Category Archives: Tips

Taking the Weekend

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CastleGardensI’m not sure if all writers are like this, but I find that being an artist (yes, that is what we are no matter how snooty that may sound) can sometimes be all consuming;  I’m always thinking about my writing, that I should be writing, that something random might work well in my writing, etc. and that can lead to burnout.  There are two given days at the end of the work week that are meant to be taken and enjoyed.  I, myself, have found this very hard to do, but gave it a try this weekend by undertaking two big projects that would be too distracting and exhausting to leave me creative.  Side note: what I’ve learned about most writers is that we all have a little crazy about us.  I am borderline OCD when it comes to being organized, so I decided to reorganize the garage and this storage/crawl space in my apartment (and my body is thanking me for it).  Another side note, I still felt guilty that I hadn’t done anything with my writing for two days…baby steps.

Wizard'sHat, OR

So here is my tip: Take the weekend!  Recharge your creative battery.  A little distance from your work might actually be good for both of you.

*These pictures are just reminders that I don’t live near either of these places, but need to get outside more.

Good luck and have a good week!

Network: American Zoetrope

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When I set out to maintain a blog, it was part of a professional to do list I had created for myself (1 of 25 items, of which approaching my career more professionally was also on the list, hence the list).  Another item was to find and research useful sites that offered either information, sound advice, networking opportunities, or all of the above.  So yesterday I shared Stage 32.  Today, American Zoetrope.  The site was developed by Francis Ford Coppola and is open not just to screenwriters, but all writers, artists, musicians, actors, directors, etc.

The site offers you the opportunity to have your work read by a wide audience and receive feedback, in return you must do the same for others, but a little heads up, there are deadlines and rules.  In the screenwriting “room” you must read 3 scripts and offer feedback before being allowed to submit your own work, and there is a time limit for how long your work will be available (30 days) on the site and how long you have to read and review others (you receive an additional 10 days to write the review).  I think this is a great service as it allows you to be more objective which in turn might help you in your own writing.  Plus, it’s free!  Also, there’s an annual contest (deadline was in September, I missed it by 2 days…).

I hope you find this useful!

Happy Sunday!

Network: Stage 32

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Happy Saturday!  I thought I’d share this great networking site, Stage 32.  I joined it recently and it’s a great way to meet people in different capacities (mostly film related) all over the world, share ideas, ask questions, and find work.

Give it a look!  Have a wonderful and productive weekend!

 

Sheer Panic

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There is nothing like the panic that strikes you when you think something is submitted and complete and then you receive an email saying “Incomplete”.  Sheer panic.  Especially when five weeks have passed and it could be one of the biggest breaks of your career.

I submitted an application for a fellowship at a major studio that I am truly, wildly hoping to be accepted for.  I still have a month until they start reaching out to the hopefuls, and I received that terrifying email last night.  Two sentences that dangled on a previous page of their legal document needed to be included, and I had missed them.  I didn’t need to initial or sign by them, but they needed to be included none the less.  Pushing that send button was one of the most tense moments in my writing career so far.  There were so many components to be gathered and I had reviewed each item multiple, multiple times, so I was horrified that something went amiss.

I have no words of wisdom to offer today.  I’m not sure if this is an omen or if there is some lesson to be learned.  Actually, strike that.  I think the lesson is that sometimes you are so invested in something that you may fail to see the smallest of errors.  That’s why having as many people read your work before sending it out into the world is so important; to catch typos, grammatical errors, dangling sentences, etc.  Stepping away from a project for a short time may help you regain some perspective, that is of course unless you’re on some deadline, to which I suggest finding an amazing proofreader you can really rely on!

Too often I see errors on legitimate (magazine, informational, newsworthy) sites and even writer’s pages that make me cringe that people are not taking the time or necessary steps to provide accurate information.  The “information age” and the speed at which people expect information to be processed and delivered is making for sloppy work.  Everyone needs to take a breather (and not rely on autocorrect).

I apologize for the little rant.  I’m still a little shaken from that email.  And now I will send out the good vibes — Hope everyone is having a great week!

Inspiration

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In yesterday’s post I mentioned that one of the reasons for writing this blog is to help other writers.  Another is to remember what’s going on (what was going on – hopefully one day I’ll be reading these for my memoir) in my day as I navigate this treacherous terrain. I have a horrible memory. The script I’m currently working on is a sci-fi/spy piece and I was a little lost on it’s direction.  I keep a journal of tidbits (ideas, dreams, fractions of dialogue or scenes, images, and what-have-you) and I couldn’t trace the inspiration behind this current script. I hadn’t written anything down.  Then, while listening to YouTube, I heard a song, the theme from a Japanime series called Elfen Lied.  (*Side note, this is not for children.  It’s bloody, violent, and contains nudity.)

