Planner or Pantser?

The make-or-break question when making writer friends: “are you a planner or a pantser?” I’m still not entirely sure why this is such a contended question. Personally, I’m a “plantser” (a mixture of both… yes I know I’m weird), so perhaps that is why I don’t particularly care which way you go about writing a first draft. You outline every chapter and fill out character sheets and the whole nine yards before you even start writing? Cool, sounds organized and thought-provoking. You word-vomit onto the page and go from there, learning your plot and characters along the way? Awesome, sounds surprising and adventurous.

If you’re considering doing NaNoWriMo next month and you’re seeing all the social media posts about NaNo prep this month, you are probably having varying degrees of excitement. Planners are rubbing their hands together excitedly, grabbing a pen and their favorite outline format. Pantsers… maybe not so much. You might be thinking that prep is just not for you and you’re just going to wing it come November 1st. Which is do-able, for sure (I’ve done it, much to my organized heart’s dismay).

That being said, NaNo prep can be useful to anyone, no matter your pre-writing methods. That is so, since “prep” doesn’t necessarily mean “pre-write.”

It’s like the whole rectangle vs. square thing (for you math people out there). Pre-writing is prepping, but prepping doesn’t have to be pre-writing. Prepping can mean cleaning off your desk and getting your Nano spot comfy and stocked with the supplies you’ll need this November (like pens and a laptop charger and chocolate and a blanket and possibly a Keurig…). Prepping can mean pondering on potential ideas, letting your imagination wander while you go about your day. For us plantsers, it can mean looking at a planner and setting aside specific times and days for writing (even if we don’t plan our first drafts, we can still plan our day).

All this to say, make this NaNo season your own. Embrace it, no matter your strategies or plans (or lack thereof). Take this November by the horns and write that first draft!

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Throne of Glass: A Review

An assassin in a fantasy novel with great world building? What’s not to like?

Sarah Maas does a fantastic job with writing the story of Celina, a world-class assassin who, a year before, had been caught and sentenced to life as a slave in the deadly salt mines. She’d already lasted longer than anyone else when the crown prince of the very kingdom that gave her the death sentence approaches her with a proposition: compete and win to be the king’s personal assassin in exchange for eventual freedom.

This story is one of suspense, friendship, mystery, action, and a touch of romance. And don’t forget the magic. The characters leap off the page with their quips and nuances. The world is complex, yet understandable and relatable. Every detail about this story has its time and place of significance.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the first of the series (which I plan to pick up book #2 as soon as possible!), although my one complaint, if I have to be nit-picky, would be the ever-ruined love triangle. It seems a bit flat and unnecessary, but I have only read the first book, so perhaps that development is still to come!

If you are a fan of Camelot-esque myths and the suspense of romance+espionage, then Throne of Glass is a must-read.

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Productive Journaling

I live an oxymoron. I am a “creative” and yet there is no doubt at all that I am very much Type-A. I do not do well “pants-ing” in writing or in life. I love schedules more than I should and without one, I may or may not be totally lost. Therefore, I was unreasonably excited when I discovered there is a journal that combines these traits. A bullet journal. I’m sure a lot of you have heard of these or heard me mention them, but recently when I’ve talked about it, people have heard of bullet journaling but are not sure what, exactly, that means.

If you need structure but a normal planner or agenda just doesn’t cut it: buckle your seat belts for the best middle ground I’ve been able to find so far. And it’s the best because it can be basically whatever you want it to be.

With the start of October here (already!!) and NaNoWriMo just around the corner, I figured now would be a good time to break down how and why my bullet journal is one of my best and favorite writing tools.

What is a Bullet Journal? Basically, it is a personalized planner. You can make it look however you want and include whatever pages you want to keep track of anything from a daily schedule to meal planning to health to writing routine. And you can put as much or as little work into it as you wish. The great thing about it, other than the customization, is the ability to create something and get organized at the same time. It gives a sense of relaxation, ease, and encouragement!

Getting Started!

Step One: Supplies

1. Notebook/Journal: You can make this as elaborate or as simple as you choose.  I started out simply with a random notebook I had lying around, but I prefer journals with a dot grid.  
2. Pens of choice: These are for writing in your planner, color-coding if you so choose.  Personally, I use a mixture of G2 pens, Arteza fine liners, and Micron art pens.
3. Any other art supplies you wish or a computer with printer: Personally, I draw my own layouts (mostly using ideas from Pinterest), but they do make free printable templates if you find yourself unable to create what you want or if you simply don’t have time or energy to put into it.  It’s up to you!

Step 2: Set up

Once again, this is pretty much all up to you.  It all depends on what you want to include.  The most important things, if you are planning on using your bullet journal for staying organized, are your weekly spreads.  I also like to include monthly at-a-glance calendars to give me a big-picture view.  You can make these all at once at the beginning or you can make them as you go through the journal.  I have found that if you make your spreads as you go, it helps to either have an index at the beginning or tabs along the side so it’s easy to find what you need. 

