Lovelyn Bettison

Paranormal Horror and Suspense

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Are Daily Word Count Goals Necessary?

typingThere’s a lot of talk about putting out a lot of product in order to make it as a self-published author, but sometimes creativity is slow. That’s how it’s been for me recently. I spend a lot of time sitting and thinking, my fingers not even touching the keys as I work out characters and plot.

When I was a college student I used to write poetry. I don’t know if I’ve ever told you that, but I did. I’d spend hours sitting in my room trying to work out a poem in my head. The whole thing was complete before I ever put it down on paper. The process was slow and meditative. It required a lot of thinking and waiting. Sometimes that’s what your creative mind needs.

Last year I tried really pushing myself when it came to word count. I thought that if I wrote at least five thousand words a day I’d really be accomplishing something great. Honestly, that kind of writing isn’t for me. It doesn’t lend itself to the types of story I really want to tell. I ended up writing more garbage than I’d like to admit. I ended up experimenting with genres that really just weren’t right for me. My writing was a mess.

I’ve decided to step it back a bit since then. I’m back to my normal five hundred to one thousand words. I’m at my most creative there.

There are some who say that isn’t good enough. That you really have to push yourself to do more, but I don’t think writing is the same for everyone. You have to find your own sweet spot.

Writing words just for the sake of keeping up with a word count goal you’ve set can result in a badly written story. Of course you’ll do edits to fix it up later, but that editing process would be a lot easier if you’d just taken the time to really think about your story in the first place.

Do you have a daily word count? Do you think that daily word counts ever hurt the quality of an author’s work?

Photo by Mikamatto

A New Start in the New Year

new yearHappy New Year! I hope you’ve recovered from your hangover and are ready to step it up for 2014.

Every year people make out a list of goals. They want to drop a few extra pounds, save more money, exercise regularly, eat right, or finally get around to writing that novel. (I’m looking at you Mr. and Ms. I-Always-Wanted-to-Write-a-Novel-But-Just-Can’t-Seem-to-Get-Started.) In my case, I need to get around to revising all of the first drafts languishing on my hard drive. The situation is getting pretty ridiculous that’s for sure.

Since I’m a writer and this is kind of a writing blog, I’m assuming that most of you either actively write now or want to write eventually. It doesn’t matter if you want to write a novel, a book of poetry, or a non-fiction book about the viscosity of the slime trail left by leopard slugs, the only way you’re going to get that book done is if you start.

I’ve written about the importance of writing daily before, I know. I’m like your Aunt Louisa who tells you the exact same story every time she sees you. The only difference is Aunt Louisa tells you that story because she’s senile and I repeat myself because it’s so gosh darn important. You can’t call yourself a writer if you’re not writing. Reading about writing doesn’t count. Talking about writing doesn’t count. The only thing that really counts is writing.

You might not be a writer. That’s cool, man. I want this blog to be a space for all creatives to come for inspiration and a bit of a laugh. Whether you paint, sculpt, write songs, carve holy images into grains of rice, or choreograph interpretive dances to the sounds of factory machinery, you need to start doing it everyday. The only way to get better at your craft is to practice.

This year I’m asking you to find thirty minutes everyday to practice your craft. If you’re a writer write for at least thirty minutes. If you’re a painter paint.

Some of you may say, “But I don’t have time to do that.” I have no idea what you’re schedule is during the day, but if you have time to watch TV, you have time to do this. Stop watching one of the television shows you regularly veg out to and take that time to make yourself better. The Big Bang Theory really isn’t helping you achieve your goals in life, trust me.

I’m going to cut down on some of my You Tube viewing to free up more time to polish up my manuscripts. You Tube is like a black hole. One video of a Boston Terrier wearing shoes, suddenly turns in to five and before you know it, it’s midnight and you’ve done nothing.

So the challenge for 2014 is to spend at least thirty minutes a day working on your craft. That’s writing, painting, playing the spoons, or whatever. Try it out for the month of January. You know what they say, it takes thirty days to make a habit. We’ll call it Thirty Minutes for Thirty Days. Don’t you just love naming things?

I’ll check in with you at the end of the month to see how you did.

Photo by danielmoyle

Start Writing Your Novel Now

typewriterIt’s come to my attention that a lot of people want to write a novel. It seems like most people think they’ve got a book in them, but for some reason they just haven’t gotten around to writing it.

