Almost six years ago, I finished one novel—now deep in a virtual drawer— and started writing Julius for NANOWRIMO. The story was a  a respite from writing a Holocaust story, but after researching the Rosenbergs, the Blacklist, the Spanish Civil War, and anything having to do with the Left, I realized that there wasn’t anything funny about any of these subjects. However, I still wanted it to be funny so I manipulated scenes, I made characters do silly things, but I kept hitting one wall after another.

With this current rewrite, Julius is a different beast. It’s still about a magazine, but the motives and the goals of the characters have changed and there’s more conflict right up front.

Once I decided to take on this massive do-over and outlined my scenes, questioned why my characters were acting a certain way, the writing didn’t seem forced. That doesn’t mean I won’t run into some problems, but now when I see that I’m approaching a wall, I ditch the scene that’s not working instead of forcing it and the story to be something it isn’t

I’m currently working on the seventh chapter of the novel, and I ran into a roadblock. I suppose I could take a detour and write my way out of it. Although I think I can make the scene work, this time I’ve chosen a different vantage point because I’ve learned (finally!) that the reader doesn’t need the minutiae or details of Corinne’s job as fiction editor. The chapter is about a chance meeting with three veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigades and that’s what it should be about. Not her job, but how these characters will play into the plot.

Like so many things in life that you can’t force—love, career and friendship—you can’t force the writing either. If a particular element isn’t working—chuck it. Don’t fall into the trap of keeping it. Spare yourself the time and pain from all the head-banging when you discover that the 20K words you wrote to make that one scene work didn’t help one bit, but made it worse.

The next time you write 300, 400, or 500 words and you see your character putzing around in scene that has no relevance to the plot, subplot or theme, stop writing. Step away from the keyboard and rethink the scene. Don’t worry about making your daily word count, instead consider the story like a game of chess and try to be ahead by five moves. Think of how that chapter will portend a major plot twist in the book. If it doesn’t then it’s just padding to make your characters look busy and we all know the senselessness of that  and not accomplishing anything.

I’m a bit off since I took Wednesday off, so this post is a Belated Scrivener Saturday.

Apart from planning, outlining and writing Julius in Scrivener, I also use it for this blog and for organizing the online content for HAND/EYE Magazine.

This is how my binder looks for the HAND/EYE Scrivener project:

I recently started to play around with the freeform corkboard. With this feature, I can place my index cards wherever I like and I can also customize the background.

To use the freeform corkboard, you can access it by clicking the icon that looks like stacked cards at the bottom of the page.

You can arrange them in any order that you like. You’ll notice that however the order is changed, the order of the folders remain the same. If you want to change the size of the cards, click on the icon to the right of the stacked card icon and from there window will open and you can fiddle with the size.

Once you’ve determined how you want to order the cards, click on the Commit Order and a window will open that provides options for how the program interprets your layout. Under Start click whichever option is appropriate (I chose “Top” and the same with under Order From (I chose “Right to Left”) You’ll see that your cards have been reordered in the binder.

If you don’t like the default cork board background or the font, you can change that to suit your sense of aesthetics. To make the change go to the file menu click on “Scrivener” scroll down to “Preferences” and select the corkboard icon.

You can customize the background by going to the “Freeform Background” select “Custom Color” or “Custom Background.” If you select Custom Color, the box of crayons will pop up or you can play with the color wheel option. For Custom Background, you can select any photo that you have on file on your Mac. Here’s how mine looks using a custom color.

Next week, we’ll  learn all about stacked corkboards.

I wasn’t planning to do an end of year roundup or even post resolutions. I figured with What to Expect for 2012 that would be my year end send-off, but I got to thinking of what’s my number one goal for 2012 after some thought I came up with this: SLOW DOWN.

In the business world, young executives are taught early on about the benefits of planning, but proper planning takes time and each task needs to be thought through in terms of prioritizing. As simple as this might seem, getting your thoughts down for the day can be pretty hard if the phone is ringing, you’re getting pinged by email, endless meetings are scheduled throughout the week on top of the writing responsibilities and the client hand-holding.

