Updating the Playlists

In the course of just two days, I've been reminded twice of the importance of using music to motivate, inspire and "get in the zone" where I can be most productive.

I was incredibly fortunate to be at a sports psychology seminar with Daniel Stewart - former coach of the U.S. Equestrian Team (and one of the most energetic and up-beat people I've ever met). The first thing he discussed was the importance of using music to improve performance. He recommends developing playlists with motivating messages and that you start listening to that playlist the Monday or Tuesday before a competition.

Today, Writer Unboxed has a post that asks, Does Music Put You In The Mood? For me, the answer is clearly Yes! My favorite type of music for writing involves female voices and a jazzy sound - Madeleine Peyroux, Joan Osborne, Diane Schurr - I can write all day when they are singing.

For some reason, I'd forgotten how important music is to me - both to spark creativity and to motivate. As the summer draws to a close and I begin to reclaim my day for writing (rather than playing the role of chauffeur), I will remind myself to also take the time to update my playlists and turn on the music.

It's supposed to be fun

As I sat here thinking about what to put in a blog post - after weeks of traveling, reading, and horses (but not much writing), I saw this pic I took at the USPC East Coast Champs a couple of weeks ago. I love the focus of the kid, the moving pony, the reach for the mug - but mostly, I love how it reminds me that we do these things because they are fun and we love doing them.

I love to write, although I don't always remember that I love to write because it is fun. As we get older, we do so much because we have to, need to, are expected to, yada yada. It's almost unbecoming to admit that you do the things you do because you love them and find them fun.

So here's hoping you find the fun in your daily job, whatever it might be. If you have to do these things, why not make them fun, too?

Dog Days of Summer

When the temperatures start to break some records there's only a couple things worth doing - turn up the air-conditioning and write (or in my case, head to some coffee shop with cold air) OR go swimming. I'm incredibly lucky to be able to do both this week. I'm swimming out on the end of Long Island this week, at the lovely home of family friends, and picking back up on my Work In Progress (WIP).

It's tough getting restarted after a long delay from my writing. But I figure this is the perfect time to get cracking on it (eek - where did that cliche come from?). No distractions and beautiful surroundings. I'll be home tomorrow and then I'll be unpacking, cleaning, doing laundry, and re-packing for the trip to Pony Club Champs East, in Lexington, VA.

My goal is to get some momentum this week and maintain the pace when I return home.

I Killed Kari Dell in 100 words - Can you?

I'm having a lot of fun reading the entries in Janet Reid's contest over at her blog.  I had more fun writing the 100 words. You have a few hours left until the contest closes tomorrow morning (Thursday, June 27) at 9 am.

The rules are simple - 100 words or less. Write a story. Use these five words at least once: kill, Kari, dell, sheep, and codswallop.

I've been snorting and chortling over many of the entries and can't wait to see who is deemed the winner. (pick me! pick me!)

Checking out "WRiTE CLUB 2013"

WRiTE CLUB is BACK!! And I'm submitting. It's all anonymous and the judges are terrific.

Anyone can join the WRiTE club - just send in your best 500 words and let the judging begin.

http://dlcruisingaltitude.blogspot.com/2013/06/write-club-2013-submissions-open_3.html

Looking for great summer beach reads of a mysterious bent

Despite the long (and growing) list of books already spilling off my shelves; despite the stack of partially read books piled next to the bed, over-flowing the end tables in the family room, and collecting in the corners of most of the rooms in my house, I still feel like I haven't found the perfect beach read. I'd like to take something good with me this weekend. With two days of milling about in the fields of Kent, CT, I need something quick to read.

The fields of Kent are not well-armed for the 21st Century. There are bugs, too much sun, no wifi, and no guaranteed power source. So I need a paperback book - one that doesn't require being plugged in, one that I can read even if the sun is glaring and bright, one that won't fry if the inevitable rains of Kent, CT should fall.

I've started Hosseini's new novel - And The Mountains Echoed - but I don't think it is quite right for Kent. For one thing, it's hard cover (too heavy for carrying all day) and for another, I fear it will be too intense, too hard to set down if I need to pay attention to the goings on the rally (which IS the reason I'm there after all).

