Thinkin' Thursday: Contest Paralysis

Fear. It is one of the most powerful motivators in our lives. According to Dictionary.com here's what we're looking at:

fear

–noun

a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.

a specific instance of or propensity for such a feeling.

concern or anxiety; solicitude.

reverential awe, esp. toward god.

that which causes a feeling of being afraid; that of which a person is afraid.

 

Yesterday, I submitted a piece for a national contest. Normally, I would shake, rattle & hang on the verge of vomit. Not so this time. My palms didn't sweat; my stomach didn't quiver. Don't get me wrong, I am a big bundle of fear & self-doubt -  especially when it comes to hangin' my writing flag out there. That's why it struck me odd that I submitted & let go. No craziness, no second thoughts.

 

One of the meanderings rolling around in my brain was the fact that the piece, while I am very proud of it, is not me. Say again; IT'S NOT ME! It is a snippet in time, representative of the work I do. While I am not so altruistic as to say it doesn't matter if I win, I have taken the stance that what happens happens. I want to win, I hope I win, but I will survive if I don't. At the end of the day, I have learned something about my work & myself. And that, friendlies, is well worth the fee.

 

Here's the question: How do you deal with fear in your writing career? Have you found ways to turn it into a positive? If so, how?

 

Happy Writing,

 

Patti 

Too Many Cooks in the WIP

This weekend hubs & I started planning out our closed in porch off the back off our house. Hub's sister built a house a few years ago & her hubs is in construction. They came over to help with the planning. My mom-in-law also joined the party.

Measuring tape, pencil, graph pad - check. General idea - check. It's not going to be a perfect square, so there was quite a bit of discussion about how to square it up. Then, the roof has to slope naturally from the house. This means a .3 in. drop every foot in order to meet the outside edge. We need an outer entrance for the walkout; this generated a pow-wow on the benefits of inward vs. outward opening doors.

Mom-in-law has been terribly concerned that we will not have enough windows. And, because of the 16' across the middle, she decided we need a center pole or the entire roof will collapse. Of course, hubs explained that we have 2 different options to deal with that particular. However, a center pole would cut the space to unusable, so it's out the windows.

Bro-in-law, remember he's in construction, very quickly decided exactly how he is going to build this little structure of ours. Sis-in-law counted out the posts & supports; she also thinks we need to drill holes in the concrete & then secure the walls from there.

Me, I want a flower box. This means the half wall we are building will have to be tall enough to accommodate. After 2x4 vs. 2x8 discussions, my flower box is in the mix. And, hubs, he just wants a closed in porch where we can stargaze in the winter. Insulation, siding, design elements - they can wait until next spring.

So, here we are, drawing in hand. Wood needs in order. And, 5 divergent ideas on what this space should be. It's our house, so we get dibs, right? Well, kinda. We asked for the advice & we will need the labor aide because I cannot be counted on for construction. Hammer, screwdriver, wrench - I know what they are but that don't mean I know all the proper apps.

There has to be some give & take to get to the end result before the first snows fall. We will compromise on some things - mainly those we know little about. Like construction, gutter installation, connecting to existing electricals & roofing; all the important things. I will get my flower box however or this project is going nowhere!

This episode got me to thinking about critiques. Our vision, how it translates & when it doesn't, & how to apply the proper mix of fix without weakening the overall structure. These are the bits that go into the final product - from 1st draft to salable work. We had too many cooks in our porch pot & sometimes, in an effort to maximize feedback, we invite the entire cast of Iron Chef into our WIP.

This, of course, brings us to the question: How do you control your critique process? When you find a sticking point, how do you apply the philosophical rather than emotional reaction?

Happy Writing,

Patti

Thinkin' Thursday - WIPs Need Food Too

Yesterday it occurred to me that I have eaten the same thing everyday for lunch over the past week & a half. At first, I thought it's simply because it's easy & I like it. But then, I started thinking back on other writing projects. During my previous novel, I ate a bowl of grits smothered in butter & pepper every single day until I finished the book. Currently, I am consuming lunch meat, muenster cheese & either buttery crackers or melba toast. I've really been digging the toast lately.

I lay out the cheese slices, slide a layer of meat over that & then count out the number of crackers on the opposite side of the plate. What can I say, I'm fairly methodical. I thrive on order, number & other OCD habits. I count things; steps, bites, stairs. It's a habit from my childhood & it still continues to this day.

However, back to the food thing. I'm a quarter of the way through this project & I noticed that my food is a direct reflection of where I am in the process. How much time I have to eat correlates to where I am in the story. It makes me wonder what my WIP will be wanting as we approach the midway together.

So, does your current WIP have any favorite snacks? What about previous projects?

Happy Writing,

Patti