Category Archives: Writing

Time

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I went to a great workshop at Grub Street on Saturday. The leader was Hillary Rettig, and the topics were procrastination and time management. Her approach on these topics is very different. And inspiring. Inspiring for new ideas. But requiring some reframing, and some plain old hard work.

Hard work? Harder than writing? Way harder, in so many ways. You see, Hillary explains that in the course of a given week, you have 112 hours to work with (provided you sleep 8 hours a night, which you should). That needs to include working, commuting, shopping, cooking, cleaning, working out, writing (or whatever your passion/avocation is), relationships, entertainment, etc.  How you spend those 112 hours is a choice. Granted, working isn’t a choice for many of us. But decisions around working may be (ie telecommunting, flex time, etc.)

She suggests 15 minute scheduling blocks, outsourcing where possible and some tough, mindful choices. In theory, all possible. In fact? I am finding there are three layers of effort involved.

The first is the list of things that need to be included in the 112 hours. I am trying to be complete in this and doing a complete brain dump. That said, I know some things will need to be modified, or dumped off the list. I am still in this phase, and a little stuck.

The second is the schedule itself. For me, two sub layers are involved here. The actual scheduling, and then tracking it. I was/am a Franklin Covey and Planner Pad girl, but am not loving the paper right now. Need to find a schedule/task softward for androids. Suggestions welcome.

The third is assessing. What happens if I don’t get the five hours of working out I scheduled actually done? What happens if I get on an Angry Bird jag? There are no repercussions, except to myself.

And that is the point. No one is forcing me to do this. I want to do this. And so I have to crack these three layers. And do the work.

I will report back on my success.

 

Level Best Books and Regina

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This weekend I am going to Crime Bake. During the weekend I will be on a signing panel for THIN ICE, the new anthology by Level Best Books. “Tag, You’re Dead” is the first story I’ve ever had published. Here’s the blog post that featured me as an author. I am thrilled to be part of this collection. For a lot of reasons.

I missed the first Crime Bake, but have been to every one since. My friend Regina went with me that first year, 2003, the year  Level Best Books first anthology was released. Regina bought it, and walked around asking everyone to sign their stories.

“Wouldn’t it be cool to be in it some year?” she asked me.

Maybe next year I said.

But next year Regina wasn’t able to make it to Crime Bake. She had been diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer in May, and was in the hospital.  The next year she was gone.

Regina was a force. I didn’t know her long (we’d met in a mystery writing class),  but I do think of her every year around Crime Bake.  This year another friend of ours is also in THIN ICE. When I sent Mary a congratulatory email, she wrote back.

“Wouldn’t Regina be proud?” she said.

Regina would be very proud. As am I.

Prioritizing

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And so it begins. I work in academia, but year round. I spend the summer getting ready for the beginning of the school year. And yet. Nothing gets me ready. I am keeping a running list of what I didn’t get done. It’s a long list.

And that’s work. Personally I got things done, but not everything. I should have my query packet ready to rock. Not yet. Cancelled plans for the weekend, and going to try and get that part of my life on track.

And then’s there’s the physical me. Summer time early gym appointments and tri training aren’t easy, but they are doable. Now it is more challenging. No more tris, but a couple of “races” this fall. I am grateful for those goals, and for the long term contract I signed at the gym. Really grateful. Because I would let it slip otherwise.

And I’m considering taking French lessons.

So what this means is that I have to prioritize. I need to create space for my life in my life. Create space for blogging, and writing, and querying, and working. And running. And getting better at swimming. And even French. But there are seven days a week. Twenty four hours a day.

I’ll figure it out. And let you know how it goes.

The Summer of Kicking it Up

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This AM I went for a 70 minute bike ride and 10 minute run with my Boston Fit peeps. Add a 1/2 mile swim in front, and quadruple the run, add three weeks and ta dah. Cranberry Sprint on the 28th. The swim still freaks me out a bit (though a swim clinic put on by Max Performance helped A LOT). I may be last. It may not be pretty. But I’m going to get this done.

That isn’t the only stretch of the summer. I am joining a blog on Monday–the New Hampshire Writers’ Network blog. Their motto is “Live to Write–Write to Live”. I admire the work of the blog, and am really thrilled to be a part of it.

And theatrically, all of my subscriptions are in. And last week I had some inspiring moments–meeting Doug Elkins (whose piece, FRAULEIN MARIA, will be at the Paramount in September), seeing a dress rehearsal of THE SUN ALSO RISES and then OTHELLO. All in the same day. I haven’t seen as much theatre as I would like to this summer, but I am starting to flex my muscles a bit. This looks to be a very exciting season in Boston theatre. You will be hearing much more about it.

And talk about stretching…despite injuries galore, the Red Sox beat the Yankees last night.

Life is good. Life is great.

Comfort Zone Stretch

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I am trying to step out of my comfort zone. I’ve blogged about the triathlon training. and will continue to do so until the end of the month (D Day is August 28). But the tri training in about doing something I’m not good at, getting better but being comfortable with being mediocre.

My other comfort zone is about being more present in various writing communities. Responding on listservs. Commenting on blogs. Letting people know when I think their work is good.  And letting people know about this blog.

I am also going to  start guest  blogging with a group–the New Hampshire Writer’s Network blog. I am an admirer of their work, and thrilled to be a part.  Those blog posts are taking some crafting.

These tend to be written on the fly. But I need to keep up with them, and use them as a daily exercise. Especially if I start letting people know it is here.

Stretching is exhausting.  But it feels great.

My Tribe

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I have a friend who is a poet. For a long time she was working on her poems, taking workshops and working closely with a mentor. But it wasn’t until she started an MFA program and met other poets in varying stage of development and all about support that she finally said to me “I get it now. I’ve found my tribe.”

As a writer, you do lonely work writing, editing, thinking. No one can help you with most of this. Sure, you get feedback. But incorporating it is another solitary activity. So you have to find your tribe. Fellow writers who “get” your work, your genre, your passion.

Years ago I was at a Malice Domestic conference with a friend. She was in a long line, shipping back a box of books (one of the challenges of conferences is how to get the haul back home). She met Dana Cameron, who suggested (invited) Regina and I to join the New England Chapter of Sisters in Crime. As very new, unpublished writers we were nervous, but we went to a meeting. And found our tribe.

Sisters in Crime‘s mission is “to promote the professional development and advancement of women crime writers to achieve equality in the industry.” Which they do. And they do so much more.

There is nothing like sitting in a room full of mystery writers learning about craft, or poison, or forensics, or investigation. There is nothing like sharing a passion with other people, and not having to explain it. There is nothing like belonging to an online group (like the magnificent Guppies) who cheer success, congratulate failure (it means you got out there and tried) and offer advice.

If you are a writer, find your tribe. If you are a mystery writer, join Sisters in Crime. (And Mystery Writers of America, though I haven’t made that leap yet). The tribe is waiting to meet you.