I've also got Hilary Mantel's Bring Up The Bodies - but that also doesn't feel right for Kent. Mantel would be perfect for a longer vacation, or a stretch of rainy weather. Mantel requires a lot of focus and I tend to be tired and scattered at Kent.

I started a cozy - Hounding the Pavement - but am repelled by the talking dogs. Yes, talking dogs. At least in Rita Mae Brown's books - the animals can only talk to each other. . . . this dog walker with a mental connection to dogs is just too weird. And the writing is weak, so I've set that aside.

I came across a review of Keigo Higashino's The Devotion of Suspect X at Mystery Page Turners. It sounds perfect for Kent. I don't know if I can find it at my local Barnes & Noble. . . but I'll give it a try.

It's Been 10 Days

10 Days since my last post. And much has happened and much has not. Stenciled a jump, ran a horse show in the rain, spent a day in Boston. But, I've written nothing. 10 days of no writing feels like an eternity and I'm eager to get back to it. It's another rainy day in Connecticut, so it's perfect to write (as well as to nap).

Although it is a Friday - and generally Fridays are not the start of a work week (especially not the Friday before a long weekend). But so what? When does the calendar control my ability to be productive? That is the beautiful thing about writing - the Friday before Memorial Day weekend is a great time to start a new project.

David Brin: What Every First-time Novelist Should Write

David Brin describes why every writer should start off writing a murder mystery. I couldn't agree more.

Anticipation!!!

I just finished reading an excellent post by Vaughn Roycroft, Re-Revision: Getting Messy.

I thoroughly enjoyed the post - partly because I enjoy playing in the dirt and watching things grow, but also because I'm in the same mode of revision. I've worked through the easy stuff. I've even dug fairly deeply into my novel's plot lines and made it tighter and cleaner.

However, as I'm sitting here waiting to hear back from all the queries I sent out last week, I'm cycling through an emotional rollercoaster.

I've had my finger's crossed - I can't hold my breath much longer for the hopes and anticipation that someone will absolutely love the book. The longer I wait (and truly I haven't waited long), the more I convince myself that something is wrong. The feelings of dread and fear - that my sentences are too long, my characters too bland, my plot too transparent.

Vaughn's post brought some reassurance and sanity. I like the garden metaphor. The compost, weeding, watering and digging are the hard work that produces the best food. There are no shortcuts. Especially not on a night tonight, when a threatened frost could kill it all by morning. So there was extra labor tonight covering the planted things and moving the containers to safety.

Tomorrow I will let my breath out and will away the fears and doubts.

A Place for the Short Stuff

Inspired by the Story a Day in May challenge and a recent post on Writer's Unboxed, I've completed a short story. It's been many many years since I attempted a short story.

The reason is simple - I love to explain, to ramble on, to explore tangents and multiple story lines. Short fiction requires an economy of words and an inefficiency of plot that I claim to dislike, but the truth is, I'm just not very good at it.

I'd rather ramble and figure out my point as I go along. That's so much easier that constructing a story that is complete in under 10 pages.  For me, writing more has always been easy. It's writing less that is so difficult.

And then I read Suzanne Windsor Freeman's post What Novelists Should Know About Short Fiction. So I decided to write a short piece - an economical yarn.

The story, Obstruction, is actually a true story, but it happened so long ago - and memory and age being what they are - it may have more fiction in it than reality.

Here's one more reason to write short fiction - in addition to all of the wonderful things Suzanne lists in her post - the light at the end of the tunnel is quite close.

I remember struggling through chapters of The Board of Dead, feeling as if I would never reach the end. Obstruction wrote so easily - because I had such a short path to follow in reaching the end, I found myself eager to finish, more enthusiastic than I'd been about writing for months. It was fun! And what an enormous psychic lift to have finished the story (at midnight) on the day I began it.

I think I am still a novelist at heart, but now I also see a place for short fiction in my life as well.

Story A Day

The month of May poses a unique challenge for writers - write a story every day (just one each day) for the entire month of May. No prizes, no word counts, no rules. Just write.

Story A Day

A short story, 50 words, 500 words, 5,000 words, it's up to you, the writer. You can do anything - be creative - but take a character somewhere. Make something happen. Every day.

Wow! What a fantastic, fabulous idea. I'm in.