Speakeasy Tales: Takeaways From the Writer's Retreat in Paradise

The inaugural Speakeasy Writer's Retreat is history. I realize I risk sounding like a sycophant, but can't keep from raving about the wonderful group of writers and editors (and the venue -- what's not to love about the Stanford Sierra Conference Center near Lake Tahoe?) who made this weekend so wonderful.

Fallen Leaf Lake: The view from my window. ::sigh::

The faculty included editors chosen for their engaging personalities as much as for their impressive expertise in the world of children's publishing. They hung out with the writers attending, encouraging conversation and questions.

I learned a lot in the past few days. For what it's worth, here are some of my takeaways:

*  Even the publishing pros don't agree on exactly what constitutes the dividing line between Middle Grade and Young Adult. But they all agree that the writer shouldn't sweat over making the distinction. The writer's job is to write the best story possible, with the most authentic voice. Market definitions come later.

*  The jury is still out on whether New Adult merits its own genre.

*  Sometimes, showing an editor an unpolished work in rough form is the fastest way to get the most helpful advice.

*  Nothing compares to having an editor ask cogent, informed questions about one of your pet projects, especially when those questions are followed by, "That sounds great! I love those kinds of books." Yay, validation!

*  After forty-odd years on the planet, I am still powerless to exercise any form of self-control when faced with a buffet.

*  Several editors regularly reread favorite books to remind themselves of "what good writing is."

*  No one is more underpaid than authors, except maybe editors, a fact that doesn't keep either party from thoroughly enjoying their work.

*  Publishing is a difficult industry. It's not fair. It's not predictable. Success is often as reliant on luck as it is on talent.
*  Many editors admire writers for their bravery, their stick-to-itive-ness, and their perseverance. At no time during the entire retreat did I hear an editor talk about an author with anything but the greatest respect.

*  It IS possible to survive without cell phone reception.

*  In the same way that those who are married are not necessarily more loveable or loving than those who are single, writers with agents are not necessarily more talented than those who are still unagented. It's just a matter of persevering until a writer finds an agent and an editor who are a good match.

*  Never underestimate the value of taking some time away from your regularly scheduled life to interact with and support people who share your dreams.

A heartfelt thank-you to everyone involved in making this year's retreat a reality. I know I am not the only one who is leaving recharged and re-inspired!

The "Time Is Money" Secret Weapon For Adding Hours To A Day

I've recently found more time to exercise, increased my productivity, and found a way to spend more time with my family. It didn't involve turning my back on Twitter (the horror!) or blocking the rabbit-hole time-suck of YouTube from my browser.  It's literally as if I have discovered several more hours in my day.

It's so simple, I can't believe I didn't think of it before, but it took Dave Ramsey's zero-based budget to smack me over the head with the obvious.

For those of you unfamiliar with money-management-guru Ramsey's tactics, he advises giving every dollar a name (I call many of mine "Phil." Or "Shirley." As in "I shall use this dollar to fill in this gaping fiscal hole" and "surely I didn't spend that much!"). Every dollar is earmarked for something at the beginning of the pay cycle. In essence, it is spent on paper before it is spent fer realz.

At first, I'll admit, I was skeptical. I had previously approached a budget with the enthusiasm usually reserved for un-anesthetized oral surgery. I had also tried (with a stunning lack of success) to make it to the end of the month with still-unspent dollars. But Phil and Shirley always had other thoughts.

Ramsey's zero-based budget has three main tenets:

1.) Before spending a cent, plan in advance how every single dollar will be spent.
2.) Every month is different, so every month gets its own budget. Expenses in June differ from those in December. Don't try to use a cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all plan.
3.) If you don't control your money, the lack thereof will control you.

Not only did budgeting my money with intent revolutionize my spending habits, but it also made me think about something else that -- no matter how much I wish things were different -- has a zero-based budget: my time.

"Time is Money."

Every day, I (like you) am allotted 24 hours. No more. No less. I must spend them all. Regardless of whether or not I like the idea, I do spend them all. I cannot save an hour from a day that has few things clamoring for my attention in order to spend it later, when I really need it.

I'm one of those writers who can work all day without taking a lunch break, get to suppertime and wonder just where the dang day went. Especially when I have so little to show for it.

