Archive for the 'Writing Movements' Category

March 15, 2010 | Reading is FUNdamental, SARK-ism, Sunday Scribblings, The 4-1-1 on Me, Writing Movements, writing workshops

Today’s word of the day is brought to you by Sunday Scribblings: The book that changed everything

Make Your Creative Dreams REAL
A Plan for Procrastinators, Perfectionists, Busy People, Avoiders, and People Who Would Rather Sleep All Day
by SARK
May 2004, Simon and Schuster, ISBN: 0743229215

First of all, I’d like to point out that SARK is one of my favorite authors and literary crush. I am a SARK disciple and pray at the alter of SARK. If she were a cult, I’d join and never look back. I’ve met her several times and have had the pleasure of attending a couple of her workshops. And each time, I’ve come away feeling energized. She has the most amazing presence. Her regular attire of lounge pajamas could be the reason, but I’m sure that’s only part of her charm.

This book changed everything…for my writing. Because SARK (a.k.a. Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy) introduces the Micro Movement Wheel.Click image for bigger view

It’s to help you complete a huge task in increments of 5 sec-5 mins. As you can see in this example, the “dream” is in the middle and each of the 12 sections has a task. Each of these can take 5 sec-5 mins, until eventually, you get further every time and have reached your “dream”.

I applied this activity to my writing, but call it Writing Movements. When I actually have Writing Movements, they get posted here. The results of the Writing Movements, not the actual writing itself. I’m superstitious like that. But I digress…

It works! I’ve finally found something that works for me! Hallelujah, praise the Lord, pass the biscuits!

I use this when:
1) I’m not feeling very productive
2) Trying to crack through writer’s block
3) Procrastinating about writing.

This book was made for me because my other middle name is Procrastination (it’s just not on my birth certificate). I love all this woman’s books, but this one has a special pocket of my heart. The one for writing.

Technorati Tags: Sunday Scribblings, Make Your Creative Dreams REAL, A Plan for Procrastinators, Perfectionists, Busy People, Avoiders, and People Who Would Rather Sleep All Day, SARK

November 25, 2009 | Life in General, Movie Queue, NaNoWriMo 2009, School Daze, The 4-1-1 on Me, Weekend Wrap-Up, Writing Movements

Friday – Had a mtg with one my mentors for one of my classes next semester and it went quite well. The Sunny House session was canceled due to the PA being sick.

Saturday – Spent the better part of the morning shopping for a dress for the company holiday party. Found it on clearance at Dillard’s. $33! Not bad, eh? I never really like to shop at department stores like that because they’re usually too expensive. I think I got lucky this time.

I also went to see NEW MOON. I may have to see it again because I got irritated with the teenybopper girls talking and hooting every time Taylor Lautner took off his shirt or he appeared shirtless in a scene. Or when Rob Pattinson appeared shirtless. Truly annoying. I don’t think I was ever that obnoxious at that age.

Anyhow, I thought it was okay. Nothing to jump up and shout about. I felt that way about the first one, too. I wasn’t really impressed. It just seems like the actors are trying too hard to act. Or something. With the HARRY POTTER movies, I can honestly say that out of all of them, THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE is my favorite. It was really, really good. With these movies, so far, I can’t say that. Maybe they’ll get better? One can only hope. However, if I absolutely had to choose, I would be Team Jacob for two reasons: 1) He’s buff and 2) He’s warm. Like, “108 degrees over here”. That would be a plus for me because I’m always cold.

Sunday – I didn’t do. One. Damn. Thing. I hung out in my pj’s and robe and battled a headache all day. Needless to say, it was the most aspirin I’ve ever taken in one day. I think my first mistake was taking them when I first woke up…and then watching t.v. in the dark. When I should’ve been sleeping. That headache never had a chance to properly go away and it just lingered. Ugh!

Writing Movement – I dropped out of NaNoWriMo. I wasn’t enjoying it, as you might have noticed from the last week’s update. I would just rather write at my own pace.

