UPDATE: Potato Towers

Well, I have been attempting to grow potatoes in towers for 23 days.  This is a new experience for me, so I am trying to document it as I go along.  I've been a little slow in posting so I have two updates to share.  I noticed the first plants sprouting on May 27th...15 days after planting the seed potatoes.  Here is what they looked like:

A potato plant at the very top of one of the towers

A couple plants growing on the side of a tower

Since then, the plants have really started growing.  We can see them from inside our house now.  It's exciting to watch.  Here are some pictures I took today (June 4th - 23 days after planting).

The same plant from the first picture above.

Here is one of the towers.  You can see all the plants growing around it.

I'm enjoying this fun experiment.  So far it is going well!  Can't wait to see if we get some potatoes from it!

Growing Potatoes in Towers

Today, I began something I've never tried before.  At the request of my almost 5 year-old son, we are going to try to grow potatoes.  I knew nothing about how to do that, so I began to research the process online.  I discovered a few sites that suggested you could grow potatoes in a tower.  Each site gave instructions for how to make such a tower.  I read those sites and then modified them a bit to go with the resources I had at my disposal.  Here is what I did:

Step 1: Clear a space of ground about 2 ft. by 2 ft.
Step 2: Put a tomato cage in the middle of the square.
Step 3: Wrap wire fence around the cage with about a 1 to 2 inch clearance and connect the fence to itself with wire.
Step 4: Put dried grass clippings, straw, or hay against the fencing on the inside of the tower.
Step 5: Press sprouted seed potatoes (sprout side facing out) into the dirt in a circle about an inch from the hay and about 4-5 inches from each other. (I put about 5-6 potato pieces per level.)
Step 6: Cover with dirt. (I did 2-4 shovel-fulls, ~ 2-3 inches)
Step 7: Repeat steps 4-6 until you reach the top of the fencing.
Step 8: Place 5-6 seed potatoes in dirt on the top of the tower and cover with more dirt.
Step 9: Cover top with more grass clippings and a shovel-full of dirt.

And this is what you have....

The finished tower

Three towers

I will update in the future to see how these turn out.  They may be a terrible fail, but I am hopeful that they won't.  Hopefully, in a few months, I will be able to post some pictures of the potatoes that have grown in these.  Either way, it will be an interesting journey.  Feel free to comment with suggestions or stories of your own experiences with growing potatoes.  Thanks!

Step by Step

I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed today with the enormity of what I desire to accomplish with my novel writing.  There are so many steps to complete between here and publication, many of which are not in my control.  Adding to that my insecurities and my inexperience, you've got a recipe for giving up.  I know because I've been here before.  When I was in college, my dream was to be a singer-songwriter.  I felt certain that I had the talent to get signed by a label and recorded.  After a few struggles and much research into the ins and outs of getting signed, I eventually decided it was too much work and gave up.  Was that the right decision?  I don't know for sure, but it still makes me sad when I think about it.

We all have dreams like that.  We all have passions that drive us and inspire us.  But far too often the difficulties of living into those passions with all that we are is hard.  And when we face rejection or setbacks along the way, it is much easier to give up those dreams than to press on....or is it?  In the short term perhaps it is.  But when all is said and done, does the difficulty of giving it our all really outweigh the pain of giving up on our dreams?

The problem with giving something our all is that in doing so we make ourselves vulnerable.  For example, an artist throws himself or herself into their work.  She bears her soul in every painting, every sculpture, every song.  Then when someone rejects that piece of art it is as if they are rejecting the artist's soul.  That is tremendously painful.  And the longer an artist spends on his work, the more of him is embedded within it.  Therefore he has more to lose, more chance for pain.

I've been working on my novel for over 3 1/2 years now.  I've invested MANY hours into it.  I've recruited the help of others.  The characters have become my friends.  My heart and soul are deeply woven into the fabric of the pages.  The thought of my novel being rejected, disliked, or dismissed makes my heart pound, my nerves flare, my whole being quake.  So, what am I to do?  What are all of us to do with our dreams?  Can we afford the price it will most definitely cost to press on?  Can we afford not to?

This morning, I am feeling lonely and overwhelmed.  So many steps lie before me that I have a hard time believing I can make it to the end.  Even worse, I feel alone on the journey.  Even those who I know love and care for me seem outside the path.  The place I want to go is a place I must journey alone.  But how am I to get there?

I am inspired this morning by this song from the late Whitney Houston:



Here is the refrain:
Step by step
Bit by bit
Stone by stone
Brick by brick
Step by step
Day by day
Mile by mile
Go your own way!

