Outtakes 177

Taking a Break

By Cait Collins

Normally I’m very careful with my holiday social schedule, but this year things got out of hand. With my expanded work hours at my job and social commitments, I found myself coming home, sitting down on the couch and falling asleep. No matter how hard I tried, I could not stay awake long enough to write. I’m so thankful I have a two week vacation.

I’ve decided to take the first week off to recharge. There’s something refreshing about sleeping late, catching up on my reading, and reviewing the returned manuscripts from my beta readers. I have no schedule, no got-to-get-this done task list. I work at my pace, and when my brain starts shutting down, I take a nap. Next week I’ll do the final edits on my manuscript, put the finishing touches on my query letter, and email the letter to an agent.

Don’t get me wrong, I do believe in writing something every day. However, there are times when restoring our physical well being is more important. No one works at peak level when the body is exhausted. So during this busy season, enjoy time with friends and family, but remember to take care of yourself.

May your holiday be happy and your new year successful.

Outtakes 162

Balance

By Cait Collins

Have you ever played Jenga? Players take turns removing one block at a time from a tower constructed of 54 blocks. The removed blocks are placed on top of the structure making a taller but less stable tower. The person who topples the tower loses. It’s really tricky and lots of fun. But there is a point. Keeping the tower upright is a matter of balance.

A writer’s life definitely needs balance. We build a tower one brick at a time and often do not realize how unstable the structure really is. We pile jobs on top of family obligations, add social commitments, kid’s activities, friends, writing assignments, social media, deadlines, editing, new creative, submissions, marketing, and pretty soon the house of cards is endanger of collapse. Every layer is necessary, but how do we manage to maintain balance and sanity?

I say we take a page from traditional housewives’ books. My mother managed get a husband and six kids out of bed each morning, fix breakfast, find lost socks, book bags, and homework, get Dad off to work and kids to school before having a cup of coffee. She made lunch, cleaned house, washed and ironed clothes, fixed dinner, cleaned the kitchen, helped with homework. She was the first one up in the morning and the last to go to bed at night. Everything worked. Her trick — planning and time management.

Writers need a plan. A good calendar is a must for keeping track of obligations and deadlines. I prefer a Daytimer, but some of my friends are more comfortable with an electronic organizer. Be sure to note all commitments, and never promise to do something before consulting your “secretary”.

Learn to say no. We get ourselves in trouble when we overbook or take on a project that does not help our work or capture our interest. We regret saying yes, but felt guilty saying no. If no is too difficult, try declining for now and ask for a rain check.

Honor deadlines and promises. Even when it’s difficult to get the job done, failure to keep commitments makes the writer appear unreliable.

Make time for you. A few minutes each day dedicated to yourself clears the head and allows you to be more focused and productive.

Prioritize. If you can put it off until tomorrow, do it. Take care of today, today.

Work hard, but balance work with play. Family and friends miss you when you over do it.

Know when to stop. Creative efforts are not well served when you are exhausted.

Balancing work with everyday life makes a writer more creative and a better all round person. It allows him to focus on the job without sacrificing life.

Outtakes 158

One Last Read

By Cait Collins

My memoir, First Love; Forever Love is almost ready to go to my beta readers. While my critique group has read every chapter, the beta readers will read the entire work. These three ladies are as important as the critique group. And for that reason, I choose them carefully. They must be objective. I can’t afford readers who pat me on the head and tell me how wonderful I am. I need someone who will be honest and respectful in their reviews. Telling me where I’ve made mistakes is vital to presenting a finished product to agents and editors.

A final reader can more easily catch errors in the continuity. The hero may have brown eyes in chapter one, and blue eyes in chapter five. These inconsistencies are not as noticeable when critiquing individual chapters. However, when read as a complete work, they prompt a red flag.

When the work is read cover to cover, the reader can better judge the flow of the story. They can pick up on the pacing. Is chapter two slower and heavier than the other chapters? Are there too many short, choppy sentences, or are prepositional phrases over used?

Finally, does the story progress to a logical conclusion? Are scenes contrived to create the intended climax and end? Does author intervention skew the story line and ending?

A good beta reader may not fully understand why a scene doesn’t work; she just knows it is not right. By honestly conveying her unease, the author has a chance to take an objective look at the scene, and rework the chapter. With the beta readers’ final critique, the writer makes a last rewrite prior to writing the synopsis and the query letter.

The author’s final read is his assessment of his writing and the quality of the project. His reading must be just as objective as the critique group and beta readers’ perspectives. He must decide if the story is as good as he can make it. He must resist the temptation to over-write and as a result damage the project. Like a parent, the writer must now give wings to his creation. He must submit the work and move on to the next project.