Decisions I have to make that I don't want to

I'm pretty much the worst decision maker ever. You think you know someone more indecisive. You don't. I'm the kind of person who spends almost as much time deciding on a movie as watching it. It's mixed with a weird but iron-clad stubborn streak that makes any big decision I've made a final one, no matter what. It's the getting to that decided point that's agonizing.

I don't know why I have such a hard time with decisions. I'm pretty neutral about every day stuff and in general am much more comfortable with letting other people do the deciding. That way I don't run the risk of them not getting what they want and being displeased or offended or something. I will definitely speak up when it matters, but usually I just don't care that much.

So basically, making big decisions that don't really involve someone else's opinion (like where to work) pretty much kills me.

Work is the big one right now. I adore my job, and love working with the pre-k kids. They make my day. The thing is, the hours I have are not enough to be livable and I'm having to do extra on the side to make things work financially. Also summer is coming and I'm going to need to find something new then anyway. Also my roommate applied for graduate school and depending on what happens there I could stay in Provo or might end up going to Salt Lake with her.

All that combined means that I not only don't know what kind of job I want, I don't even know where I need to start looking. The plan right now is to wait and see what happens with roommates grad school and then start job hunting wherever I'm going to end up living and take what I can get and hopefully I can start right when school ends and hopefully it will be a good job.

But so many questions! What kind of job do I want? Does secretarial/receptionist type stuff work just fine, or should I try for something a bit more exotic, and can I get something more exotic with an English BA anyway? What hours do I want, and is there a way to make enough money online to keep work hours part-time so I can have more writing time? Do I want to spend a summer working in Alaska? Ok, yes I do, but am I insane? I don't care enough, really, about where I work as long as it pays the bills because what I really care about is writing and I'm okay with that but is it dumb to leave something like that to fate?

Things always work out, and I'm sure they will in this case. It will just be a relief when they do. My Life Plans A and B both involve me not having (needing) a day-job (because my hot books or my hot man pays the moneys), but those are works in progress and in the meantime rent must be paid and cereal must be bought and so I must work somewhere and I just...don't...know. Needless to say, advice (i.e. vicarious decision making) would be appreciated.

Sarah Allen

Slow and steady, eh? I hope so.

I'm at the scenario stage on novel number two. I have a main character and a slew of secondaries, interesting relationships and a couple intriguing scenes in mind. Getting from this point to a "plot" is the hard part for me, in terms of planning. I don't even like "plot-heavy" books, and I'm not trying to come up with anything intricate and I know life is basically plotless anyway. I know all that, but I still feel like I need something holding it all together story-wise, and that often takes me a while.

Novel #1 was about a 40-ish year old man. Novel #2 is going to be about a 17 year old girl. Obviously more towards my age and gender side of the spectrum. I want to get a broad range. We'll see how this goes. The last one had a paranormal element to it. This one isn't going to.

So the steps ahead of me now: Edit novel #1. Keep brainstorming novel #2. Give 1 to beta readers and begin work on 2. Hopefully start submitting 1 to agents and finish work on 2. Also a screenplay and a kids picture book and a short story collection somewhere in there would be cool.

Also a cute boy who wants to kiss my face and a stable job and a tortoise named Watson. Those things would be cool too.

Just sayin :)

Sarah Allen

Why Losing Confidence in Your Book is a Good Thing

So, I'm still blah about my novel, but I've decided it's a good thing, and here's why.

It doesn't mean I'm not going to move forward exactly the same. I'm going to edit the crap out of it and then give it to other people to read and then start the submissions process. Feeling sort of whatever about it just means that the editing will be that much easier, and so will the putting it in other peoples hands. I still hope and want just as much for it as I did before, but I'm in a much better emotional place for accepting that whatever happens happens, and that it's okay if things just don't pan out for this one. Because they might not.

All this is true, but it's also true that I wouldn't be able to feel this way about this novel if I didn't have wild hopes and faith and ambition for my new novel. I have to be crazy about something. And I spent some time yesterday doing some good brainstorming, and I'm definitely starting to feel the excitement coming. If I've taken my eggs out of the old basket and sent it down the river, hoping it ends up somewhere nice, that just means my eggs are in a shiny new basket.

So, basically, this just means that I'm emotionally ready to push my baby out of the nest and can deal with the consequences. It also means I'll be writing my new baby like my life depends on it, because for a while it will. Then I'll grow hard to it too, send that one out, and get started on a new one. Circle of life.