I'm a mom, so I feel guilty for spending time with my fictional characters rather than with my own child. I have horses, and have been known apologize to my four-footed beasts for not riding more because I'm orchestrating knights and battles instead. I have a sainted spouse who could always use more quality time. And I have a body that insists on aging, requiring an exercise plan in order to keep gravity from sucking quite so much... 

I've never gotten to the point where I used the Dilbert "Time is Money! Meeting Cost Calculator," mainly because I am not brave enough to use it to calculate what my Twitter obsession is costing me. But I have often lamented my inability to add hours to my day, or to be as productive as I think I should be.

Which is why the concept of the Zero-Based Time Budget works so well.

The first day I did it, I focused only on my time for that day. I divided the day into thirds, allotting 8 hours for sleeping, 8 hours for work, and 8 hours for personal time. Sleeping is self-explanatory. I took each of the 8 work hours and got specific:

1 hour for email.
2 for client work.
3 for my work-in-progress.
1 for publishing pro research & querying.
1 for social media.

I did the same thing for my personal time, allotting specific hours for things like working out, playing with my daughter, doing farm chores, spending quality time with my husband, making & eating meals, etc.

At the end of the first day, I looked at what I'd accomplished and felt as if I'd had a religious experience. Not only had I gotten several thousand words written on my novel in progress, but I'd also had several lively Twitter exchanges, kayaked the lake, run a mile, groomed my horses and dogs, played a game with my daughter, and queried several projects to industry professionals I thought would be good fits.

I got more done in a day than I usually did in three! Furthermore, for the first time in forever, I didn't feel guilty for either spending too much time on my work or for spending too much time away from it.

In the ensuing days, I discovered that my first experience with a zero-based time budget was not an aberration. Planning how I will budget the next day's time is now an important task that is completed before I go to bed.

Like Ramsey's money budget, the zero-based Time Budget has three main tenets:

1.) Plan in advance how every single hour (or half-hour) will be spent.
2.) Every day is different, so every day gets its own budget. Time demands on Monday may differ from those on Thursday. Don't try to use a cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all plan.
3.) If I don't control my time, the lack thereof will control me make me feel like I''m running just to catch myself.

Earlier this year, I posted One Writer's Guide to Cheating Time, a list of 3 tips I used to make the most of my writing time -- all of which I still use. But the zero-balance time budget is my secret weapon for keeping my life balanced and spending my time intentionally and wisely.

What's your solution to managing your time? Comment below and we'll all share our secret weapons!

The Cherie Burbach Interview

I recently had the opportunity to interview writer, blogger, Packers fan, and poet Cherie Burbach.

Cherie knows a thing or two about making the most of her writing time and about promoting what she has published. I especially liked her advice to aspiring writers (below). I am grateful that she took time away from her many writing commitments in order to chat with me.

You juggle many writing jobs: books, freelance projects, blogs. What are some of the time management techniques that allow you to tackle multiple projects at ones?

I try and focus blocks of time toward certain projects. For example, in the morning I focus on my personal blogs and answering email. Then I dive into freelance work.

When I blog, I try and "cluster post," which means that I'll try to write a group of them and post ahead. Since writing today often involves posting online, I set aside time to write a bunch of things, rather than write and post (and write and post). I can save time if I can just keep writing. Then I tend to post, look for pictures, and do social networking and promotion.

When it comes to books, however, I usually take some time at night or on weekends to write. If I'm really having trouble focusing (or have a deadline) I will close out everything but the project I'm working on. So I'll shut down email, Internet, etc. and just write.

You maintain or contribute to many blogs, including Working Writers, Blisstree, Every Joe, and The Dating Blog. How has blogging impacted you as a writer? What advice would you give to someone who is considering becoming a blogger?

Blogging is definitely a different type of writing. It involves a more personal writing style with topical subject matter. When I was freelance writing for magazines, I would get an assignment, research, write, and turn in my copy. With blogging, all of that is required to move a bit faster. Not only that, but blogging generally means coming up with the subject matter yourself, rather than getting assignments. Your expertise and personality are part of what make a blog interesting to read. So in a way, blogging allows you to be yourself. I think my blogs have allowed readers to get to know me a little better.

