No Such Thing As Failure

How do you measure success as a writer?  Certainly, there are milestones an author reaches that confirms success:  securing agent representation; publishing a book or short story; being paid for your work; etc.  But what if you haven't yet reached any of those milestones?  What does success mean then?


I believe every draft is a success, even unfinished stories.  Each time I sit down and write, I learn a little more about the craft.  I may only have one gem sentence in 500 words, or one interesting character out of a cast of five, but that sentence or character is worthy of success.


My current WiP is my "starter novel."  I've said from the get-go that my goal is to finish it, learning the process along the way.  I believe I'll one day write a novel worthy of publication, but it's probably not this one.  I'm struck by both comfort and stress in this statement.  Comfort because it gives me the freedom to just write, but stress because writing a novel takes a lot of time and energy.  Sometimes I ask myself, am I wasting my time?


I read an interesting article on Writer's Digest.com by John Smolens that answered that question for me.  In "There's No Such Thing as a Failed Story," Smolens says, "For every five completed rough drafts, you’re lucky if you find one that you can develop into a finished short story, one that you feel is as good as it can be, one that you feel is ready to be sent out to editors."


Not only did this article reassure me about my current project, it provided a couple a-ha moments about writing in general.  Smolens talked about his mentor, the late Andre Dubois: "Most fiction writers, [Dubois] believed, are .200 hitters, meaning they hit successfully twice out of every 10 at-bats...For every five stories you send out, you’re lucky if one of them is accepted for publication." (Quote taken from same article.)  Having penned thirty-two short stories in the past two years, I can say with certainty that although I'm pleased with most of my work, there is only about twenty percent I would consider great stories.  And of those six, I've only had one accepted for print publication (and two more submitted that I'm waiting to hear back on).


From this article, I now realize I don't have to polish my current WiP, once the first draft is complete.  If, at that time, I don't feel the story is strong enough to peddle to agents, then I will move on to the next project with confidence that I'm not short-changing myself in any way.  I'm simply moving forward in my craft.




Published authors:  Have you written significantly more stories than you have sold?  Aspiring authors:  Does it encourage or discourage you to hear a successful writer say the majority of work by all fiction writers is unpublishable ?

TAGGED!!!!

I've been tagged in this fun Q&A game.  Fun!  Thanks to two of my blogging friends who thought of me after filling out the questionnaire below:  Brindle Chase enjoys writing paranormal erotic romances.  Visit her blog today!  And, Christine Danek of Christine's Journey also tagged me.  I love Christine's blog; it's one of my daily must-reads.  Pop over and visit her today, too!


The rules in this fab game are to answer 5 questions, 5 times, and then tag 5 other bloggers.  So here we go:


Question 1: Where were you five years ago?

1. Living in our tiny, "starter" house, dreaming of walk-in closets, pantries, and garages.
2. At my baby sister's wedding -- and just six weeks ago we welcomed their first child into the world!
3. Working out at the stupidist YMCA on the planet.  Group prayer was mandatory before every aerobics class.  Too bad if you were Hindu or Jewish or any other religion...  Oh, and we weren't allowed to say "Namaste" at the end of yoga classes.  Outrageous.
4. On the mall in Washington D.C. for the National Fourth of July fireworks, which were nothing short of spectacular!
5. Visiting Ground Zero in New York.  I'll never forget the silence.


Question 2: Where would you like to be five years from now?

1. Finishing my second novel, the first that I'll try to sell.
2. Querying agents for representation.
3. Writing from various locations on my super-duper MacBook (that I'd better have in five years!)
4. Debt-free.
5. On an exotic island celebrating twenty years of marriage with my wonderful husband.


Question 3: What is (was) on your to-do list today?

1. Write.
2. Get a haircut (It looks fab, in case you were wondering :)  *check*
3. Buy a couple tee shirts at Target. *check*
4. Wash laundry.  *crickets*
5. Pay bills. *check*


Question 4: What five snacks do you enjoy?

1. Chocolate
2. Cascadian Farms Organic Granola Bars (especially Mixed Nuts)
3. Plain, fat-free yogurt with granola sprinkled on top.
4. Apples and peanut butter
5. Homemade chocolate chip cookies....or just the batter


Question 5: What five things would you do if you were a billionaire?

1. Go to the mall for a full day buying whatever I wanted without EVER looking at a price tag.
2. Buy the most expensive MacBook on the market.
3. Pay for education costs for all my children, nieces and nephews, for as long as they want to be in school.
4. Buy a beach house, a mountain house, a dessert house, and an apartment in Manhattan.
5. Create a not-for-profit company that builds and outfits schools, hospitals, and homes in African countries.


TAG!  You people are IT:


Jai Josh, for wearing a low-cut shirt for Cleveage Day
Justine Dell, for helping us all be better at grammar
Magically Ordinary, for sharing with us "Words of wisdom...
A fact of life...after Monday and Tuesday, even the calendar says W T F."

Charity Bradford, for busting a move on her blog today!

Talli Roland, 'cause her novel is ACCEPTED for PUBLICATION!!!!!

