Editing brilliantly

The Artdog Quote(s) of the Week
Yes, it's been that kind of week, I'm afraid. We all have them from time to time, when "The hurrier I go, the behinder I get." First of the month is always awash in reports and analysis. It's my bad that I didn't manage to write enough blog posts ahead of time to carry me through this predictably busy week. But the quote I really need to live out most fully this week and month is this one about editing brilliantly.

Part of the reason I didn't get more blog posts written ahead is because I was working on two different fiction projects. Blog posts and fiction-writing use a lot of the same brain functions, and although I've often dreamed of it, I've so far never found a way to do both simultaneously.

Writing is not editing
I have a friend who's been known to show up at science fiction conventions in a T-shirt emblazoned "Write Drunk Edit Sober." This quote is often misattributed to Ernest Hemingway (he neither said it nor did it, as far as I can tell). And I don't think my friend actually does this either--he writes too many books, too well. Chrissy Van Meter's fun essay about an experiment with it strikes an appropriate cautionary note.

I bring it up because the two functions are radically different. Whether you're pantsing or writing from an outline (I'm a bit of a hybrid), writing original material is a hard slog sometimes (although other times you'll get into a flow and that's delightful). I can understand the "write drunk" impulse, if you think it loosens you up and lowers your inhibitions (It might, but not in a helpful way!)

But the one thing that is absolutely guaranteed is that no matter how well you write your first draft, it can always be improved. It should always be improved. As a craftsperson, you owe it to yourself. Even if it's not total garbage.

I did not participate in NaNoWriMo (because, November! Terrible timing in my household!), but I know many people did. And by happenstance, here I am at the start of December with a new draft, just as they are.

Editing is also an art
Lots of writers loathe editing. I've never been completely sure why. Editing brilliantly takes skill, but it's a skill a writer can learn, improve, hone, and then improve some more. It's a lifelong challenge, but the reward is a satisfaction-level that's well worth it.

Granted, it's no fun to go to your writers' group, your trusted circle of betas, or your editor and learn that they didn't get the point, didn't get the joke, or didn't become engaged. But writing is a communications project, and it's really valuable to know if your communication is actually communicating!

The only way to know that is to find someone else to look at what you wrote. Preferably a group of somebody elses, whose opinions you respect. Then stuff your ego into a stout bag, cinch it up tight, and sit on it. And listen.

NaNoWriMo writers and I are at that crossover point. Every experienced writer who finishes a first draft (or an interim draft) knows that editing brilliantly Is our only hope to take that mess of marvelous potential and turn it into a deeply satisfying reader experience.

So if you have a draft to edit (or any creative project to complete) going into December, take heart. Review your notes, clarify your vision, brush up on your techniques, or whatever you need to do. Then gird up your loins and wade into that next essential step.

May we all find our own paths to the goal of editing brilliantly.

IMAGE CREDITS
Many thanks to author Felicia Denise for the illustrated quote by C. J. Cherryh. To Trina Frederick via Pinterest for the illustrated quote from Louis L'Amour.  And to QuoteFancy for the illustrated quote from George Bernard Shaw.

Into the homestretch for NaNoWriMo

The Artdog Quote(s) of the Week

We're closing in on the end of November, and also the end of NaNoWriMo (National Novel-Writing Month). All month I've posted things to encourage writers, whether or not they're specifically participating. But for all who are participating, this week you go into the homestretch.

The toll that project fatigue exacts

You're so close! But sometimes, as we near the end of a long project, exhaustion sets in. Especially if you've been extending yourself to make your goals, you may be short of sleep or creaky from bending over your keyboard too long (Take time to stretch!).

Remember, the most important thing you'll get out of NaNoWriMo or any sustained effort is not necessarily the draft you write (although acclaimed published works have originated from NaNoWriMo first-drafts).

The most important thing

No, the most important thing is developing the habit of persistence. And here in the homestretch is where it comes most fully into play.