There are a lot of excuses for not sitting down and actually getting to that novel you’ve always dreamed of writing, but this post isn’t about excuses. I don’t want to hear any of those. Many writers have gotten up a few hours earlier than usual to write in the morning before heading out for work. Many have burned the midnight oil after work to write the book they always dreamed of writing.

Walter Mosely wrote his novel, Devil in a Blue Dress, whilst working full time. I heard an interview with Toni Morrison in which she described handwriting The Bluest Eyes on a legal pad with her baby in her arms. If you really want to write a book you will find a way to make it happen. If it is important to you you’ll make time for it.

Here are some tips to get you started.

Make a commitment to write everyday. Writers write. You can’t call yourself a writer if you don’t. Give yourself an allotted amount of time, whatever you feel like you can set aside: an hour, thirty minutes. Whatever you feel like you can do is fine. Sit in front of your computer, with the internet off preferably, and write something. Write anything at first. This is just to get you used to writing.

Even if you only come up with a couple of sentences that’s fine. You’re just starting out. Writing like everything else in this world require practice. You must be willing to practice in order to get good.

Don’t know where to start? I could be smart and say start from the beginning, but I won’t do that to you. When you write a novel you’ll end up doing a lot of revisions. Where you started the novel originally might not be the place in the story the novel starts once you’ve finished doing your rewrites. A first draft can be cut and switched around. It’s a first draft. Just start from anywhere. Do you have a scene from the book in your head already? Start from there.

Sometimes when I find myself getting a bit stuck about a story I write little bios for the characters in the book. It helps me get a better sense of them and their story. Something in one of those bios might give you the perfect jumping off point to start the book.

To outline or not to outline. Some people swear by an outline. Some people like to just let the story flow out of them naturally. I’ve written both ways. The only way you’ll know which method works best for you is by trying them.

Actionable steps to getting started.

Pick a time to write tomorrow. I don’t care if it’s only 15 minutes. Just pick a time and stick to it. Tell the people you live with that you will be writing at that time and not to disturb you. You may have to wait until the kids have gone to bed. That’s fine. Just make the commitment.

At your designated time sit down at your computer and open up a word processing program. Turn off the internet if possible. You don’t need to have distractions.

Don’t freak out. This should be a relaxing, exciting time for you. You’re about to start your novel. You should feel good about that. Don’t stare at the blank screen and have a panic attack. Close your eyes for a moment and let your mind wander. Don’t fall to sleep;)

Put your fingers on the keyboard and start to write. Write until your time is up or until you feel like you’re finished for the day.

Repeat this process daily and eventually you’ll have the first draft to your novel.

Helpful Hint: You know all that chatter that goes on in your head during the day. Much of it is nonsense like negative self talk. Replace some of that with storytelling. Think about your novel. Work out problems in the plot. Consider your characters’ likes and dislikes. Doing that is a lot more fun than worrying and it will help prepare you for the time you’ve set aside to write. Trust me I know.

Hope this helps.

Photo by JD Hancock

Black Friday Sale

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. I didn’t do anything special. It was kind of a quiet day. Quiet is always good. I do so much that it’s good to take a break to watch a movie and visit with friends. I spent the day hanging out with my dog, Chompyface, and I watched a cute little indie movie called Frances Ha. If you haven’t seen it, I recommend it. Later my husband and I went to a friend’s house for dessert and pleasant conversation. I’m not particularly good at pleasantness or conversation, but I still managed to have a good time.

Now that everyone is through stuffing their faces it’s time to head out to the store to save some money. If you’re smart though you’re shopping from home. Why bother with the pushy crowds when savings is just a click away right? Online shopping is the way to go.

I hate shopping and never bother with Black Friday sales, but I know that many love to take advantage of a good deal. That’s why I’ve decided to put my novels on sale for $0.99 this weekend. If you haven’t bought them yet, now is a good time to pick them up.

Flying Lessons

Flying LessonsHenry and his daughter, Chandra, are stuck. Haunted by the past, they sleepwalk through life until unexpected relationships shake up their perceptions of reality. Henry’s new friendship with a neighbor blurs the boundaries between the living and the dead, and Chandra starts to see possibilities she’s never noticed before.

What people are saying …

[Flying Lessons] is very well written, the story line moves along seamlessly and culminates beautifully. The characters are well developed and it is easy to identify with them. The author shows great talent and I look forward to reading her other books. The book was truly unputdownable for me and I read it in one sitting … Joana James from Book Wormz

It’s always nice to step away from a book type and experience something different. I have found that amazing difference in Flying Lessons … Melissa Ringsted from There for You

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The Box

TheBox_Product_WebsmlWhat’s in the box? Indy would sure like to know.

