just to produce, but to challenge yourself and choose projects that will force you to grow as a writer.  I'm also a pragmatist and I believe that it's important to make the most of my writing time.  To that end, my suggestion: focus on writing smart and strive for projects that make you grow.  Because this is such a big topic, we've got two classes that deal with the writing component in DIY MFA: Craftivity, which focuses on craft, and Brain Bootcamp, which places more emphasis on sparking ideas and creativity.

Critique: Giving and receiving critique can be one of the most valuable parts of the writing life.  Of course, there are several caveats with critiques--many of which we'll cover over the next few weeks--but when handled strategically and constructively, critique can be the difference between a book being so-so and it being great.  Working the Workshop is the DIY MFA class that covers this topic.

Community: Reading and writing are a solitary business and it's important for writers to connect with other writers.  But community isn't just about socializing with writerly folk.  It's also important to be informed about what's happening in the business so you can make smart decisions and can avoid pitfalls.  One of the best ways to get this information is through publishing talks, conferences or writer associations.  Another wealth of information is the internet, though you need to be more discriminating because not all information on the internet is true or helpful.  In the end, as we talked about yesterday, it's about finding the right writing network(s) for you.  These can not only help you meet interesting writers, but can give you access to important information about the publishing business.  Creative Community is where we'll be talking about finding and building our writing communities.

Now I imagine your wondering: "how on earth am I supposed to find time to do all these things?  Some of us have lives, ya know..."  The trick here isn't just about quantity of time, but quality and balance.  The balance I've found that works for me is a ratio where writing gets about half of my writing life time, reading gets one quarter and the rest is divided between community and critique, since the latter two tend to run together.  Like this:

Your Task for Today: Don't worry, you don't have to list out a specific schedule (rigid rules often just end up getting broken anyway).  Instead, pull out a sheet of paper and draw a big circle. Now divide the circle like a pie, giving a different slice to each of these four areas: reading, writing, critique and community.

The pie represents the time you plan to dedicate to DIY MFA.  Some people might be able to dedicate several hours a week while others may have to rely on "borrowing" snippets of time between their many responsibilities.  In the end, the focus here is not on quantity, but on balance.  Find a balance that works for you, then divide whatever time you have accordingly.

Hint: Post your diagram somewhere in your workspace, or paste it in your writing notebook.