More important than talent. More essential than a genius idea. More crucial than the classiest style. The secret to writing success is persistence. Keep trying. You've come into the homestretch for NaNoWriMo. Last-minute brain glitch and can't think what to write? Write anyway.

Formula for success

Create the habits that put your butt in the chair (or wherever you write) and your hands on the keyboard (or however you interface with your word processor) and the words being written.

Create and sustain those habits. Eventually, you'll succeed. Going into the homestretch and beyond, you'll have developed the most essential requirement for any successful writer. Simply don't let anything stop you.

IMAGE CREDITS: Many thanks to BrainyQuotes, for the illustrated Dale Carnegie quote on fatigue. And my deepest gratitude to Early Bird Books and their feature "15 Inspiring Writing Quotes for NaNoWriMo." Their article is my source for the quotes by Octavia Butler, Philip Pullman, and Timothy Zahn.

Take time to stretch!

The Artdog Image of Interest

Here's a shout-out to all the diligent folks who are homing in on the end of NaNoWriMo, National Novel-Writing Month. If you're a serious participant, you've been putting in some long hours at the keyboard. But that means you also are courting repetitive stress injuries, if you aren't careful. Please take time to stretch! 

Stretch your hands
My son Tyrell Gephardt sent this graphic to me several months ago. I parked it on my desktop as a reminder. It helps me think of it, and also makes a handy cheat-sheet if I forget one. I try to stretch regularly. Why don't you try these stretches right now?

Didn't that feel good? Each time I do these I think, "I've got to remember these more often!" Then I get busy and don't think about it till I glance down at my desktop and spot this graphic again.

Stretch your lower back
To be ergonomically sound, there are other stretches you also may want to try. Here's a post that offers 12 stretches to ease or prevent lower back stress. The illustrations are clear, and the stretches are simple but effective. You can do them in your office, although be advised: some involve getting on the floor.

Lower back pain is common and widespread. The World Health Organization estimates 60-70% of adults in industrialized countries will experience lower back pain. Why not learn how to minimize that risk?

Stretch you shoulders and neck
Computer work, especially for prolonged periods, causes all kinds of issues, including shoulder stiffness and pain. Here's a link to an article that offers four simple shoulder stretches you can do at your desk.

Long hours of computer work can also be a literal pain in the neck. The Mayo Clinic has posted an article about neck pain. They included a video to show several stretches that can help you avoid or ease neck pain.

An ergonomic office
On this same theme, I posted an Image of Interest in 2018 that bears repeating. You might want to see my post about what makes a good ergonomic office design. Here are more tips, from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Now that you're all stretched out and limbered up, it's time to get back to work! Best of luck to all who take the NaNoWriMo challenge! And for anyone who spends time at a desk, I hope that you, too, will take time to stretch!

IMAGE CREDITS: Many thanks to my son Tyrell Gephardt for sending me the "Make time to Stretch!" graphic. I did a reverse-image search via TinEye, and traced it back to Between the Pixels on Twitter. There's a nice large image available there.

Playing a long game

The Artdog Quote(s) of the Week 

This post is for everyone who hasn't yet dropped out of NaNoWriMo. And really for everyone who's pursuing a long, hard effort they believe in. Whatever your struggle, you're playing a long game. Persistence is the key.

If you're still hanging in there for NaNoWriMo, you're entering Week Three, today. By now you're probably tired. You may have missed a few days, or fallen short of a few benchmarks you'd set for yourself.

You may have begun to wonder if this is really worth it. Take heart. It is. In any long game, persistence is the key.

Doubts are natural. But doubt is poison.

All writers have doubts. And if you're trying to pile up thousands and thousands of words in a very short period of time time, you're probably having double and triple doubts.

You know what you're writing isn't polished. You hope what you're writing is good. You fear what you're writing is garbage.

It doesn't matter. Not at this point. You're playing a long game, so the key thing you need is persistence.

The road to quality starts here.

