A Bit of a Distraction

On October 2, 2018 By Katie AguileraIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

It’s October. I’m still not done editing. I’m currently failing as a writer. This is a perfect time for a distraction. Right?

Art is a great distraction. It’s still an exercise in creativity, after all. I have always loved drawing with pencils. I love the countless shades that can be achieved with one stick of gray charcoal. I love having charcoal smeared on my fingertips and the side of my hand. And, I love that I can erase what I don’t love.

October presents an artsy distraction opportunity in the form of #Inktober, a daily challenge to create something awesome that fits a given theme, and then to share the work on social media. As the name implies, these daily masterpieces are made in ink. I highly recommend checking the hashtag on Twitter, or Instagram, you’ll be treated to some amazing work.

I don’t do ink well, but I’m going to give Inktober a shot this year. I’ve done a few Inktober posts in the past, but didn’t stick with it. I don’t know if I’ll draw something every day this time around either. I am still working on The Compass Code (agonizingly slowly) after all. But I’m going to enjoy mixing it up by playing around with the kids’ markers for the month instead of just my highlighters and red pen.

So here is my Inktober Day One post for the theme poisonous. Because war truly is poisonous.

Why Do You Write Your Stupid Story?

On July 10, 2018July 10, 2018 By Katie AguileraIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Slogging Through the Summer Slump

“Why do you have to write your stupid story, Mom?”

My child asked me this question in the car yesterday as we left the grocery store parking lot. I didn’t take the stupid bit personally. After all, my children aren’t allowed to read my story so I don’t think they’re qualified to judge its quality.

I think the sentiment behind the comment has more to do with a frustration that Mom spends so much time on the computer these days. A sentiment we all share. And that’s something that keeps a constant hum of guilt in my mind all the time. Summer break amplifies that hum to a roar.

As I wrangle with the excruciating task of editing, the kids want adventure. More adventure than can be found in our own back yard. And food, constant food. I struggle to keep my head in my story while they argue over one of thousands of Legos. I find my patience waning and my temper shortening till my responses to their constant needs get snappy. The guilt grows unbearable and I finally give up and push the story aside for several days in a row (or a week).

I have no idea how parents of young children have ever finished a book in the history of mankind.

When I return to the story after however many days I have spent appeasing my guilt and giving in to all the distraction, I feel as though I lose an entire working session figuring out where I was headed when I pushed the story aside. Knowing this, it often becomes easier to just go another day without writing, and then another, and so on…and this project remains neglected. Cue more guilt.

I’m sure none of this is conducive to creativity. It certainly hasn’t been for mine. My new draft languishes at nearly 50,000 words as summer heats up and pool maintenance joins the ranks of attention demanding distractions. (Confession: I actually really enjoy pool maintenance. It’s a sanity-saving endeavor for me, like gardening, or meditating.)

Just like the pool, balance is key. I know this, of course. But, a month into summer break and I still haven’t found that balance. Maybe I won’t all summer and maybe the answer is finding peace with that. Because this story will get finished. I’m not giving up yet.

When the question spilled out of my child in the car, I considered letting it go unanswered. I could just turn the volume up on the stereo and silently sulk in my guilt. It seemed much easier than explaining why I write to anyone, let alone my kids. But, in the end, I settled on a simple and honest response.

“Maybe it is stupid, but when you have a dream, you have to do it.”

It’s Red Pen Time

On April 29, 2018April 29, 2018 By Katie AguileraIn The Compass Code, Uncategorized2 Comments

I’m nearly a month behind schedule. But, I printed a draft of The Compass Code yesterday, and I’m ready to dive into editing it. It needs a LOT of work. There are several plot lines that still need tying up in order to bring all the action together at the end of the book. That is, if I want it to make any sense, anyway.

Even though I know it’s still a mess inside, I think all 345 pages are the most beautiful things I’ve ever held in my hands (well, except for the smallish bipedal beings, but it’s been a long time since they fit in my hands). I’m sure I’ll change my mind about that in the coming days and weeks.

Today I’m just going to bask in satisfaction while sitting here next to my novel. I’ll be back at it tomorrow, armed with highlighters, a red pen, post-it notes, and inspiration. And coffee.