You have written poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. What process do you use to determine what project to work on next?

I try and work on all of them at once! (Ha ha!) But each is very different.

For nonfiction books, I usually have a subject that I want to explore further. For the dating books I've written, it was a matter of getting asked a lot of questions from readers. People comment on my posts or email me, and sometimes there is a consistent theme where questions are concerned. I wanted to fill the need of answering those questions and providing more information. For the diabetes book, I saw a need for people to understand the personal side of the disease.

For nonfiction articles, I usually get inspired by something, receive a question from someone, get an assignment, or just feel the need to explore a certain topic.

The first two poetry books I wrote were really from the collection I had built over the years. The themes relate to young woman and girls, because many of the poems are from that time frame. The third poetry book, Father's Eyes, is the first one that had a story to it and theme. I knew I wanted to write the story of growing up with my alcoholic father in poetry. The poetry focused a lot around Chrisitianity and faith because that is a big part of my life.

I still write poetry often, but the poetry has changed as I've gotten older. I always, without exception, write my poetry in longhand in a notebook. I carry notebooks with me everywhere in case I get inspired or thing of something I want to write about. I usually let the words roll around in my head for a while before committing them to paper. Then I'll revise (still in longhand) and rework it until I'm satisfied. I never type out a poem until it's completely finished. The next book may center around the theme of love, because I've been working on several with that subject matter. (An aside from being a dating writer perhaps?)

Fiction is a whole different ballgame. The process begins with a story concept. I usually have an idea for the beginning and end of a story. In some cases I even have the ending line in my end. The journey of writing is then connecting those two things. I write using the computer, primarily, but adding thoughts written from a notebook. I usually write a (really bad) first draft, then use a combination of the computer and pen to edit. I love editing with the pen, however.

What was your first paying writing job? What about it was the catalyst that made you decide you wanted to make writing your career?

I think my first paying job was about 15 years ago. I wrote a short article for a magazine and thought it was the coolest thing ever. After that I would write occasional pieces for the local paper or magazines. I kept working full time, however, and didn't transition to full-time writing until a few years ago. After I work my first dating book, I started receiving offers to write other dating-related pieces. I then worked part time and did freelance writing part time.


What words of advice would you give to an aspiring poet? Would your advice be any different if you were directing it toward an aspiring writer of prose?

For any type of writer I would simply advise them to write. Write often. Write when you feel like it and especially when you don't.

For poets especially, I would recommend getting feedback on their writing from people they can trust. Not just someone like their mom that will tell them "it's good" (although that's nice to hear too), but someone who will give them honest feedback. Listen to what people say, and if there is a lesson in it, then go ahead and follow the lesson. But if you can learn more about your writing from the critics, then use it to improve. The flip side, of course, is never taking any feedback (good or otherwise!) personally. If someone likes what you do, be grateful and humble, and move on and keep writing. Don't ever change your writing to try and be like another writer. Instead, improve what you write so you can be yourself. Not everyone will like everything you do, and that's okay.


You’ve written several non-fiction books, including Internet Dating is Not Like Ordering a Pizza and 21 Things You Can Do To Help Someone With Diabetes. What is the best writing tip you can give to a writer about to tackle a non-fiction project?

Try and make your titles shorter than mine! (Ha ha!)

Seriously, I would say to make sure there is a need for the nonfiction project you are going to write. Figure out, even before you put pen to paper, what you want readers to take away from your book. It's okay if there are other books out there on the same subject, but try and distinguish yours somehow. If you have a unique take on things or can provide a different perspective, that might be enough to make your book sell. Nonfiction, especially, should fill a need. Figure out exactly what that need is so you can determine your market. Then, write to that market.

If you could spend a week in the company of one writer that you admire, who would it be? Why?

This is possibly the toughest question I have ever been asked! I could spend time with writers 24/7.... so.... just one?

I'd LOVE to meet Maya Angelou one day. The things she's been through in life... wow. She's a beautiful poet and her words are inspiring. Plus, I've heard she's an awesome cook. So maybe she would make me dinner while I just sat and listened to her stories. Have you ever heard her speak? Her voice.... it draws you in. If I could hear her read one of her poems live.... well that would be about the best thing ever.

