Turning the "don't" into "do."

Hello!

I heard a great radio commercial recently.  Granted, it had to do with New Year's resolutions and weight loss, but I thought it applied nicely to a writer's world as well.

The commercial was bemoaning the fact that so many resolutions are about "don't."  "Don't" eat junk food.  "Don't" smoke anymore.  That sort of thing.  The commercial wanted the listener to focus on "do."  "Do" get more exercise. "Do" enjoy healthier options for food.

So I was pondering, how do you turn a "Don't" into a "do" when it comes to the writing life?

First, what are the "don't" when it comes to writing?

There are a million of them.  As I plow through the first draft of a new novel, I'm running headlong into a pile of "don't," and sometimes that makes me not want to write.  For instance, when writing, many say, "DON'T just jump into a story.  Think about the characters, write down their history, their hair color, their eye color, their favorite color.  FOR THE LOVE OF GOD...DON'T JUST WRITE THE STORY!"

Balderdash.

Let's start with the rough draft.  I believe, and I think you can agree with me, the rough draft of anything should be about "DO!"

DO write everything you think is a good idea!

DO play with character names, back stories, physical features, everything. 

DO write and write until all the words are down. Sure, a good percentage might stink.  Sure, the words might not even be in the right order.  BUT they are down and the only way you're going to write a novel is IF YOU ACTUALLY WRITE A NOVEL.  There are no gold stars, no book deals, no book signings, no readings, no NOTHING for a pile of well researched notes and character profiles. 

I tried to be super organized when I wrote "Fresh Ice."  I had notes and profiles on every character.  I had names and parents' names and pets' names and jobs and work schedules.  And what happened?

My critique partner LOATHED the storyline.  We came up with a new one, she and I, one frosty night while walking her dog.  I love Fresh Ice now.  I can't imagine how it would have turned out if I'd clung to the organization and time I put into a bad storyline.

Okay, what's another "Don't" in writing? 

"Don't" get so serious about writing.  It's just a hobby.

Oh please...DON'T GET ME STARTED!
Wait, no, DO GET ME STARTED!

Whether your friends, relatives, coworkers, daycare workers say this out loud or not...some of them are thinking it and it oozes out into what you do.  This Don't becomes a BIGGER Don't because then we move into the "Don't tell anyone you're a writer, they'll just look at you funny."

Writing is a solitary activity, and therefore those around you who don't see what you do don't get what you do, unless you have a New York Times best seller sitting on the coffee table with your name on the OUTSIDE of the cover, not the INSIDE.  (See, I made a funny!)  I have relatives who knit, cross stitch, make Christmas ornaments out of broken glass, and I love them all.  But theirs is a visible art form.  Everyone sees what they are doing when they are doing it and then they go to craft fairs and sell these visible things.  Most writers these days work alone, or in coffee shops, and the finished product, given the magic of e-readers, is not something you can hold in your hand.

That fact does not make your writing any less important.  So DO take your writing seriously.  If you don't, few else will.  And DO tell everyone you're a writer.  Wear a T-shirt, call book stores and pester them until you get a book signing.  Tell your friends, your neighbors, your church friends, everyone that you are a writer and hey, you have a book/novel/poetry collection/short story collection available for sale.  My favorite moment as a writer is when my church people come up to me. I had one woman introduce me to a friend once and say, "You wouldn't think she was just a quiet little church person when you read her books."  (Something I think I should put on one of my covers, by the way!)

Friends, writing is sometimes a solitary thing.  We all joke about the voices in our heads, but when it comes down to it, it can be lonely sitting there waiting for inspiration to return.  So my biggest DO is DO find a writing group an DO make time to talk to other writers and authors.  DO find a critique partner.  DO share your writing with those who write.  Over the years I've been blessed to be part of many groups, big and small, and I cherish the input I got from all of them.  These days I don't have a ton of time, but I DO attempt to get to a writers' meeting every few months, just to touch base with others in the business. And of course I have my critique partners who are wonderful, tireless women I love to call my friends.  

This is a New Year.  DO what you DO and forget about everyone who says DON'T!

Appletinis and other things you probably shouldn't inhale right before a book signing.

Good evening!

Well, I did it. I went to my very first real live book signing. It wasn't in my living room. My mother wasn't there. In fact, almost complete strangers came up to the table picked up my book and looked at it! :) Of course, I shared said table with another author, a multi published author who had four different books available for signing. I tried spreading mine out a little to make it look like I had more books, but, really, who was I kidding?

I attended the WisRWA conference this weekend. This was first year that 1) I was an official member of WisRWA, a fact that confounded people I've known for some time now because I've been attending these conferences pretty much without benefit of membership; and 2) my book was out. Which means, I had the rare pairing of special ribbons on my name tag, I was a new member with a first sale.

In celebration of said first sale and the book signing and the fact that I survived pitching a romantic suspense to an agent who, not even 12 hours earlier had pretty much announced he/she wasn't going to be taking another romantic suspense for a LOOOOOOOONG time (Okay, the agent and I both knew how that pitch was going to end, but give me a gold star, I didn't break down and cry at the end.) my good friend and critique partner Linda bought me a drink.

Oh you all know what it was.

Yes, an appletini. I asked for caramel, which probably would have softened the alcoholic blow in my stomach, but they didn't have caramel, so it was a green appletini. And, because I'm a well brought up lady, I returned the favor by buying the second round...half an hour before my real live book signing.

To counteract the effects of two large glasses of pretty much straight vodka, I guzzled an equal amount of water.

And then I went to my first book signing.

Oh we all know how this is going to end, right?

Yep, about half an hour in to the hour long signing, I got a call of nature like never, ever, EVER before. But I can't leave my table. THIS IS MY FIRST BOOK SIGNING!

Oh wait. I'm a complete unknown set between J A Konrath (Arguably the most fun gent to have sitting next to you at a signing) and the erotic authors. (Have you seen the cover of "Dream in color?" It doesn't have quite the BAM factor a good erotica cover does.) So realizing that I wasn't the star of this show (Imagine my chagrin!) I begged one of the erotic ladies to sit in my chair for five minutes whilst I fought my way through a WEDDING reception that stood between me and the blessed haven of the ladies room.

The good news is, I was happily back at my post, and no one was the wiser, minutes later and fully enjoying my very first signing. Oh, and someone bought a copy of my book! I refrained from doing a happy dance right there. I was cool. I said, "And to whom am I making this out?" (Ya like that formal grammar?) You wouldn't have known me from someone who had a stack of different titles, or cover art depicting a nearly naked man wrapped up in what looked like duct tape.

Oh, and if you as an author get the chance to do a signing with other authors, and J.A. Konrath in in the line up, SIT AS CLOSE TO HIM AS YOU CAN! Or, if you see that he's doing a signing, bring the man a beer and just listen to him talk about pretty much anything. You won't regret it.

As for me, I had my first taste of the big time and, my friends, I loved it! Much like selling a book, signing a book with your name (And those "this book belongs to" stickers really don't count) is a high like no other.

Or maybe that's the appletinis talking.

Cheers!