IMG_20180429_105927567~2 — Me for the next few weeks, as depicted (lovingly, I’m sure) by the smallish bipedal beings.

Deadline Time

On March 6, 2018 By Katie AguileraIn The Compass Code, Uncategorized5 Comments

I’ve spent so much time wrapped up in my imaginary world lately and it’s really hard to switch back and deal with reality. I just want to stay in my imagination 24/7 till I get this book done. It would be nice if I could just hole up in an isolated cabin somewhere for a couple of weeks of uninterrupted writing. Sadly, that’s not an option.

All this straining of my brain to make stuff up has left my blog world a bit neglected and quiet lately. So, I figured a short update was warranted. I’m still writing. After the big snip, my draft has recovered back up to a little over 72K words. My characters are wreaking havoc and plotting evil deeds. Exciting times.

And so…

It’s also deadline time. I’ve been kicking myself every time I see the news lately for not having finished this novel a year ago. Since all that self-kicking is exhausting, I have finally decided to force a deadline upon myself. I’m not sure I’ll make it, and if I do, the result will be beyond rough. It’ll still need a lot of work. But, I’m gonna try to find my way to The End for The Compass Code by March 31^st.

Hold me to it.

The Daily Struggle

On January 27, 2018 By Katie AguileraIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Struggling. Really struggling here. Writing scenes that involve a reporter and law enforcement sources and all this enormous conspiracy is not easy. Nope. Not one bit.

But, I have set the goal to write every day. And to finish this novel. So, I keep vomiting ridiculously terrible strings of uninterrupted dialogue and other pathetic-ness onto the page. All the while asking myself, is this just a huge waste of time? Oh, and whyyyyy?!

First, I whine to the dog, or the cat, or both of them. The usual response…

Full of helpful tips, they are.

Sometimes, I go for a walk, or a bike ride, or something, in hopes of getting the blood flowing to my under-performing brain. Unfortunately, no little house troll ever comes along to finish my scene while I’m gone. In fact, I think one comes along to make the already terrible trash I’ve written even worse because I don’t remember it being that bad!

So, I move on to complain of my inability to write anything but complete garbage to my more helpful writing buddies, my sisters. As usual, they have an answer for me. And, as usual, it isn’t what I want to hear. (Just kidding, for dramatic effect.)

Anyhow, my big Sis, being very wise, said the other day, “just keep writing.” Just keep writing. So simple. And yet, sometimes, it’s agony. Incredibly stupid, terrible, vomit-spewing, one-sentence-a-day, garbage agony. But, just keep writing. Somewhere in that dump is a gem, an idea, a thread that can be worked with to weave an epic scene.

Put on a hat so as to avoid pulling out hair, and just keep writing…

Snip Snip My Darlings

On January 4, 2018February 11, 2018 By Katie AguileraIn The Compass Code, Uncategorized1 Comment

It’s already January 4^th. And I still haven’t written a word about goals for this new year. In fact, I have managed only to write a few sentences of notes, an email or two, and a few tweets this entire year. Maybe it’s a slump. Or, it could be the whole winter break thing that results in some very distracting, smallish bi-pedal beings running rampant in my house rather than being dutiful students somewhere else.

Anyway, in the midst of all the frenetic chaos that is my winter break existence, I was struck by a revolutionary thought about my novel. I guess I should say, it isn’t a new thought. It’s more of an acceptance of what needs to happen. Writers talk about this a lot, the whole “kill your darlings” thing. I’m sure it doesn’t come easy for any of us. But, the acceptance that I have darlings that need killing has brought with it a renewed surge of energy to do whatever it takes to get this ridiculously overdue novel finished.

A while back I was listening to an episode of Writers After Dark podcast (I highly recommend this podcast) and was suddenly overcome with an urge to chop out huge portions of the prologue of my book. This took me by surprise. I took out scenes I truly love, and have struggled for far too long to keep in the book. Once I started chopping, however, I was instantly happier with the beginning of my book. This past week, I took the chopping to a new level.

My story covers a significant span of years, and from the beginning, I have struggled to explain, or work around, large gaps in time when nothing of importance is happening. This is a self-inflicted struggle, I now realize, that can be solved by simply snipping away at all those unnecessary darlings of mine. No biggie. Except that it’s the entire part one of the book! Gasp!

