Mar 13, 2019 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
My (im-)Perfect Focus
(Or, How I Learned to See a Better World With Blinders On)
~#~
NOLA NOTE: Before we get into today’s post, I want to thank so many of you for your encouragement and support. I received the second round of edits recently and immediately quit writing and reached out to one of my mentors to pull me in from the ledge. Okay, okay. I’m exaggerating. A little. Hey, I’m a fiction writer. What do you expect? Well, it’s not that bad. It’s like exercise and changing your food habits. Your outward appearance may reflect a slight change, but it’s the inside change that counts. That’s where we’re at with NOLA. I’m still aiming for a pub date within two months. But I’d rather do it right than do it fast. I’d love to have y’all join my private Facebook group for more information, memes, and all-around fun. You can join on Facebook by clicking here: NOLA Swarm.
Stick around and see what happens . . .
Please view the latest newsletter and update your subscription preferences here: A Bigfoot Killer, a New Orleans Monster, and Cutting it Out.
~#~
My friend Edie is an amazing photographer. Seriously. Y’all should follow Edie Melson on Instagram. She photographs images the rest of us walk past. Her eye is always seeking that which is beautiful. When she draws her camera up, I know to stand still and not get in her focus. She ignores the greater surroundings in order to capture one perfect view. Her posts are nothing less than extraordinary, but if you ask her, she’ll tell you she was captivated by the moment. She’ll say it’s not her, but the object, that makes it beautiful.
Life’s a little like that, isn’t it? We scurry around, waiting for someone to notice us. Trying to be a part of everything. But have you noticed, the most stunning photography captures a still moment? One click. One frame. One instant. A pause and a focus. Sure, in this day of digital, we get a lot of before’s and after’s. But still . . . that one shot.
It’s no secret I’m like a dog chasing a squirrel chasing a nut that rolled from the tree that grew in a forest . . .
O.M.G. Could it just stop, already?!
I love multitasking. It just doesn’t always love me back.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : My (im-)Perfect Focus
I recently attended ~ wait for it ~ another writers conference. Big surprise, amiright? Thing is, there’s always something to learn whether you’re a novice or accomplished, author/agent/editor/publisher, traditional or indie. [INDIE WRITER (n) ~ Translate for Mom: (a) Someone who has or intends to self-publish, (b) Someone who’s free-flowing spirit refuses to conform to traditional publishing guidelines, (c) Someone who embraces all aspects of writing and publishing in a confident, whirlwind fashion as is known to her friends as the Bohemian Hurricane . . . Hey, wait. That’s me!]
We were implored to ask God to give us individual word of how to move forward with our writing/editing/publishing/agenting careers. The first day, I had an inkling (see what I did there?), but it either wasn’t very clear or I wasn’t paying enough attention. Ooh. Coffee. What? I’m here. Continue on. I’ll pretend I heard everything.
Then God flung Himself at me with one word.
SELF.
Wait. Again with the what? Isn’t that counter-intuitive to what we’re taught as Christians? Aren’t we supposed to be self-less? Self-sacrificing? Self-denying?
I heard His explanation.
An empty cup cannot overflow.
You mean, it’s okay for me to focus on, well, just me?
Yes. It’s okay to say no, to stop multi-tasking, to self-publish, and to invest in myself. Creativity is a muscle to be strengthened, not atrophied. Any gift we give of ourselves is the same. We can’t pour so much of ourselves into others that we have nothing left. That is not the selfless love God has in mind.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : An empty cup cannot overflow.
Whatever gifts of love you have to offer the world, make sure you take time to enjoy them yourself. Focus. Refresh. Then you can overflow and share with others.
What gifts do you share with an overflowing cup? Leave a comment!
With some fresh grounds and bottomless cup,
Happy focusing.
~Molly Jo
Frankly, My Dear . . . Savor the Journey!
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Bohemian Hurricane
Molly Jo is a Southern Belle known to her friends as the Bohemian Hurricane. She is the author/curator of The Unemployment Cookbook and several eBooks available on Amazon. Her work-in-progress, NOLA, is a full-length location mystery novel set in New Orleans, and the first in her City Series.
Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Hey, FiF Fans ~ the Firsts in Fiction Podcast is returning soon! Follow the
Firsts in Fiction Facebook Page (and say that five times fast!) for updates, topics, and your opportunity to Ask the Author!
Dec 12, 2015 |
The gift giving season is upon us and there’s always that one person who’s difficult to buy for. Am I right? And usually, it’s the write person. (See what I did there?)
On this week’s upcoming Firsts in Fiction podcast, we’re talking about that very subject. Over the last week, we (and by we, I mean Aaron, Al, and myself, along with our merry media elves) have posed this question:
What’s a great gift to get the author in your life?
