Percolation!

For some reason my brain has lately latched upon the concept of percolating when it comes to creating or making a decision. Yes, I’m showing my age if I admit remembering percolating coffee makers, but we had moved on to the drip system by the time I was drinking coffee in earnest.

Still, the concept of percolating is intriguing, and aptly applied to the writing process. What others might consider procrastination or downright avoidance is often plain old percolation! You might think when I do the laundry, vacuum the rug or pull weeds in my garden that I’m procrastinating. But you are wrong-I’m percolating!

Let me explain. The different stages of creation (coffee or art) start at the top of the pot with the perforated spreader plate through which hot water drips down onto the coffee grounds below. I like to think of this as the actual ‘hands on keyboard’ or ‘pen to paper’ process trickling down and filling the blank page with words.

Next comes the filter—obviously the editing process! And the resulting brewed coffee is the final edit, ready to be enjoyed by caffeine addicts worldwide…once published, which must be when it’s poured out of the spout! Okay, let’s not get over-similed!

But still, you see what I’m saying; it’s a process. And way down there at the bottom of the pot is a very important component we shouldn’t forget: the heat source. In coffee, it’s, well, heat!

In writing, the heat source can be any number of things that spur us to creative action. The spark of inspiration that perked up at the very start is definitely a heat source. As is the desire to express and share your thoughts. Of course, it could be the critique buddy who is waiting for more pages to read or the demands of a writing challenge like NaNoWriMo. Maybe even an agent or editor counting down a deadline.

Ultimately, proper percolation can provide a potent brew, in the cup or on the page.

image courtesy of Wikipedia

Busy Day? There's Still Time to Write!

I found this great piece titled Writing and a Busy Life? Four Tips for Making it Work by Elisabeth S. Craig. It's on a wonderful site I've recently discovered that encourages, inspires and promotes women writers called, Women Writers,Women Books

She's a busy woman, as are so many of us! Busy with work and kids and home-some days the demands do seem endless. I am always happy to read something motivational that not only gives me tips, but gives me encouragement as well. And Ms. Craig's article definitely does that!

A couple of her tips that I particularly liked were: 1) use little downtime moments to brainstorm characters/plots/settings; 2) Set realistic writing goals that you have an shot at achieving.

This second goal is SO appropriate for me-and something I've recently embraced. Yes, I can write 3000 or more words in a day. I can write a chapter in a day. But can I do it daily? Sadly, no, and I doubt few do. We all have our inspired days, but those days come as the result of days where you spend more time researching and writing, or editing and tweaking. It's the in-the-trenches writing that sets us all up for those gold medal, marathon moments.

That's one reason I am truly enjoying participating in a current writer's challenge. I set an extremely modest goal of 250 words a day. I knew I had editing to do on two other books while writing the sequel to The Shell Keeper (not to mention researching Colorado's wine country for this book!), so I knew there would be days when little writing was done. Still, if I can glue myself to the keyboard to crank out 250 words, it often turns into more.

Yesterday it turned into 1361 words! If I'd set an unrealistic goal of 3000 words a day I would have had a down day for certain. But instead I felt good about myself, the process, and the book. In so many ways writing is a mind game, but clearly it's a game we can set ourselves up to win!

Click HERE to read Ms. Craig's article!

Pinterest Pastimes...

This was a low key Thanksgiving. I was reminded of Del in The Shell Keeper, who found herself attending rather than hosting the turkey dinner for possibly the first time in her life. On the one hand, there was the melancholy of parting with tradition...but on the other hand, there was a lot less work!

Of course, even though I wasn't in charge I couldn't resist making way too many desserts: apple and cherry pie, pecan pie squares, chocolate cake. Did I mention I love dessert? My time was well spent in lovely Breckenridge, Colorado, where our family convened for food, fun and general family mayhem.

It was also a time to put aside anything work related and do fun things...like pinning items of interest on my Pinterest board. I don't know who invented this idea, and at first I thought it was fairly useless. It is, after all, just a place to save ideas, dreams, designs and maybe plot some creativity. Nothing it actually done there.

But then I realized that pulling together those bits and pieces, then perhaps combining them into something concrete in your life is an awful lot like writing a book. And I would never say that was a waste of time...so I guess I'll go pin some more...

Photo courtesy of Pinterest.com