Save the Cat and other issues by Bonnie Le Hamilton

Okay, NaNo isn’t going so well for me. My story stalled out. And I'm debating how to fix it.

In other news, I just spent an entire week on my duff, thanks to my cat, and I still didn’t manage to do things that I could have done while sitting there, like write or even crafts, and I have some friends who are expecting. I’ve been trying to knit a baby blanket and one whole week of no knitting isn’t helping just as much as one whole week of no writing.

As for why I was laid up, well, see, Patches, my dang cat, likes to run through and around my feet while I’m trying to walk. Folks, I can’t see my feet! Not when I’m standing, ergo, I can’t see Patches when he does that. I tripped over him and injured the ligament in my knee.

Since then, instead of trying to miss him (which is how I injured my knee) I step on him. Hopefully, eventually, he’ll learn to steer clear of my moving feet. Though so far, I’ve stepped on him several times and he’s still scampering around my feet. 

Now to the problems with my story.

I think I’ve started in the wrong place. Then again, I’m not sure what I should do after a certain point in the story that is in my head, but not on my computer screen yet, which is the major problem, what happens next?

At this rate my story will fall into my pile of my “started but not finished” stories. I already have too many of those. Some could get somewhere, if I would just work on them, others stalled out because it just wasn’t working,

This one could work if I could figure out how to finagle it. Or at least I think it will work.

Then again, most of my stories that fizzled out unfinished, did so because it was starting to sound like a soap opera to me. And that isn’t a good thing in my opinion. I consider it sounding like a soap opera when it becomes too contrived or forced, or far-fetched.

You know, like a soap opera.

Can you tell I don’t watch those things?

I used to, many eons ago, until I realized their storylines were contrived, forced, or so way out there they were ridiculous. And I really want to avoid that with my writing. Such writing is a copout. It’s lazy.

Writing should be fresh and exciting.

Right now, I need help with that.

And I need to start with where I start this story.

I want to start it at the inciting moment, but the “Save the Cat” method says to start with their normal life before the inciting moment. Dang, I don’t want to start there!

Maybe that’s my problem, I do not want to start before they meet, I want to start where they get thrown together!

Maybe that’s my problem. I had said I was going to try the “Save the Cat” method, but I generally start at the inciting moment rather than introduce the main characters in their normal life before going into the inciting moment.

Off the top of my head I can think of like two stories I have where I show the “normal” life of my main characters before I have them meet or the inciting moment. Most of my stories start at the inciting moment. I mean really, start where the action is!

As far as I’m concerned anything before the inciting moment is backstory, very rarely do I consider any part before that point as a necessary detail of the story. I make all that backstory.

So maybe my problem right now is that the method I wanted to try and use this time around wants me to do something I don’t want to do.

I think I should start again, and begin with the inciting moment.

I’ve had good luck that.

Konnie’s favorite opening line is one I wrote (yeah, I haven’t finished that story; it kind of went off the rails – as in too long) but it starts at the inciting moment. She was talking about her favorite opening line to someone at the writer’s conference we attended. When she mentioned my story, I had to point out it wasn’t even finished yet, let alone published.

Most people pick an opening line from something published, but no, Konnie had to pick one of my stories!

Anyway, I’m going to try writing from the inciting moment forward, and see how that goes for me.

Happy writing everyone!

PS. Happy birthday next week, Ben. 

Sleep-Deprived, Again by Konnie Enos

So much for the best-laid plans.

Monday, being a holiday, my plans were to run just two needed errands and spend the rest of the day doing things like finances (I had to make sure we still had grocery money).

First issue. As I was getting dressed Sunday morning, I realized I no longer had any clean pants. I realize our weather here isn’t nail-biting, but when the sun is down the temps have been dipping into the 40’s. I haven’t been wearing my shorts or sandals to avoid being cold. So having no clean pants meant I needed to do laundry. I saw no reason to do said laundry on Sunday, as I wouldn’t be needing pants until sometime Monday.

This led to the second issue. I kid you not; every single one of my family members except my youngest son was desperate to get laundry done on Monday. Our washer was full from at least 8 a.m. until well, Tuesday. The only time it wasn’t running was when we were waiting for the dryer to finish so we could empty it. In order of desperation, my clothes didn’t even get into the washer until about 10 p.m. and it was after 11:30 before they got out of the dryer.