It is time for me to stop looking at the big picture for a moment, to stop focusing on the ultimate goal, and instead turn my attention to the step that is right before me.  I love the scene in What About Bob? where Bob is told by Dr. Marvin to simply take life in baby steps.  And Bob proceeds to walk everywhere saying, baby-stepping to the door, baby-stepping onto the elevator, etc.  Hilarious!



So, today I'm going to take baby steps.  I'm going to enjoy my day off of work by hanging out with my kids, cleaning my house, and editing chapter 6.  I'm sure I will take some time to check on the Cubs-Cardinals game as well.  But I am going to try to avoid thinking about all the future steps that will need to be taken, try to avoid dwelling on the improbability of being published and the hard work needed just to get my manuscript read.  Those things will still be there later when everything else is in place.  For now I need to simply take it all step by step.  Care to join me?

Brackets, Spaces, Question Marks, and Other Punctuation (in bullet points)

I'm in the midst of a very busy season so have not written as much as I would have liked.  That said, a few things have been percolating.  So, here are my thoughts in bullet points:

• March Madness has begun.  I am not a big college basketball fan, but my wife and I usually try to put together brackets and compete against one another.  It is usually just for bragging rights, though on occasion we have placed small bets with one another (usually a Mt. Dew for me and something of similar value for my wife).  So, I have North Carolina winning it all, which is actually who I pick almost every year...primarily because they have a foot as their symbol on some of their parephernalia.  I will probably lose (as I do most years), but it is still fun.  Who do you have winning in your bracket?
• The sport that I most love is baseball...particularly Chicago Cubs baseball.  We are currently in the space between the end of last season and the beginning of a new season, but that space is coming quickly to an end.  Spring Training has begun and hope springs eternal!  The Cubbies go into the season with some new faces and some young up-and-comers.  Most are counting them out in 2012 because they see them in "rebuilding" mode.  But there is nothing I love more than an underdog story...and if it came in the form of my beloved Cubs making a run at the World Series, it would be even that much more amazing.  So...GO CUBS GO!!!!
• On a very different note, it was recommended this week that my wife have surgery to remove a couple of masses that have grown on her thyroid.  We were told all the statistics regarding the likelihood of the masses being cancerous and the stats regarding all the possible dangers of the surgery, and in the end we chose for her to have the surgery.  But we still have many question marks.  Are the masses cancerous or benign?  We won't know for sure until she is under the knife.  How will she come through the surgery?  Will there be any lasting consequences?  We obviously won't know that for a while.  Who will watch our kids so I can be with her before and after the procedure?  The answer to that is beginning to become clearer, but has not been fully answered yet.  I have a deeper appreciation for the many people who have gone through these situations with a loved one or for themselves.  My thoughts and prayers are with all those who are in a similar situation as us with many unknowns, those who are facing the "knowns" of cancer or other illnesses, those undergoing treatment, those whose loved ones are gone, those whose loved ones are still fighting, those whose loved ones are in remission, and those who live in fear of disease wreaking havoc on their own body or that of a loved one.  May you all experience healing, peace, and wholeness!
• As a tool for relaxation, and because I simply enjoy it, I have been doing a lot of reading lately.  My current selection is Book 2 of the Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull.  It is a wonderful fantasy series about a magical preserve that is home to all sorts of wonderful, mystical creatures.  If you like fantasy (or even if you don't), I recommend this series.
• As far as my own writing goes, I am blessed to have had one of my readers finish reading The Lantern of Rahela and provide me with some wonderful feedback.  I now have two other readers in process and a few who have received the manuscript but have not told me they are reading it to this point.  I hope to have had three readers finish the manuscript by the summer so that I can make some edits, have another round of readers, and then begin preparing a query letter to send to literary agents with the hopes of getting my novel published.  In the meantime, I have been working on the beginnings of two new novels: the sequel to my first, which is tentatively titled The Mountain of Me'arah, and a YA sci-fi novel that is presently untitled.  I'm hoping to do Camp NaNoWriMo (www.campnanowrimo.org) in June to complete a draft of one of them.
• Finally, I am LOVING the almost summer-like weather in mid-March.  What an amazing blessing!  I hope you are all having a wonderful year so far...full of exclamation marks!

My Sunday Afternoon

So, I had all these plans for today.  I wanted to do some laundry, wash some dishes, clean up the house a little, read more of "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins, and perhaps do a little writing on the scifi novel that I started recently.  Instead, my son asked me to make Radiator Springs from the Disney Pixar Cars movies.  I had attempted this once before and it was destroyed quickly, so I was relectant to try...BUT...he kept pestering me, so I gave in and here are the results:

RADIATOR SPRINGS

FILLMORE'S ORGANIC FUEL, SARGE'S SURPLUS HUT,

& ORNAMENTAL VALLEY MECHANICAL CLINIC

FLO'S V8 CAFE & RAMONE'S BODY ART

COURTHOUSE/FIRE DEPT & LUIGI'S CASA DE LA TIRES

LIZZIE'S CURIO SHOP, THE COZY CONE MOTEL,

& TOW MATER'S

This was far more effort than I really wanted to exert on an unnecessary project today, but it turned out pretty good and Jakob loves it.  Fun to find uses for the numerous sheets of cardboard that I still have from my job back in Illinois (which I left 8 years ago).  Ka Chow!!!