Save the heartburn over polish for rewrites. What you're doing right now is simply getting it down in an editable format. It's the essential first step to a finished draft you can be proud of.

Even if much of what you write this month has to be trashed or overhauled, it's a start. It's more than you had written before. It's always easier to rewrite than to write it the first time through.

You're doing hard work, essential work. And you're honoring the long game, where persistence is key. So hang in there.

The long game

If NaNoWriMo is like story structure, then you're entering the crucial third quarter. The second half of Act Two, if that's how you prefer to think of it. You're closing in on the rising action--which means you might be facing a Dark Night of the Soul.

Keep writing, anyway. At the chosen time each day, park yourself in the chair at your desk, in the coffehouse booth, poised over your pad, or wherever you write. Make words happen. Keep writing.

You're playing a long game. Persistence is the key.

NOTE: This post is one of several I've published during this month and last, in honor of National Novel-Writing Month (NaNoWriMo, for short). Others in this series so far include "It's getting on toward time. Are you ready?" "Will you or won't you Na-No-Wri-Mo?" and "An ideal writing space." Stay tuned for more!

IMAGE CREDITS: Many thanks to The Diary Store, for the Vince Lombardi quote; to good ol' BrainyQuote, for the Napoleon Hill graphic; to Life11-Scribble and Scrawl's "10 Quotes on Nurturing Talent," for the quote from the rather elusive Thomas Foxwell Burton (It's possible the name is actually Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton. He was a British Baronet and an abolitionist active in the 18th century); and to Everyday Power, for the illustrated quotes from Avijeet Das and Jim Rohn. I am deeply grateful to all!

An ideal writing space

The Artdog Image(s) of Interest
In this month of NaNoWriMo, a lot of writers will be parking themselves in chairs, curling up in nooks, stretching out on carpets, or clearing off their desks to participate. We know that some writers can write anywhere, but others are a lot more particular about their surroundings. Is there really such a thing as an ideal writing place?

It isn't hard to find ideas online. Do you prefer a rustic look? Chrome and glass? Are you a minimalist? A connoisseur of clutter? Do you like wooden seating? Upholstered padding? Chintz? Leather? Plaid? Several other bloggers have addressed this topic. Here's a sampler from their ideas.

The Artdog's less-than-ideal writing space is currently (mostly) on her bed. Thank goodness, that's temporary.

Papersmashed
The blogger for "Papersmashed" lamented in a 2015 post that her only real writing space was on her bed. Oh, my, can I relate to that! I, too, do most of my writing currently while sitting on my bed with my back supported by a pile of pillows against my headboard.

It's far from an ideal writing space, for many reasons (just ask my creaky bones). Thank goodness, in my case it's temporary. But the changes I'm planning for our home's library require thought. What's the best way to carve out space to write, run a small press, and also make art--while still maintaining the library's original function?

In her 2015 post, "Papersmashed" explains that there is a desk in her room, but "it’s just not that inspiring. I am surrounded with blank walls." So she resorts to her bed, as the lesser of evils. But she'd recently encountered the concept of the "She-Shed," and posted some wishful images.

"Papersmashed" blogged about these photos. There's a "she-shed" idea on each end, with a rustic interior writing space at center. See Image Credits below for sources and more information.

Yelena Casale
Urban fantasy and romance writer Yelena Casale blogged about the question of what makes an ideal writing space, too. In her 2011 post, she wrote, "Having an appropriate and cozy work space is important to about anyone. However, nobody needs it more than someone who creates."

For Yelena it seemed to be all about the view: forested mountains, ocean-views, even a panoramic city-scape, though that wouldn't be her first choice. The room itself could be small, she said. "Small spaces can be open and light. It's all about the design and the feel."

Here are three of the images Yelena chose, to accompany her post. Each definitely has its own "feel."

The image at left may be Yelena's own photo. Center: Kevin Crossley-Holland's writing office. Right: the minimalist urban vibe of "Rephlektiv's" writing office. See Image Credits below for sources and more information.

