Tag Archives: claudia mills

Hello, It’s Another Week

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Saturday was the official end-of-Mentor-Program picnic in the mountains.
I gave my mentor, Claudia Mills, a little plaque that included this:

                        CLAWDIA

 

This morning I ran on the trails and fell.
But it was the best fall, ever.
When I told Zebu that, he asked "Did you stick it on the dismount?"
I did!

Today I start my new plan for BIRD BRAIN,
which is to rewrite chapters from scratch.
I’ve been working on voice/characterization but it feels as if I’m
nickel and diming the story.
So….time to get serious and write it anew.
Zoinks.

I hope everyone’s Monday is off to a stellar start, and that the week just keeps getting
better and better.
            

Mentor Monday: The Final Scenes

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I’m in the home stretch on my revisions.
When I last met with Claudia, we decided my final chapter would be
a kaleidoscope of three small scenes.
So that’s what I’m working on this week.

I want my scenes to convey this kind of intricacy and balance:


(image from http://www.morguefile.com)

But if I don’t immediately get the scenes just right,
I can treat them like a kaleidoscope and make a slight adjustment,
and maybe that new view will be just what I’m looking for.
              

Building Tension and the Big O

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I met with Claudia yesterday to go over revisions.
The take-home quote of the day?

You’ve done an excellent job building tension in the story; it builds and builds and builds. 
Like an orgasm.

That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, I create orgasm-worthy middle-grade fiction. 
But I don’t think I’ll mention that as a selling point when it comes time to schedule school visits.

             

Focus, Tracy!

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I meet with Claudia on Thursday to go over revisions.
You may remember my glee at the progress I was making.
At that point in time, I was confident I’d fly through the rest of the revisions.
I told Claudia we were going to celebrate Earth Day together by reviewing all remaining chapters.
As in, every single chapter through The End!

Well, soon after shooting off my mouth I slammed right into a Wall of Doubt.

There is no way I’ll have the revisions finished by the day after tomorrow.
There’s only thing left to do:  Get as much done as possible and hope Claudia isn’t overly disappointed.


                

Mentor Monday: Trusting My Gut

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I heard back from Claudia yesterday on the two chapters I sent last week.
She had much good to say about the stuff that worked,
and offered a couple excellent points about places I needed to lay a little groundwork.

She also had some thoughts on how to handle a certain plot point.
I’m mulling over her suggestion, taking notes in my trusty notebook as I unravel my thoughts.
So far I’m thinking I need/want to go with my initial idea for this story line
but am mindful that part of me might be rebelling against outside influence.

The thing is, Claudia has had lots and lots of good ideas during this revision process.
I’ll have an idea and she’ll tweak it just a tiny bit to make it an even better idea.
I’m thrilled that my story is so much stronger than before
but I’ve also had a few insecure moments in which I wonder if the improvements are because of her or me.

I’ve never worked one-on-one before to revise an entire manuscript
and am wondering if anyone else has experienced any of these feelings.
Have you ever worried your story is better only because of someone’s input?
Or have I just gone out and invented a whole new brand of writerly neurosis?
               

Mentor Monday: Looking back in order to move ahead

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I’ve revised about two-thirds of my manuscript
and when I met with Claudia last week,
she cautioned me that in the final third
I must deliver on the tension developed thus far.

She’s right, of course.

But when you’ve ripped up your story’s floorboards
and knocked down a bunch of its walls,
it’s a bit overwhelming to figure out how to construct the remaining pieces.
Especially when you’re not entirely sure what pieces will be there.

But Claudia has a great method for writing the second half of your book:
Go back to the first half to see what’s there,and then use those elements in the latter part.

Stuff like:

  • The nosy neighbor down the street
  • The red and white twirly skirt
  • The dripping faucet
  • The neglected lawn
  • Best friend’s activist Grandma
  • The tiny photo album

These final chapters will require lots of new writing,
but at this point I’m only taking notes.
Lots of notes.

My middle mind had me include those elements for a reason,
and I trust that in time I will see how to construct a satisfying ending.

But sometimes you have to look back in order to move ahead.
                 

Everybody Needs a Mentor

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I’m back home after my fourth meeting
with my mentor, Claudia Mills.
And I just want to say,
if you ever have the opportunity to participate
in a SCBWI-sponsored mentor program,
do it!

Claudia isn’t just an ace at pacing and tension,
unafraid to tell me when I’ve struck the wrong note,
but also a mentor who is generous with her praise.

I practically float home after sessions with her.
She not only makes me feel good about what I’ve accomplished
but also fills me with a steely determination to meet her expections.
I never, ever want her to regret the compliments she’s given me and my writing.

And because so much of this journey is spent alone, in my head,
I’m going to be bold and link to Claudia’s blog post from today
in which she said insanely nice things about my writing.

You know, for those days when I’m feeling delusional.

Check out your local SCBWI chapter to see if you have a mentor program.
If not, maybe you can get one started.

Because every writer needs a Claudia in her corner.
                 

Mentor Monday: Storytelling

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My revisions are due to Claudia in two days
and I’ve still got lots to do.
I’m cutting some stuff I hope to use later,
adding new material to make the story flow,
and moving scenes around.

Claudia said during our last meeting,
"I think I’m better at structure [than you]."

I had to laugh because this revision process
has proved something I already suspected:
while I’m a very good writer (meaning, I use words well),
I have to work harder to be a good storyteller.

I have to consciously think about structure and pace
so that I do my characters justice in the way I let their stories unfold.

However.

I am learning.
All this work with Claudia is helping me think 
about my writing in a whole new way,
and I’m confident the lessons I’m learning while
revising CLOSE TO HOME
are lessons I will carry with me on every book to come.

And that’s what being a writer is all about:
bringing your always-improving game with you to each and every story.
                 

Mentor Monday: De-Blurring a Story/Picture

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So I’m at about the halfway mark in my revisions
and am very pleased with the changes I’ve made.
I met with Claudia the day before I left for Florida
and went over the chapters I’d revised plus
mapped out a strategy for the next chapters.

Claudia said many nice things about my work
and pumped up my enthusiasm for pushing ahead.

I took my trusty notebook and pages on the plane the next day,
and worked and worked from those notes
(plus had a delicious margarita with my pb & j sandwich).

And I realized something:
I wasn’t wrong to love CLOSE TO HOME as it was written before;
it’s a great story with complex characters.
I really had created a good picture.
The problem was, the picture was slightly off.
Blurry and confusing in places.
But with Claudia’s help, I’m bringing the picture/story into focus.

So my big epiphany is that we should never say our manuscripts suck
(I’ve said that and other awful things, and am going to try hard to never say such things again).
The truth is, when you write a book, you’ve created a unique word picture.
A picture that no one else in the whole wide world could paint.
And while it is possibly true that you could have employed better word choice,
or maybe used those same words in a different order,
or given more thought to how and when your characters speak their words,
that stuff is all fixable.

Writing novels isn’t like photography.
If part of our stories seem out of focus,
we can go back in there to bring clarity.

I’m really, really glad I didn’t give up on CLOSE TO HOME.
          

She’s baaack . . .

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I checked the thermometer and it read 51 degrees.
So I stopped work on CLOSE TO HOME
and changed into my hooping togs.

There on my dry-concrete patio,
surrounded by snow piles,
beneath the blue sky,
bathed in sunshine,
I hooped.

As I gazed up into the sky,
I saw a red-tailed hawk soaring and gliding.

Instead of thinking "Oh no, it’s Claudia!  She knows I’m not working on my chapters,"
I smiled and watched her until she was out of sight.
Then I finished my thirty minutes of hooping.

Now I’m ready to get back to those chapters.