By Kristy McCaffrey
Many an author has posted such a list, and there’s much good
info out there if seeking guidance in the writing arena. I’ve been at this
inscribing thing now for nearly twenty years (more like forty if you consider
my childhood scribbles—yes, they do count), so it goes without saying that I’ve
learned a few things along the way.
Here they are.
—Watch ‘Romancing the Stone’, a wonderful movie about
romance author Joan Wilder. It’s incredibly accurate, right down to the sticky
notes all over her kitchen reminding her she needs to do this and that. When
writing, we writers forget everything.
—I’ve given up trying to write before I’ve checked email,
blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. I write in the afternoons and
evenings, which pretty much ruins dinner every night.
—Get an iPod to block out the kids and husband. I make
playlists for each story, offering me one more avenue to procrastinate on my
writing. (Never mind that no one uses iPods anymore. I will never give mine
up.)
—Buy bookshelves to hold research books but know that it won’t
matter. You’ll still run out of room, so make peace with tomes strewn all over
the floor.
—When I’m stuck on a scene, I’ve found the most effective
method is to stop writing and wait for inspiration. Three days later when
nothing hits, I return to the computer pissed off and write a scene in
frustrated anger. But, hey, I’ve finally moved forward.
—I rewrite any sentence that contains ‘lie’ or ‘lay’ because
I’m unable to remember the rule and too lazy to look it up.
—I always keep a thesaurus and dictionary handy. My trade is
words, and my work is to make ’em count. (By the way, this doesn’t count for ‘lie’
or ‘lay’—a loathsome trickery in the English language.)
—Don’t name an animal after a color. If you decide to change
the name later, a ‘search and replace’ in Word will make you realize how many
times you used the word ‘white’ within your manuscript (because it will replace
all the wrong ‘whites’). Now, it becomes apparent that the thesaurus has been
neglected.
—I refuse to feel guilt when I use an adverb.
—I have a tendency to put spectacles on my heroines in every
first draft, which I must later delete. It’s the oldest trick in the book to
make my ladies appear ‘smart’. Did I mention that I wear glasses?
—I’ve learned to trust my muse. She’s a sneaky little devil,
never making things clear until the end of a project. By then I’ve eaten too
much ice cream and moped around believing I’ll NEVER make this story work.
—I’m a writer, not a brain surgeon or a rocket scientist,
and therefore there’s no sense dwelling on bad prose (mine or anyone else’s).
Move on. I can always do better next time. (This is my pep talk after bouts of
insecurity and lots of ice cream.)
—I obsess constantly about where to put commas, which has
led to more than one restless night. I will edit year-old blog posts if I
realize I missed a critical comma. And no, I'm not obsessive-compulsive,
hyper-focused, or anal. (I will probably re-edit this post next year...)
—I keep writing until the heart of a story can be excavated.
It always exists, and it’s my job to clear the dirt and debris so that it can
shine. I’m simply a translator of myth and symbolism into something others can
enjoy. It’s my gift, and my curse. I imagine brain surgeons feel the same way.
So, to recap. Writing is exhilarating, but also crappy. (I
can't find ‘crappy’ in my thesaurus, so have no other word to use. Sorry.)
Since it’s December and the season of giving, I want to send
one lucky commenter an autographed print copy of INTO THE LAND OF SHADOWS, a
standalone historical western romance with humor and paranormal elements. It’s
also a little on the steamy side. If you would like to be entered, please
include your email address in the comments so that I don’t have to crawl the
web to find you. Unfortunately, the print copy is for U.S. addresses only. If
you’re international, the prize will be digital. Winner chosen on December 14,
2018.
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Wishing you all a blessed and bright 2019!!