I guess this seems kind of cruel. Maybe it is. Really I don't think my relationship with my books is going to turn out as black and white as all that. I'm just going through a phase that I'll probably go through with each novel, but once I give it time and get some fresh perspective on it I think I'll totally fall in love with it again.

I'm getting all practice for married life, aren't I?

Sarah Allen

Everything to say and not much at all

Well, I'm having one of those weird days where I feel like I have so much to get off my chest I'm going to burst, while simultaneously feeling like there's not much to say at all. So I hope you'll forgive me if I just talk, fighting both the urge to say too much and to say nothing, and see where we end up.

I'm in a doubtful stage with my novel right now. I feel like it's all a bunch of crap. I should have known it was coming, I had a good level of confidence almost the whole time I was writing it, so it was bound to happen some time. I know it's me being silly, and I know not to trust my own feelings at either extreme, but its still not fun to feel like it sucks. Self-prescription: Get over it, edit the thing, and most of all start work on novel #2. Hopefully the getting over it part happens really soon.

There aren't many people I have a hard time being around, and I try really hard to genuinely get along with everyone, and usually it works. There are, of course, some types that rub me the wrong way, but the hardest type for me to watch--and in this case by hardest I don't mean annoying or grouchy-indusing but rather saddest, painful, upsetting, that kind of hard--are people who let themselves feel victimized. I suppose this can be quite annoying too, but really its so hard to watch because they are only making things so, so, so much worse for themselves, but nobody ever thinks they're playing the victim and when you try to help at all they just feel more victimized. Painful frustration caused by helplessness. You love and pray and hope and it never seems like enough. But what else can you do?

The last while has definitely been a haze of Downton Abbey. Sometimes I don't understand myself. I have the normal scale of hating something to really loving it, and then there's this whole other sphere of liking things where it takes me over on the obsession level, and I know its happening and know I'm involving myself and loving something beyond all sense of proportion and can't help it don't really want to help it. In this sphere live things like Severus Snape (of course), Ben Linus, Colin Firth, Jane Austen, John Green, Frasier, Sherlock, and now, Downton Abbey. I need Bates and Anna to be together like I need to eat when I'm hungry and pee when I'm full. I wish it made sense in my own head, (anyone else as crazy as I am?), but I guess that's all I've got to say about that.

I suppose I've already run the risk of saying too much, so I'll stop now. But thank you all very, very much for listening.

Sarah Allen

My Query

Decided I might as well go for it and see what I can come up with. This is the summary part, and I'll have the personalized agent stuff and personal info and all that jazz too. So this is the query for my novel, The Keeper, and I could really use some feedback and critique. What do you think?

***

George Shepherd is grizzly keeper at the local zoo, and, what’s much more difficult, guardian of his sixteen year old niece. After seven years he believes he’s finally balanced the muddy claws, menstrual cycles and a past mistake he doesn’t ever expect to escape.

Then a little boy shows up with the news that on Cindy’s seventeenth birthday, she will be taken as a princess by the prince of another world. This is easily dismissed. He pats the boy on the head and takes him home, hoping Cindy didn’t hear anything.

At worst a sick prank, he thinks. Until things start turning up that can only be construed as evidence: symbols, letters, dreams, an impossible painting. With the help of Cindy’s former teacher, he knows he must do whatever it takes to make sure Cindy is not in danger, even when it means directly confronting the past he’s tried so hard to bury. All before the least momentous birthday he hopes Cindy will ever have.

Part mystery, part romance, with a dose of magical realism and mid-life crisis, the true heart of this story is the exploration of what keeps us going when we lose it all, and the fine line between holding on for dear life and just letting go.

Sarah Allen

How does one even begin the agent research process?

The book is done. It is on to the next steps. I've spent the past couple days scouring agent query and query tracker for information.

Oh my heavens there is a lot of it.

There are so, so many agents out there, and then the ones outside my genre. I'm starting a tentative list, but its hard to differentiate between the ones that would do great and the ones that would be perfect, if you know what I mean. I'm new to this whole thing, obviously, and its fascinating and a bit complicated, though that's okay. Live and learn, right?

Really what matters is that this is a two person decision, so what I expect my job to be is make a list of agents and just keep submitting until something good happens. I've heard seven at a time is the magic number. And I think I'm over-analyzing things, too, because if I can find someone who is as passionate about my project as I am, then that's really the main thing I'm looking for, right? I'm one who believes that everything happens for a reason. My job: submit and deal as smartly as I can with what happens.