Open Wide

I submitted myself today to the semiannual joy of professional teeth cleaning.  In wrapping up her gig, the hygienist handed me a new toothbrush and sample floss, and I noticed the angry, purple dents along the sides of my fingers where my vice-like grip of entwined digits pitted bone against bone.  My shoulders, only now beginning to relax, ache to the blades.  I've sworn off coffee and red wine.  Damn them and the stains they leave behind.  My dentist is wonderful, but I won't miss her these next six months.

A new dentist's sign went up in a neighboring town, on the opposite end of the recently constructed plaza that houses a just-opened Mexican restaurant.  The new dental offices look clean, sleek and modern, from the outside, of course.  I won't step foot inside, so I will never be able to comment on the office interior or on the good dentist's services.  Why, you ask?  Because according to the sign, the dentist's name is Justin Payne, DDS.

Justin Payne?  Really?  As in:  Just In Pain?  Who in their right mind goes to a dentist with a name like that?  For that matter, what man chooses dentistry with a name like that!  If it had been me, and I was passionate about working inside the general public's mouthes, I would at least use only my first initial.  J. Payne, Super Dentist.  Throw in the middle initial even: J.S/T/W/P/Whatever it is. Payne.

Whether it's fair or not, names give us immediate impressions of the people who bear them.  Choosing character names for fiction is a fun and delicate business for this reason.  I once participated in a workshop on Characterization, and we spent a session discussing character names.  We were given an interesting assignment to open creative doors and raise awareness where names are concerned.  I'll print the assignment here, and anyone who wishes to give it a go should do so before reading the rest of this post, where I'll include my own answers:


Typically, all characters have at least a first name. Because of our own experiences, cultural or social background, age, etc., we often hold opinions about certain names. Names can suggest courage, sophistication, clownishness, intelligence, sex, race, class, religion etc. Here is a little exercise. Tell me what the names below mean to you, what we might deduce about the character.


1) Loyd (the author spelled the character’s name incorrectly for a reason, why would she do this?)
2) Marie Huguenot (this one is tricky)
3) Dr. Selim Sengor
4) Zeph
5) Colin Glass
6) Colie Bluestone

Note: The workshop was offered in 2008 through a writers group I belong to called Rising Stars.  The workshop leader's handle was Purivada, and I'm crediting this exercise to her, although I don't know whether she is the original author or not.  She has been an inactive member of WDC since May 2008, but you can view samples of her writing HERE.

My answers to this exercise in January 2008 were:

I love thinking about characters' names. Here are my immediate thoughts about these:

Loyd ~ He wants to stand out in a crowd he feels swallowed up in. He lacks self-confidence even though he has talents hidden in his heart.

Marie Huguenot ~ Married a wealthy man, keeping her in the social class she is accustomed to.

Dr. Selim Sengor ~ Brilliant man who was unable to prosper in the poor country he grew up in. Worked hard to get an education abroad, but doesn't see the respect he deserves in the eyes of his peers.

Zeph ~ Spiritually guided man who marches to the beat of his own drum. Regarded as a throwback but enjoys the edge he feels this gives him as a nonconformist.

Colin Glass ~ Work-a-holic who plays by the rules, striving for what he's been told defines 'success', but is emotionally shallow and out of touch in interpersonal relationships.

Colie Bluestone ~ Hhmmmmm ... Not sure. The only visual I'm getting is being played by Matthew Mcconaughey.

Do you enjoy finding names that represent, or contradict, your characters' personalities?  Do you find you change characters' names as your MS progresses and you learn more about them?  Do you hate the dentist?

Extra! Extra! (Contests!!)

Don't miss out on these two fab giveaway contests!

The fabulous Carolina Valdez Miller of Carol's Prints is celebrating surpassing 300 followers.  Whoot!  Her blog is top-notch, and I love her energy.  She's giving away a TON of signed books, y'all!  Click here, click here!!
And, every time she gets 50 more followers between now and May 25th, she's adding prize packages, so spread the word :))

The incomparable Simon Larter of Constant Revision  is celebrating more than 250 followers with an awesome, vodka-soaked, iambic metered contest.  All you have to do to enter is follow him and fill out the high-tech form, but you up your chances of winning when you follow his prompts and write a piece of flash fiction or metered poetry.  Lots of fun and great prizes!  Click here to read all about it!

Other great contests to enter today are:

Sarah Jayne's 150 Followers Contest - 4/28

Steena and Stina's OMG! Contest - 5/3

Steph Bowe's Massive Book GiveAway - 4/30

Noelle Nolan's 150 Followers Contest!

Good luck everyone!

Enthusiasm for Catching Fire

Synopsis:  Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.  (Source)




I loved this book as much as its predecessor, The Hunger Games.  Suzanne Collins is a masterful writer who understands the art of breakneck pacing in fiction.  I literally couldn't put Catching Fire down until I'd finished the last word.


