Emotional Discipline

Posted on January 1, 2007 by Debbie_Mumford

A recent newsletter from Jessica Page Morrell included her musings on the subject of emotional intelligence. I began reading expecting it to be about the logic of my character arc. It wasn’t. It was about me–and every other writer out there. Jessica was discussing the ability to do what needs to be done despite how I feel at the moment. Can I be depressed, feeling miserably misunderstood and undervalued, and still put my butt in my chair, get my eyes on the screen and put fingers to keyboard and write? Can I channel those self-destructive energies into character conflict instead of into tearing my own ego to shreds?

A very interesting, thought-provoking read, especially coming on the heels of a short motivational piece by Ralph Marston about how my time use highlights what it is that I really want, as opposed to what I say I want.

I want to be a full-time, published writer. If that’s truly what I want, then my choices, what I do with my time on a daily basis, will reflect that desire. If I allow my emotions to get between me and my keyboard, I’m shooting my dreams in the foot. So emotional intelligence becomes an issue that I need to be aware of. And it’s not that I shouldn’t honor my emotions and acknowledge my feelings, it’s that I then need to channel them into my writing instead of allowing them to deflect me away from my work.

I think a better term is emotional discipline. Intelligence works as far as informing me that the potential roadblock exits, but it’s discipline that will get me around (or more likely over!) that blockade.

Feeling like a fraud, like my writing sucks? Write a story or an essay.
Feeling depressed and miserable? Write a story …
Feeling angry and upset? Write a story and allow the characters to act on those emotions … and witness the carnage I’ve avoided in my real life.

But whatever emotion I’m experiencing, I need to learn to deal with it, soothe it, put it away with honor, and get my butt in my chair and my hands on my keyboard.

Why? Because I want to be a full-time, published writer and my time use needs to reflect that desire.

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Editor's Creed

Posted on January 1, 2007 by Debbie_Mumford
The Editor’s Creed
Copyright K.M. Frontain, 28 August 2007
Permission to reprint granted to all
  • I’m not here to be your fan, but I will be your first fan the day your story is published. I am here to see the flaws in your submitted work. It’s my job. Author, try to understand this when you get back your first revision, your second, or any of them. Flaws hurt and create upset, but it’s not about hurting and upsetting you. It’s about fixing a story. If I’m honest, if I’m any good at my job, you’re going to hear about the flaws in your story. There’s no getting around this.I’ll try saying things as politely as I can, but I must say the truth. Author, try to remember blunt does not mean I want to hurt your feelings. Blunt merely means I’m working as hard as I can while being honest about what I see. I will not waste time writing advice full of apologies for doing so. Expect honesty from me. Expect directness. I do not go out of my way to attack you, the human being, when I make a request, say a character isn’t sympathetic, give you a suggestion, tell you more than once to fix the same flaw. This is about getting a story edited and that is all.
  • My tools of the trade are words and grammar. Definitions, usage, punctuation, POV. I require knowledge of all these things and a skill for seeing the difference between a style choice and bad writing. Author: I will do my best to explain why something is bad writing. Please listen. I’m not here to change your style, but if I point something out, calmly look at your manuscript again and check for what I discussed. What if I’m right? You’re the one who must live with the end results of your revisions. The editing process, a real editing process, can result in growth for an author. Try to welcome it.
  • Author, your tools of the trade are words and grammar. Definitions, usage, punctuation, POV. I expect you to use these properly. If I discover you require relearning the rules for any of them, I’m going to say so. I will insist that you learn to use them properly. Only when you truly understand the rules can you work the tools of your trade in a manner that defies the rules. When you reach that point, I will smile as I read your work, because I will admire that you arrived at that pinnacle.
  • Revision work is not my work. It’s the author’s. My work is looking for flaws. Flaws are misuse of the tools of the trade, misleading or unclear writing, mistakes in the plot, characters that aren’t believable, poor story flow. Once I find these and point them out to the author, the author is the one that must do the work of patching, covering up, weeding, replacing. If I do the revisions for the author, it’s unfair to me. It’s unfair to the author. It’s unfair to every other author waiting for me to spend time on their story.It’s not my story. Author, the story belongs to you. Take pride in being professional and do your revisions. Don’t expect me to fix the story for you.
  • Editing isn’t about my vision of a story. It’s about the author’s. Author, remember that when I make suggestions, they are suggestions. The story is yours. The characters are yours. Tell me how you see your characters and your story, and I’ll do my best to help you meet your vision.
  • Editing is about teamwork. I am a human being. I am like you. I make mistakes. I don’t know everything. I miss things. I sometimes need things pointed out. Author, I won’t take offence if you teach me something new, offer me a different way to view an idea, send me a link that shows you did your homework, or highlight a paragraph I may have missed that backs up the plot twist a few pages later in your story. Teamwork is about listening to each other. I listen.
  • I have a standard to live by as well. So does my publishing house. Author, remember that when you decide you disagree with my advice. People will know who edited your story, and if it leaves my hands in bad shape, shame on me. And that’s why I’ll insist on logic when we discuss fixes. Logic trumps opinion. I’ll insist you explain your reasons so I can understand them, but if those reasons don’t make sense, I’m going to say so.Author, if you have a good reason, I’ll see it and agree. Author, if you don’t have a good reason, I’ll keep showing you why it isn’t good. If we come to an impasse, I can consult other editors belonging to my publishing house. If they agree with you, I don’t mind.