In a brief moment of alone-in-the-kitchen calm, I realized that, while part one certainly helps to explain who, what, and why, the main characters are, it isn’t necessary to understanding or enjoying the plot of the story. In fact, part one really just slows the entire thing down. So, snip, snip, my darlings.

Oh, the freedom I feel now. This solves so many complications and opens up so many possibilities with what was formerly known as part two. Don’t worry, I didn’t waste years on a bunch of scenes that will never be read. Now I have a nearly completed prequel! And those chopped out prologue scenes? Well, odds are good at least a few of them will make an appearance here one day.

Lego sculpture courtesy of the smallish bi-pedal beings.

140 Character Precision

On November 13, 2017 By Katie AguileraIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

I can’t deny that I love (and also hate) Twitter. Because I have a bizarre obsession with news, my standard operating procedure as a writer is to have two computers on, and one of them always has a window open to Twitter. I know, it’s a time suck. I’m okay with it though, since I do find a lot of ideas and inspiration there. I also find a lot of very supportive fellow writers on Twitter.

There are so many Twitter hashtag games for writers. I’ve written about this before. I enjoy posting lines from my work in progress, or WIP, and reading the lines of others. There is some serious talent to be found on these different hashtags. And, with the 140 character restriction, there’s some serious creativity in making those lines fit without losing their shine.

Along with the inspiration found in reading others’ work, I find that sharing a line, confined to 140 characters, is a great editing tool. I don’t know how many times, while searching for a keyword to fit a theme, I have found over-used words in sentences or paragraphs. And I’ve made many a change to lines in order to make the point more concise, changes that have been incorporated into my draft.

Recently, Twitter made a pretty huge change to the platform. Tweets are no longer limited to 140 characters. They can now contain a whopping 280 characters! This is a game changer for line sharing. I’m sure many love it. I don’t. It isn’t that I don’t want to see more of the work of other writers. I miss the precision of 140 characters.

I’m certain I’m not alone with this opinion. So, maybe all of us who feel a bit disgruntled with this change need a new hashtag game. Something like, #140line, or #linein140, where we strive to keep our lines close to the old-school rules.

What do you think? Do you love the change? Or hate it? Does it improve line sharing for writers, or is something of the challenge and value of 140 characters lost?

*A good one-stop source of information on the different games can be found here.

What’s This All About, Anyway?

On November 7, 2017 By Katie AguileraIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Well, I’ve been sitting on this sadly empty blog for some time now, so I thought maybe this would be a good time to finally write a post. You know, to introduce myself, or something. To explain just what this blog is all about.

There’s just something about November, I guess. Normally, I would be participating in NanoWrimo this month, but I took this year off. I’ll get to that. It was this event, and my lovely, talented, and highly persuasive sisters, that finally convinced me to take up something I’ve always loved. Writing. In November 2010, I set off on my first Nano journey. I wrote what is essentially a completed draft of a part autobiographical, part fictional adventure titled, Volkswagen Summer. After the month ended, the draft was left to languish deep in the files, where it remains today. I’ll get back to it eventually.

In November 2013, I started a new project. It has gone through several titles and many, many different plots in the years since, to emerge now, nearly finished, as The Compass Code. And that is why I am not participating in NanoWrimo this year. That is why this blog has sat here empty for so long. My main focus is finishing a first draft of this novel, and it’s so close. After years of writing scene after scene of an almost entirely character driven story, I finally have a solid feel of the full plot behind it all. So, yay! Maybe I can start sleeping better again. (Ha ha.)

Two years and three days ago, I started blogging at Seeking Redress, where I get into politics, news, and war. November seemed a fitting time to publish the first non-fiction piece I had written in years, for Veterans Day. I still post to Seeking Redress, sometimes frequently, sometimes not. Those posts are always linked to here, in case you want to check them out. However, on this blog, my focus is more on the art (agonizing, torturous, insanity driven process) of writing.

So, I’ll post all the ‘other’ stuff that just doesn’t fit at Seeking Redress. Short stories, rants, lessons I’ve learned on writing and life, whatever. Of course, I’ll be posting updates on my novel, maybe even some short clips and deleted scenes, as I get closer to publishing. I hope you will join me once in a while.

If you’re so inclined, join me on social media too. I’m on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can read my short bio here.