All I can say is regardless of your preferred genre, to write or read, you will enjoy this book.  In fact, I you haven't yet, pick up copies of The Hunger Games and Catching Fire and read them.  Then you'll be ready, like the rest of us, for the August 2010 release of Mockingjay, the highly anticipated third and last installment in the Hunger Games trilogy.


Have you read The Hunger Games and Catching Fire?  On a scale of one to five (with five being "On My List of Top Five All-time Favorite Books" and one being "Hated It!"), how would you rate them? 

Daredevil Living

I spent the day recently with my cousin and her family. A couple years back, she found out her husband was cheating. Their marriage teetered on the brink of the abyss for over six months, then slowly they worked their way back to each other. Now, they're solid. Granite solid. But when things were coming apart, my cousin declared to herself that life was too short to waste the good days. When you're knee deep in bad, you have new perspective. She decided she was going to go skydiving, something she had always wanted to do but never dared try.

A couple months ago, with her now faithful life partner next in the jump line, she did it. The two of them went skydiving. When I watched their videos, I was filled with awe that she would dare to jump out of a plane at 14,000 feet. She fell at a speed of 120 miles per hour! The picture of her, taken by the company's photographer that documents each jumper's experience, is now her computer desktop wallpaper. Firey sunset colors outline the profile of her body, and her face is the picture of pure, living-in-the-moment joy.

I'm not an adrenalin junkie, but I crave experiences that force me right in the middle of the present. I want my immediate senses hightened, my emotions raw and all about the moment, not the moment before or the one after. So, I've been thinking: What would that experience be, for me?

I've never scuba dived on a coral reef. That comes right to mind. I'm sure there are other ideas if I gave myself more time to think. But, scuba diving would be awesome! Oh, and I want to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. And I want to climb over the top of the bridge at Sydney's harbor.....

What about you? If money were no object...what would you dare do?

Happy Earth Day!

Original Artwork by Alexandra Fomicheva

Honor our Planet and Your Craft Today!

~ REDUCE ~

In Your Home:  Here are small changes you can begin TODAY

1. Turn off lights when you leave the room.

2. Close drapes, blinds or shutters on the side of the house where the sun is shining.

3. Buy an aluminum water bottle and refill it from your water filtering system (on the fridge front, Britta system, etc.)  Don't buy bottled water anymore!

4. Pack your child's lunch in plastic containers.  They come in all sizes now, for sandwiches, the size and shape of juice boxes, small enough for one serving of crackers or cookies, etc.  Include a fabric napkin, too!

5. If your child drinks from a straw, buy her a stainless steel straw!  (Available HERE)

6. Use fabric napkins at mealtime.

7. Use fabric rags when wiping down counter tops or cleaning windows.

Your Writing:

1. Print out your drafts less often.  When you do, reduce the font size, fitting more text on each page.

2. Change the color of your font each time you print, using up colored ink cartridges at the same rate as the black.

3. Shut down your computer at night.

~ REUSE ~

In Your Home:

1. Wipe off barely used aluminum foil, fold it when good and dry, and use it again.

2. Buy the reusable grocery bags and keep them in your car.  Use them EVERY time you shop.

3. Save yogurt and sour cream containers to store your child's small toys and game pieces.

4. Buy molds to make your own Popsicles using organic fruit juices.  You save money, there's less sugar, there's no supermarket packaging to throw away, and the kids will LOVE them!

5. Buy giant gallon sized boxes of hand soap and refill the pump-style containers.

6. Store food in the fridge and freezer in plastic or glass containers, not disposable bags. 

In Your Writing:

1. Save your rough drafts and print newer drafts on the backs.  (Draw a cross with a highlighter on the old side!)

2. Save the colored paper announcements from your child's school and print rough drafts on the blank sides.

3. Don't throw away deleted excerpts from your MS, or examples of practice writing, etc.  You may be inspired to use it in another project!

4. Use a secondary character from one story as the protagonist in another.

5. Expand a short story into a novel.

6. Use a scene from a less successful novel and write a short story or poem.

~ RECYCLE ~

In Your Home:

1. Put everything with the recycle triangle on it in your recycle bin.  Things you can recycle are: plastic, glass, and aluminum, of course, but also empty cereal boxes, aluminum foil, take-out cartons, plastic SOLO cups and plates, disposable silverware, magazines and newspapers, plastic trays that store bought cookies sit in, cardboard pasta boxes, pizza delivery boxes, plastic bottles for shampoo, hand soap, dishwasher and clothes detergents, etc.

2. Save gift bags from birthdays and Christmas for the next event.

3. Donate outgrown clothes to charity organizations in your community.

4. Donate books to your local library or school.

In Your Writing:

1. Refill used printer ink cartridges or recycle them at office supply stores.

2. Shred rough drafts when both sides of the paper have been printed on, and use them when stuffing packages for fragile objects to be shipped by mail.

3. Donate old laptops and other computer hardware to recycle centers.

Mother Earth and your Muse thank you!

Celebrate Earth Day by implementing these small changes!

What other ideas can you share for reducing, reusing and recycling?


[Arg! Blogger won't let me post comments on anyone's blogs today!  I'm frustrated!!!!]