Ideas are Flowing

Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night and just have to write something down?

That has been happening to me constantly week. Story ideas, marketing thoughts, blog posts. They've been coming in a waterfall breaking over the rocks of reality.

Seriously, I drove out to the mid-cities on Saturday and thankfully had my IPad in the seat next to me. One of my apps is a recorder with a big red button on it. I gave it a push and started spewing out the scene that had been rumbling through my head since I woke up. Does it count as writing if it isn't down on paper? Maybe half-credit? LOL!

The same thing happened a few nights ago with a picture I found at Pinterest. (Have I mentioned that I LOVE Pinterest?) Tons of ideas spewed out of that one. I'm even featuring it in tomorrow's blog so come back!

But much of the droplets have fallen on the stone cold reality of my busy schedule. I tell folks that I homeschool and I think images of eating chocolates on a lounger float across their minds. Ha! Shows what they know - it's chocolate cake on my couch. So there!

No really, I know everyone has their own flavor of craziness. I've always been told in ministry to give jobs to busy people because they know how to get them done. I'm probably a fair example of that, but I have learned to use the word no when necessary. Still, this week has started out with the arrow pointing near overload on my busy-ness gauge, so while ideas have been flowing, only short notes and scratched out hints have been written.

But the ideas are flowing - woohoo! And I do have notes and scratched-out hints when life slows down again - and it will. Prom is 5 weeks away. I've done it for six years now. Life comes to a screeching halt when it ends and I get some of my best writing done! Can't wait!

All-in-all, as this first round of ROW80 2012 nears finality, I'm not nearly as far down my writing road as I wished. I didn't complete a novel like I did last time, but that one is taking on a whole new path with my revisions. And I expected to be able to complete those revisions, however, that expectation came before inspiration. No argument there. Can't say that I'm really disappointed about anything except my lack of exercise. Will continue to work on that, though.

One more week to go!

Wheels Go Round in a Circle

See the little guy behind the wires? She's actually a girl.

Me.

Notice the eyes? The look of panic? The weak droop at the side of her mouth. Yep. She's tired.

I can so relate!

I think I might have told you about my new project. I've been recruited to help with a homeschool prom. Okay take all of the pictures that you have in your head of prom and throw them away. This event has all the earmarks of a royal ball crossed by a Mary Kay Convention.

No I'm not kidding. This thing has won national awards and is the largest homeschool prom in the nation - probably the world.

What have I gotten myself into?

This week, I took over the volunteer work for the event. Every family with a ticket has to have volunteer hours so there are literally thousands of people to schedule. Luckily I've got a gal who has done this work for years heading up my team and a brand new program that is tracking things in detail.

And that's what I've been doing for the last 4 days. Tracking everything in detail and learning how to work with this process so we can keep the train moving.

But I so feel for the guy on the wheel. Just when I think I'm reaching a ledge and can stop prom work and do some actual writing, another thing comes down the pipe. Well, it IS the season with only about 6 weeks left. But it leaves me in chagrin of what I love.

So I focus on the good things. I got to add 2k to my WIP over the weekend. That felt so good and I tried so hard to continue - ah well. I'm working on this project with some GREAT ladies and getting an opportunity to create a truly unforgettable night for our teenagers. I'm also getting to use my organizational talents along with developing some new abilities as I work with the programs and people. That's been fun, too. Oh and I got to design a new blog with all kinds of information about medieval times. Loved setting that up!

And today's only Wednesday. My WIP is still on the top of my stack of things to get to. I will hold out hope!

News. Reviews. Previews.

This was a happening week on this little blog guy, but I'm nowhere near finished. If you're reading this at marjilaine.blogspot.com, know that I have moved and will continue to move to marjilaine.wordpress.com. There's a little follow button at the top of the screen. You would make my day if you clicked it.

And though the circumstances of this week jolted up and down, I'm satisfied with what I accomplished. In this weekender, you'll get the chance to see:

• Some amazing articles, hand-picked by me. 
• The articles you might have missed from last week.
• My ROW80 writing challenge update.
• The articles you'll get to see this week.

NEWS

I'm still working on this feature, though because some of my favorite blogs, like KeliGwyn.wordpress.com, RachelleGardner.com, and likeachildforJesus.wordpress.com, aren't showing up. I could add SteveLaube.com and others to that list as well. I'll stay with it.

