Rena Olsen

Taking a break from writing a lesson plan, I stumbled across this photo gallery on weather.com It’s a bunch of pictures of abandoned amusement/theme parks. Some have been abandoned longer than others, and all closed for different reasons.

As I looked through the pictures, I was struck with all sorts of inspiration. The book I’m working on now is set at an undetermined point in the future. The world has changed, and nature has taken over. These pictures inspired me to think more concretely about how things might look. I love things like this. Perhaps my characters will even encounter an old theme park. The story takes place in Minnesota, in the (what used to be) Minneapolis area. So maybe Valley Fair? What if people actually lived there now? I don’t know, but it could be interesting. By looking through pictures like these and comparing them with what Valley Fair looks like, I can create in my mind a decent idea of what a derelict version of the park might look like. Theme park ruins have been used in some of my favorite books, such as Uglies and Divergent. Of course, I don’t want to copy those authors, but the concept is so great. Just another way something completely random can add another facet to a storyline. 

I highly encourage you to check out the link. Beautiful pictures. In case you decide to skip it, I’ll leave you with a few of my favorites before heading back to lesson planning.

Keep an eye out for what inspires you, and keep writing!

UPDATE: Before I went back to work, I checked Facebook, because, of course, and someone had posted this link.
Some more eye candy of beautiful abandoned places. I could look at this stuff all day. But I won’t. Today.

So many writers have actual real life jobs that they’re actually getting paid to do, while writing is a hobby passion that they must find time outside of job and family to pursue. I’m definitely one of those people. I get so caught up in the everyday tragedies of my job (I’m a therapist, there really are daily tragedies) or the busy work of my second job (grading college papers is nothing like editing a novel) that I lose sight of my passion at times. Yes, I have been itching to get back to writing, but at the same time, I’m so absorbed in everything else, it has begun to slip my mind more and more.

I had lunch with a writer friend yesterday, and it was the boost I needed. She is so passionate about her books and her journey, and I every time we meet I feel my passion growing again. Talking books we’ve read, books we’re writing, plot, characters, querying…the whole world that I’ve had to pretty much  ignore for the past several weeks. I just keep telling myself…in two weeks, I will be done teaching my class. In two weeks, I will be down to one job, forty(ish) hours a week, which leaves all sorts of free time.

Those connections are important. Whether you know someone in person or keep track of people on blogs and social networking sites, keeping your finger on the pulse of the industry helps to feed that passion. Now, don’t get me wrong, there are times when I’ve been reading so many blogs and tweets that I start to get discouraged. They make getting published sound so bleak at times. Endless mentions of the “slush pile,” which is apparently growing and growing as more people decide now is their time to become the next J.K. Rowling or E.L. James*. (Perhaps I need to use my initials… R.L. Olsen…) Most of us will never make it to that status. As important as connections are, when I get really discouraged, that is the time to unplug for a tidge. So. Stay connected, but not too connected but know your limits. Connect with people who encourage you and help you grow, and stay away from those who would discourage you and make you feel that your work is anything less than the beautiful diamond in the rough you know it to be.

Above all else…Write like no one is reading!

*These are not necessarily authors I endorse (though I love Harry Potter), but were the first that popped into my head when I think of the rise to stardom from humble beginnings

Still on a painful ridiculous annoying involuntary writing hiatus. I wish I could focus on both the class I’m teaching and on the writing, but since I’m getting paid to teach, that has to come first for now, and by the time I finish all my required work for that, my brain is zapped. Especially after trying to grade papers, which is a form of torture I had been previously unaware of. I’m not sure if it’s more acute because I am a writer, or if it’s really that bad, but…it’s bad. It takes all that is in me not to print out each paper and attack with a red pen, correcting every tiny grammar, punctuation, and spelling error. That wouldn’t be constructive though, so I resist. Anyway, off topic. My point is that even if my procrastination left any room for writing, it wouldn’t be fair to my characters or myself to use the last of my energy to crank out a few pages. I would rather wait until I can give it my full attention.

However…

Just because I’m not currently writing doesn’t mean that ideas are not percolating in the back of my mind almost constantly. The music of windchimes floating across the air makes it clear that Eden and Kalon have another stop on their journey. A playful exchange rewrites itself into the pages. The background plot becomes clearer, and solidifies the idea that this story will not be finished at the end of the book. The sequel already has a name. And in my head, I relive my story, picturing the details.