ElfenLied

That was it!

I remembered watching it and loving the opening sequence.  A young girl with her face covered in a special helmet is quietly walking the hallways of this facility while the military men around her are being torn apart by some invisible entity.  There’s blood and violence, and yet she appears serene or in a trance.  I’m not going quite in this direction, but it was nice to remember why I started this script in the first place, tentatively called Projection.  I got the spark back!

Today’s tip: Write things down.  Write down that snippet of an interesting dream you can barely remember.  Write down that odd conversation you unwillingly overheard.  Use Pinterest (I love Pinterest!) to keep images that inspire you all in one place as you surf the web instead of writing (it’s okay, I do it too).  These are a writer’s arsenal.  You never know what might spark that next burst of creativity.

Good luck!

Thick Skin

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One of my goals in writing this blog is to share helpful tips, websites, information, etc. for fellow writers.  When I find something useful I will pass it along.  I joined litreactor.com recently and it’s filled with loads of information including the following article, which is something I definitely need a lesson in:

http://litreactor.com/columns/thickening-skin-6-tips-for-taking-criticism

Take a look around the rest of the site, and if you find something interesting, send it my way.

Wishing you all the best!

Deadlines!

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I love deadlines.  I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by. — Douglas Adams

Hi, my name is Rachael, and I am a procrastinator.  If there were a group, I’d most definitely be a member.  Procrastinator.  That’s what I am.  Try as I might, plan as I will, nothing really gets done until the last minute.  I seem to do better now, now that I’ve acknowledged I have a problem, but mostly it still takes a looming deadline to force me to action.  And it can’t be some lofty idea of a deadline, that self-imposed type.  It needs to be a solid, no exceptions type.  I do well under pressure.  And if I know there’s no wiggle room, it’s easier to accept and to make things happen.

But that was the old me…

I am on a new mission, doing things differently.  I set some broad, realistic deadlines to start.  Then I discovered that the more I put myself out there, researching sites, trying to find contacts, etc. I found actual deadlines I could impose on myself of things I wanted to be a part of which helps in putting me on track with a very specific schedule; so far, two screenwriting competitions, an author quest for a new book series, and a fellowship, in addition to reading others’ screenplays to offer feedback and writing/rewriting my own material, reading, blogging, and the rest of my daily routine.  And I’m one of those that does better when they have more on their plate…so heap away!

So, here’s my tip of the day:  If there’s something you want to do, set a deadline, or find one out in the world that will force you (as I have).  Sometimes we need a little blood pumping, sweat, tears, panic, and chaos to achieve great things!

Good luck!

You can’t just turn on creativity like a faucet. You have to be in the right mood. What mood is that? Last-minute panic. ― Bill Watterson

It’s all about the routine!

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In an effort to approach my career more professionally I’ve taken to reading numerous articles daily about “the craft” and the like.  I came upon this article recently, originally posted by James Clear (jamesclear.com/daily-routines-writers) about the daily routines of 12 famous writers and how they can be applied to our own lives.  Most writers wake up early and exercise.  I have two dogs so I walk and jog a little daily, but today I tried exercising.  We’ll see how long that lasts.  I hate mornings.

I, myself, am all about routine.  Having the dogs helps too, as they keep me on track, but I’m a night owl.  I write best, I feel, in the late hours of the night when the world is asleep, dark and quiet.  There are no distractions; no phone calls, few Facebook updates, no pressing matters.  And I can play a few mind numbing rounds of Tetris without feeling guilty.  I read somewhere that Bret Easton Ellis plays too.  That makes me feel better.  Sometimes, while I’m spaced out, negotiating odd-shaped blocks into a perfect pattern, I can workout whatever little bump in the writing road I’ve encountered.

Henry Miller’s routine in particular struck me so I thought I’d share – In 1932, the famous writer and painter created a work schedule that listed his “Commandments” for him to follow as part of his daily routine. This list was published in the book, Henry Miller On Writing.

  1. Work on one thing at a time until finished.
  2. Start no more new books, add no more new material to “Black Spring.”
  3. Don’t be nervous. Work calmly, joyously, recklessly on whatever is in hand.
  4. Work according to Program and not according to mood. Stop at the appointed time!
  5. When you can’t create you can work.
  6. Cement a little every day, rather than add new fertilizers.
  7. Keep human! See people, go places, drink if you feel like it.
  8. Don’t be a draught-horse! Work with pleasure only.
  9. Discard the Program when you feel like it—but go back to it next day.Concentrate. Narrow down. Exclude.
  10. Forget the books you want to write. Think only of the book you are writing.
  11. Write first and always. Painting, music, friends, cinema, all these come afterwards.

Good Luck!