Right? Any advice? How do you find agents you think would be right for you? And what kinds of questions should I be ready with? Though I haven't done specific agent research until recently, I've done lots of reading on the whole agenting system and contracts and all the uproar and controversy around that, so I'll try and be as wise about this whole thing as I can. But...help?

This is all still a bit in the future yet. I've got editing to do and beta readers to give to and more editing. So couple of months, ish. We'll see. But I'm going to start working on a query letter and put it up here for your advice and critique in the next little while.

Agents. Ah!!! 

Sarah Allen

p.s. Also, I mentioned Downton Abbey yesterday. Oh. My. Gosh. Why must the BBC be so freaking delicious? Its quite taken me over lately, case you couldn't tell.

The book, ladies and gentleman, is DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes. It's done. The first draft, at least. Right now I'm feeling a bit like this:

Sorry, didn't mean to slober on your face. I'm celebrating by watching White Collar and Downton Abbey.

Now time for edits and brainstorming Novel #2.

Sarah Allen

Guest Post: How To Find Time To Write, by Rochelle Melander

Stephen King writes every day. A colleague of mine only writes when she has a book due. Most of the writers I coach wonder how they could ever write a book when they cannot dedicate all day, every day to their work. Writers, we need to think outside the box. There are plenty of ways to fit in writing time—if we get creative. Here are four ways you can honor your inner writer and keep a full-time job!

1. Take 20. Anthony Trollope was able write for three hours a day before going to work at the post office, but chances are he didn’t have to do his hair or make a lunch. Author Cory Doctorow has said that he spends 20 minutes a day on writing his novels—and that’s enough to finish writing a novel a year. All of us can find twenty minutes to dedicate to our work. Get up a bit early, go to bed later, or skip lunch—and use that time to write.

  

2. The Saturday (or Sunday) Writer. I’ve heard that the National Novel Writing participants who cannot write every day put in a big old marathon day each weekend. For writers who need time to get into the mood to write and hate quitting once they get there, taking a day each weekend to write sounds like a sensible thing to do. Pick up your computer, head off to a coffee shop, and write until your fingers get numb!

3 The Weekend Writer. A client of mine has written several of her fiction books on the weekend at hotels. She works full time and also has children, so taking a day a week to write is impossible. Instead, she books a hotel for one weekend a month through one of many available discount web sites. She enters the weekend with a chapter or word count goal and locks herself in the hotel until she finishes. (She does escape for food and exercise during the weekend.)

4. The Vacation Writer. Every summer, a writing friend takes a week of his vacation to participate in a writing workshop at one of the many writing programs in the United States. Other friends have given themselves a week at a remote cabin or friend’s empty house to work on their books. Wherever you end up staying, taking a vacation to write can be the perfect way both write and have a life.

Writers, there is no ideal or correct way to make a writing life. Do what works for you!

Rochelle Melander is a certified professional coach and the author of 10 books, including a new book to help fiction and nonfiction writers write fast:Write-A-Thon: Write Your Book in 26 Days (And Live to Tell About It) (October 2011). Melander teaches professionals how to get published, establish credibility, and navigate the new world of social media. In 2006, Rochelle founded Dream Keepers Writing Group, a program that teaches writing to at-risk tweens and teens. Visit her online at www.writenowcoach.com.

3 Keys to Brilliant Dialog

Dialog has always been one of my favorite things to write. It's easy for me, compared to other things (like plot). In my years of getting critiqued, dialog is the one thing on which I consistently receive positive feedback (sometimes the only positive thing, but we take what we can get, right?). Anyway, I'm just saying this so that when I explain how this dialog thing and all the advice about dialog fits and works in my head, you can take that head at least somewhat seriously.

1. Read your dialog aloud. You've heard this one before, I'm sure. But what are they really getting at here? It's all about sounding natural, but what does that even mean? To me, thinking "I must write Great Dialog" can be really intimidating, as opposed to "Its just me, yo." In everyday conversation you just talk, easily, almost reflexively, with little to no analytical thinking. When you read your dialog aloud it should feel as close to that as you can get it. If you can write it in that conversational way to begin with, all the better. (Don't believe anyone who says literary dialog can't be conversational. Just write. There are always edits.)