Of course, this means I can’t get dressed which means I can’t run any errands. Which I really had no issue with. We could manage one more day without going to the store. The problem was my son needed something bought for him BEFORE 5 a.m. Tuesday. This was extremely important. Needless to say, I had to get dressed and dash to the store in the middle of the night.

Problem. Our local Wal-Mart is no longer open 24/7. By the time I got to the store, they weren’t admitting any new customers because they would be closing in a minute. This required me to go home and get back on my computer long enough to find the location of the nearest Wal-Mart that was open 24/7. Oh, joy! In this large metropolitan area there are exactly two Wal-Marts open. Do you want to know where they are? Both of them at opposite ends of the same road clear at the south end of town, at least a 20 to 30-minute drive without traffic. The only good part was there was no traffic at one in the morning.

So I drive to the one I actually know where it’s at and quickly locate the one item I needed. I took the time to search for two other things I could use; finding only one of them (they were out of the other) then went in search of a line.

Mind you, I have exactly two items.

This Wal-Mart appears to have only a few cash registers. Then I realize that only three or four of them aren’t the self-scan ones and they have only one cashier working. It is, of course, an express lane.

No problem, I only have two items.

Problem.

The gentlemen already at the register have about THREE cartfuls of groceries. Obviously too much to take through self-scan and this is the only cashier working. Wonderful. I guess I’m waiting and waiting. I was in line longer at least twice as long as it took me to find my items. Which is actually par for the course for Wal-Mart.

By now, it is after 2 a.m. and I still need to get home. Fortunately, still no traffic. I was home by 3 a.m. but it took me a while to wind down enough to actually sleep, and I had an 8 a.m. appointment. Yeah, I spent most of yesterday in a stupor with a sleep-deprived headache or actually crashed out.

When did I remember that today was Wednesday and I had a post to get up?

I’m actually not sure. I do know it was sometime after everyone in the house had gone to bed and I had in fact been in bed and asleep for a while. I roused enough to think, “Wait a minute, I have a post to write. Too tired.” Then I promptly went back to sleep.

I also know I woke up to use the bathroom about 3:30 but was still too tired to keep my eyes open or otherwise think.

Thankfully, by the time my alarm went off this morning, I was cognizant enough to open word and start typing. I am totally too old for this staying up all night and still functioning the next day.

How is everyone else doing? For those Nano writers, are you meeting your goals?

Smile. Make the day a brighter day.

National Novel Writer's by Bonnie Le Hamilton

November is here and all around the world writers everywhere are participating in the challenge to write 50,000 words this month. I have been doing this challenge since 2003, and I usually win, but now I have a few other responsibilities taking up some of my time, so we’ll see how well I do this year.

So far, I have just barely over 5,000 words. (My sister-in-law ended up in the hospital early Saturday morning.) How are you doing? What is your Nano sign-in? Let me know, I’ll friend you. My sign-in is FaithfullSpirit2 (and yes that is how it is spelled).

I’m an old pro at this, so I’d like to give you some simple advice for the month.

First, pay attention to your sleep schedule. You can’t write when you are yawning. And dozing off is even worse for writing. (Think falling asleep on the keyboard – the keys will move, but it won’t make any sense!)

Second, don’t skip meals. They say kids need a good breakfast because they can’t learn if they’re hungry, well, a writer can’t think with a growling stomach. So, remember to eat. This is why I’m glad all our local write-ins include at least snacks.

Third, don’t tie yourself down to an outline, maybe your muse wants to go another way. Let it. You never know, it might be a better choice, and you won’t know until you write it. Another thing is if you stick with the outline against your muse, you are letting your inner editor out. Just go with the flow, you can fix it later. This challenge is more like a month-long stream of thought. Besides, you can’t fix a blank page. 😊

Four, make sure your family knows what you are trying to do. Advertise this to everyone who may or may not interrupt you during the month, and lay down the law, “No interruptions while I’m writing!”
Though I do know some people can’t say that, while others wouldn’t understand. Children being chief among them. I don’t have that problem, but Konnie still does, even though all her children are all now legally adults, only one of them is actually out of the house.

As Konnie has often mentioned, she has a hard time doing anything on her computer because of interruptions from her family. I didn’t have much of a problem when my husband was alive. He only interrupted when I needed to be going somewhere or it was time to eat. Something I miss a lot, especially when he used to get my attention that it was time to eat by placing food between me and my computer. A whole lot easier than having to drag myself away from my computer long enough to make something to eat.