Attention Seeking

I decided to take a small break from writing posts just about writing and address something on my mind today.  As a father of two young children, I am all too familiar with the desire of children to seek attention by all means necessary.  My 4 year old and 2 year old have tried many things, both good and bad, to summon the attention of myself or my wife.  In my conversations with other parents and interactions with other children, I know that this behavior is not at all uncommon.  But as children grow, they begin to realize which behaviors get them "good attention" and which get them "bad attention."  And as they learn this, they begin to stop most of the behaviors that get them "bad attention."

As I watched the Grammys last night, I began to realize that one the biggest problems we are facing as a society is that we have a generation of kids reaching adulthood now who have never navigated past the attention seeking stage.  They never learned that "bad attention" is exactly that...bad.  And that view is supported by the superstars that this generations clings to....the Chris Browns, Lady Gagas, Katy Perrys, and Nikki Minajs.  They are known more for their outrageous, lewd, or violent behavior than for the talents they possess.  That is not to say that they don't possess a great amount of talent.  These young musicians have never learned that it is better to have good attention and be praised for the things inside them that are beautiful, noble, and excellent than it is to receive the kind of attention that comes from performances like the one Nikki Minaj gave last night at the Grammys.

We wonder where our society has gone wrong and we look to politicians to fix it.  We see the problems in our children and we blame the schools for not doing a better job.  The reality is that the problems of our attention seeking society start at home.  They start with me and you.  So, it doesn't really matter which candidate ends up in the office of President or what promises they make us.  Change must happen on the ground, in the trenches, at home.  We are the change makers.  We are the catalysts for worldwide reform.  And that change begins with us all navigating the attention seeking stage for ourselves and then helping others to do the same.

Really Classic Movies....

I'm not sure what inspired me to write about this topic.  Perhaps it was a Back to the Future reference that my wife just made.  Or maybe it was a conversation I had on Facebook reminiscing about college.  It could have been how my son and I made our own movie that was a toy recreation of an episode of one ofmy son's favorite cartoons.  Or maybe it was simply the fact that I have nothing to write about of value, so I had to just pick a random topic.  I'll let you choose. :)  At any rate, here are my top 5 classic movies.  These are movies that are classic in my mind, though not necessarily in the minds of others.  I will attempt to share the reasons that I have come to view these movies as important and memorable.  So here goes nothing!

1. The Princess Bride -- Great movie, great acting, and very funny.
     What makes it classic?  An abundance of quotable lines and great memories of watching it with friends while quoting most every line before the actors said them.
     Best quote: "Anybody want a peanut?"

2. Monty Python and the HolyGrail -- Ridiculously wonderul
     What makes it classic?  More quotable lines and the memory of many friends watching the movie for the first time (I distinctlyremember one person saying, when the movie was all done, "That's the end?"...CLASSIC!)
      Best quote: "It's only a model."

3. Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure -- High school "dude" humor
      What makes it classic? Again, very quotable.  Also, it is about the only movie where Keanu Reeves' acting is halfway decent.  Plus, who wouldn't want to go back in time and collect people from history for a report?
       Best quote: "Strange things are afoot at the Circle K."

4. Back to the Future 3 -- Yes, I did choose the third one!  It is by far the funniest!
       What makes it classic? Great quotes.  Touches on pieces of movies 1 and 2.  The old West is just fun, plus the old guy gets the lady!
       Best quote: "Run for fun?!?  What the hell kinda fun is that?"

5. Shadowlands -- I struggled with what to put at #5 because there are so many great movies that belong on this list, but I wanted a non-comedy to round this out.  And Shadowlands is an amazing movie.
       What makes it classic? Great story about C.S. Lewis.  Phenomenal acting.  Good lines.
       Best quote: "He comes in, he sleeps, he leaves.  The plot thickens."

What are your classic movies?  Why?

The Princess and the Engine

I decided to create a writing challenge for myself, so I thought I would write a short children's story in the style of Theodore Geisel. Here it goes!