School Daze – Working on the final draft of my paper that’s due Monday. I still have to send in the self-eval for Math class and I have to make my Social Justice project for EIS look pretty. I’m going for a PowerPoint presentation on that one and using some of the Mentoration posts from my Non-Profitation blog.

Yeah, so that’s it. How was your weekend? Where will you all be for Turkey Day?

Technorati Tags: Dillard’s, NEW MOON, Taylor Lautner, Rob Pattinson, HARRY POTTER, THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE, NaNoWriMo.

November 17, 2009 | "Whoa whoa I gotta go...back to schoooool...again", Life in General, Movie Queue, NaNoWriMo 2009, School Daze, The 4-1-1 on Me, Weekend Wrap-Up, Writing Movements

Friday – Week Two at the Professional Artist Series in which I’m volunteering. It’s poetry, but still writing. Week One was a good session, too.

Saturday – We’ve started a two-part activity with the girls at The Gurl House. It’ll be something they can use wherever they go. Mr. Maul and I went to see 2012. Is it just me or is Hollywood been interested in making –end-of-the-world type of movies lately? THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW was a walk in the park compared to this movie. I was actually squeezing Mr. Maul’s hand, wincing, and bobbing and weaving in my chair like this was in 3D. It wasn’t, for the record. And I wasn’t holding his hand because I was scared, we just sometimes hold hands while watching movies. This was a bit of a nail biter and when the world was falling apart—literally—there were a couple of “Holy crap, there is no way they’re gonna make that” scenes. I also found it interesting that–SPOILER AHEAD–out of all the places that got hit, Africa ended up being the “Safety Zone”. Afterwards, we stopped by BN and I picked up “Dani Noir” by Nova Ren Suma. It’s in my YA TBR pile. Yes, I actually have a YA TBR pile. It’s a shocker, I know, so sit down before you fall down.

Sunday – I pretty much hung out with the ISO girls all day. Well, almost all day. We were doing membership photos and to get 13 women to look like something out of the 40’s (hairstyle-wise), well, you shouldn’t be surprised how long that takes. I got there close to 1pm and didn’t leave until close to 9pm. Some got there at 10am (if they needed help with hair), so you can imagine the long day for that person. The actual picture taking didn’t really start until around 3. It was a bit crazy, but fun.

School Daze – Research paper is due this Sunday, although our core faculty person is giving us an extra week because she hasn’t read them herself yet. We’ve only been getting critiques from our peers. And I still need to write up my self eval for my Math class. Which I’m done with, btw. I’m getting ready to decided what I’m taking next semester and I’ll be meeting with a mentor for one of those classes this weekend. I’m looking forward to getting started working on that Study Contract.

Writing Movement – Nothing for three days. Not even while I was at work. I’ll be talking about that in the Weekly NaNo update momentarily.

So, how was your weekend? Anyone looking forward to seeing NEW MOON this weekend? I won’t be there at midnight, of course, but I have plans to see it this weekend.

Technorati Tags: 2012, THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, Dani Noir, Nova Ren Suma, NEW MOON

November 16, 2009 | NaNoWriMo 2009, The 4-1-1 on Me, Weekly NaNoWriMo Update, Writer Moment, Writing Movements

CLICK ON THE ICON TO VIEW MY PROGRESS.

I didn’t write anything for three days (Friday, Saturday, Sunday). Not even during my breaks or lunch last Friday. With the daily required word count, and my normal writing process, I should, for all intents and purposes, be writing close to a chapter a day.

Two weeks in and I’m still working on Chapter Two.

Writing this particular book for the challenge has proven difficult for me. I’m feeling a little lackluster about it and that’s a little alarming to me. I could blame it on the interference of school and trying to readjust to that. Or that Auntie Flow is here for her monthly visit. But it’s none of those things.