REVIEWS

I was so pleased with the move to my new blog last week. Right away I started getting more visits at Wordpress than I did at Blogger. But then maybe that's because of the content on Monday when I compared Wordpress and Blogger. (A hard contest!) On Tuesday, I filled my docket with some inspiration from Ephesians. Wednesday, I added my ROW80 update to another observation about Wordpress. We're working through things. So on Thursday, I discussed the things I'm learning about myself and how they compare to the characters I set up. An author review with Fay Lamb rounded out the week on Friday.

ROW80

The requirements of some volunteer work I do intensified this week. Unable to write the first half of the week, I kept struggling to get to it the second-half but found myself out of practice. How can I get out of practice in only a few weeks. I mean I never REALLY stop writing, just stop working on the WIP. But then that's the issue. This isn't a non-fiction book that I can write a section at a time. A novel flows without stopping places - making placing a bookmark or putting the story down very difficult. So in taking a break from it, I really need to carve out a great chunk of time to settle back into the story world again. 

Along with a new goal of writing 1000 words every day, I'm toying with breaking my blog into chunks as well. Not many bloggers set up brand new articles every day, but I don't think I'm giving these articles my best effort because I have to churn them out, usually at night, with little time for inspiration or even editing. (I hate finding the mistakes!)

So as much as I'd like to continue with some of the daily plans I have, like my cool A2Z blog hop, (Second time through the alphabet!) I think I need to find a tighter niche for my writing. No big changes yet, but I'm looking for inspiration. I could use prayer for that!

PREVIEWS

Like I said, nothing really changes this week. On Monday, I'll be highlighting the Clash of the Titles winner from this week. Such a great way to get a chewy morsel from a book, like a sample off a cookie tray, to see if it resonates! Tuesday will be my regular A2Z article, but this one is extraordinary. I literally shed tears over it. Definitely a must-see. On Wednesday, I'll share another update and take you along on my journey for a bit. Thursday's offering will likely be linked to Social Media as it is beginning to consume every spare moment. And on Friday, I hope to have a new author interview to share with you.

So what are your plans for this weekend?

Highs and Lows

Okay, you non-race fans. Bear with me. There really is a point to this! I was watching an interview with last year's Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne. In only his second Sprint Cup start, the 20-year-old (same as my Dear Boy) won the equivalent of the Super Bowl.

He was so green he had trouble finding Victory Lane. "I don't even know where to go," came over

his radio after his burn-out.

Only a few weeks later, his career lay in jeopardy by a mysterious illness. Five weeks, he was forced to watch, mostly from a hospital bed, his car race without him.

Thankfully, the man recovered and has qualified for his second Daytona 500 race coming this Sunday.

High highs and low lows. They're just part of life, whether you're a race car driver, a parent, an accountant, or a writer.

The highs inspire us. Carry us. And the hope of them drive us forward in anticipation. It's that hope that gives us our strongest motivation and propels us through most of our daily days. Reaching the highs is spectacular for a moment. Resting on it for too long can drag us down, but that element of reaching the high and the memory of it provide the fuel that creates our dreams in the first place.

If the highs inspire us, the lows direct us. As a teacher, misbehavior always resulted in redirecting. Not only did the word sound better than punishment, it was a more accurate description of what happened. I didn't want to stifle the creativity or the spirit of my students. I just wanted to funnel it into an appropriate area.

Our failures treat us to the same instruction. Like a mouse in a maze reaching a dead end, we have to pick up and turn our enthusiasm to a different path. The lows threaten to rob us of hope and a positive attitude, but they don't have to.

In fact, they really don't have the power to do that. Dead ends only look like they stop us, but it depends on how we react to them. We can allow them to stop us, sit on our hineys and whine. Or we can pull a u-ee and try another possibility. (There are always other possibilities.)

Now this article isn't an explanation of me making a drastic change. On the contrary, I'm riding on hope right now with my new story idea and am writing more than I have in months. But I have to be ready for set-backs: passes from agents, strong critiques, even poor reviews. I don't expect them, but I have to be prepared for them so that when they come I can use them for growth instead of wrapping my emotions around them into a fetal position.

All of my goals, including reading, visiting other blogs, even my exercise, are on an upswing. It hasn't been that way the whole time, but I've been able to find something to be pleased about with every update, even on weeks when I topple big.

Where are you this week? What's spurring you on, or what's holding you back?