And that’s when I see it. That one small detail that could ruin detract from my story. A seemingly insignificant thing, but something that I must go back and add to support the continuity of the story. I created a piece of technology (since my book takes place in the future) that I mentioned not just once, but several times in the beginning, but then forgot about. It disappeared from the pages, and from my imaginings of my characters as I pictured what I was writing. It’s something that not everyone would probably pick out, but as a reader, I would probably be all over it, because I pay attention to small details.

Let me give you an example. I recently discovered the Lux Series. Obsidian, Onyx, Opal. The last one comes out in July (and I’m DYING to read it!). I love these books. However, there is one scene that sticks out to me, not because it’s a big plot point, but because the main character magically changed her shirt between sitting on the couch and getting up to open the door. A tshirt while she was lounging turned into a soft sweater at the door. I reread several times to make sure she didn’t throw on the sweater. Sometimes I miss the quick change, like when I wonder how a character who was sitting in a bean bag chair is suddenly leaning against the doorway. To me, these things matter.

The small details are what really paint the picture and pull the reader into the story, and missing those details can just as easily throw a reader out of the story. Now, we all make mistakes, and goodness knows there are probably hundreds in my novel. I fix what I catch, and count on my beta readers to point out other issues. In the end, I hope that I create a story that can pull the reader in and keep them there. How? It’s in the details.

I try not to be dramatic (HA!) but it’s KILLING me right now to not be writing. I was at such a good place in my book, and now it sits in a folder on my computer, just waiting for me, feeling sad and dejected as I focus on other things.

I agreed to teach a class this month way back in January. How was I supposed to know at that time that I would be at a crucial point in my novel? And the extra income is needed, so I couldn’t really say no. But this class completely consumes the time I would otherwise be spending writing. Between planning classes and grading assignments, I am drained of any creative impulse.

So Eden and Kalon (my characters) sit and wait for my return. I miss them. Hopefully we will be reunited sooner than my last class, but if not, the end of April will be our time. Until then, a sneak peek at one of their first major interactions…

I have a new problem lately that I haven’t had to deal with very often. Usually, when I write, there is a point that I stop and have no idea where to go next. Writer’s block. It’s what caused my first novel to take three years to finish.

With this newest novel, the opposite is happening. Let’s call it writer’s…uhh…diarrhea? That’s gross, but seriously. I have to keep telling my brain that I have to do things like go to work and work on preparing to teach my next college class, and, oh yeah, sleep sometimes. The story just keeps running through my head, and I HAVE TO GET IT OUT.

What my brain also doesn’t seem to understand is that as I write, I have to actually describe what’s going on. I can see it all happening in my head, but I have to paint a word picture in order to translate what I see onto the paper. Or the computer. Whatever. So when, like now, I have a whole sequence mapped out in my head, it might take me five hours to write what goes through my head in just a few minutes.

I would rather have this problem than writer’s block, however. There are these beautiful moments when I sit down at the computer and the words come and it feels effortless. The words just flow, and I get excited and think, “It’s comin’ out of me like hot lava!” (Bridesmaids, anyone??)

So, back to it now. This weekend I need to clean my apartment, prepare for my class, print off songs for church tomorrow, see my peanuts (I miss them!), and also try to do as much writing as possible.

Writing is great until life gets in the way 😉 Wish me luck!

Last night I was clacking away on my keyboard, sure that I knew the direction my story was headed. Suddenly, one of my characters turned on me! When I created him, he was a nice side character. Apparently he even had me fooled. A little further on, and I actually gasped when one of my characters did something unexpected. In that case, it fit her personality, but I was surprised when it happened.

Cue the men in white coats.

I find it hard to explain to people my writing process. Not the procrastination part of it, but the actual story telling that happens. I always have a bare-bones idea of where I want my story to go. It’s never a straight line to get there though. There are pit stops and detours and backtracking. And the characters are constantly getting in the way of me telling the story as I initially plan it.

When I create a character in my  mind, they become real to me. I think that’s why I become so emotionally invested in books. It’s different from a movie, because I can watch an actor and remember that he was in something else, that he is a real person with a real life beyond the character he is playing at the time. But in a book, the life the characters are living, the story I am creating for them, that is their story and their life. I know, again, I sound crazy. Or “cray cray,” as my nieces and nephew would put it.