The Princess and the Engine
by Jeff Fiet

In the middle of nowhere, a quaint, little town
Stood nestled amidst the Forest of Frown.
In the midst of the forest was Castle Morose
Where lived a fair princess whose name no one knows.
She'd lived in the castle her full twenty years
And each of those days were chock full of tears.
"Why's the princess so sad?" you might ask in your head.
That's simple. There is merely one thing causing dread.
She can't leave the Forest to go into town.
Her castle sits high and she's scared to walk down.
So, she sits all alone and she cries and she moans
And she orders more junk than one person should own.
Her castle is full to the brim with new things...
None of it used, but all of it brings
A second of joy, though those seconds grow shorter
With each new day of her life as a hoarder.
Today is another with nothing to do
But order more junk to lighten the blue.
But just as she goes for the phone with her hand
She's stopped by a sound that resounds through the land.
It's the sound of a whistle and the sound's getting near
She runs to the window and opens to peer
Down the hill toward the forest where something she spies
Sending numerous puffs of white steam to the sky.
She hears a chug-chug and a quiet peep-peep
And out chugs an engine, right out of the trees.
It chugs and it chuffs right up to the door
And peeps as it waits for it's passenger to board.
The princess looks out and decides right away
To forget all her stuff. It's not used anyway.
And she boards the small train, climbing right up and in
And the engine peep-peeps and starts moving again
And the engine takes off straight toward the town.
It turns toward the hill and it scuttles right down.
It chugs with the princess to the middle of Promise.
And then something happened she couldn't have guessed.
She smiled...and that smile brought a joy to her heart
More than any of the stuff that she'd bought off the cart.
More than vases or jewelry or buttons or cans
Or miniature garden gnomes with really bad tans.
It brought her more joy than ever she'd felt.
So, she got off the train and right there she knelt
And cried, but these tears were the tears of sheer joy
For the princess had found what she truly enjoyed.
She was free from the bonds of her prison of stuff.
And now she needed nothing. Just life was enough.


So... What do you think? Needs some illustrations perhaps!  :)

A Short Synopsis of The Lantern of Rahela

I am working on the synopsis of my novel The Lantern of Rahela.  I would love some feedback on what I have constructed.  So....here is what I have:

It's fun to imagine you are a fairy, fluttering around with cardboard wings and pretend fairy dust.  But what would it be like if that fantasy suddenly became a reality?  Madelina, a young girl who grew up living in poverty, finds a lantern tucked behind the dumpster where she searches for scraps of food each day. When she lights the wick, the world she knows disappears and she finds herself in a foreign land with strange creatures who seem to think that she is the hope that they have been waiting for. In this new world, her cardboard wings have transformed into real wings and she is floating several feet off of the ground.  There to welcome her to the land of Wymzi is a tree nymph named Treph who becomes her freind and leads her on a journey to find out about this new world she has entered... all the while trying to stay safe from the evil plots of the wicked Queen Nakasha and her minions. The Lantern of Rahela is a tale of a nobody discovering new abilities inside herself and, in the process, becoming the hope that all of Wymzi has long been waiting for.

What do you think?  Is this a book you would read?  What sentences do you most like?  What sentences do you think should be changed?  What do you feel is lacking?  What questions does this synopsis leave you wondering?  I hope to hear from many of you.  Thank you all for your help!  Keep reading and keep writing!

And may the story rise up to meet you!

Three Types of Artists/Creators

I think that there are three types of artists or creators in the world.  I'm sure no artist fits one category 100% of the time and there are probably many artists that are somewhere between two of these categories.  But, for myself at least, it is helpful to see where I fit with others (even if just in conjecture).  So, here we go!  (NOTE: I made up these designations myself.  They are by no means official or all-inclusive.)

1. The Improviser -- The improviser is someone who creates repeatedly and on command.  This is the type of person who excels in improv comedy, advertising, sit-com writing, etc.  With oodles of creativity inside them and bubbling right at the surface, the improvisor will use creativity in almost everything they do.  They may never have one work that stands out or can be easily identified as theirs, but they will make numerous contributions to a variety of works.
2. The Sculptor -- The sculptor is someone who is methodical about their creations.  They slowly chip away at a piece of art until it is just the way they want it.  Then and only then will they allow others to see it.  This artist may only create a small number of works each year (or perhaps only a few in a lifetime), but each one will be well thought out, easily identifiable as belonging to that artist, and will endure for a long time.  This artists popularity may take many, many years to blossom.  This type of artist might do well in sculpting (duh!), painting, writing, etc.
3. The One-Hit Wonder -- The one-hit wonder is someone who discovers lightning in a bottle.  Often times they might not consider themselves to even be artists, but an idea strikes them and they run with it.  This artist may not have just one of these revelatory experiences, but may have to wait many months or years between great ideas.  This artist might excel at writing, music, etc.

Which type of creator/artist are you?  Is there a category I've missed?  I'd love your feedback.  Keep reading and writing!

And may the story rise up to meet you!