F is for ...

Faith-Driven Fiction.

What's that all about?

Fiction with my type of Texas Sassy tends to have a romantic flavor. It also delves into mystery and suspense. But that's not all. My characters go beyond quirky. They're laugh-out-loud, folks that anyone can relate to. Far from perfect, their flaws add both humor and poignancy to my stories.

Part of the poignancy that they draw comes from their journey of faith. My goals for my writing are sort of hard to communicate. I know there are women all over the country who, like me, love a good romance with elements of suspense or mystery intertwined, but they don't like the extra "junk" that often gets passed as romance.

My writing goes beyond clean and I don't mean the squeakiness of it. I'm so encouraged when I read through a crisis of faith. A time when a broken person reaches out to God. I've certainly been there, more than once. I love writing those sections into my stories, allowing my characters to enjoy a personal relationship and reliance on their Savior in various stages. It is my hope that my stories will encourage women like me who don't often read non-fiction, but need the Spirit to show His truth.

So that's Faith-Driven Fiction, and the play on my name - Laine, Lane - makes it more connected to me. I won't always highlight fiction on my blog, but my faith is part of my everyday life, so it's there, and should you ever have a question about it or about me, I hope you'll feel comfortable to ask. I'm not the pushy type.

What does faith mean to you?

Challenges

I know this isn't what you want to see on a cold January day!

I thought about making this word my C word for the A2Z blog hop article this week, but I went with this word instead. Challenge is a better topic for this ROW80 Update anyway. If you're anything like me, you feel challenges at every side. I would say that right now I'm in a busy season, but the truth is, I'm ALWAYS in a busy season. I like it that way. It keeps me moving and I find I'm much more effective and efficient when

Hoping for SOMETHING!

I actually don't believe in luck or crossing fingers or any of that stuff, but the picture sure exemplifies hope. "Cross your fingers and hope real hard!" That's what I was always told, but I couldn't tell you who first said it to me.

So I'm hoping. First, I'm hoping to do better at reporting. I'm so bummed that I forgot to share an update last Sunday.

Second, I'm hoping for ... well ... you know.

There’s a time to dream and a time to act. As a writer, being part-dreamer just comes with the territory. I visualized getting “the call” the other day. I’ve delayed attempts to connect with an agent for the most part. (I don’t really count the few queries that I sent out before I had a clue of what I was doing.) Now I have a clue, thanks to the many

Final ROW 80

Thanks so much to the folks below for giving me such consistent encouragement! I will definitely be back for the next ROW80 starting on January 2! Already have a story in mind once I get past these nasty revisions. Look forward to seeing all of ya'll again!

Ryan King Amy Kennedy Sharon Howard Alberta Ross L.S. Engler Juliana Haygert Komal Jennifer M Eaton Liz Rebecca J. Fleming Kerry Meacham Julie Glover Katy Bennet

Angela Orlowski-Peart Elizabeth Mitchell Natalia Gortova Natalie Hartford Nicole Basaraba Raelyn Barcley Kathryn Stripling Byer Jenn Jaleh D Cheryl Linn Martin Tracy Krauss Nancy J. Nicholson RantRaveWrite

Melanie Kim Switzer Tia Bach Stacy Green Laura Parish Camille LaGuire Gina Carey Nellie Batz Ennis P.

Hope your Christmas is amazing and your New Year leaves you in happy anticipation!

News and Row 80

Almost to the last check-in for Row 80. A new round will start in the new year. It doesn't matter if your goals even include writing, you are welcome to join us. And let me tell you, having everyone and their grandmama know when I fail to achieve a goal is a little daunting. Just saying that these check-ins really motivate!

In the last two weeks, I reached a huge milestone, got a new job

Last Week - Yes a New Goal!

I can't believe we're almost done with this round! I also can't believe I've completed another full novel in less than two months! Would never have been able to do it without the ROW80 goals and the encouragement from folks stopping by. That means so much!

As far as my goals are concerned, I've been able to

ROW80 Update

I don't usually separate my ROW80 Update from my News page over the weekend. I actually like just adding the update onto the bottom of my news, but today I couldn't help but share one of my favorite Christmas songs. If you want to check out the news feed and my plans for next week, scroll down a bit to yesterday's post.

But before I get to the update, a little entertainment:

News and ROW 80 Update!