Finding the Write Gift
While I don’t want to give away the store (err, answers) here, I thought I’d at least share some of the FIF Family’s suggestions.
So put on your Santa hat and have a ho-ho-holiday time as we count down the best gifts to get your writer.
1. A private island. (Molly)
A Writer’s Paradise – a Private Island
Seriously. How often has your writer tried to get away from it all by locking themselves in the back room, sitting in a car, or running away to a coffee shop? See No. 3, below. Seclusion is necessary for the writer. In order to create our own worlds, we have to shut out the real one. A writer’s island holds no distractions like TV, ringing phones, or ~ dare I say it ~ the occasional familius interruptus.
More practical:
- noise-cancelling headphones
- a gift card for a spa day or one night at a hotel
- pocket notebooks to jot notes in when your writer can’t get to their workspace
- GIFT BASKET OPTIONS: white noise CD, postcard, small plant, candle
2. A private jet. (Al)
A Private Jet for Your Traveling Writer
Writing isn’t just writing anymore. Now it means book signings, conferences, marketing meetings, publicity appearances and more. A private jet is the ticket to get your writer out the door and back home faster. And with no other passengers to distract him or her, it also serves as a mobile private island. See No. 1, above.
More practical:
- gas cards and travel expenses
- writers conferences and retreats
- offer to keep them company and drive them to their next writing commitment
- GIFT BASKET OPTIONS: travel journal, map, luggage tags, small photo album
3. A cafe/bistro/restaurant of their own. (Molly, Aaron, Al)
The Write Cafe
We all know writers have ink in their veins. Let’s not ignore the caffeine IV they require. How often have you stopped into a Starbucks and seen someone leaning over their laptop, typing frantically with one hand while holding their coffee in the other? A small cafe allows someone else to be responsible for the food and clean up. All the writer has to do is write. And, bonus, when that book contract is finally signed and the manuscript published, you already have a place to invite everyone to celebrate the success!
More practical:
- treat them (and their family) to a nice dinner
- gift card to their favorite coffee shop
- single-serve coffee maker and a month’s worth of coffee
- GIFT BASKET OPTIONS: creamer, individual serving tray, souvenir mug, tea spoon
4. An office supply store. (Molly, Aaron, Al)
Endless Office Supplies
Solve the problem of running out of ink and paper by giving your writer full and permanent access to everything imaginable from a new computer to colored paperclips. No more moments of frustration when they can’t find their favorite brand of pen. And when they start a new project, they can supply their writing space in coordinating themes and colors.
More practical:
- ink and paper
- computer maintenance program
- mailing supplies
- GIFT BASKET OPTIONS: desk organizers, day planner, journal/pen set, stickee notes
5. A private library. (Aaron)
Just what a writer needs – more books.
Research is essential to writing a compelling story, but small town libraries (and some bigger ones) don’t always work out. Books are checked out by others. Magazines are ripped and torn. Plus, you can’t keep any of them. A private library assures your writer their much needed references will be available any time they need. When one thought rabbit trails to another, at least you’ll still be able to find your writer in the stacks. Information is King, and you just gave your writer the kingdom.
More practical:
- new computer and software
- Kindle or other eReader and a gift card for downloads
- external hard drive
- GIFT BASKET OPTIONS: books on writing, collector’s editions of favorite books, magazine/newspaper subscription, gift card to book stores
And since we’re in the season of giving, here’s an extra entry. Give. Most writers supplement their writing income by teaching, editing, and a plethora of other talents. It takes time, energy and resources away from their works-in-progress. You can help them hurdle over the starving artist syndrome by donating:
- Time. Clean their house, run errands, be a once-a-week personal assistant.
- Resources. Do you have connections or knowledge that can move their story along?
- Money. It costs a lot to live the write life. Even without the big-ticket items in this post.
What gift ideas do you have for the writer in your world? Leave a comment here and join us Tuesday, December 15 at 6:30 PST for this year’s Firsts in Fiction Holiday Podcast: Finding the Write Gift.
[If you have a question for the authors visit Aaron’s website for Ask The Author and if he uses your question on air this week, you’ll get a code for a free audio download of his novel, The Bargain. You don’t have to be a writer, and you don’t have to view the podcast to participate.]
And Frankly, My Dear . . . that’s all she wrote!
May 3, 2015 |
I have a two-inch peacock and he’s only visible through my story window. I’m not crazy. I’m a writer.
This month, I’m reading Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. If you’re serious about being a writer, or just like a well-told narrative, this is that book. I’m nearly a quarter through, and loving every page, every paragraph, every sentence.