And it doesn’t make sense. But I know my characters as much as they let me know them, which means the main character is usually an open book (no pun intended). I have a good idea of his or her intentions and motivations. But it’s those side characters that are really good at keeping things from me, hiding their motivations, because they are not as important to me. Just like in the story, they tend to be overlooked, even by myself, their creator. And that’s where they get me, because suddenly another facet of their personality is revealed, and I have to pay attention to them.

I was having a conversation with a friend last night and teasing her that one of the characters in my book may or may not end up being a bad guy. She told me that wasn’t possible, and I replied that anything is possible, because I am doing the writing and I do what I want. But she has talked to me enough about writing to know that is complete crap. I do the writing, yes, but I’ve found that when I try to force characters to do what I think they should do, instead of listening to them tell me what they’re going to do, the writing comes across as forced and unnatural. My friend knows this, and was pretty smug in her appraisal of the situation, and she was probably right. Hey, maybe he will be a bad guy…but it won’t be because I want him to be, it will be because that is who he is. Or isn’t. We’ll see.

I’m as excited as anyone else to find out what my characters will do next.

I recently had the opportunity to read an early draft of a friend’s novel. This is the second of her novels that I’ve read. The last was about a year ago. Both were excellent, but reading them was such a different experience. The first time around, I was just dabbling in my own writing, working (somewhat) steadily on my first full-length novel, and I had next to no knowledge of the publishing industry. When I met with Jenny to discuss her book, she whipped out a pen and notebook and waited for my comments.

“Uhh…it was good? I liked it? Change NOTHING.”

Yeah. Not exactly helpful. At that point, I wasn’t reading with a critical eye. I didn’t want to point out any flaws or holes, because I didn’t want to make her feel bad, because, seriously, this woman is talented.

After finishing my own first novel last year and having a few critique partners go through it, I am realizing how valuable critical feedback can be. I am so protective of my work. I HATE revisions. It’s like showing someone a picture of your beloved child and having them point out all the things that are wrong with him/her. Hey, be nice, I MADE that. My novel is perfect the first time around, thankyouverymuch. Except…it isn’t. There are plot holes, there are awkward sentences, there are random storylines that make no sense. And they need to be pointed out, especially if I have aspirations toward publication.

I am only dipping my toe in the rushing river of the publishing world, and already I’ve learned that you have to have thick skin. That contest I entered? Didn’t make it past the first round. Those queries I sent out? Not a nibble. Clearly there is plenty of room for improvement. And as I am not exactly impartial to my work, having honest and supportive critique partners is incredibly important…even when what they say may stab me in my creative little heart. I am simply too close to my projects to see the big picture at times.

Does knowing all this, thinking about all this, make getting feedback any easier? No, of course not. But I choose to use the critiques to improve on my child…errrr…novel. And I hope to be able to do the same for other authors looking to polish their manuscripts.

So this time around, I was better prepared to read the manuscript and make comments and suggestions. I was able to stop and make notes and jot down questions that may help my friend to see her story in a new light, from a different perspective. Does that mean she will take any of my suggestions? Of course not. That’s what I love about writing…people can tell me what to do until they’re blue in the face, but ultimately it’s my decision and my baby. After all, it’s my name on the finished product, right? And it is the same for every author.

With that in mind…I probably am still not being as critical as I could be. This is a case when having multiple (critique) partners is probably a good thing…each will see something different, and there is a whole crop of suggestions from which to choose. All I ask of my critique partners is this: be honest, but be gentle. I’m fragile under all this thick skin.

(PS – Go check out Jenny’s blog. She’s fantastic, and she is going to be a STAR.)

I write best at night. I don’t know why. It’s really annoying, actually. I can sit at my computer all day long, and write maybe a page of crappy dialogue. Then ten o’clock hits and I’m all, “Write ALL THE WORDS!”

Unfortunately, I have a day job. One that I can’t exactly fake my way through. Maybe someday I will be able to stay up all night and sleep all day, like a vampire or a cat. That will happen when I win the lottery or marry Ryan Gosling. Either way, it feels like a win.