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Any of your other pages, like a writing tracker, for example, can go wherever you want.  It might take a few months to figure out the best set-up for you, so I recommend going month-by-month to start out until you decide what you like best.

Step Three: Using the Bullet Journal

I use my bullet journal daily.  I keep my work schedules in here, as well as how much I want to write each day, habits I want to keep track of, and how much money I’ve spent.  I write it all down, because if I don’t, I feel like my brain has to keep track of it all at once, which stresses me out like no other.  A lot of people are not wired like me, though, so if you are one of those people, don’t feel like you have to look at your bullet journal nearly as often as I do.  Maybe you only need it to remind you of writing deadlines or long-term writing goals.  Maybe for you, it is just a once-a-week gathering of ideas and a time to doodle and plan out how you want to spend your time.  

Step Four: Extras

Don’t think your bullet journal has to be entirely organized and solely for goals and planning.  Feel free to mix it up.  Intersperse your organization pages with pages scrawled with snippets from your WIP and doodles and shower-thoughts.  Sketch out your characters on a random free page, if that is a thing you like to do.  Write daily haiku.  Pull out your journal at a coffee shop and write down every adjective that describes the space on the next blank page.  Basically, make this journal contain anything and everything you want it to.  Make it yours.  It can be as free-flowing or as straight-laced as you so choose.  

My bullet journal keeps me on track. It reminds me how much I need to write per day until my deadline. It informs me when I have to be somewhere and when I have to work in my writing at a weird time one day. But it also helps me spew out my creative thoughts, my brainstormed ideas, my random excerpts of half-thought-out poetry. Hopefully, you will find bullet journaling to be just as satisfying as I do, and remember: make it yours and put as much energy into it as you feel you should.

For more ideas or details, check out my pinterest board (linked above and below) and this super aesthetic and helpful blog about bullet journaling. Also, here is a blog with a ton more information and some printables too! Happy journaling!

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Under Construction

There are seasons both in writing and in life that are a constant state of flux. Perhaps you can’t decide which project to dedicate your time to or you are moving to a new town or starting to meet some new friends. It could be as simple as getting used to a new routine and figuring out how writing will fit into your new-but-still-busy schedule. Nevertheless, these seasons are just that: seasons. They ebb and flow, but while we are in the midst of these chaotic times, there is much to learn.

New ideas always seem to come during these seasons. Something big is changing? Let’s go ahead and and change everything else, too. New wall color, new job (fingers crossed), new writing project, new social media, new goals. Let’s learn how to tuck and roll with the punches and make the most out of this hectic, crazy, invigorating time.

All that being said, be looking forward to some new changes around Celestially Created. I’m not exactly sure what those changes are going to look like yet because they are still figuring themselves out, but they’re going to be exciting. This season of my life can hold nothing less. I am under construction, more like under renovation, and God is doing some beautiful things with my attitude and outlook on life. I can’t wait to see what He has in store for me, for my writing, and for this blog! Stay tuned… and comment below some new, exciting things you’re working on or things you’d like to see from this blog!

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Sigh: Relief

Patience is a virtue. Yeah, we’ve all heard that one. Especially me, who was raised by a woman whose favorite song when I was growing up was “The Patience Song.” On the one hand, we write patience off because we hear this phrase so much. In a culture of instant gratitude, it is becoming more and more difficult to hear God whisper those two little words in your ear: “Not yet.”

On the other hand, though, what’s almost worse than writing off patience is lying and saying we are okay with being patient. Honesty is also a virtue. Writing is about being patient, yes, but it is also about being honest, especially in the times of what feels like failure. (Notice I said feels like; just because it feels that way hardly ever means you are actually failing — it simply means you are waiting). These times are hardly ever easy, and writers will tell you that in a slew of poetic sentences and genius turns of phrase. They are not wrong: these times of waiting (waiting for acceptance, waiting for ideas, waiting for words…) are some of the most difficult you will face as a writer, but when you hear it from published, successful authors in the form of published, successful words… it looses some of its impact. It allows you to think yeah, but they don’t really mean that. They don’t really get writer’s block, not like I do.

Well, you have to realized that they probably have had just as bad (if not worse) writer’s block than you’re having now. They probably had it writing that very passage that made you think otherwise. But just because you don’t think “real writers” have had the same kind of struggles you are having doesn’t mean you can’t show (or write about) your own frustrations. Be honest with yourself. Be honest with your audience, whoever that may be. Write what you don’t know you feel until its on the page. Write what you really think. Don’t be afraid you’re feeling the wrong thing.

Write it out. Publish it on your blog if you feel like it. It’s okay to be a little afraid of putting your true self into words, your honest feelings, even if you know they’re a bit crazy. Sometimes, that healthy bit of fear turns into productivity — it turns into relief, or better yet, release.

Luck of the Dice

Developing a story idea is one of the hardest parts about writing. Once you get sucked in to actually writing, the going seems easier (for a while, at least), but getting into the rhythm of your story can feel like rollerskating on gravel. Complete with bumps, hang-ups, and scrapped shins.

