Failing Better, Celebrating Best: March Madness End-Of-Month Check-In #WIPmadness

Welcome to the final check-in for the 2014 March Madness Challenge! Before we get started on the celebrations, I've been informed by our fearless leader Denise that we still have a few prizes left.

The final winners for March Madness are...

Elderfox!
Akoss!

Jeanne Ryan!

Kristin Butcher!
Congratulations! Stop by our goal-setting post, and choose your prize from those still listed (first come, first serve). Email Denise at d(at)denisejaden(dot)com with your choice and we'll get it out to you as soon as possible.

If you’ve won a prize this month, I hope you enjoy it! If not, keep checking in throughout the year, as many of our weekly hosts offer up prizes from time to time.

* * *

So, here we are at the end of another month, another year, of absolute madness. Now it's time to weigh in about how the entire month went for you. Dearest Mad Marchers, how did you do?

Did you meet your goals? Congratulations!

Did you *exceed* them? Wow, go you!

Or did you maybe not quite make them? Could you be feeling a bit disheartened about that? Don't be. Because no matter how much you did manage to accomplish, even if it was only a fraction of what you intended, you're farther than you were when March began.

However your mad month turned out, it's all valid.

This is an important thing to remember. Life often throws challenges our way. And yes, the platitudes about how "it's not the destination, it's the journey" can feel a bit wearing when we don't get to where we want to be in the time we originally planned. But it's really true. Take, for example, how my month turned out.

Confession time: *I* didn't meet the goals I set back at the start of March. Me, one of the hosts, who should be leading the charge by setting a good example to everyone involved in March WIPmadness. And yet, if I wanted to be negative about it, I could say that I failed:

1. I completely ignored my goals this weekend while throwing my energy into an out of town convention.
    
2. I set aside the urban fantasy I was planning to work on in favour of outlining another YA project I'm not even going to *start* writing this month.
    
3. And then I failed at finishing *that* because I hit a major plot hole I couldn't seem to climb out of.

Yep, that's a total fail. Right?

Not the way I see it. And here's why:

1. I took the time this convention to explore some of the writing panels that were offered. (And wow, there were some great ones.) I didn't devote my entire convention time to this, especially because a lot of them conflicted with other events I really wanted to be at, but I did make it to four. And I came away with more notes to share with everyone, which I totally hadn't expected.
   
   
2. My goals change wasn't a cop-out. The project I'm now outlining was something I'd been avoiding because I hadn't felt ready to approach it, and didn't know how I could. Suddenly, that changed. So being able to actually finally sink my teeth into it was a relief, and for me, an even larger challenge. I'd been worried I wouldn't be able to.
   
   
3. Fixing that plot hole now, before I started writing the story, was also rewarding. Maybe it took longer to figure out than I'd intended, but the solution I came up with stays much more true to my character than what I originally came up with. It has ramifications throughout the entire story. Not only is this going to save me major headaches later, but the novel feels stronger for it. And I'm just getting started!

My point is this: maybe my month wasn't what I'd originally planned. Maybe I didn't get quite as much achieved in a quantitative sense. But the quality of my month was absolutely astounding, and I am really happy with how it all turned out. And no matter what you managed to achieve with your goals, you should feel the same.

Most importantly, this is just one month. The goals don't have to end here. Keep going! And you don't have to do it alone, either. Most months, we gather once a week on one of our members' blogs to check in officially. On top of that, the community meets year-round on Twitter, under the #WIPmadness hashtag.  Feel free to check in with the progress you're making on all of your creative goals. We'll all be there to support each other.


Edit: Charlie Holmberg has offered to host the Monday check-ins for April at her blog, http://myselfaswritten.blogspot.ca/. Come join us!

The madness never stops. Onward, Wipsters! Let's embrace this crazy together.

So, ready to weigh in on how your month went, Mad Marchers? Let's hear it!

My People - March Madness check-in, Day 17 #WIPmadness

Kerry and I were alone in the cabin that drowsy July afternoon. It was a Wednesday, the day in the week-long summer camp when you realize, crap, it feels like we've been here forever and yet I just arrived, and I've got to go home soon. I don't want this to end. I lay on my stomach on the top bunk, one hand propping up my chin, reading a book. She was working with charm bracelet floss, deft fingers knotting the strands as she sat cross-legged on the bottom bunk across the room, when she stopped and stared out the window toward the lake. The trees below blocked our view of everything leading to the water, including the water itself, but through it we could hear a group of other campers laughing and singing while someone who'd gotten hold of a set of bongo drums kept up a heady beat.