And I’ve heard of a writer who changed his voicemail message to say something on the lines of, “I’m writing right now, but leave a message at the tone and I will get back to you as soon as I take a break.”

Which might be a good idea for anyone who gets a lot of calls. Also, turn your ringer off while you’re at the computer. Again, that is something I don’t have to do, I don’t get that many calls, as in hardly ever. Even less since I discovered I can block calls from unknown numbers. Now I’m not getting any robocalls.

Fifth, remember first drafts are awful. They usually stink. But as I said before, you can’t fix a blank page. That is what this challenge is all about, filling the page so you can later go back and fix it. There is a time and place for editing, and a time and place to just write. November is when we just write, don’t worry about the mistakes, just write.

Though I know that last one is easier said than done. I find myself rereading what I wrote the day before, and end up having to add and delete words, correct spelling, and fix unclear sentences. Most of that is grammar, which I wasn’t paying attention to the day before. But that also means I do let my inner editor out for a few minutes every day. I’ve tried not to, but I can’t help it.

I make mistakes all the time, and when I see them, I can’t go on until they are fixed. Don’t know why; that is just how I am.

Sixth, don’t ever accept what others say is the way to write as law. No two people are alike, no two people have the same style. Go ahead and try it, if you wish, but in the end, it’s your choice as to whether it works or not.

Happy writing, everyone!

Small World by Konnie Enos

I recently read a friend's post where they mentioned something about proving it's a small world. That’s easy.

I grew up in Pocatello, Idaho. (Pocky to residents.) It isn’t a big city.

We moved away from Pocky about 1977. Then in 1987, I decided to serve a mission for my church. I spent the first month in Utah for training.

A week after I’d arrived at the training center I met a girl who’d just arrived. I got into a conversation with her and learned she was from Pocky. No, she didn’t know me, or my sister.

She did, however, know another sister from Pocky was already in the mission I was going to. I mentioned once going to school with a boy with the same last name. I mentioned his first name and the school we attended. Turns out his little sister was the one serving in my mission.

Another day an older gentleman approached my companion and I, asking if one of us was a Westover.

Of course, I was.

He asked if I knew a Harold Westover.

Fortunately, I knew my Grandpa’s full name, which I told this gentleman while explaining he was my grandfather.  

He told me his mother was one of Great-Grandpa Westover’s sisters.

Another thing I ran into both in training and the mission field, at least three times, was people (also serving a mission) who were from the Pocky “area”.

Inevitably, we had the following conversation after I told them I’d grown up in Pocky.

Me: “Where about in Pocky do you live?”

Them: “Out past Chubbuck.”

Chubbuck is a small town adjacent to Pocky.

Me: “Where past Chubbuck?”

Them: “Past Tyhee Road.”

Anything past Tyhee Road is the reservation but they allow whites to live there.

Me: “How far past Tyhee?”

Them: “Ballard Road.”

They always lived on Ballard Road. The same road my mother’s parents lived on. Yes, they always knew my family.  

After I’d been in the mission field for a few months, they moved me to be companions with my old classmate’s sister. I told her I knew her brother. She wrote him and he remembered us. (Easy to do when they come in a pair.)

Now my companion would often talk about one of her former companions while she’d been in the training center. She only mentioned her last name but was always talking about this young lady knowing everyone, everywhere they went because she’d been a music major at BYU.

One day, the bishop’s wife was giving us a ride somewhere and my companion was telling her about her music major previous companion. This time my companion gave the young ladies first and last name.

I jumped. "I know her!"

My companion: "Everybody knows her."

"Yeah, but not everybody was Sugar-Salem High class ‘82." Yes, she remembered us.

Then, on my companion’s last day in that area, a friend of hers who'd served his mission in Pocky was passing through with his wife. The four of us went out to lunch.

All I knew about them was he was from Virginia and had served in Pocky, and she was from the Pocky “area”.

While this young man and my companion reminisced about his mission, I talked with his wife. Yes, I had the exact same results. I decided Ballard Road was longer than I thought.

I can name other events like this, but I think the funniest happened around the time I moved to my house.

One of the first people I meet at our local church meetings was a lady who, for some unexplainable reason, always had me envisioning a young woman in a cowgirl outfit, prancing by on a beautiful horse.

I asked her where she grew up and places she’d lived. No, I’ve never been to any of them. I could not figure it out.

Then one day, a couple of years after we met, my husband, and I were in her home and somehow the conversation got around to the Bicentennial. (Yes, the three of us are all old enough to remember it.)