How do you approach marketing your books? What do you think every successful author should know about the publishing and marketing industry?

It depends on the book and genre.

If I'm marketing nonfiction, I start making up a marketing plan even before writing the book. I do this in part to determine who my ideal buyer will be, so I can write something valuable for that sect. After I finish the book I usually try and get some reviews so other people can determine if the book is right for them. I think bloggers are a wonderful way to get the word out about your book. They are honest and can relay information in a casual way directly to their readers.

For poetry, I see if my book has a theme and if there is a logical group that might be interested in reading my work.

For fiction, I try and determine similar books on the market and who is reading them, and use that as a way to figure out my ideal reader. Then, I try and figure out where my ideal reader hangs out. Does she read blogs? Which ones? Would she look up books that interest her on Amazon? Once I determine the ideal reader, the marketing plan follows.

If you could see into the future and all your writing dreams came true, where would you like to be as a writer three years from now?

Oooh, I'm so glad you asked about three years from now instead of ten. Ten is too hard to imagine! But three? Three years from now it would be great to have my first and second novels published. I would like to do more fiction and less nonfiction as the years go on.

If you weren’t a writer, how would you fill up your days?

Before I was a full-time writer, I worked in marketing. I still wrote on the side but worked long, long days in the marketing world. However, my dream job would probably be a professional organizer. I love putting things back together in a logical way.


What are your three favorite things about the Green Bay Packers? If you were guest coach for a game, what would your strategy be? Furthermore, what exactly does a “Packers tree” look like?

Like every fan, I think I know a ton about coaching when I'm sitting on my couch watching the game. Oh, how easy it is to be a know-it-all then! In reality, I would probably be terrible at it!

However, if I were a guest coach for a game, I would definitely focus on the defense. I'm a girl that likes a defensive match (one reason why arena football wasn't as fun to watch, in my opinion) so I would study films and devise a defensive strategy that exposed the weakness of the opposing offense. I love the blitz, so I'm sure I would include plenty of plays centered around it. I would probably read up on Fritz Shurmur's COACHING TEAM DEFENSE or COACHING THE DEFENSIVE LINE (because let's face it - the man was an awesome defensive strategist). I like a defense that goes a step beyond. For example, not just tackling, but stripping the ball. Not just blocking a ball, but leaping for the interception. Not just reading a play, but knowing exactly where the first-down markers are. Then, I would hire Chuck Cecil to be my assistant because he's my favorite player of all time.

Here is a photo of the famous Packer tree! A good Packer tree has not only Packer-related ornaments, but things that represent the team as well. We have a block of cheese and mug of beer in addition to player and fan ornaments. I have a Chuck Cecil trading card as part of an ornament. A few homemade ornaments. The pinnacle is the topper - a mini-helmut complete with a light up "G." Go Pack!

To learn more about Cherie Burbach, her writing, and her other projects, visit www.cherieburbach.com.

Goal Posts

Happy New Year to one and all!

The arrival of a fresh year stretching its twelve pristine months into the future invites me to make plans.

Look at that enormous expanse of unsullied time, I think. Plenty of time for me to finish the draft of my NaNo novel, split it into three pieces, and flesh out the trilogy...

and research and draft my Pet Novel Project that I'd begun before NaNo...

and edit two clients' projects...

and write books for two other clients...

and write another spec script...

and research literary agents and managers, pinpoint the right ones for my work, craft brilliant introductory query letters, and have them fight over the right to represent me...

and plan the Writing Workshops I'll be teaching...

and promote the book I helped Ryan Gingerich write, which is due for release in March...

and get the movie of "Against the Wind," the screenplay I co-wrote about the life of running legend Dick Beardsley into production...

This is how my thoughts get me into trouble. Because, suddenly, those 365 beautiful, blank days seem pitiful and small and entirely unable to support all the things I want to accomplish when they visit.

I -- like so many writers -- want to do too much. This poses the very real danger of spreading myself too thinly, of starting too many projects, and consequently failing to finish much of anything.