2. Get in Character Mode. In my experience the worst thing a person can do for their dialog (both in writing and acting, actually) is to think 'How would this character say this?' Right there you've lost all your naturality, and made your dialog stiff and contrived. You can't know how someone else would say or even perceive something, you can only know how you would say or perceive it. But Sarah, you say, my forty year old zookeeper musn't sound like his sixteen year old niece or people will figure out I'm a hack and throw one-star reviews at me.

So we bring out our inner thesbians. You know you have one. If you didn't you wouldn't be trying to tell a story. If you're going to write believable dialog for this character, you need to be that character. And that's not so hard, because they all came from you to begin with. They're all part of you, all in your head. So it's less thinking "How would a teenager say this" and more "I'm a teenager saying this." It's not some generic "A Teenager", it's you. As a teenager. Or a trucker, or a pirate or a seventy-year old retired FBI agent living in a rest-home. If you get rid of any self-conciousness and just write, the nuances between characters will be seem incredibly subtle to you, but will make all the difference. The key is to not think of what they say as separate from what you say.

3. Hear brilliant dialog. This is the fun part. This is when watching genius television (*ahem* Sherlock) counts as research. It's like learning any other skill, the best way is to watch someone who knows how to do it. Or for that matter, someone who doesn't and you can learn from their mistakes. Reading great dialog is good too, but I particularly like the idea of hearing it because dialog should flow from your pen as naturally and realistically as great dialog flows from a great actors tongue, which is to say, as naturally as it flows when you're telling your roommate the weird dream you had last night. I think its perhaps harder to get that same experience when you just have words on a page and didn't experience the way they flowed from the writers mind to that page. Does that make sense? But once you've experienced the ease and flow of good dialog it is of course a great idea to see how that translates to ink and paper.

Is dialog one of the hard bits for you, or easy? What have you done to make your dialog the most effective?

Sarah Allen

Sherlock...Benedict Cumberbatch...can't.handle.the.awesome.

Yes, I'm a few days behind, but last night I watched the last episode of Sherlock, called The Reichenbach Fall.

I...it was...no words. My roommate spent a good five full minutes laughing at my face.

Let's just say it was possibly the most emotionally effective episode of television ever created.

There's a reason Sherlock Holmes is one of the top three most well-known characters of all time. (The others being Mickey Mouse and Peter Pan. Can't remember where I heard that). We want to be him. Sort of. We want to be able to look at someone and know everything about them. He's just a brilliant character.

And Benedict Cumberbatch. Oh wow. I mean, beyond the squeeing about his curly hair and blue eyes (holy cow oh my gosh his eyes), the man is a genius. His Sherlock could not be more perfect. And Martin Freeman as Watson? Yes please. The fact that they're going to be in The Hobbit together (AHHH!!!) way overflows the worlds cup of awesome and almost makes up for the fact that we have to wait a year and a half (freaking year and a half!) for the next episode.

And you guys. I don't know how I'm going to make it, like for reals. When this episode was done I wanted to slap the freaking freak freak out of Steven Moffat. And then kiss his feet. But mostly slap him.

So yes, all I can manage right now is this incoherently fangirl squee, but if you haven't seen this show, you need to fix that. Right now. It's only six hours total, but if it were six hundred I would say the same. Please, please, please do yourself a favor and watch this show.

Why does this happen, guys? Why do we (please tell me its not just me) get so entirely invested in made-up stories and characters? I relish what that says about the importance of story to our most basic nature, but I can't quite figure out how it makes any logical sense. It's not about the logic at all, which is why it doesn't make sense, but still...why?

And how do we make people feel that way about our stories?

*Sigh*. God bless the BBC for everything they do. And God bless Benedict Cumberbatch and those eyes...

Sarah Allen

Writing the Denouement

So the big, climactic chapters are done. I only have a little bit of resolving left to go. After I wrote the end of the  climactic chapter I thought to myself, what if I ended it here? It seemed like it could be cool, but I think I have a few more things to take care of before the story is done. I'll make sure my beta readers agree with me on that one.

Now comes the denouement. The falling action, the resolution. I sort of know what needs to happen, but I want to make sure it plays out right, and has the right feel about it. Any tips on getting the most out of your ending? How best to make it work?

I even know what the last line is going to be. I just need to get there. I want the emotions to be in the right place, but I also don't want to lose too much of the drive, or action of the story. What kinds of things happen at the end of your novels?