Until then, I suppose sleep is a good idea. At least my dreams are entertaining…

I haven’t talked a lot so far about the querying process, mostly because I’ve only just barely dipped my toe in it. I have already experienced apprehension over watching my email inbox and the sting of rejection as certain phrases jump out of the query responses.
“I don’t think I’m the right agent for your project.”
“Your project is not the right fit at this time.”
“You deserve an agent who is as passionate about your project as you are.”

And always encouragement, though that doesn’t make being rejected any easier.
“Remember, it only takes one agent!”
“Publishing is subjective, and I am sure you will find someone who is the right fit.”
“Keep trying, and best of luck on your project!”

Yeah.

I haven’t yet gotten the thrill of having a request. Now, possibly this is because I haven’t had the opportunity to send out enough queries. By the time I was ready to submit my manuscript, it was December, and many agents were taking a holiday hiatus. When January rolled around, I found myself entrenched in craziness at work, which resulted in the inevitable Collapse of Exhaustion when I finally got home after a 9-10 hour work day, and getting up the energy/courage to send out more queries and deal with more rejection just wasn’t appealing. I am only just feeling like I might be able to take a deep breath and jump back into that process.

Fun story, this post isn’t even supposed to be about querying! This post is about a contest I entered. I was told about this contest by my friend Jenny, who is also going through the process of querying. She is much more diligent about it than I have been able to be, and therefore knows about a ton of contests and opportunities that I might never have heard of otherwise. This contest is on Cupid’s Literary Connection and is called the Blind Speed Dating event. Jenny got picked to go onto the second round during the first week of the contest. I ended up submitting for week 5, and guess what…week 5 starts today! Ack!

I don’t know what, if anything, will come from this contest, but I know that if I keep slacking off and not putting an effort into my dream, I won’t ever get there. Every contest, every query is an opportunity for feedback, for practice, and who knows? Maybe the next contest/query will be THE ONE. Hey, it could happen.

If you’d like to check out my contest entry, click here.

If I had my wish, I would write full time. I would have a beautiful office with a comfy chair at my desk in front of a picture window looking out on a large body of water. I would get up late, wander into my office with a steaming cup of hot chocolate (I don’t do coffee), and spend the day (and probably most of the night) immersed in the imaginary world of my stories.

Unfortunately, this is not even close to a possibility any time in the near future, or possibly ever. If hopes and dreams and a good joke or two could pay the bills, I would be golden. But, sigh, I am forced to maintain full time employment to make ends meet. I work 40(ish) hours a week as a therapist in an elementary school. It’s emotionally draining playing Ants in the Pants and Connect 4 multiple times each day, but the money’s gotta come from somewhere, right? Plus, between paperwork and phone calls, lately I’ve been staying late just to keep my head above water. Let’s just say that my top priority when I get home is not opening up the laptop to let the words flow effortlessly from my fingers so much as it is taking off my pants and watching some Ellen.

I also recently agreed to teach a second college course. Another one I will have to pretty much design from scratch. That doesn’t start until March, but if I don’t want to be scrambling and working through spring break, I’d better get started sooner than later.

And then there’s my church stuff. I’m helping lead a Bible study starting next week, helping plan monthly events for our ladies’ group (ggw4god.blogspot.com), helping to plan a possible teen girls’ retreat for March, and singing with the praise band regularly. And I love it all.

Throw in socializing several nights a week, and I’m left to wonder…what about my writing? What about the time I need to spend editing and revising and researching agents and contests and webinars? How can I spend the time I need to make it to my dream, when there is so much else getting in the way?

One skill I don’t have is time management. Like, at all. I will spend an hour playing Mah-jong and not even realize it. My days are so scheduled, I hate to schedule the rest of my life that way, Type B personality that I am.

Something I need to do is make sure to make writing a priority. I need to turn off my phone and disconnect from the internet, leave the TV off, and just write. Even as I type this I have had multiple texts and Facebook notifications, all of which probably could have waited.

So, if anyone reads this, hold me accountable. Ask me when my writing time is, and then text me to test if I actually turned my phone off. Ask me about my progress, or ask to read a snippet. I have found a couple contests I might enter…but don’t ask about those.

Here’s to continuing to do what I need to do and what I enjoy doing, but above all, WRITING!