"You know what I like about this place most?" She set down the floss, stood up from the bed, and spread her arms wide. "It's that even if I never come back here, even if I never see these people again, I know that there is somewhere that I belong." Her grin was audible. "These are my people."
 
I shoved a scrap of paper in the book and closed it. I'd only just met Kerry a few days before, but our friendship had been instant, as if we'd known each other our entire lives. "Yeah," I said, that same joy surging through me. "Me, too."

It's been no-I-won't-say-how-many years since that camp. Time has passed, and friendships slip away, but one thing sticks with me: that feeling. It's a pretty awesome thing to have. To know that you have kindred spirits, others like you, a group of people who completely understand.

That's one of the things I love about the writing community. Because what Kerry said about belonging, that's exactly how I feel here. And I hope you do, too.

So, how goes it, March Wipsters? We're at Day 17 now. Where are you at?

Personally, I spent most of the weekend *not* thinking about my projects and just catching up on sleep. It's what I needed, and where I felt I had to be, and I'm glad I did so. I have a lot of work ahead of me now, but I'm ready for it. How about you? I can't wait to hear about it!

See you tomorrow at Shari's blog!

(Psst... Not part of the March Madness crew? It's still not too late to sign up!) 

Never Alone (March Madness Check-In, Day 11) #WIPmadness

I didn't quite make my goals for this weekend's madness. I'd hoped to have an entire section rewritten. After slashing a good 5K from my manuscript (no joke), I was ready to make repairs. But I got caught on a paragraph and stalled out. Totally.

Those words needed to go. A heart-to-heart with my critique partner helped me realize that they'd been a relic from when I was in a completely different place in my life, and by the end of Friday, I was glad for them to disappear. And once they were cut, I was eager to get to fixing. But Sunday afternoon, I spent an entire hour agonizing over one little part. I made no progress at all. I was trying to be a Good Little Girl and stay off the Internet. (Hah.) So I floundered.

Eventually I gave up and asked my husband. He set down what he was doing and came to help me. I described my troubles. Within five minutes, the problem evaporated.  

So yeah, I'm feeling pretty grateful to both of them right now.

This was a reminder to me that writing may be a solitary act, but that doesn't mean I have to work completely in a vacuum. None of us do. Having someone else to talk things through with (be it best friend, partner, writing group, Twitter community or cat) can really help when we're struggling. Heck, that's one of the awesome things about this month (and even when it's over, with the #WIPmadness group and weekly check-ins), because we have each other. Sometimes, if we're wrestling with a writing problem, all we have to do is seek advice from a like-minded soul who can understand and offer assistance.

Even if the mere act of talking out the problem is all we need to help us realize what we have to do.

So, how's your Madness going? How have others helped you figure things out about your WIP or other goals? If you're struggling with something in your Madness goals right now, would you like to share? Maybe the community will be able to help!

Don't forget to check out Shari Green's blog tomorrow for March Madness, Day 12.

About Those Goals ... (March Madness Check-In, Day 26)

I couldn’t help but recall Mother’s warning. “Never mind what you intend, Janni,” she’d cautioned. “A journeyer’s path is neither clear nor straight, and the Land may have other plans. You cannot know where you’ll end up.”

"I tink I can

I tink I can

I tink I can"

Welcome to the second day of the very last week of March WIP Madness! Just five more days until the month comes to a close. Can you believe it?

And what a month it's been! Ups, downs, challenges, the unexpected ... and of course, the goals we started out with. What did you set for yourself? What did you intend to accomplish?

Now for the tough question: What have you actually done?

... Okay, deep breaths. Relax, I mean you no harm.

The truth is, I'm a big believer in the idea that if something hasn't gone as planned, then that's the way things were supposed to happen. I'm not talking about the unexpected change of plans like I discussed last week. I mean on the larger scale. Maybe a story isn't ready to be written. Maybe there's more work to be done before you can even think of that other goal on the list. Maybe you need to encounter or read or watch just the right thing to do your work justice. Or maybe something else of equal importance has to happen first.

My point is, we shouldn't beat ourselves up about it if we haven't been making our goals. The fact that we have goals, that we signed up for this month of Madness in the first place, means that we are doing something, taking charge of what we *can* control, and making the most of it when we can't. And that's what matters.

(Not that this is an excuse to slack off, mind. This is March Madness.)

I love participating in monthly goals posts. I think they push me to do more because they help me stay focused and accountable. I may not always manage to get everything I wanted done, but I don't lose sight of what I want to achieve, either. And doing it this way, as part of a community? Whether it's once-weekly or thrice-monthly, or even just a twitter hashtag, the fact remains that it's done together, and we can all encourage each other.