For my Row 80, I did NOT keep up with my goals over this week. I really thought I had it all under control, but my goal of revising a chapter per day isn't working out. I find I work through a section then go back through it again at least once. My first pass is on paper with a blue pen. After I shift all of the notes to my computer, I go through the pages again. Taking the pages to a critique group provides another level of rips and shreds. But the first chapter that they tore into, they actually liked! Yea!

I've only completed two chapters this way and I'm not convinced that I'm actually done with the second one. Hopefully I'll get faster as I get more practice in tightening.

As for my exercise goal, I've failed miserably, first pulling something in my calf and then having my back go out on Thanksgiving. I've spent two full days on a vibrating heat pad and am beginning to feel the difference. Hope to get back to that workout on Monday.

My schedule IS working though! I'm able to spend more time with my kids: decorating, planning, baking, and shopping! Woohoo!

Hope you had an amazing Thanksgiving! What's working for you?

Write Tip: It's a Process - New Goals!

I teach a high school writing class. Have had some of the brightest writers involved, but every year, I have to teach them the Writing Process. We spend a while discussing Planning tricks, ways to get their thoughts in order and collect some topics for their writing. They find out quickly that turning in a Draft is unacceptable. (I have a pretty high standard.) After only a few classes, they start taking advantage of sending their work to me for notes on Revision. I'll usually give them some Edit notes as well before they turn in their Final Work.

My students have figured it out. They now completely realize the benefits of each step in the process.

I've learned the benefits, too.

News and Update for ROW 80 - Special Words

THE END

Typing never felt so good! Getting into the last third of my novel stuck spurs in me an inch deep. I barely made myself stop when I dozed over my keyboard. 

Sleep is highly overrated!

My intensity made my schedule imperative. There's a lot more to my life than writing in any given day! (Teaching, homeschooling–no, not always the same thing–house decorating, meal planning, not to mention

Putting it Together

They look like they're a little bummed though - or maybe that's their game faces?

In keeping with my recent articles about goal-setting and winning, I'm going to draw them together today.

Did I mention that the Angel volleyball season is over. Can I just say:

YEA!

Thanks, had to get that out of my system! Sixty-nine matches, seven tournaments, two months and over 8000 pictures. Yep, I'm good for another year.

But I want to share just a little about my precious redhead's team. Most of these girls played together last year. 

The team as a whole never

Writer Tips - What are You Shooting For?

When I thought up the title for this post, my mind drifted immediately to my sweet hubby's hunting days. We were first engaged almost 27 years ago while still in college. He, a farm boy to my way of thinking, lived in a rural town on an acre of land. Hunting season was playtime in that part of East Texas and I'll never forget the weekend that Bubba (yep, I've always called my brother Bubba - no lie!) took sweet hubby out to shoot some dove.

The birds sat on the phone lines as they drove out to the land where they'd gained permission to shoot.

Cackles erupted up and down the wires as the would-be murderers approached the promised land.

Those were the only dove they saw the entire day. Not a flicker of a wing caught their attention. I think they would've unloaded on a Mockingbird (oh, horrors) if they'd been given half a chance, but none of them showed up either.

Finally, they trekked back to the car (My hubby was the farm boy, but suburban Bubba did the driving.) and Bubba opened the trunk to put away his gun.

The loud blasts of Sweet Hubby's rifle made Bubba bump his head on the lid and bolt around the car where Sweet Hubby reloaded.

Bubba scanned the skies and the ground, seeing nothing. "What in the world are you shooting at?"

"Skunk." Sweet Hubby pointed to a fence post some distance away where black and white fur blew in the light breeze. Bubba smiled and grabbed his weapon and the two of them unloaded like Black Ops on a mission into that poor fluffy carcass. That is, until the light breeze carried the legacy of the skunk close enough to bring out the tears.

I think Bubba sold that car the next week.

There is a point to this story, honest. I read a brief article by Jody Hedlund to encourage writers. She talked about how she encourages her kids to believe that they can do great works.

I do the same thing. I've taught my kids: "It's better to shoot for the stars and hit the moon than to shoot for a mud puddle and make it every time."

Let that sink in.

The fact is, if we only attempt things we know we'll be able to do, we have no challenge, no risk, and ultimately, no delight in the accomplishment. That mud puddle is within easy reach.