Sarah Allen

Oh Captain, My Captain and other dreams

I'm feeling sick today, which is a shame because I really wanted to make some progress on the book, but I'm writing the BIG SCENE and I feel even more inadequate when my brain feels congested. Ugh. We're going to try, though.

My roommate and I watched Dead Poets Society last night. I cried. I love Robin Williams. Something about his half-shy smile and puppy-dog eyes.

The book is coming you guys, its going to be finished soon. Then its time for edits, which I'm hoping won't take as long as drafting did. I've spent so much time on the drafting, that seems only fair. I'm starting to do research on agents. Soon, you guys. Soon. Geez I'm ready to be done.

Short story collection is making progress too. Edits are finished. Maybe. Cover design is in the works. I may have to withdraw a few stories from submission but I'm thinking April 1 as a tentative release date. That's not a joke, by the way.

Job is great. I adore preschool kids, snotty noses and all. I only wish the hours and everything was more viable and secure. We'll see what happens there.

I think I want to start working on another picture book, too. Or a screenplay. Definitely a second novel, once this first one is done. Also I would love to learn to play the saxophone. And buy a turtle.

Happy Martin Luther King day. I hope you have a dream, too.

What's going in your life?

Sarah Allen

Funny, lolz and stuff

Here's to laughter and other worthy causes:

There's a lot more where that came from here. Have a happy weekend :)

Sarah Allen

10 Ways to Get Paid for Online Writing, with Lior Levin

So pleased to have Lior Levin with us today, talking about making money with online writing. Lior is a marketing consultant for a css company, and also consults for a company that works with physicians and patients to evaluate the likely effectiveness of new cancer treatments that specializes in new cancer treatments.Take it away Lior!

***

10 Ways to Get Paid for Online Writing
Selling words for dollars is easy, if you are aware of two things:

-How to put down the words together.

-How to sell your piece in the right market.

Be it a full time day job or an online freelance gig, good writing pays. Almost, always.

For the past couple of years, I have made a good amount of money by “writing for the web”. Not with my pen but with the keyboard, to be precise.

When I started out, I was clueless about the sites where I could actually get paid to write about the things I would write on my blog anyway. That time, I had a blogspot blog where I wrote about random topics e.g movie reviews, technology, gadgets, gaming and personal rants.

Over time, I discovered that there are a good number of sources who need full time writers on the topics I am passionate about. If you are a newbie freelancer and want to get paid for writing online, here is a handy list which you should remember:

1. Write in your own blog: 

Writing in your own blog pays and pays better than writing for anyone else. But there is a catch - you have to maintain your blog/website and make it popular in the first place. If your website never topples the average popularity line, it would be hard to make money through sponsored advertisements.

On the other hand, if your blog gets quite a few thousand visits daily, you can monetize it with Google Adsense, BuySellads, Chitika, Kontera and other advertising programs.

This is better than freelance writing as you can write whenever you want to and get paid from clicks on advertisements, banner ads and so on. The result is certainly much more rewarding than writing for someone else.

2. Write in article directories

If you do not have a website and have no vision of creating one, I would recommend starting with article directories. Write for free article directories in early days and build a solid online portfolio first. When you have the trust factor attached with your name, other paid article directories would contact you and you will eventually end up working for them.

3. Join other blogs as staff writers

Blogs and forums is not a one man affair these days. Most large blogs have full time writers and staff authors, who research and write stories regularly. If you are a skilled person and know how the ins and outs of something better than anyone else, contact an authority blog and ask them whether you can join their writing team. Show them proofs of your writing and if you have the talent, they will be more than happy to hire you.

4.  Participate in Freelance gigs

Small and medium sized websites often need part time writers for bi-yearly projects. Keep an eye on freelance forum sites and be-friend other freelancers on Facebook and Twitter. By participating in the community of freelancers, you would be able to crack a deal, sooner or later.

5. Write your own book

Do you have expertise and full proof knowledge over something which people want to know badly? Consider writing an ebook and sell it through your blog, email newsletter or through Amazon. If your blog is not so popular, it will be very difficult to sell the ebook you wrote.

In that case, I would recommend you to contact authority blogs in your niche and make a deal. You can split the sale amount by 70-30, so if your ebook sale crosses 10,000 copies - you would make a decent income through the exposure of the authority site selling your ebook.

Tip: Make sure your ebook is top notch and one of its kind, or else authority sites wont accept your deal in the first place.