Memory

I've been thinking lately about memory.  As I get older, my memory seems to get worse and worse.  I forget important things I am supposed to do, appointments I've made, things I'm supposed to pick up from the store, and even sometimes where I am going.  My wife gets very frustrated about it...and I don't blame her.  It is frustrating to me as well.  But that is not the type of memory I am thinking about this morning.

I'm thinking about our memory of the past.  I was looking through some old pictures yesterday and it brought back so many memories.  It's amazing how a single moment captured in an image can bring to mind an entire story.  It is also interesting how history has a tendency to repeat itself in many ways from generation to generation.

Yesterday, we moved the table in our kitchen just slightly, but in doing so we opened up a space by the window behind the table.  In this space is a heat register.  Jakob has decided that the spot on the floor right next to the register is his new favorite sitting spot.  This brings back memories of my youth when I would eat my breakfast while warming myself on the heat register in our dining room.  Such a small silly thing, but it brought a whole story into my mind of a day gone by.

Writing can do much the same thing for us.  When we read a poem or a story, it can bring to mind many of our own memories.  I think that is a large part of what makes a novel or a poem truly good.  It connects us with our own experience, our memory.  What pieces of writing do that for you?  I would love to hear some stories of moments in a novel or poem or other writing that inspired memories for you (either good or bad).  Share your thoughts and memories!

May the story rise up to meet you!

Genre

Every book or story or musical composition or piece of art falls into some sort of genre.  A genre is simply a way for us to categorize creative works.  In music, for example, a song may fall into the category of folk, rock, folk rock, blues, R&B, classical, etc.  In art, you find paintings grouped in genres like impressionism, pointillism, realism, etc.  And with fiction novels, you find genres such as science fiction, fantasy, romance, mystery, crime, etc.  As readers, we often have one genre that we enjoy above and beyond all others.  This may not be true for everyone, but I think it is perhaps more often the case than not.  So, this morning I decided to talk a little about my favorite genre of novel and the one that I chose to write in....FANTASY!  And I've decided to write in a mock interview style.

Q: What do you enjoy most about the fantasy genre?
A: I love to be taken to another world or to have the world as I know it transformed before my eyes.  I love to be swept away with a character into uncharted territory where I am given the opportunity to explore the landscape right along with the character.  It is fun to discover new creatures and new lands, experience magic and mystery, and feel the ups-and-downs that the characters experience as they navigate this strange reality.

Q: What are some of your favorite fantasy novels?
A: For some reason, my fantasy reading has tended toward series.  My favorites (in no particular order) are: the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkein, the Inheritence series by Christopher Paolini, the Inkheart trilogy by Cornelia Funke, and the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series by Rick Riordan.  I don't know if this would fall under the fantasy genre for sure or not, but I also love Bridge to Terebithia by Katherine Paterson.

Q: In The Lantern of Rahela, what are some of the pieces of fantasy that you most enjoyed writing?
A: I am very excited about many things in The Lantern of Rahela, but three moments jump out at me.  First is the moment when Madelina makes the transition from her own world to the land of Wymzi.  I love how she finds the lantern and feels a compulsion to light it.  And I enjoyed experiencing her emotions as she found herself in a new land and with new abilities.  Second, I love the Kashif people.  They are servants of the Queen who plot an escape.  The Kashif people are slow and strong, but when the need arises they are able to move very swiftly.  They have a certain consistency and stubborness to them that I just love.  Finally, I love Belle Mudcastle.  Belle is a river nymph whose people have been forced into living on the river bank instead of in the water.  Over time they have adapted to the terrain and look like mud people now.  Belle is special though.  She is witty, funny, and full of mystery and intrigue.  I can't wait to see how she evolves thoughout the series.

Q: What authors do you try to emulate in your writing?
A: I try to first and foremost discover and utilize my own voice, but I am deeply inspired by some of the authors I've read over time.  I love the subtle mystery that J.K. Rowling wrote into the Harry Potter books.  As I read, I never felt like I fully understood what was going on, but I always understood just enough that I need to keep reading.  Rick Riordan does a wonderful job with that too (though I had not read any of his books prior to writing my own novel).  Christopher Paolini does a marvelous job of creating a new world that has its own languages, creatures, customs, and geography.  I have tried to do something similar with my novel and hope to have it turn out as interesting and creative as his.  Tolkein does an amazing job with that as well and really sets the bar in that realm.  These and many more have greatly influenced my writing and will continue to do so.

Q: What plans do you have for future fantasy novels?
A: I am currently working on the sequel to The Lantern of Rahela and expect at least one more novel in that series before it is complete.  After that, I may take a small break from fantasy novels and work on some children's book ideas that I have bouncing around in the back of my mind.  But I will most certainly delve back into the fantasy realm again and have a couple of ideas I am mulling over.