    Remember: I’m a human being. I don’t expect to be perfect, but I do expect you to treat me fairly and to remember we are discussing a point about a story, not arguing to hurt each other personally.

    Author, I will do my utmost to be fair to your perspective. I promise. But I won’t lower my standards. Expect to work and work hard. I want to see a story published that we can both be proud of.

    ~~~~~

    • Visit K.M. at her blog and take her advice to heart.
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    Conflict: The Heart and Soul of Your Fiction

    Posted on January 1, 2007 by Debbie_Mumford

    I recently received a newsletter from Kay Kenyon with an article about conflict and it reminded me of one of my toughest stumbling blocks when I first began to write.

    I wanted to imagine my own worlds, and I wanted them to be perfect. Consequently, I avoided conflict. As one critique partner put it, I wrote nice stories about nice people who had nice things happen to them. In short, my stories were nice, which quickly translated to boring.

    Now, I’m not saying that you can’t write stories about nice people or that you can’t have happy endings, but conflict is a necessity. Your characters have to struggle. They need to earn that happy ending.

    Let me quote Kay’s excellent article:

    If you’re ambivalent about conflict, let me urge you: get over it! Without tension and conflict a story is boring and your readers will abandon it. Without a collision of wills, your characters will appear flat.This is one of the most intriguing intersections in fiction: the outer drama of conflict reveals deep character. Conversely, it is character that makes action meaningful: why does she do what she does? How will he find the understanding or strength to do what is needed? Don’t create a cardboard hero, then, who is pure at the beginning and remains so. Rather, make her a compelling personality who is not yet wise enough to overcome opposition. But who will be.

    I love the last part of that quote … I don’t want a cardboard hero who is pure at the beginning and remains so … I want a compelling personality who is not yet wise enough to overcome the conflict I’m going to throw in her path, but who will grow and learn and ultimately make wise choices.

    I think that’s one of the reasons readers read … to be reassured that if my character can grow in wisdom and learn to make the tough choices, so can they.

    Give your readers what they want. Show them that opposition can be overcome, that nice people can become better and that conflict can be faced with dignity and grace.

    Onward and upward.

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    Web Design for the Non-Designer

    Posted on January 1, 2007 by Debbie_Mumford
    Today I thought I’d share a few of the things I’ve learned about web site design. Specifically, web design for the NON-DESIGNER!

    Check out this article: http://dulemba.com/index_easywebsite.html

    Elizabeth Dulemba explains how to create an easy web site using your blog and purchasing the domain name of your choice. Quick, simple, and very affordable. Maybe not what you’ll want when you’re a NY Times Best Selling Author, but a great way to establish a web presence.

    I used Elizabeth’s suggestions to establish www.debloganwrites.com for my YA alter-ego. I already have a web site for my adult fiction (www.debbiemumford.com) and I’m not ready to set up a full-fledged site for Deb. Elizabeth’s article allowed me to purchase my domain name and have something attached to it without a lot of capital outlay. Woot!

    Here’s another helpful site: http://www.visibone.com/colorlab/

    If you don’t know the code names for colors, this site will tell you, and it has the added benefit of giving you the opportunity to post swatches next to each other so you can get an idea what the combination would look like on your site.

    I love the new blogger, because they’ve made it so easy to tailor their templates to your own needs. I especially appreciate being able to easily change colors and fonts. Visibone’s color lab gives you an edge on creating the color mood you want.

    Good luck creating your own quick and easy site!

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