Now here’s something you may not know about me: I’m a perfectionist when it comes to my writing and media. I want it to always be right. I don’t want just the end result to be perfect, I want it all to be right. And that often gets in my way because I find myself editing as I go. Which sometimes makes for longer sit-downs at the computer than necessary.
I’ve been coached, often, on just moving forward. It’s not in my nature to run rampant over the keyboard and let typos, incomplete thoughts, and mismatched storylines flow like too much wine. Because then it reads as though I’ve had too much wine.
Writing with Wine
But the truth is, I’m starting to see the beauty in the #CrappyFirstDraft. There’s something freeing in just letting my fingers go at it without worrying about is this spelled right or did I get the vernacular correct?
Josie discovers New Orleans
So to my critique groups, my writing mentor, and Anne Lamott, I say
I hear you.
I’m moving forward. This week, I’m starting with Chapter Fifteen of NOLA as though all the changes in my head are already on paper. No more revisiting Chapter One. Just. Move. Forward.
It does help to have a plan. At last week’s Orange County Christian Writers Conference, my first session was with Sharon Elliott. It was a hands-on workshop titled ‘Breaking Your Book Into Manageable Bites’. And it was amazing. The very first step in creating a storyboard/outline is to know your topic.
The topic isn’t the same as the title or the outline. It’s strictly the topic. Until that moment, I’d not had a concise logline or description of my book. Sure, I know what it’s about. And if you give me half an hour I can tell you start to finish. But Sharon was asking us to write our topic on a three-by-three post-it note and I didn’t even have it in my head yet.
I grabbed my stickie stack and my pen and applied pressure. I prayed more quickly than I’ve prayed in quite a while. I didn’t want to be the only person in the room with a blank note. So I wrote the first descriptive word that came to my mind, and the rest followed.
NOLA topic
Boom. There is was. And there I was, standing next to Beckie, beginning to cry. Five minutes into my first conference, and I’m in tears because my writing life has forever changed.
I’m a writer. And I have a topic.
Two more take-aways from Bird by Bird is how the book got its name, and how to not be overwhelmed. Write just this piece. Write just this much. She illustrates this concept as a one-inch photo frame on her desk. Her task, when she sits to write, is to write only what is visible through that one-inch frame. No more. No less.
Who cares about the world at large? Write about that one corner your character is in. Who cares about the voices calling the shots from outside the border? Write only what your character hears.
I love this. I love this like the day is long and sugar is sweet. It gives me freedom to fail. And that’s what we really all need, don’t we? The freedom to find out what doesn’t work, the freedom to change this when they need to be changed. The freedom to discover what we don’t like, and then the freedom to expand it.
Start small. Focus. Then shift. Then embellish. But start.
To remind myself of this, I created my own one-inch frame. Okay, it’s more like a two-by-three because the craft store didn’t have anything smaller. And it’s not empty, because I want to be reminded that right now, my focus is on finishing NOLA. So it’s not perfect. But isn’t that the point?
Supplies for the Two Inch Story
After picking out my supplies, I came home and assembled my own story window.
Two Inch Peacock
There were too many stickers and embellishments to choose from, even in the stock I bought. With the limited room allowed, I chose the peacock and fleur-de-lis. And there’s that lesson, again: you can’t do everything at once, and sometimes you can’t do everything at all. Just piece by piece. Bite by manageable bite. Bird by bird.
My reminder now sits on my side table. It’s a symbol of everything I need to be reminded of. And the best part? It’s small enough to fit in my suitcase so I can take it with me to Blue Ridge next week.
My goal is to have my own Crappy First Draft finished by the end of June and then start the editing because, as they say, that’s when the real writing happens.
And Frankly, My Dear . . . that’s all she wrote.
You may also enjoy reading:
Why I Write. Every Day.
Five Things Friday: Peacocks
Orange County Christian Writers Conference, 2015
Mar 1, 2015 |
For several months, I’ve not been writing. At least not to the extent I was last summer.
It wasn’t writer’s block, exactly. I had a lot to say. I just got in my own way of saying it.
The thought had come upon me that what I had to say was far less valuable than what others had to say. That my words were less worthwhile than life.
I stumbled over the thought that perhaps
I am insignificant.
I’ve been going through the motions, attending critique groups, writers club, and special events. I’ve been editing and socializing and marketing and networking and doing all the things a successful writer does . . . except writing.
There are some moments that belong to others, stories I shouldn’t share. Seasons that are too personal to blog about. And life that moves too quickly to put it on paper.
February brought adventure into my world that I didn’t know it needed. Not only did Dot get engaged, they are already married and next week, heading to Seattle for a great opportunity for both of them. I’m utterly sad to see them leave, but it’s with open arms that I can let them go, and embrace the new part of my life.