6. Help someone write his book

A lot of prolific writers often look for “seconds” who can help them write their ebook. As a “second”, you have to research, prepare documentation, write dedicated sections and complete assignments for the author.

The result is pretty rewarding because when the eBook sells, people will notice your name. This hardens your standing soil and you gain that “trust” factor. Keep an eye on online Job boards and freelance sites for these occasional offers.

7. Look for Internships

Top Technology blogs e.g LifeHacker, Gizmodo, TechCrunch, Mashable often hire regular interns, so if you are really passionate about your subject,

8. Write For Startups

Startups are small organizations who are keen on developing their product and often need someone who can spread the word about their product, pitch authority blogs and maintain their official blog. Get involved with a startup and ask them whether they require a blogger or a media person for spreading the word. Almost all startups have interns who are responsible for writing documentation and maintaining their social media brand awareness.

Tip: research well ahead of time and make yourself familiar with industry jargon first.

9. Editing and Proofreading

If you have command over the English language, you can work as a copy editor for clients or blogs. The role of a copy editor is to correct grammatical mistakes, proofread and tweak the writing style of the author. This type of job is ideally suited for folks who are already engaged in a full time day job, as proofreading articles is not that laborious and takes only a few minutes.

But, where do I find these sources?

This is the million dollar question.

You have to be active on social networking sites e.g Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and regularly visit freelance portals/online job boards. Here is a list of sites where you can start:

1. Odesk.com
2. Freelancer.com
3. Problogger Job board
4. Freelance forum
5. Freelance Switch
6. Guru.com

Don’t jump for shortcuts, there aren’t any shortcut to make thousands of dollars within a few weeks. It is going to take some time, be patient and keep looking.

Good luck!

Green Day, Red Day, Work Day, Dead Day

You've heard the expression, "Treat every day as a gift."

What they never say is what kind of gift.

When I wake up, ready to open my day in its neat little box, I have certain expectations. I want certain things out of this gift of a day. When I look in this box I want to see writing, sleeping in, more writing, blogging, talking with roommates, going to the gym, reading, and at the end a nice little package of a chick-flick, kettle corn and peach citrus Fresca all wrapped up in a red bow.

What they never say is that gifts change, and are only rarely what you expect.

Sometimes I open the box and there's extra errands. Sometimes its puppies and rainbows. Sometimes its a new song or an old hoodie or sitting on the couch with my mom watching Biggest Loser and not wanting to leave. Sometimes its absolutely nothing. Sometimes it explodes.

I've learned that the best way to feel good about your writing and your life is to take what the box gives you and do the best you can with it. If its nothing, let it be a nothing day and don't beat yourself up about it. If its twenty juggling knives and a few flamethrowers, do the best you can and just try not to burn yourself. If you happen to wake up on a Saturday with no obligations, take advantage of it and write. If its puppies, give them to me.

It's just that I've been realizing lately that I'm spending too much time beating myself up about days that I don't get enough done and not enough time writing on days when I have more time to spare. Days can be unwieldy, but if we just go along with it, work with it, then I think we make more progress and stay healthier than if we try making bread out of vacuum cleaners.

So take what the box gives you and try to smile :)

Sarah Allen

In the Room Where You Are Writing

Ever wondered what other writers' writing space looks like?

I'm over at the wonderful Callie Leuck's blog today, answering that very question. She had the awesome idea of doing a series around that question, and getting pictures and information from a slew of different authors. Answers to not only the where, but the when and with whom and with what as well. Hop on over to check it out. Oh, and ignore the unmade bed. And the messy desk. And the teddy bear.

Callie is taking volunteers for this series, if you're interested, but even if you're not I would still love to hear your answers in a comment somewhere.

Where do you write, and when?

Sarah Allen

Lessons from High School Drama and some scheduling questions

Hi guys. Happily though unintentionally, this week has turned into a guest-bloggy kind of week.

The first one is today. I am over at Rochelle Melander's Write Now! Coach blog. The post is titled Lessons from High School Drama: Attitude vs. Aptitude. Pretty stoked, she is wonderful to work with and gives some pretty fantastic writing advice over there. And don't forget to check out her book Write-A-Thon. It could be an invaluable aid to anyone interested in NaNoWriMo, but I'm sure the advice in there applies to anyone writing at all.

So there's that going on, and then a special series on writing space going on tomorrow and a guest blog visiting us here on Thursday (talking about money. You won't wanna miss that one.) So (said in my best announcer voice) tune in tomorrow for more not-to-be-missed information.