Those are just some of my thoughts regarding the fantasy genre and my passion for both reading and writing in that genre.  What genre of novel is your favorite?  Why?  Though I deeply love the fantasy genre and plan to continue reading and writing within that genre, I would welcome suggestions of good books outside the fantasy genre that you think I might enjoy.  Keep reading and writing!

And may the story rise up to meet you!

Why I Write

Why do writers write?  What is our inspiration?  Our motivation?  I can't speak for all writers everywhere, but I can share my experience.  I would love for this to begin a conversation so that I can hear some of your reasons for writing as well.  Mine will probably not be exhaustive because I think many things along the course of my life have led me to this point, but I will share with you the main reasons that come to my mind this morning.

I write to:
1. Find connection -- Being an introvert means that interacting with others regularly is exhausting.  Yet I crave connection.  Writing, expecially fiction writing, gives me opportunities to interact with the characters in my story, or at the very least eavesdrop on the conversations of the characters and immerse myself in their lives.  It is for this same reason that I read or watch movies.  The characters become my friends, my companions along life's journey.
2. Express myself -- Writing allows me to put into words the feelings and thoughts that are rolling around in my mind that I can't seem to express in my real life.  Since I was 16, I've been writing songs.  In those lyrics, I've been able to share the depth of my soul in ways that I never could in a regular conversation with someone.  The same has become true with fiction writing.  Through the medium of the characters, I can explore and express the emotions and struggles of my own life in a non-threatening, comfortable environment.  It is a beautiful release!
3. Escape -- Sometimes real life gets challenging and painful.  In those moments, it is nice to simply escape to another world.  Writing provides me a means to that escape.  When I write, I can forget for a time about the challenges of my present reality and focus on the lives of my characters.  I can create a new reality for a time.  The process puts some distance between me and my struggles, which allows me to relax a bit, reconsider those challenges, and put things in a new perspective.
4. Feel good -- Writing just simply makes me happy.  I enjoy it.  I love to craft a new world, create and develop new characters, and see where the story takes me.  It is relaxing and fun!
5. Challenge myself -- I also love the challenge of writing.  Each time I sit down with my notebook and pencil or behind my computer in an attempt to put down some words or ideas I am presented with new and interesting challenges.  Perhaps I find myself with a character who I know is going to die.  How do I present that death in the right way?  Should it be a valiant death?  Should the character die slowly or instantly?  What is the cause of death?  There are many, many factors to consider.  Or perhaps a character has fallen in love.  How does with he or she express that love to the other?  Will it be requited?  Again, there are many options.  With each new word, with each new sentence, with each new chapter, there are dilemmas and obstacles when creating the story.  These are what I write for, the challenges are what push me along and keep me excited for the process.
6. Learn new things -- Finally (and this is by no means a complete list), writing gives me the opportunity to learn new things.  In order to create a NEW world, I often need to research different aspects of this world (e.g. - history, etymology, linguistics, mythology, anthropology, etc.).  This provides me with all kinds of new opportunities to learn and grow.

So, why do you write?  Do any of my reasons resonate with you?  Are there other reasons that you enjoy putting pen to paper (or fingers to keys as the case may be)?  I'd love to hear from you!

May the story rise up to meet you!

Discouragement

In the business of writing and seeking publication, discouragement is a difficult reality.  At the present, I have only prepared and sent two query letters to literary agents, but was rejected by both.  And while I fully expected that to be the case since I am an unknown and these were my very first attempts to query, I still had to fight with myself not to grow discouraged by it.  Rejection is simply a part of the game.  So, I've decided to list some ideas (both for myself and for other writers) of ways to overcome the discouragement inherent in the system.  And here it is:

1. Believe in yourself. -- You have to trust that your instincts about your work are accurate.  If you believe in yourself and your ability to write, then eventually you will convince a literary agent or publisher of that as well.

2. Believe in your work. -- Remember that each literary agent or publisher receives numerous queries each day and they can only select a limited number to continue in the process with.  Their rejection of your query does not necessarily mean that your work is not good.  It may simply mean that it was not the type of work they were looking for.  Or it may mean that your query letter needs some work.

3. Keep writing. -- When I first started the process of querying literary agents, I put all my writing and editing to the side and focused entirely on querying (which was mostly just waiting).  That just made the eventual rejection even more depressing.  So, keep writing or editing.  If you have edited your manuscript as much as you can, then start on another project.  Continue to send those query letters, but don't stop writing.  And when you get rejected, create a character in your story who you can name after the agent and then kill them off.  Very therapeutic!  (Just kidding...maybe.)