There are often aspects of story ideas that are gray, vague. Parts that tend to be cop-out decisions that don’t really change the story or make it interesting. For me, most all my stories tend to take place in a realistic, modern day American setting. I have to ask myself, though, does this setting, this aspect of the story, make it any more interesting? Does this aspect move the story along at all? Sometimes, the answer is yes. Other times… not so much.

Something I have yet to try but I think would be really helpful is dice roll story telling. Pick an aspect of your story that seems boring or unimportant. Is your setting generic? Is one of your side-characters inactive? Number 1-6 (or 1-12 if you’re feeling adventurous) and label each number with some way you could change that aspect of your story. Don’t be afraid to include some of the most outlandish things. Include changing your story to the wild west or another galaxy as well as changing it to modern-rural instead of modern-urban. Include options for that side character like changing from an ordinary high school boy to a high school boy who is obsessed with time travel or even a boy who is from fifty years in the future. Then roll the dice and see what you get.

These changes don’t have to be permanent for your story. You could be surprised and they could completely change your story for the better. Or, this could be an exercise to get you thinking outside the box. Either way, try it out. You never know what could happen.

Letter by Letter

Acrostics are the most under-rated type of poem. Yes, I am aware they are the poems third graders are assigned to write about flowers or the beach or rainy days, but who says we can’t embrace our inner child? Who says we can’t find the poetry in those simple things (or in more complex things) just like we could when we were kids?

This week, I challenge you to find a word each day. Did you use a word you don’t normally use? Did someone say some quip that fit the moment perfectly? Did you learn a new word? Take these words and turn them into poems. Set a goal for yourself. Challenge yourself to write one acrostic each day, or maybe that’s a bit much for your schedule; write two or three over the course of a week.

They don’t have to be great. Just practice finding the poetry in words and embracing the simplicity of what poetry can be. It doesn’t have to be life changing or complex; poetry can be impactful even if it is a grown-up version of a poem you wrote in third grade.

Here’s an acrostic I had a lot of fun writing recently:

Your eyes shine golden-blue,
Elemental whirlwinds of color,
Luminescent sky, warm
Loving earth, swearing an
Oath to adventure, your eyes the
Wondering sun.

Remember to comment your favorite acrostics!

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Can’t get over the hump?

It’s hump day, which means 1) it’s Wednesday and 2) there’s probably a large bump, or perhaps a mountain, in your story that you just can’t seem to conquer. It may be the dreaded writer’s block where you just have no idea what to write next. Or maybe you know where you want to end up, but you don’t know how to get there. Or if you’re like me, you just don’t quite know your characters well enough to keep going with the story.

One of the best devices I use to get over most of these problems is free writing about my character. I like to find random prompts and write them using the character I am currently working with.

Today’s prompt to help get you at least climbing over the hump:

If your character would compare themselves to a historical figure, who would they be? If one of your side characters had to compare the main character to a historical figure, who would they choose? Does your Flannery O’Connor think she’s Marilyn Monroe? Does your Henry Clay think he’s Winston Churchill? What characteristics do these comparisons highlight?

Comment your comparisons and descriptions below!

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Refresh.

Summer is a time to relax and start new. It’s kind of like a second-chance-January, a time of the year you can take a breather and then reinstate your goals and plans. It’s like hitting the refresh button. The goal didn’t quite load the first time, so we’re trying it again.

And there’s nothing wrong with that. Your writing routine didn’t stick like you wanted it to? Try something different, like a different location or time of day. Your current project isn’t quite going in the right direction? Take a writing vacation and come back to it with a fresh mind; sometimes you just need to not look at it for a while to come back and see the solutions.

Take a vacation, whether that means actually going somewhere or just staying where you are and taking a break from your current project. Let your mind breathe for a bit before you take a new look at your writing or your writing habits and reassess where you want to be in the future. Where you are now is good, but where you will be is even greater.

What are some of your Refresh plans for this summer? Comment below. I’d love to hear them!

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Summer Readin’ (Dystopian Edition)

The Dystopian genre boomed a few years ago and has seemed to trickle out, but a lot of people don’t realize that this genre was not just a fad. It started long before Hunger Games, although that is one of the most popular and recognized Dystopian novels right now. Admittedly, Hunger Games did introduce me to Dystopian literature and that series, along with my love for classics, led me to dig deeper. Here are some of the “original” Dystopian novels that I have come to love.

• Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank: Set in the hypothetical end of the Cold War in which Russia nukes the United States, Frank writes an intense, heart-warming, dark, endearing story of nuclear fallout, family, and isolation.
• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury: See listing on Summer Readin’ Classics Edition. This book depicts a dystopian society in which cars go as fast as they please, people are only out to have fun, and books are burning.
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle: This book that is arguably sci-fi overlaps with dystopian themes. Meg must navigate dealing with extraterrestrial beings, but she must do this in order to find her father who has mysteriously disappeared as a part of a government conspiracy.

Bonus: here are some classic Dystopian novels on my Summer reading list!

• A Clockwork Orange by Anthont Burges
• Animal Farm by George Orwell

What are your favorite Dystopian novels? Do you prefer classic or modern Dystopian lit?

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