But when we attempt something beyond ourselves (and as a Christian, that should be a daily goal) where the chances of accomplishment are slim and none, then a huge victory is scored with the success. And even without the success, there is victory in the trying.

I'll admit, I felt a little sick several months back when I read that I had a better chance of being shot by terrorists than being published. Daunted even more because an expert in the field mentioned it. Yikes. I don't have a chance. Pack it up, there's no use wasting my precious time.

I felt the same way last night when I heard for the first time, "Start over." Praise the Lord it was just on a minor issue and not on my whole story, but it still tore a chunk out of my armor.

Then Sweet Hubby came to the rescue - my real-life hero - and reminded me that I hadn't chosen this path. God had laid such a love for writing and deep desire to make a difference for Him that I dare not ignore His call. He also suggested that no one ever said publishing was the end of my path. Everything I'm doing, everything I'm learning will be to His glory and for His purposes. I just don't know what those plans are yet.

So when all of the best efforts come up short as we writers take the next step into this world of publishing, may the Father encourage us. And when we get tired of attempting greatness only to have critique partners (lovingly and patiently) rip our creations to shreds, may we be thankful for wise counsel to avoid painful Amazon reviews. (Yes, I love every stinkin' one of you gals!!!)

And when we get tempted to unload on a skunk because our real goal has flown the coop, may the Lord protect that darn rodent by showing His new path.

What are you shooting at, both long-term and short-term?

ROW80 Update - What Distracts You?

Right now, I'm listening to my very old beagle bark at a squirrel that hopped  across the treetops about twenty minutes ago. My dog, Marcie, has a great sniffer, even at her age, and all the barking is sure giving her plenty of exercise.

I think I heard the squirrel laughing.

Silly things like this happen everyday. If it isn't this dog, it's the other one, an overgrown puppy, coming in to hoist himself up on my lap and lick my face. Or it's my girls laughing or singing in the den. That sound will charm my socks off.

Last night as I was writing, it was the

Writer Tips - What to Do When I Get Dry?

I've got blog ideas coming out the wazoo. I've had such fun investigating baseball, compiling grammar rules, and waxing rhetorical on all sorts of topics.

Trouble is, this time my ROW 80 goal doesn't include my blogs. (I've written 3,171 words on just my blogs in the last two days!) When it comes to my suspense novel, though, I'm sunburned. Entering the fourth chapter, I find I'm bogging down a bit.

Much of the excitement lies ahead and part of the excitement has past. This section has some key clues,

but my writing crawl-speed turned into a camo-crawl and then a full stop. Uninspired, I seriously considered tossing the whole story.

I could do that, but what would I learn? Instead, I think I'd like to flex the muscles of all that I've been learning. I need to get my elements so firmly in my mind that when I get back to the drafting the tension can't help but be on every page because there is so much going on.

I started the initiative last night, brainstorming with my Precious Redhead until almost 1AM. The exercise was enlightening! I realized that my story line isn't messed up, and my two protagonists are strong with deep character arcs.

Then there's my antagonist. He's sort of ... um ... missing. It's one thing for readers to be in the dark about an antagonist in a suspense, but the writer should probably know all about him. And I knew nothing about him.

Aha! I found my problem. Without a strong antagonist chart, I have no conflict with the protags, no goals or expectations for the antag, no story. I guess I just thought he would develop as I wrote, but he didn't. I'm not a seat-of-the-pants writer, duh, so I don't know why I thought it would just happen for me.

But after a day of solid focus on my antag, I not only know who he (generic "he") is, but I know what he does, and why he does it. I know how he gets himself connected and in his spiral into conflict with my main character. Almost without effort, my story has muscle, and plenty of tension.

All that is to say, I haven't added anything to my ROW80 goals since Sunday, but have added a ton of work on my story. I think the words will start to flow much easier now!

Where are you in your current projects? (Writing or Otherwise?)

A Stiff Breeze

The wind came through from the north yesterday. The skies are still clear and the sun bright, but the temperature refreshes instead of burdens.

Yesterday, we sat out on the porch several times, all through the day, without a problem. This morning I tried it a gain, but I was finally driven inside . . .

Round of Words in 80 Days

I know, it sounds crazy. How can making a word count goal actually produce halfway-decent writing? Just because the number of words increases doesn't mean that they are really worthy of any notice.

I admit, when I started the ROW80 program back in July, I was more than a little skeptical. But I knew