Post Mfa

I did it. I walked across that stage and received my Mfa degree in writing for children and young adults. Two years of intense emotions, deep writing, and learning all those craft techniques that I never knew. Now I can not only tell you about psychic distance in a story, I can give you several examples, among other things I learned. I cried going across the stage. I guess it didn't hit me until then what I had accomplished. I am very grateful to God for the opportunity to attend Hamline and be the person He always knew I was. I had amazing faculty advisors in Anne Ursu, Eleanora Tate, Claire Rudolf Murphy, and Marsha Qualey. Each of these wonderful writers/authors, taught me not only about craft, but about the hidden treasure that is me. Yes, I am a treasure. And so are you. There is only one you. Which means if you don't do what you were created to do, the world will shine a little dimmer because of it. Post Mfa. Leads to the "so now what will you do?" question. What will I do? Write. I was writing before, but I didn't have the knowledge, skill, or belief in myself. My writing now is not hindered, hampered, or choked as it was before. How do I know? I just started a new middle grade novel and I'm having fun writing it. Does that mean beautiful prose flows off my fingers as they tap, tap, tap the key board, or scratch, scratch, scratch the pen on paper? No. There are sentences that need work, words that are not my best, but that my dear is for the revision. And as a famous author told me, that voice that bothers you is for the revision, not the first draft. If you are a writer, or you want to be a writer. Let me give you some awesome and amazing advice from the Amazing Krissie, the character in my new middle grade novel. "Write. Don't listen to that bad voice that says what you are about to write is stupid, pointless, boring, and no one will like it. That voice is jealous of you for trying. So stick your tongue out at it, wiggle your butt, and scream at the top of your lungs-"Na, na, na, na ,na, Na. I can't hear you. And write away." Krissie is about to take a very, very, long voyage full of mystery and peril so she will have to get back to you later, but don't forget her words, and WRITE.

Surgery

I am at the tail end of the first semester of my mfa. As a result of the work done in the program on my third novel, I realize it's time to do some serious surgery on my first novel.
I'm taking the first fifteen pages and slicing them off. Why? And how could you, you say?
First, I've matured more as a writer. I can take an objective step back from my work the way a painter does a painting, and remove what's not working. Now granted I have to have a finished work to be able to do this. Slicing while in the middle of completion is a death sentence for my creativity.
Second, it helps my protagonist tell her story better. The remainder of the novel is fast paced and meaty. My opening feels more like a preview for a different film like at the movies.
And lastly, I made my protagonist too comfy at the beginning. Boring! Who wants to read sugary sweet softness at the beginning of a novel that should start with the murder. Probably why I never liked my beginning. Trust your instincts. If you don't like something you've written--probe it. Figure out why you don't like it.
Really the final question is when do I do this surgery?
Like a medical surgery, it will have to be scheduled.
I have revisions I need to start on my third novel as part of my mfa program, plus I'm writing a short script (first 15 pages), for a screenplay contest, and I need to finish writing a short story I promised myself I'd finish.
Time to pull out my day planner. Trust me it will get scheduled and done. I'm a writer.

My eyes, my eyes

I just spent the past three and a half hours finishing the final "steak edit" of my YA fantasy novel. (For details on what a steak edit is, see my last blog). As I wrote on my notepad- je suis fini. 286 pages, 83 chapters, and 68,007 words. My eyes hurt from staring at a computer screen that long.

Next step is the dessert edit. Spell check, then print out and do a page by page edit. My goal was to have the steak edit done by January 31st. Love being ahead of schedule, especially since my writing is getting backed up. I still have to finish the sitcom I'm writing to enter in the Nickelodeon fellowship, and edit the screenplay already written for the Nichol's fellowship.

Plus the character from my YA sci-fi novel is screaming at me for neglecting her. Yes I know you've been on the tarmac for awhile. I haven't forgotten you. You shouldn't be in a rush for what happens next, trust me, it's beyond anything you (or the reader) could imagine, or could have seen coming.

So I am happy to be in the final editing phase of my YA fantasy novel before I send it out looking for a buyer.

Jesus was right. "Only have faith and do not fear... All things are possible to the one who believes."