Cool, yeah? It always makes my day when I'm approached about doing a guest post or hosting a guest blogger. That's what this community is all about, right? But anyway, what I wanted to ask you all is this:

How is the 5-day blog schedule working out for you all, and would particular themed days be of interested to you?

I blog five days a week (sometimes [often] more) because I want to. I love talking to and hearing from all you guys, the more often the better. But I don't want it to be too much. Because blogging so frequently makes for some serious, informational posts and for lots of other not-so-seriously informational posts, I want to make sure that's not a bad thing for you, or bothersome.

Many blogs also have themed days, like "Music Monday" or "Tell-the-Truth Tuesday" or something like that, and I would love to get your thoughts on that too. Does having one or two structured theme days make things more manageable for you the reader? And if yes, what types of themes would be of most interest to you?

Obviously I'm going to have to take any ideas you may have into consideration and decide for myself before I make any changes, but I really want to know what you think. Please don't be shy, and don't worry about hurting my feelings or anything like that. I can take it. It benefits both of us for me to know what would make things easier and more interesting for you personally. I really mean this, even if this is your first time to the bloggy blog, let me know your thoughts. And thanks :)

Sarah Allen

A Song and a Poem

Here's the song:

And here's the poem:

Have a fantabulous weekend!

Sarah Allen

If you didn't write, what would you do?

My roomie and I were talking last night, like we do sometimes. She's a writer too. I don't quite know how it came up, but we were talking about people who write just for themselves, with no goal of publication at all. Just for the fun of it. I told her I couldn't write like that. That I need that end goal of getting my words to readers as something to work towards, and that without it I don't know if I would have the gumption to finish any serious project.

I'm not sure how I feel about that. What does it mean that I feel that way? Why did I get into writing in the first place? I got into it because of the fulfillment and genuine joy it brings me. This may sound ridiculous, but I sort of feel like I don't and never did really have a choice. I don't want to go so far as to call writing a "calling", but its been with me and part of me for as long as I can remember. There have been times when I've wanted to write and do something else (photograph for National Geographic was a big one), but I've always wanted to write. I don't know what I would do if I didn't write. I'm not saying I couldn't live, I really just don't know what I'd do instead.

That could be an interesting mental exercise. What would it feel like to just completely drop the writing ball right now, and what would I do instead? I actually think these are good questions to ask, especially for me at this point, because I've been so focused on the career/business aspect of a writing career. It would be good to remind myself why I love writing in the first place.

So, what would it feel like? Very scary, first of all. I would feel very hollow. I would feel like the effort I've put into things all these years would have gone to waste, and that I would be behind in whatever else I decided to do. I would jump into whatever else I decided to do with my whole soul and kind of go bat crap crazy about it just because I don't know any other way to do things. It would be the littlest bit exciting, and I would have fun going through possibilities. The first one that comes to mind is aiming for a career at some place like National Geographic or the World Wildlife Fund or some other environmental non-profit agency. That seems like it could be amazing.

But would something like that, or any other career be as fulfilling? I'm thinking out-loud and trying to be totally honest with myself here. I really don't think it would. I mean, it would be incredibly fulfilling, but it would not feel as personal. I love the idea that through writing, I will never die, or that I can continue to be an influence in the world not just generally, but in a very personal way. I could see acting filling that same personally fulfilling need, but I don't know if it would go as deep, and I'm pretty positive I don't have the claws it takes to succeed in that industry these days.

I'm having a hard time being patient with writing right now, which is why I think this exercise has been helpful. It has actually been extremely helpful. I'm allowing myself to imagine life without going crazy about a writing career, and as refreshing as it seems in some ways, I don't want it. I'm impatient right now, but that's all it is. Impatience. I'm doing the planting and sowing, I just have to wait for the harvesting and reaping. But it will come, and this is the garden I want to plant in. For sure.

Another way it has been helpful though, is that I've been having day-job uncertainties. Because all I want is writing, I've been unsure about what to do in terms of supporting myself. Just last night I was telling my roomie that I was in this weird place of not being totally stable but not really knowing what I wanted as far as jobs go. But this helped me realize that there are other things that would be amazing that could support me and that I could do as well as write. The environmental agency thing is sounding better and better, and every writer needs a second career as well, right? Who says they have to be mutually exclusive? Because I'm so obsessive it takes extra thought for me to imagine things in a dual-career kind of way--how do you obsess over and give yourself to more than one thing?--but I don't think it has to be that way necessarily. I might have to start doing some research and see what I can see.