When I worked at PR agencies I got in the bad habit of having to multitask and write materials that were due “yesterday” or “ASAP!” That sense of juggling too many balls in the air, of rushing through each task ultimately developed into a series of bad habits. I turned everything around quickly and everyone was pleased by how fast I jumped through a hoop, but I always felt rushed and breathless because everything was made into a catastrophe if it wasn’t turned in by an unrealistic deadline. However, I managed to create a method to this madness that suited me, but numerous tasks suffered and that included proof-reading, which no matter how often I seemed to reread my work (mostly in a rushed state) never improved.

These bad habits and feeling rushed finally come to an end for 2012. My motto moving forward is SLOW DOWN. That doesn’t mean that I’ll ignore deadlines, it only means that I’m slowing down so I can organize, prioritize and do the job right.

Since my last post, I’ve been thinking how to make this site/blog more of a destination of information for writers, especially those who are trying to break into this difficult and not very lucrative profession. I’ve come up with an editorial calendar of themes to cover and I hope that it’s enough of a draw to keep the subscribers I have but also attract more.

I’m doing this because I’ve decided to be more goal-oriented and hope that it will help me with completing Julius, while building a platform. Plus, for new writers they can see what my previous mistakes were when I first started this site and how I’ve evolved in becoming a much improved blogger—at least that’s what I am shooting for.

So the themes run in this manner:

• Mondays: Free for all. This means that I will write about whatever inspires me. It could be something about Julius, it could be about the querying process, an astute observation (or not-so-astute) that’s related to writing as well as building a platform and social media. And I promise, no more contests because the last one was a dismal failure.
• Wednesdays: Book recommendation on writing. I wanted to keep Alvah’s Books and reviews separate from this site, but in terms of books relating to craft I think they fit better here than over there. I will offer my recommendations and a list of the ones I review with links to purchase (disclaimer: I am an Amazon Affiliate).
• Fridays: Grammar Tutorial. This is probably more for me than for readers, but I’m always questioning my grammar and mechanics. If you have a question, who knows, I may very well have the answer.
• Saturdays: Scrivener Tutorial. As I continue to learn how to master this terrific software, I’ll share my latest discoveries of how Scrivener can help you organize any major writing project.

Apart from this site, I recently relaunched FitandSvelte.com, which is dedicated to getting healthy and fit, but also will allow me to write about nutrition, fitness and health. Apart from helping me get back to getting back to optimal health, it may aid in pursuing other freelance writing opportunities. Currently, there are only two posts, but that site will have its own editorial calendar.

I don’t want to say that 2012 will be the year that Julius will be finished for once and for all, I’ve done that in the past and discovered that many of my deadlines were unrealistic. But the biggest realization about Julius was that I didn’t know where my story was leading to and why. Yes, I had a conclusion, but the action that led to it wasn’t logical. Now I believe that many of the changes will make sense. And that’s all I’m saying.

I hope that my small group of readers—and whoever stumbles upon this site—had a lovely holiday, and I wish you all the very best for 2012!

About a year ago, the Ol’ Man’s mother asked me how the novel was going and I told that I had made some major changes that included adding a blogger a la Ayn Rand who would harass my Merry Marxists. As I explained my convoluted plot and how Alvah Bessie plays into the story,  she scrunched up her face and said, “I just don’t know who would want to read this. Who cares about a dead Communist. Why do you want to write about this?”

Well, now… there’s really not much to say when someone says that to you.

The Ol’ Man has similar feelings. He’s not political and so when he makes the same comment, I explain not everyone is as disinterested in politics as he is and that Julius is not just about a dead Communist, but my astute observations (or maybe not-so-astute) of this country’s perception of those of us on the left.

I know that when I finish this novel, my next one will center on a story of a young Abraham Lincoln Brigade volunteer. The story will take place between 1930 and 1937. So I guess, it’s safe to assume that I’m leaning into the historical fiction genre and focusing on events that centered on politics of the left.

A few months ago when I spoke with Dan Bessie, Alvah’s son, I shared the comments from the Ol’ Man and his mother, and mentioned the idea of the new book. He disagreed with their views and also added, “This is who you are. It’s a part of you. Write it.”