When Tom offers Indy two thousand dollars to transport a mysterious box across the country, she reluctantly agrees to do it. Accompanied by her ex-boyfriend, Koji, and flower child friend, Eve, Indy embarks on a journey that is bound to be anything but ordinary.

Not too long after their trip gets underway, they come to the realization that the box holds a force beyond their control. Will they make it to their destination? Will they lose their sanity or maybe even their lives in the process?

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Interview with an Author: Travis Gulbrandson

Today I’m pleased to post an interview with Travis Gulbrandson, author of The Believers. If you missed my review of The Believers you can read it here.

travisTell us a little about your background and how you started writing.

I’m from a small town in South Dakota, and began writing when I was in high school after one of my teachers recruited me for the newspaper. I’ve been writing for papers ever since then, pretty much. It was only within the past five years or so that I began writing fiction. I always assumed it was outside of my abilities, but decided to give it a go. It was hard — and it continues to be — but I kept at it, and I’m glad I did.

Which authors most influence your writing? What is your favorite novel?

In terms of The Believers, I would say Flannery O’Connor, Jerzy Kosinski, Cormac McCarthy, William Faulkner and Yukio Mishima were the biggest influences. They are big influences on my writing in general, though, too, along with Frank Norris, Dorothy Parker, Arthur Rimbaud, Jean Genet, John Steinbeck, Graham Greene and many others.

As for my favorite novel, that would be McTeague, by Frank Norris. It’s a naturalist book that I believe was published in 1899. I acquired it from a “free box” in a used bookstore as a teenager, but I didn’t read it until I was in college. It has a lot of problematic areas, the style is overly descriptive at times (it is naturalism, after all) and it may be a tad too long, but I love it anyway.

Many authors are inspired by real events. What inspired you to write The Believers?

Although certain elements are taken from things I heard about or experienced, the vast majority of it consists of things that came to me as I was working on the story. The main impetus for writing the book was just to see whether I could do it. I had been writing short fiction for more than a year by the time I started writing The Believers, and I thought it would be a good exercise to see if I could sustain something longer than 10-20 pages.

When I was trying to think of what I could write about, I remembered a story I completed about three months previous. That story later became the epilogue of the book.

(Incidentally, I began writing that story when I was attending an award ceremony with some friends. Katie Couric was in town to receive the Al Neuharth Award for Excellence in Media. During the presentation, I had an idea that I just started writing down on a notepad I brought with me. Once I had written about one and a half pages, I put the pad away and watched her receive the award.)

When you started the novel did you have a clear idea about where the story was going or did it develop as you wrote it?

I didn’t know quite what the story was going to be for the first month or two of writing. I just thought it was going to be some dark picaresque kind of thing. I knew I wanted the main character to interact with an older woman, but I didn’t know what their relationship would be. Then I saw a story about paranormal researcher James Randi coming out of the closet at the age of 82. I have always liked his work and hold him in high esteem, and the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like the key to the book. After that, the story came together fairly quickly, although it took me about 20 months to get it just the way I wanted.

The title along with the story give me the impression that you are trying to convey something to the reader about belief or faith. What do you want readers to take away from this novel?

I’m happy with whatever interpretation they want to give it. I’m of the opinion that once a book it published, it should belong to the readers, and that it can have a different meaning for each of them. Once the author steps in and says, “No, this is what I meant,” any other interpretations are pretty well killed off. I had intentions, and I think I fulfilled them, but I don’t feel comfortable trying to spell them out, even if that means people misinterpret what I was trying to say.

What are you working on now?

I’m in the final stages of my second novel, which is called Away from the Nets. It was triggered in part by a quote from Jean Genet (“There is nothing so dangerous as repression.”) and a viewing of the film Viridiana by Luis Buñuel. I hope to publish it online in August.

I’m also at work on a collection of short stories and one brief essay, to be released in 2015.

On top of that, I’m doing research for an historical novel, for which there is no completion date. I’ve been researching it for more than two years, and I have no idea how much more will be required before I’m finished. I do hope to start writing it next year, though.

Tell us where we can find more information about you online.

My official page is www.travisgulbrandson.com. I also have author pages on Goodreads and Librarything. The best place to find out what I’m up to is www.facebook.com/tgulbrandson. I update that page 5-6 times each week.

I’m grateful to Travis Gulbrandson for taking time out of schedule to answer a few questions for us. You can buy his novel, The Believers, online here.