Ploughshares at Emerson College, and The Freelancer
In an undated guest post for Ploughshares, poet-teacher Aimee Nezhukumatathil describes her own writing space "I have an office at home painted my favorite shade of robin’s-egg blue with red accents," and adds, "My favorite space to write has a glass-topped table with my Grandfather’s old typewriter that still works." In the guest-post she also shares thoughts on writing spaces from several writer friends. She does not, however, identify whose office is shown in the photo she shared (NOTE: It belongs to the photographer Vadim Scherbakov).

The Freelancer's Connor Relyea interviewed five top freelance writers, for his 2015 post "What Would Your Ideal Writing Studio Look Like?" The answers to each of his questions are varied and interesting. They definitely qualify as food for thought, for anyone interested in designing or adjusting their own office.

Relyea illustrated his interviewees' comments with two photos that provide a study in contrasts. One is a nicely designed, rather conventional setup that looks comfortable and functional, while the other reminds me of a monk's cell (or perhaps a dungeon?). Turns out (although there's no caption to tell you), they are the offices of two of his interviewees, those of Ann Friedman and Noah Davis. Read their interviews, and see if you can guess which office belongs to which.

At left is the office of Ann Friedman, who's one of Connor Relyea's interviewees. The center office is also from that article. It belongs to Noah Davis. The third office belongs to photographer Vadim Scherbakov. See Image Credits below for sources and more information.

So, then, what makes an ideal writing space?
There are some interesting ideas in those interviews and photos. But the most striking thing to me is the way basic ideas can be made to seem quite different. When we come right down to it, the primary and most salient thing about any "ideal writing space" is how it makes you feel.

What's your idea of an ideal writing space? Do you already work in one, do you dream of having it someday, or is it a whimsical fantasy that actually couldn't exist in the mundane world where we live? Please share thoughts, ideas, photos, or critiques in the comments section below.

IMAGE CREDITS: The photo of the Artdog's current writing place (her less-than-ideal bedroom) is by Jan S. Gephardt, all rights reserved. 

"Papersmashed" posted the trio of images collected into the montage at the end of  her section."The greenhouse" she-shed originated in 2013 on a website from York, Ontario that no longer exists. "Papersmashed" apparently found it somewhere on Heather Bullard's website. The rustic interior writing space at the center appears to have originated on a profile of a rustic Boston-area home office featured on Houzz. The the photo of the pink-windowed garden shed was attributed to "Via Wooden House," (guess how successfully I Googled that) but TinEye Reverse Image Search helped me track it down. It's 2010 the creation of quilter and gardener Laurie Ceesay. 

Yelena Casale posted her photos without attributions. However, with some help from the indispensable  TinEye Reverse Image Search, I discovered that there doesn't seem to be an alternative source for the photo Yelena posted of a table set up on what looks like a screened-in back porch with a garden view. It might be one she herself took. The center photo in this montage dates to 2009 or earlier. It is identified by Zoë Marriott as the office of British Writer Kevin Crossley-Holland. The sleek urban office at right originated on Lifehacker as "the Skybox," a Featured Office. In that short piece, the owner (who calls himself "Rephlektiv." I couldn't for-sure identify him, to provide a link), describes his quest to pare his space down to the essentials.

The two photos from The Freelancer's post belong to interviewees Ann Friedman (at right) and Noah Davis (center). Without the invaluable  TinEye Reverse Image Search, I probably would not have found The Freelance Studio's "24 Designers Show Off Their Actual Work Spaces Without Cleaning Them First!" That was the source for the office photo on Ploughshares. Though unidentified in Aimee Nezhukumatathil's undated guest post for Ploughshares, the office belongs to photographer Vadim Scherbakov.

And finally, send up a shout-out to PictureQuotes, for the nugget of Nicole Appleton's wisdom on the illustrated quote. Many thanks to all of them, and most especially to TinEye Reverse Image Search!!