And he’s right. It is a part of me and it’s something I can’t deny myself from writing or talking about. And with that in mind, I thought I would end it with this little ditty sung by Pete Seeger.

For the past month I’ve been nursing a cold and flu and I’m finally much better, but getting sick wreaked havoc on Julius by crashing into a solid wall of so-called writer’s block.

I tried to maintain some sort of creative energy via reading and watching several movies, but I was guilt-ridden that I wasn’t writing anything new for Julius. The problem was that a part of me did not want to scrap what I had already written despite it wasn’t working at all for the story. But yesterday, after re-reading the first three chapters of Theodore Draper’s The Roots of American Communism, I realized I had some factual errors that needed to be fixed so I went back to revision mode and then KAPOW! An epiphany: Stop holding on to material that doesn’t work at all for the story.

Many writers argue that writer’s block doesn’t exist that it’s used an excuse to not work. After much thought about this, I have to agree. Although I said right in that first paragraph that my cold and flu brought on a side case of writer’s block, the truth was that I didn’t feel well enough to write, and I was feeling lazy, and I was harboring the idea that I could somehow finesse what I previously wrote through revisions and not have to throw it out.But that wasn’t the case, and once you admit yourself that what you wrote isn’t moving the story forward and you can say so long to all those chapters that’s when the so-called writer’s block magically disappears. It’s actually very liberating.

So now that I’ve come to this realization, I’m happy with the idea of starting over, and I have several new ideas that make much more sense for the story. And now it’s time to mush on forward. I have a book to finish.

I’ve been sick for the past ten days with a cold that won’t go away. Most of what I’ve been doing has been on automatic pilot. My writing and revising has been on hold mostly because of the brain fog. So I’m spending far too much time on Facebook reading updates or writing silly ones about the dogs. Otherwise, my time has been spent on activities where there’s not much creativity or going to bed early to read.

During the day I continue to follow the discussions on the writing list at the Internet Writing Workshop, and there’s been an ongoing thread about books on craft. Some people have mentioned Robert McKee’s Story, which is primarily for anyone interested in learning how to develop a screenplay, but many people have noted that it’s also good for fiction. McKee’s book has brought both praise and scorn. On the pro side, some, like me, have remarked that he does provide good advice on craft; others are skeptical in part because they think McKee is formulaic. I can’t say off-hand, because I haven’t delved much into his book (it’s a meaty tome).

There are a number of very good books that help with crafting, I own a fair share of them, but so far the two that have struck a chord with me has been Elizabeth Lyon’s Manuscript Makeover and Priscilla Long’s The Writer’s Portable Mentor. Both authors tackle wordsmithing, creating a distinct voice, developing an ear for the sound and flow of words, and much more.

But the old and best advice you can follow is to read, and read a lot. As I previously wrote I’ve been on this reading marathon, combing through all the reviews of books that come to my inbox, which led me to the wonderful Olen Steinhauer. Although, Steinhauer’s genre is espionage, I’ve learned so much about plotting and character development, but also voice and narrative. But as I look back at the most recent revisions I made, I realize that I still have a very long way to go if I am using Steinhauer as a benchmark for good writing and storytelling.

So where does this all lead me? More reading, more writing and more revisions. It’s exhausting and frustrating work, but I have to take it word by word, sentence by sentence. In other words, I have to follow my own common-sense advice: look at my story as a giant puzzle and make sure that each piece tightly interlock together.

I won’t bother to do a recap of this year, or most popular posts, or even list the top blogs I read often. Nope. Instead I thought I would write of what I plan to do today and this weekend–write, read, and knit.

Let’s start with the knitting. I want to finish the blanket I started earlier this year and while I knit and purl my way through the end of 2010, I plan to listen to Stephen King’s new short story series, Full Dark, No Stars. Earlier this year, I discovered how much I enjoyed knitting and being read to, and accomplishing two things that relaxed me, kept me entertained, and actually learned something about writing.

The next item on the agenda is to write a post on a new Scrivener feature I discovered and loved. That will be part of the Scrivener Saturday tutorial. And while I am on the topic of Scrivener, I plan to set up more templates for some other writing projects that I plan to kick-off in 2011.