The name of the game is Prioritizing. Instead of asking "What do I want to do this next year?" I must address the issues of "What will I commit to completing this year?" Which is somehow scarier. In many ways, it's easier to have a million Things I Want To Do than to have two or three Things I Will Move Heaven and Earth to Accomplish.

This has led me to think seriously about how to help myself and the writers with whom I work to meet our goals for the next year. I have a plan percolating. I think it will work. I'll add it to the Things I Want To Do, and unveil it next week...

Till then: I encourage you to write down the things you will commit to this next year. Feel free to post them in the comments, if you wish, but write them down. Then let's work together to make our dreams reality.

Happy 2010!

The Business of Books

I received an e-mail update from Janet, a writer friend of mine who is in the process of researching her first contracted book while finishing up the proposal for a pet project.

In her update, she commented on a "light bulb moment" she recently had:

I have almost finished my book proposal - that is certainly not an easy task for an unfinished book, is it? It did help me pick up steam, better determine my audience, and examine several others along the way. Published books are really successful business projects, aren't they?

Ah! So they are.

Most books that get in print these days are really businesses. The sooner a writer realizes this, the better! Too many writers treat their books like hobbies, or pets, or illicit affairs, or toys. They don't take the books or themselves seriously. They fail to realize that publishing is a business and are all too often lax about learning how that business operates.

One of the things I encourage writers to do is to set goals for themselves. I encourage writing goals ("I'll write X,000 words a day." "I'll finish X chapter(s) a week."). I encourage business-building goals ("I'll submit to X new markets each week." "I'll research at least one relevant manager this month."). In all things, however, I encourage realistic expectations.

Sometimes, overly ambitious goals can arise from an unfamiliarity with the rigors of the writing profession. As with any job, some days are more productive than others. If an unfamiliarity with the ups and downs of any business venture does not inform our writing goals, we tend to set those goals while dazzled by the glow of an exciting new project. However, if our goals are contingent upon our being brilliant every day, we not only set ourselves up for defeat -- but we also pave the way for burnout.

New York Times bestselling author Marie Bostwick has some excellent advice on how writers can stay motivated without burnout.

One of the things she suggests is that writers build in a certain number of "sick days" and "personal days" when developing their goals. Doing so, Bostwick suggests, allows one the writing equivalent of calling in to the office and taking a day off when necessary for one's life, liberty, and general well-being.

Bostwick's approach to the business of writing is well worth considering.

If you are a writer, I encourage you to come up with a plan that will make this next year the one that develops your Pet Project (you know: The One that's just begging for your attention). As you plan, however, I suggest that you consider the business you are in. You are in the business of creating. Of living your life. Of learning, and loving, and growing, and expanding your horizons. Beware of becoming a workaholic. Treat your writing, and your books, like any other business venture. Build your goals around a schedule that allows you to grow your business and remain "open for business" for many years to come...

The Myth of Multi-Tasking

or, Hang Up and Write!

Dr. John J. Medina knows why you haven't finished writing your novel.

Medina -- a developmental molecular biologist, research consultant, affiliate Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Washington School of Medicine, and the director of the Brain Center for Applied Learning Research at Seattle Pacific University -- has made the study of the human brain his business. Among many of the fascinating things he has discovered about how we assimilate and process information is this salient point:

The brain cannot pay attention to more than one thing at a time.

In other words: multi-tasking is a myth.

Medina's new book Brain Rules: 12 Steps for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School, explains that what we call "multi-tasking" is actually "task switching." In order to respond to an IM, for instance, you must first switch from the task at hand -- answering e-mail, doing laundry, talking on the phone, or -- OOoop! -- writing that chapter. Every "switch" takes time. Trying to simultaneously do many things requires multiple switches, which can actually make us less productive instead of more so.

In the Real World, our inability to pay attention to more than one thing at a time is the reason that talking on a cell phone significantly elevates a driver's risk of being involved in an accident.

In the Writer's World, this explains why I can spend an entire day "working" -- answering e-mails, sending out queries, teleconferencing, networking, doing research, making notes -- but not get any actual writing accomplished.

If I understand Medina correctly, the way to get more of my writing accomplished is to ::gulp:: take my mom's advice from when I was in school: turn off the music, stop passing notes to my friends, get off the phone, and get to work.