4. Do other things. -- Don't spend all of your time writing (or editing or querying).  Find a hobby.  Play with your kids (if you have some).  Hang out with friends.  Read a book (that you didn't write).  The more life experience you have, the better your story will likely be.  This will also give you some needed distraction from the discouragement of rejection.

5. Have a drink...of coffee (or tea) that is. -- Perhaps a little caffeine will help lift you up out of the doldrums and give you some renewed creative energy.  So, grab a hot cup of coffee and get back to work shaping a new story or recrafting your query letter for another try at getting your work out there.

If none of these help and the discouragement continues to plague you, then perhaps you need to take a break from all of it for a bit.  Take some time to invest in other areas of your life and take a step back from your current project.  Perhaps with some time away, you will see your work in a new light and regain some energy and enthusiasm for promoting it.  For all your writers out there, what other things would you add to this list or what would you change?  I wish you all great success in your writing and in your lives!  May you overcome the discouragement and press on toward the goal!

Habits

I am a person who is very good and maintaining old (and usually bad) habits, but I struggle with creating new habits for myself.  Perhaps this is normal and all of you can relate.  Or perhaps some of you are reading this thinking, "What a lazy bum!  He needs to learn some self-discipline and get up off his derrier and put in some solid effort."  If you are one of the latter individuals, thank you.  I needed that.

Now that we all know where we stand on this issue, let's get to the true reason behind this post.  In order for me to accomplish something with my writing and in order for me to complete the manuscripts I want to complete, I need to create some new habits.  I discovered through the process of writing The Lantern of Rahela that the way by which I find success in writing is following the path of the tortoise.  "Slow and steady wins the race."  In light of that, I'm devoting myself to writing a little each day.  Some days that may mean simply writing for 5-10 minutes when I have a quick break.  Or putting in a minute here and a minute there (like I'm doing with this blog post).  But when I am lucky, I get to sit down in a moment of peace and quiet to write uninterrupted for 30 minutes to an hour (or maybe even more).  But in truth, how often does that ever happen?  With two kids under 5?....NEVER!

So....I chip away at it.  A little here and a little there.  It requires some consistency and determination.  It also requires patience, since I do not ever get as far in a day as I want.  But it is important for me to continue writing.  It is important to make writing a habit because writing is my outlet.  It allows me to leave my own world and enter into a new and different one...one that I create and shape while also being shaped by it.  The story is the place where I can pour out all the stress and emotion of the day.  I can unpack my baggage onto the characters in my story instead of placing that onto the people in my life.  The characters become my friends and companions when I feel lonely.  Writing is the salve for many of my wounds.  If I can cultivate this habit, it will be a wonderful thing!

What habits do you want to cultivate?  Is writing one of them?  If so, how do you do your writing?  What are the habits that help inspire your creativity?  Perhaps we can all help cultivate some good habits together...both writing and otherwise.

Distractions

In our busy world, distractions are a part of life.  As an amateur writer with a job outside of writing and two young children, distractions are unavoidable.  So, the writer has two options for how to handle these distractions.  First, he or she could allow the distractions to get the best of them thereby not accomplishing what he or she wants to.  Or he or she could use the distractions as fuel for the story.  Let me explain what I mean by that.

Sometimes, it is important for a writer to step away from his or her story in order to gain a new perspective on the present scene or situation.  We often get invested deeply in the lives of our characters and begin to seek to control their lives and actions.  A distraction can draw us away for a second and allow us to reset a bit so that our characters have a chance to "tell us" what is going to happen to them or how they are about to act.  A distraction can also give us a boost of energy.  If we allow ourselves to view these distractions as opportunities instead of challenges, they can move our story in new directions and provide for some wonderful new avenues of exploration and creativity.  Our challenge is to open ourselves to those distractions and allow life to help write our story instead or trying to control it all ourselves.

So, to the those of you reading this as a distraction from your writing, may you be granted clarity for your story and the energy to write it well!

Snow Day

It seems remarkably coincidental and happily appropriate that just as I am beginning the writing of novel #2 that we have a snow day.  Now, I just need to take advantage of the view out my window to begin crafting the story of Madelina and Treph as they realize that snow is falling on the land of Wymzi and try to understand the implications of that event.  Perhaps inspiration has come at the perfect time.  Now, I just hope I can take full advantage of it.

What inspires you?  We all have creativity within us, though that creativity comes out in different ways for us all.  So, what is it that helps get that creativity flowing in your life?  Here is a small list of some things and people that inspire me:

1. My wife and kids -- As I write, no matter what the project may be, I usually try to write something that I think my kids or my wife would enjoy reading.  I've been considering starting a series of children's books to read to my kiddos.

2. My mom -- Though she is no longer alive, whenever I create I think of her.  She was my biggest supporter on just about everything and was particularly proud of the songs, stories, or other works that I created.  She is a large reason why I create in the first place.