I’m off for a four day jaunt in New York City next week, so I need to get one article written and the letter from the editor for the online issue of HAND/EYE Magazine by Sunday, but I’ll also be completing the bio on Jake for Julius.

Finally, I plan to relaunch my Fit and Svelte blog tomorrow, and hope that will lead to some writing gigs that deal with nutrition and fitness (as if I really have time).

That’s about it for now. It’s a weekend that will keep me busy and, hopefully, out of trouble.

To all my readers, HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope it’s a very happy one for you all.

First, I hope this day is spent breaking bread with the ones you love.  Second, if you’ve been following the nonsense about the Pilgrims, the Indians, and socialism, this red (and I mean red, in the true meaning–progressive–not the current reactionary or ignorant one) thought it would be worthwhile to share this letter with you all. Jack Shakely wrote to The Los Angeles Times (unfortunately, it didn’t get printed in today’s issue).  Jack is a member of the Internet Writing Workshop and, he was also the chair, Los Angeles City/County Native American Indian  Commission. And now for Jack’s wise words:

As we celebrate Thanksgiving, there are those who want us to  believe that  the Plymouth Pilgrims didn’t thrive until they broke free of  secular socialism.

It would be good to remember that the other people at that  first feast,  the folks who in fact brought the food and made the feast  possible, were  then, and continued to be for the next 250 years,  communists.

The great American Indian nations owned their land in  common, harvested their crops and hunted the buffalo in common, feasted  together in good times and faced famine together in hard times.

This is not to say that the Indian way was superior to the  Pilgrims, just different. The Pilgrims and Indians at the first Thanksgiving  couldn’t have been farther apart in politics, religion and culture. Yet they  embraced our shared humanity, and both came away stronger because of it. Let  us try to do the same.

Jack Shakely
former chair, Los Angeles City/County Native American Indian  Commission

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

So this is a  big deal! One hundred posts about my trials and tribulations about writing Julius, working as freelance writer, and an occasional post on whatever is top of mind.

I feel as if I should celebrate and have some cake. Wait, I can’t do that I am on a strict diet.  But I will write about some changes I’m making to Julius.

Have you ever read William Goldman’s The Princess Bride? Don’t cheat and say yes when you actually saw the movie, which was cute, but the book was much better. One of the gimmicks that Goldman used was that he interrupted the story with his own observations about his wife and kid, working in Hollywood, and  about life in general. I loved those sections because he really was reaching out to his audience  and confiding in them. Sort of what I do with these posts. I mean doesn’t it seem that I’m actually sitting next you, drinking a cup of coffee, shooting the shit, about what’s next for Julius or what recent software discovery I made. It’s personable, right?

Apart from adding more layers and depth to the scenes I have I thought it would be a neat little trick to have Corinne, the narrator,  step out of the frame of telling her story, and address her audience. John Burdett uses this in his Bangkok series. His narrator and hero, Sonchai Jitpleecheep, addresses his readers as farang, the Thai word for Westerner.  For Corinne, this would be her way of editorializing in her wry manner. I’m playing around with it and I have to send it to my workshop members and see if it works. One person likes the concept, but she hasn’t read it yet.

Other than that, I am adding more musculature to the story, trying to play around with metaphors, answering questions workshop members had about how the characters could afford to quit their jobs to run a literary magazine and be gilded bohemians. Lots to work to do for Part 1, and I have to get myself out of the corner for Part 2. That means reconsidering the role of three characters. These are the bad guys, and I need for each one to make sense of why they belong in the story. So it’s time to use the white board draw up a list of why they should be included and why they should.

[Insert BIG sigh]

It seems my work is never done. And let’s not talk about the paying job. That seems to have turned into a 24/7 job, and I’m behind. Very behind on writing lots and lots of articles!

Even though I have discussed time management numerous times, it still is an issue. And I don’t know what to do except get up earlier, go to bed later, cut out all socializing (off and online), and just be focused on one thing: Writing.

Speaking of which I have a story to write and a revised chapter to send to a workshop member. Off I go!