My novel calls. Gonna take Mr. Medina's (and Mom's) advice. How 'bout you?

On Dreamers and Doers

Every Tuesday evening, I facilitate the Writing Practicum, a group of writers dedicated to honing their craft and polishing their prose as they actively pursue publication.

We are all focused on the same goal – to become fabulously successful bestselling authors – and we are all committed to helping each other press on toward that goal.

Every week I am impressed anew with both the talent and the work ethic represented in our group. I am equally impressed by the lack of debilitating ego. We all know that we can write and are confident in our abilities. But no one feels compelled to pontificate and hold the rest captive. Instead, we are sincere in wanting to use what we know to help the others grow and improve.

For reasons that aren’t entirely clear to me, the Practicum is mostly comprised of adult women with complicated histories. And then there is our newest member: a very gifted 17-year old young man. He only recently got his driver’s license, he has just started college, he still lives at home… He’s just getting started in life.

His writing would be good even if he were 20 years older, but coming from someone his age, it’s quite remarkable. Not only can he put words on paper, but he also has good insights into what makes a piece work. He isn’t just there to get our opinions on his writing; he contributes opinions to the rest of us as well. In our Practicum of MFA’s and published authors, he holds his own quite well.

His mother keeps a fairly close watch on what he does, and every week he has to leave the meeting right at 7:30, whether we’re done or not. We all wish he could stay.

This past Tuesday as he was packing up his computer to slip away, a woman who has been in the workforce longer than he has been alive asked, “Do your parents have any idea how talented you are?”

They don’t.

“Would it help if we told them how good you are, how important this group is, and how we’d like you to stay?” another member asked him.

“Please don’t,” he said quietly. “You’ll just make it worse.”

His parents are not writers. They don’t understand how he feels driven to stay up until all hours of the night creating characters and worlds, bringing them to life, and seeing what they’ll do. They don’t realize how remarkable it is that he completed his first novel when he was 16 AND is willing to ruthlessly edit and rewrite it to make it better. They don’t grasp the magnitude of what it means when he can effortlessly turn out 50 very readable pages in a weekend.

I can only imagine what they think their son is doing for two hours every week with 10 ladies “of a certain age.” I like to believe that if they only knew the extent of the practical writing education he is getting, they would allow him to stay and give their blessing. But I may be deluding myself.

Though it may be true that a writer’s greatest resource is a miserable, misunderstood life, I firmly believe that a writer’s greatest asset is at least one person who provides support and encouragement to follow the Muse wherever it leads.

I have taught workshops where I heard horror stories of writers whose spouses ridiculed their efforts and their ambitions to the point where the writer hid his or her work and only worked on it surreptitiously. Clandestine creativity -- how sad. I daily consider myself richly blessed with a husband who wholeheartedly supports my chosen path in life.

Support aside, I would further argue that a writer’s greatest contributor to success is his or her commitment.

I spent Tuesday with Janet, a woman who has always known she wanted to be a writer – but life kept getting in the way. Now her children are grown and she is finally able to revisit all of the projects she has been thinking about for the past 20 years. She, too, is talented. But she has decades of putting a dream on hold to overcome. (We all know that once a thing is done, it’s easier to do it again…)

Sometimes, the older we get, the more we become used to not doing a thing. That inertia can be difficult to surmount.

I give Janet a lot of credit, though. She has lived in the state for less than a year. She attended her first writer’s conference this summer (that’s where we met). She drove over 3 hours one way just to have a face-to-face meeting and to talk writing with me – knowing that I am neither an agent nor a publisher. She is actively pursuing her writing and is learning about the publishing industry, too.

Which just goes to show that even with unqualified support from your family, friends, or significant other, they won’t make your writing dreams a reality. You still have to commit to making them happen.

I applaud the members of the Writing Practicum -- from the 17-year old to those in their 60’s – who are willing to say “my writing is a priority.” I applaud people like Janet, who are unwilling to let the vagaries of life wrest their aspirations from them without a fight. Their dedication and perseverance never ceases to inspire me.

In the end, I think that’s what it all comes down to – finding those qualities in others that encourage us to continue pursuing our own dreams.