“You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”
~ A. A. Milne, “Winnie the Pooh”
I was suffocated with a momentary fear that I don’t know how to be my own person. I’ve lived my live so consistently for other people . . . what will it be like to live alone?
And I saw the doors open on a new horizon.
I’m already chatting with WinCo Foods to create new #CookingForOne recipes.
My friends want me to share my journey of being pushed into an Empty Nest so quickly.
I’ve discovered that girlfriends, writers, and God are more important now than before.
There’s no lack of writing material for this new life.
I’m going to turn the extra room into a media/workout room.
I can write late into the evenings without interruption.
I’m able to stay out later, go out more often, and do more things because there’s not a second person’s schedule or dinner plans to coordinate with.
I’m no longer a single mom. I’m just single. And I’m okay with that.
Of course, I still have five cats and writing and home improvement projects. Those haven’t changed. But I’m seeing life differently.
I’m seeing it boldly and in living color.
I’m seeing HOPE.
HOPE is the thing with feathers . . .
Later this month, I’m having an Empty Nest party to celebrate my new adventures.
And I’ve decided that celebrating every day is an adventure in itself.
And Frankly, My Dear . . . that’s all she wrote!
You may also enjoy reading:
2015: HOPE
But I’m not good enough to attend a Christian writers conference . . .
Winco Wins
I am Defined. And I am a Mystery.
Oct 26, 2014 |
Sometimes I feel I haven’t done enough to advance my writing, but looking back at the two months since I started my GoFundMe campaign, I realize everything’s a matter of perspective.
Go Fund Me: #DoingTheWriteThing
You can click on the link or photo above to follow my progress with #DoingTheWriteThing, without having to make a donation. I truly appreciate support in all forms!
At the beginning of the year, my only resolution was to do life better.
BETTER! 2014
Of course I haven’t accomplished everything on my list, but I have kept that drive alive to push forward no matter what.
I’ve been diligently working on NOLA for over a year. Almost two, if you count those months I formulated everything before writing a single word, and only worked intermittently. I drafted a few ideas, but only started writing the current story just over a year ago.
NOLA Inspiration
With the help of my writing mentor, my critique group, and the local writers club, the story has become stronger, tighter, and ~ dare I say it ~ more mysterious. In the back of my mind, I always knew NOLA was a mystery, but it wasn’t until a few months ago I realized the fullness of the mystery.
My style of writing is both discovery and intuitive. That means I write the story as it comes to me, letting it write itself, letting the characters dictate their own actions for the most part. I don’t know the technical terms for how I do what I do. I just know what works and what doesn’t. That’s the intuitive part.
For a while I got myself wrapped up in trying to follow a structure. It didn’t work. I ended up writing a new introduction to NOLA that told a good story, but it wasn’t my story. It wasn’t my NOLA. So I took the elements I liked and tossed the rest. I combined the best of the first and second drafts and now I’m working on a new NOLA. Thankfully, I have a clearer vision of how to fill in the blanks so the rewrite should only take me a few more months before this draft is fully completed.
In September, Megan departed from The New Inklings due to scheduling conflicts which means, unfortunately, the writing partnership for The Grenalia Chronicles was dissolved. While I’m sad we aren’t working together, we each have great stories to tell and intend to tell them well. I look forward to getting back to writing a fantasy next year, after NOLA.
Beckie has joined The New Inklings and we meet together at least twice a month. She’s well versed in magazine submissions and query letters. She’s a great asset to the NIP Team.
Nip’s Favorite
I’ve been speaking with Beckie as well as my friend Pam about publishing their works next year. Both have amazing stories to tell for young and old, and I’m delighted that they trust me with these writings.
November will be a busy month for writing. I’m attending three Writing Salons, co-hosting another one with Aaron, attending the writers club and the Howl At The Moon Conference.
My friend Tess has signed up for NaNoWriMo. I participated three years ago, and I applaud her determination. Writing 50,000 words for a first-draft novel in thirty days is an amazing accomplishment.
NaNoWriMo 2010 Participant
NaNoWriMo 2010 Winner
I know my writing limits, and since NaNoWriMo requires a new story, not the furthering of an existing one, it’s not on my radar this year. Maybe next year. I have quite a few stories in my mental queue, just waiting to be put into words.
For now, I’m thankful for the progress I continue to make while #DoingTheWriteThing.
Thanksgiving Table
And Frankly, My Dear . . . that’s all she wrote!
You may also enjoy reading:
BETTER: Thanksgiving
Why I Write. Every Day.
FIVE THINGS FRIDAY: #DoingTheWriteThing
New Meaning to Ghost Writing (Journal, 10/19/2010)