My own goals took a major turn. There was a lot more that needed to be done for the sake of the story, to tell a better story. I'm not going to manage one of the items on my personal March WIP Madness Goals list, sending out queries, because I need to make these changes, first. No, it's not what I started out with, but I am sure glad it happened the way it did. Now the rest of the week will be pushing to get as much of that as I can done.

So, Wipsters, how about you? Are you where you expected to be with your goals? Any major twists or turns? Remember, we have less than a week left in this challenge, and we have each other for encouragement and support. Let's make it worth it!

And remember to check in with Denise Jaden tomorrow for more encouragement (and prizes, too)!

Madness Ahoy!

The Madness begins on Thursday. Not that it ever ended; if you've been around on Twitter you might know about #WIPmadness, a community where we set monthly goals for reading and writing and try our best to reach them. Writers take turns hosting weekly check-ins. It's very motivational. It helps us keep in touch with ourselves, our hopes and our plans. The wonderful positive energy is held and we all strive to do our best. It's a type of Callahan's: shared pain is lessened, shared joy is increased. And we write.

Tomorrow, February 29th, Denise Jaden will be hosting the official goals thread. We state our intent. And then, on March 1st, the madness begins in earnest. Daily we check in with our progress. We encourage each other. And to top it all off, there will be prizes for participating!

So, come join in on the fun. I'll be hosting Monday check-ins and even offering two of the prizes. It's not quite NaNo, but it's something. Today I heard another writer refer to a completely different project as "Beautiful Chaos". I like to think of it as creating a magical space within the eye of the storm that is our lives and keeping it going for all of March.

Join us! It'll be fun, I promise. *cackles*

... Oops. Sorry. I'm not allowed to cackle in public anymore.

Hope to see you there!

Thank God It's Over (But It's Not)

Thursday marked the first of the month. The sun had set on another NaNoWriMo; we gathered to celebrate our happy exhaustion. Because it was the first of December and for the most part, we had all survived. Today being a Saturday, some of us will gather again, because not everyone can make a weeknight event, given that it's December and all. And the events are called Thank God It's Over, because hey, it's been a wild and crazy journey. It always is.

Battle-weary, we stumble into a restaurant to celebrate our success — because even if we didn't achieve fifty thousand words, we still tried. We put our fingers to the keyboards and together, we wrote.

And next week, some of us will keep writing like this.

We call ourselves The Other Eleven Months, because for us, writing is not something we can simply stop doing, and we like the energy that being in a group can bring. Once a week (or more) throughout Greater Vancouver, we gather for coffee or tea or (if you're a chocoholic like me) cocoa, and we talk about plot points, characters, and ideas. Every so often the conversation wends in the direction of pop culture or current events, and we discuss related topics. But most importantly? We write.

I've heard a lot of arguments against NaNoWriMo. I've heard that it cheapens the craft of writing, that it clogs the mailboxes of agents and publishers, that it is a waste of time, focusing on quantity over quality. I've also heard the unecessarily defensive rebuttles (that it's meant to encourage newcomers to the craft, that it's meant to be something anyone can try once, that "real" writers are participating these days). I don't want to point fingers or dwell on either side because I've heard enough of both sides this past month and a half and anger over this has no place in my life. So I won't.

But I will say what I know.

I know that sometimes, my internal editor is so harsh that I feel frozen at the keyboard.

I know that being forced to focus on quantity rather than quality helped me unfreeze.

I know that the sound of silence and a dozen keyboards is pretty amazing.

I know that this group has been a source of energy and inspiration.

I know that I've regained a new appreciation for the rough draft.

I know that before I joined NaNo, I was scared of rough drafts because rough drafts are, by nature, crap, and I'd somehow convinced myself that I didn't need them.

I know that NaNoWriMo has evolved beyond itself, and that many more writers, both aspiring and published, are taking part.

I know that I can adapt the challenge to my needs, that all that really matters is fifty thousand words of new writing.

I know that our weekly gathering keeps me going even when things are at their worst.

I know that I find laughter and cameraderie and joy in a craft that is, at its heart, a solitary act.

Of course, that's pretty much the point of our group: we don't just write as a novelty one month out of twelve. We write because we want to. Some of us just for fun, some of us to learn, and some of us because we're actively pursuing writing as a career.

Whatever the reason, we write.  And that's what really matters, no matter how you feel about NaNo.

This year, for fun, we had some temporary tattoos made. To celebrate ourselves, we chose a semicolon (a bit of an in-joke), but I think it fits:

(And you wouldn't believe the exhausted discussion we had about font! But it was worth it.)