I think it’s the pressure of forcing myself to write every day. Of knowing that I have to write every day, that I have to pound out a certain amount of words each day, that’s getting me down. Writing is fun for me, but it stops being fun when I have to do it. I should want to write, right? Because I can’t get the words out fast enough. Because I’m hearing conversations in my head. Because I’m picturing scenes in my head.

When I read blogs of other YA authors, I was jealous that they could write fast. I wanted to be like them and be able to crank out three chapters in one night. If they posted something about their writing process, I would try it. And then wonder why it didn’t work.

Because I’m not them.

I’m me.

It took me a long time to realize that I have to find a process that works for me.

Outlining a story first doesn’t work for me.

Answering 100 questions about my characters doesn’t work for me.

Committing to a certain daily word count doesn’t work for me.

Forcing myself to write every day when there’s nothing to squeeze out doesn’t work for me.

National Novel Writing Month doesn’t work for me.

I’d like to think that my writing process could change. Maybe if I don’t do an outline next time. Maybe if I work on an anthology of short stories instead of a novel. Maybe I can try other writing challenges and work my way up to this one. Maybe I’ll try harder to write on the weekends. That’s a lot of maybes.

I know me. I know the way my mind works. I know the writing process that works for me. I may not get to 50k, but I’ll be writing on my terms. And it’ll still fun.

November 9, 2009 | "Whoa whoa I gotta go...back to schoooool...again", Dance Jam Productions, Life in General, School Daze, Secrets and Kisses, The 4-1-1 on Me, Weekend Wrap-Up, Writing Movements

This is going to be a short one.

Friday -Signed up to volunteer for a 6-week Professional Artist Series session through Free Arts AZ. It’s a Creative Writing one and the first session was this evening. Will post that later in the week. Took my niece out dinner to celebrate the fact that she was one of 10 people to get accepted into the Herberger Institute for the Arts. If you’re a Theater major at ASU, your goal is to get into this place. You get two semesters to try and if you fail, they make you change your major! I know, a little pressure, much? You have the choice of writing three essays or writing two essays and performing two monologues.

My niece said a lot of the students don’t get in because they take the easy way out and just do the three essays. You think they’d do the monologues. I mean, they chose theater as a major, after all. She said she did an easy monologue from Othello and one she did in her class last semester. I am SO proud of her, I’m bustin’ a gut. They have guest speakers from the industry come and talk to the students and she’ll have an opportunity to audition for plays that show at The Herberger Theater and Gammage (where Phantom of the Opera is playing right now). These two places–well, Gammage more than the other–is like Arizona’s version of Broadway. Did I mention how proud I am of my girl? In ten years, she sees herself acting. And so do I.

Saturday – Had a fun time at The Gurl House with modeling magic clay (interesting. Dries a little foamy. It’s weird), and this one will be posted later in the week, as well. Quickly checked out White House Black Market for a dress for my company’s upcoming holiday party. I like long dresses–ankle length–and they didn’t have any. Will be checking out the mall this weekend. Did some laundry to prepare for the event on Sunday…

Sunday – Volunteered my time at the 15th Annual Palette of Homes Tour. Got to see how the other lives for the first time. And they live well. Lucky you, you actually get to read about it now. LOL. By the time I got home from this event, I was tired and hurting a little. Didn’t wear the right shoes for standing.

School Daze – It’s almost over but the cryin’. And yes, there was some of that. Here’s a quick recap.

Writing Movement – no comment.

My first two books are being reissued through a new publisher and they received new covers. SECRETS AND KISSES is now available in both E-book and paperback format. I received the new cover today for DANCE JAM PRODUCTIONS. What do you think?

DJPcover.bmp

You can still view the old cover here. My web designer is in the process of moving–again–and has yet to upload the new cover images.

That’s it for moi. How was your weekend?

Technorati Tags: Herberger Institute for the Arts, The Herberger Theater, Gammage, Phantom of the Opera, White House Black Market, 15th Annual Palette of Homes Tour, SECRETS AND KISSES, DANCE JAM PRODUCTIONS