3. A good book -- Whenever I read an amazing piece of writing, I am inspired to come up with something just as inventive and enjoyable.  Some of my most recent good reads are: Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan, Inheritence by Christopher Paolini, and the Inkheart trilogy by Cornelia Funke.  I am currently reading The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.  All of these books have provided me with inspiration in my own writing.

4. A good song -- I love music.  A good song can give me energy, can put me in a specific mood, or can just provide me with a wonderful distraction.  Some of my favorite artists right now are: Matisyahu, the Maccabeats, and Weird Al Yankovic.

Those are just four of the things that inspire me.  I could continue naming other things like mountains, the stars on a clear night, and even boredom is sometimes inspiring to me.  But I am more interested in knowing what others find inspiring.  Comment and share your inspirations!

What to Write About

Deciding on a subject matter for this blog is far harder for me that deciding on a plot line for a book or short story.  Why is that?  I have two theories.  First, I think perhaps the reason is that a story can be whatever I want it to be and need not apply to any over-arching topic or theme.  This blog however is a blog about my writing.  Therefore, it must somehow apply to what I am writing, how I am writing it, or what I am doing with what I've already written.  It confines me a little and therefore I have a terrible time coming up with an idea for something to write that fits under that particular umbrella.  Secondly, this blog is about real life.  If I am writing about a fairy in the land of Wymzi or dragon from some far away mountain, the story can come from anywhere and go anywhere.  This blog, on the other hand, must have some basis in the reality of my life.  That makes it more a work of non-fiction, and I do not think that is my specialty.  All that said, I am determined to try and write on this blog and perhaps as I move forward, new creative ideas will spring forth and this blog will take on a life of its own.

This week I decided that I needed to take a small break from editing my first novel and begin writing something new.  After some thought, I chose to begin putting some words down on the sequel to The Lantern of Rahela, which I am tentatively titling The Mountain of Me'arah.  This novel continues the story of Madelina, the young girl who was magically transported to the land of Wymzi and transformed into a fairy.  In The Mountain of Me'arah, the world of Wymzi sees snow for the first time in one-hundred years.  They are excited to see the world righting itself, but discover one rather large problem.  Kerosene, their only source of fuel for heat, has been depleted by the evil Queen.  Madelina and her friends must think quickly to find an alternative.  That quest leads them on an adventure to the center of the Mountain of Me'arah and requires that they find a way to work together with many of the creatures who would normally be their enemies.

I'm excited to get this process started and feel the creative juices flowing through me.  I would love to hear what others are working on and I'm open to suggestions you may have for this second novel.  And if any of you are struggling with what to write about...just start to type and perhaps you will surprise even yourself.

Time to Get Started

Greetings to my three followers and any stray viewers of this blog!  While this used to be a blog for my reflections on books I was reading, I am transforming it into a blog dedicated to my own writing.  In November of 2008, I began writing my very first full-length novel as part of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month - www.nanowrimo.org).  I did not come anywhere close to completing the novel during that month, but I stuck with it.  After nearly three years, I completed my rough draft in October of 2011.  My novel, titled The Lantern of Rahela, is a middle-grade fantasy about 84,000 words in length.  Since October of last year, I have completed two self-edits and have begun disseminating copies to a select group of individuals in order to receive feedback from other readers and make more edits.  In the meantime, I have submitted a query letter to two literary agents with the hopes of obtaining representation in order to help get my novel published.  I was, of course, rejected by both, but it was a good experience for me.  I've decided to wait until I make some more edits to the manuscript before submitting anymore query letter however.  Here is a brief synopsis of the novel (feedback is appreciated):

It's fun to imagine you are a fairy while you flutter around with cardboard wings and pretend fairy dust, but what would it be like if that fantasy suddenly became a reality. Madelina, a young girl who grew up living in poverty, finds a lantern tucked behind the dumpster where she searched for scraps of food each day. When she lights the wick, the world she knows disappears and she finds herself in a foreign land with strange creatures who seem to think that she is the savior that they have been waiting for. Her cardboard wings have transformed into real wings and she finds herself floating several feet off of the ground. Madelina is welcomed to the land of Wymzi by a tree nymph named Treph who befriends her and leads her on a journey to find out about this new world while trying to stay safe from the evil plots of the wicked Queen Nakasha and her minions. The Lantern of Rahela is a tale of a nobody becoming the hope of salvation for a whole land.

The Lantern of Rahela is the first novel in the series Tales of Wymzi.  If you would be interested in helping me edit the manuscript or if you have suggestions regarding my synopsis, I would love to hear from you.  Welcome to the world of Wymzi.  I look forward to introducing you to Madelina and the other interesting personalities that are a part of this story.