So like any sane NaNoer, I am thankful the insanity of writing fifty thousand words in a single month is over. But I am also thankful for The Other Eleven Months, because frankly, for me writing is something that can not be contained to a single month. I wouldn't want it to be. And the people I've met and the friendships I've made through TOEM are something I wouldn't give up for the world.

Do you have a group like ours? Let me know in the comments! I would love to hear about more efforts like ours. Community matters.

Writing vs. Talking About Writing

I love the writers communities I belong to: the Compuserve forums, Magical Words, my beta group, the #wipmadness group on Twitter, and the larger #amwriting Twitter community, too. And of course, my TOEM* in-person writing group. I love it because we can chat about different writing issues, celebrate and commiserate, check in with goals, and just plain connect with kindred spirits.

But lately, I've been more aware of how much of my limited writing time I am devoting to actual writing (currently, this includes editing), as opposed to just talking about writing. It can be so joyful to share with other writers, because they *get* what you're talking about, and if you're a storyteller, sharing with others is practically instinctive. But how much time am I spending *talking* about my novel, and how much time am I actually writing it?

I'm not just referring to the pitfall of talking a story to death, where you spend so much time talking about an idea or a story you're working on that you lose the momentum, the energy to work on the story. I'm talking about spending time talking about the craft with other writers, to the point where most "writing time" ends up going to the discussion, instead of to the actual writing (or editing). It feels like going to the gym and standing around chatting, rather than working out which is what you're supposed to be there to do. (Or even like having extended conversations with another person on the treadmill or elliptical. Seriously, if you can talk that much, how much of a workout are you actually getting?)

This is in no way a complaint about writers being social with one another. This could just be me, too. All I'm saying is, as much as I love and am grateful for all of the groups I participate in and the wonderful people I've met because of it, I personally need to recognize when I'm spending way more time talking about writing than actually writing itself.

The irony that this inspired a blog post, which also robs me of "actual" writing time, is not lost on me. But I've noticed that I'm getting itchy about finishing the rewrites on SIGN OF THE STAR, and I think this is worthy of sharing. So, back to work.

* TOEM = The Other Eleven Months. We're an offshoot of the Greater Vancouver NaNoWriMo community, and we meet year-round. I used to refer to it as O11M, but that was such a mouthful, and thanks to member Rob H., I realize that this acronym is *much* more appropriate.

Happy Birthday #amwriting

My husband and I are filkers by nature. We are both carry earworms and pass the songs back and forth with such ease, it's a good thing Pontypool is just a movie. So maybe it's natural that we love to change the lyrics of songs. I've done it for a number of circumstances, including birthdays and going away parties.

For the life of me, I cannot remember how I chanced across the #amwriting hashtag. The early days of my exposure to Twitter were unfolding, where I was learning how to use it and figuring out exactly what everything meant. I know that it was more than a year ago. So maybe I was stumbling blind when I chanced upon it—in fact, I think it was the very first hashtag I ever followed. Maybe it was just a natural instinct that caused me to gravitate to that section of the Twitterverse. And maybe I was simply drawn, like a moth to a flame, except this flame when touched did not burn. Instead it exploded into an array of coloured light, and I stepped into a vast community of other writers, there to share the spirit of writing (and sometimes some great solutions, too).

And with that, I am delighted to wish the #amwriting hashtag and community a happy second birthday with (you guessed it) a filked song:


Hashtag, #Amwriting
To the tune of: "Truck Stop In LaGrange", originally by Grady, covered by Dale Watson and then Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash (where I heard it)

Writin' alone at four a.m., I was totally stuck on my plot
I'd been up all night tryin' to finish that goddamn scene
I was beginning to think I couldn't make it, but I did so I'm here to say...
Thank God for that little bitty hashtag, #amwriting!

With a damn good group of writers, and a well of inspiration
And that community soul ... partner, it's a mighty fine thing.
I asked for some help with my plottin' woes, and they helped me on my way.
Thank God for that little bitty hashtag, #amwriting!

So if you're sittin' at your desk, bangin' your head, and your writin' ain't goin' your way
Just stop on by. Tell 'em Laura said "hi"!
And they'll help you (or commiserate) ...

With a damn good group of writers, and a well of inspiration
And that community soul ... fellas, it's a mighty fine thing.
I asked for some help with my plottin' woes, and they helped me on my way.
Thank God for that little bitty hashtag, #amwriting!


Happy birthday, #amwriting!

And folks, don't forget to stop by Marian Allen's blog for more #amwriting birthday celebration fun. We're having a blog party!