Whew. Thanks for letting me do that, guys. I actually feel like I've just aired out and sorted a mental file cabinet. What would your answers be? Could you imagine life without writing, and what would you do instead?

Sarah Allen

Being Taken Seriously as a Single Woman

I am not a feminist. Not in the make-up shunning, bra-burning sense of the word anyway.

But there's something I need to get off my chest. (Pun intended).

I'm not trying to complain, either. I think we've made remarkable strides in woman's rights, though I do think the term "women's rights" is a bit silly because we're all just people. But anyway, I've just noticed some things lately and I think I've noticed partly because of my sister.

My younger sister, just to clarify. She's a little over three years younger than me. And she's dating a guy very seriously, as in everything but officially engaged. They even have a tentative date, and he's been coming on family trips with us over the holidays. He's a great guy, she has been so cute about it, that's all fine and good.

It's the change in how she is being treated. Not big things, just a slight shift in attitude. Like she's really a grown up now, even though she's younger than me. My parents have been particularly good at treating us all the same, but its just a general attitude, ya know?

Is this a Utah thing? Or does it happen outside the bubble as well? I adore Utah, and I don't think its purposeful or even consciously done in many cases, but there's still this kind of weird thing that women are taken seriously based on their husbands. The exceptions are the women who have done something major with their careers, but even then its weird. Yeah, maybe it is a Utah thing.

I'm really not trying to complain, and I'm secure enough in my own life and ambition that it doesn't really get to me too much. I'm just noticing. It's just a bit irksome that being a young unmarried woman puts me in the "how cute" category, when I would be taken more seriously or given different opportunities if I were married, even though I'd be the exact same person. Maybe not exact same, but you get the point.

Does that make sense? My thoughts aren't really even clear in my own head, it's all very much on the level of vague general impressions. And most of them are probably me just being defensive anyway, but I thought I'd just spiel and see what you think.

So...what do you think?

Sarah Allen

Free story!!! And the story of the story.

I'm a little bit of an idiot, guys. I didn't realize authors were not allowed to list books as free on Amazon. Now, I love Amazon, but that's kind of dumb. I told you guys this was going to be a free story, and I meant it.

So I turned to our good friend Smashwords. After fiddling around on Amazon for a good long time, I've come to the conclusion that Smashwords is actually a good thing in this instance. The point of publishing these stories, as I've said before, is to be as available as possible. By using Smashwords, even people who don't have kindles can read the story. People with nooks and iPads can read it. People browsing the web can read it. And that's what we want for this. I'm going to do the "report a cheaper price" thing on Amazon, so I'll let you know if that works. But today, as I promised, this story is free. The entire anthology is on its way.

So without further ado, I give you my short story, "Gabby."

Sarah Allen

A short story and Elana Johnson, Taherah Mafi, Beth Revis, Stephanie Perkins and John Green oh my!!!

Happy 2012 everyone!

My birthday was on Saturday, and I just have to share the awesomeness that is my parents. Here is a taste of the joy that was in the box they gave me:

Yeah, I'm very happy right now. My reading is taken care of for the next month at least. Ok, so more than that, but the point is I'm set! All these books I've been dying and aching to read and I is a po' chil' but now I have them and can read them and them will make me happy more a lot! I loves my flamly.

Ok, now for business. *Ahem*. I've said I'm going to be indie publishing a short story collection, and that I'll be giving one sample story from the collection away for free. Well, guess what time it is. It's free story time. The story is formatted and all ready for me to press upload on Amazon KDP. So those of you with kindles or kindle apps for iPads and other such gadgetness can get my story for free. I know its the moment you've all been waiting for. Ok maybe not, but I've been waiting for it. I'm ready to have my name on peoples kindles. I know short stories aren't going to give me any huge sales or publicity perks or anything like that, but I've had these stories with me for a long time. They are part of me, and I want them to go to good homes. Which is why I'm giving them to you.

The story that will be available starting TOMORROW! is one called "Gabby." You guys know me through my blog, but I want you to know me through my fiction too. There are some truths only fiction can tell, and that's why I write stories. "Gabby", though the main character is younger than I typically write, is a good representation of the kinds of stories I like and generally go for. I'm going to leave it at that, you'll have to come back tomorrow for more information.

Ready?

Sarah Allen