This lady proceeded to tell us her Bicentennial story. She was spending some time visiting family. Her aunt, uncle, and cousins had entered their horses in the parade but had ended up one rider short. She was happy to help her family.

Of course, every city and town had parades, but the one she rode is was– you guessed it, Pocky’s.

Where was I for the Bicentennial parade in my hometown?

Watching the parade!

I’m positive I saw her prancing by.

Small world.

Smile. Make the day a brighter day.

NaNo Prep by Bonnie Le Hamilton

We have all heard the saying about the best-laid plans. We all know something will go wrong, so why do we bother making them? I had a plan for when I would work on my post, last Saturday – didn’t work. Other things got in the way. Unfortunately, I also didn’t work on it Sunday or Monday. Tuesday, I was going to work on it in the morning, before I went to work at the book scanning center – well that didn’t work.

I’d like to say that things that got in the way were important also, but most of the time, what happened was my ADD. I can honestly say that on Sunday, instead of working on my post, I did some brainstorming with Konnie about my hopeful NaNo project. Whereas yesterday morning, I didn’t get anything done because my brain refused to settle down and concentrate.

Last night I was going to work on it, right up until I realized my ADD made me forget to put my yogurt back in the fridge yesterday morning. Meaning I had to make a quick run to the store, and by the time I got back, I had a fatigue headache. I went to bed and now I am frantically writing hoping I have enough time before I need to get this up.

All I can say is, if this keeps up, I’m going to have a really tough time with NaNo this year. I do know, I’ll be able to take my computer with me and work on my writing while I’m volunteering at the Pocatello Visitor’s Center. The thing is, that’s only three hours a week, and I most certainly can’t do the same for the eight hours a week I work at the book scanning center since I am there to help with the work, not do my own thing.

And yeah, I know plenty of people have full-time jobs and or are students and still manage to complete the NaNo challenge. I actually applaud all such writers, but I have never before had to worry about finding enough time to write! This will be my first year where I have to work my writing time around work. Yeah, I know it isn’t even twelve hours a week, and three of those, I can work on my novel, except when someone comes into the center.

Of course, there is also all the time I spend with my sister-in-law and all the other club meetings I attend. Then again, two of my clubs are writing clubs, so I don’t really have a problem there, they’d clearly understand. The other one is the knitting group, and my sister-in-law attends that with me. Since she doesn’t participate in NaNo, I’m not sure she’ll understand that I might not be up to attending during November.

Then again, she knows I write, and about NaNo, so maybe she will.

But all in all, I think I finally have an understanding of what Konnie goes through, and frankly every other person with more on their plate than I usually have, when it comes to finding writing time.
In the past, my problem was always just balancing my time between writing and chores. This is clearly a lot harder when I’ve promised some of my time to other people. And the hardest part is the biggest chunk of my time I no longer have for writing I promised not to other people but to my Savior. My work at the book scanning center is my service mission for my church. As I said, I can write at the visitor’s center, and everything else is just stuff I’d like to do, but don’t have to, except taking my sister-in-law to her appointments.

And that’s something I’ve had to deal with for several years now, except the years I didn’t have a car.
I have a car now.

Actually, having a car now is why I’m so busy, and having a cat again is why I’m so far behind on my chores, because he’s an active kitten, and he’s knocked things down or tore apart bags which had other things in it, scattering those other things all over the house.

Yeah, my house is a mess, and I’m not sure I’m going to have time to deal with all of this before November, which I’d really like to do, so I didn’t have to worry about it during NaNo. Then again, I’ll still have to do dishes, feed the cat, clean the litter box, and pay my bills.

Life goes on, but at least I do have an inkling of an idea for NaNo now!

How about you? What are you doing for NaNo?

Happy writing everyone!

Sleepy Babblings by Konnie Enos

I spent so much of the last three days reading and editing my sister’s current WIP that, though I had ideas for it, I didn’t set down to write my post until after ten last night.

I wasn’t worried about the hour because I felt I could get something typed and scheduled before I fell asleep, probably around midnight. However, as usual, the best-laid plans go awry.

I was never able to type even one letter for my blog before one of my children requested my attention. The issue was sufficient that I was awake with said child until three. I was unable to do any typing during this time.

When I was finally able to return to my room and bed, I decided it was better I attempt to get at least some sleep before I attempt to write my blog. I also remembered family members, me included, have appointments this morning so I had to do my blog sooner than later.

Therefore, I find myself attempting to produce something that is coherent and succinct with only a few hours’ sleep. This is not an easy task.

It’s hard to think when you have a pounding, I need sleep, headache, in a dark room with someone curled up next to you snoring.

So all my ideas about the season and or the passing years have gone out the window due to my tired brain and body. I can do little beyond remember today is my niece’s birthday and that Friday is my oldest child’s birthday.

Any attempts to wax nostalgic about my niece arriving a full nine weeks early (Yes, she was once a very tiny preemie) and two days before my daughter, who was full-term are lost in my sleep-addled brain. (By the way, Happy Birthday to Michelle and Clarissa.)

Considering October is now half over, I’m sure everyone reading this has things to do in order to prepare for the coming holidays or major events you have in the next three months.

So go fix those costumes, prepare your treats, make shopping lists for groceries and gifts, or outline that fantastic story you’re going to write in Nano, I’m finished prattling.

Goodnight one and all.

Smile. Make the day a brighter day.

NaNo Prep by Bonnie Le Hamilton

National Novel Writer’s month is less than a month away and I’m still editing. I wanted to be done with this round long before now, so I could prepare for NaNo. The problem is, I lost my manuscript. By some accident, which I still haven’t figured out, I lost what was the most up-to-date version of my WIP.

That isn’t to say I lost it entirely. I’d sent a version to Konnie. The trouble was I’d started edits and tweaks before she sent it back with her critique. I was to chapter sixteen with those changes when I lost it. So, I had to start all over, using a copy of her critique as my WIP, fixing, then deleting her comments.

Now I’m to chapter twenty-one out of thirty. Though I’d really like to be thinking about what I will write next month.

On top of that, I now have a copy of “Save the Cat Writes a Novel” and I got lesson in this method of outlining at the writer’s conference Konnie and I recently attended; I’d really like a chance to study it some more and possibly utilize it this year, if I have time.

But, as always, time isn’t on my side. I’ve had one issue after another the last couple of weeks, that has me way behind on all household chores, and every time I try to catch up, something else happens to put me behind, again.

I must prioritize, just like any other writer. Are the chores more important than writing? Not really, I need clean dishes and clothes. But other things can wait a little longer, I guess.

The big problem is that it is October, and I was going to make Christmas presents this year. Well, the time is gone, I doubt I have time anymore. I can try, but well, what is more important? NaNo or Christmas.

To me both are important. Christmas is one of my favorite holidays, particularly because it celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. (For those of you don’t know, I have a rather large collection of Nativities. Way more than I have Eagles and flags, but Independence Day is my second favorite holiday. Eagles, flags, red, white, and blue, and over a hundred Nativities describe my front room.)

And, well, NaNo is writing; writing is my life. That is who I am. I’ve failed to win just two NaNo’s in all the times I’ve done it, and one of those I just had technical problems and didn’t get my win certified. The other time was the year I ended up with a concussion, and couldn’t finish. Needless to say, from the time I heard about NaNo over a decade ago until now, I have always participated, and generally finished.

How do I prioritize things that mean so much to me?

Writing is my life; Christmas is the bedrock of my religion. Family – roots are part of my religion too. Choosing isn’t easy.

I also have the added challenge this year that I am volunteering four hours a week at the local visitor’s center and another eight hours a week is dedicated to my service mission call for my church. Meaning I have fewer hours to write this year than I’ve had in years past, but those things are important too. And I did give my word I would do them.

What sort of things seem to be standing in your way of writing?

I know for a lot of people, Konnie included, it would be scheduling time. Though with Konnie, even if she scheduled time, her family would interrupt. I’m sure she enjoyed all the time she got for writing when she here visiting me.

However, I was surprised the time I came back from my mission service and found she had my TV on. Konnie doesn’t watch a lot of TV, as in hardly ever. I observed her concentrating more on her computer screen than the TV. “Why do you have the TV on?”

“It was too quiet.”

Okay, that’s funny. Konnie is always complaining about all the noise at her house, and how it makes it hard to get any writing done, then when she’s here, she has to turn on the TV to have some noise!
Me? I generally can’t write with the TV on; I’m used to quiet. I actually find I can’t get any writing done while at her place because it's too noisy and busy. It’s useless for me to even try. So, it really is funny that for Konnie to get any writing done at my place, she has to turn on the TV!

Our lives are so different.

Anyway, what are your best tips for getting your writing done or participating in NaNo?

Happy writing everyone!