Chelsey Krause's Blog

This year, Canada is celebrating it's 150th birthday! I am very excited to announce that I have been invited to "A Very Canadian Festival, Eh?" in Keephills, AB to speak about my experiences as a Canadian author. I will also have paperback copies of my latest book, "All Shook Up," on sale for $20/each. Where: Keephills Community HallWhen: June 10, 2017Time: 10:30 AM Event on FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/24243... is a FREE, kid friendly event, with a pancake breakfast, bouncy houses, and more. See you there! 

I love supporting / bragging up other authors, and am excited to be part of author Laura Barnard's cover reveal for her latest romantic comedy, "Excess Baggae."How beautiful is this cover!?!?It's out on May 23rd and you can pre-order now: myBook.to/ExcessBaggageLBSynopsisStuck in a dead-end relationship, Erica Bennett finds herself daydreaming of her first holiday romance. She was fifteen, it was exciting, new and full of possibilities…and Jack Lawson was hot as hell. That kind of thing leaves a mark.So when her friends suggest a girls holiday to Luna Island, it’s exactly what she needs to take her mind off things. What she doesn’t expect is to spot Jack – a much older, hotter version of him – across the hotel lobby.Their attraction is still there and it isn’t long before sparks fly, but fifteen years is a long time. They aren’t the same people they were back then and besides, it’s only a week, right?Is it a second chance at something real or will their excess baggage ruin their shot at love after they leave Luna Island?myBook.to/ExcessBaggageLBGiveaway:Head on over to Laura's facebook page to enter her cover reveal giveaway to be in with a chance of winning an ARC of EXCESS BAGGAGE and a £5/$5 Amazon gift card.Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/laurabarnard...Author Q&A:Welcome, Laura, to my blog! I’m excited to interview you about your new release, “Excess Baggage.” First, let’s loosen up a little and get to know you!Fun Questions:What was the last movie/concert/show that you saw?Last show was Brooklyn 99 which I’m binge watching at the moment.  It’s the perfect kind of feel good comedy for writing to.If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?I think I’d be invisible.  Imagine all of the naughtiness I could get up to!What was the name of the last book you read?Condemned by Hayley Oakes.  Amazing book.Name one thing you won’t leave the house without.My phone.Book Questions:Can you tell us a little about your book?It’s a second chance romance about a couple that first met while teenagers on holiday and then stumble upon each other again fifteen years later.How did you come up with the concept?I myself had a holiday romance when I was a teenager and I’ve often found myself wondering where he is now, what he looks like and if we’d get on now.  It’s the idea of being able to meet the same person, but this time being a confident woman, not a bumbling teenager.Who is your favorite character?I love Brooke, who is the main character Erica’s friend.  She’s completely outrageous and makes no apology for it.What did you enjoy most about writing this book?I loved that it’s based on a holiday island as I haven’t done one of those before.  It meant I could create an area they couldn’t escape each other in.What gave you the most trouble with this story?Making the reader want to forgive Jack for his previous behavior.Are there any scenes that didn’t make it into the book? Scenes that you might have loved but had to cut?Nope, I pretty much threw it all in!Would you like to say something to the readers to encourage them to read your books?If you’re looking for a light, romantic comedy that’ll have you giggling into your cocktail, this is the book for you.How can readers connect with you?Website - http://www.laurabarnardbooks.co.uk/Fa... – https://www.facebook.com/laurabarnard... – https://twitter.com/BarnardLauraInsta... – https://www.instagram.com/laurabarnar... – https://uk.pinterest.com/barnardlaura... - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

All stories must start with a compelling idea. Otherwise, you won't find readers.But,howdo you find a GREAT story idea?To start, let's define what makes an idea great, compelling, or high concept (i.e. what publishers and editors dream of). Once you know what you're looking for, it'll be easier to find.According to "StoryFix" author Larry Brooks (which is a book every writer needs to read), a"high concept is a story idea that delivers more originality — and thus, inherent appeal – than what is usually found in that story’s genre."StoryFix  goes on to say that"established genre authors don’t need high concept, their name alone sells their books. But to stand out among a pile of manuscripts that, like yours, are well written and well populated with compelling characters,you need an idea that glows in the dark."Damn, I love that imagery."You need an idea that glows in the dark. "So good.You can read the rest of the article by Larry Brookshere. It has all sorts of interesting information (ex. what might be "high concept" in one genre can be stale and bland as old bread in another genre).SUMMARY OF WHAT MAKES A HIGH CONCEPT STORY:To summarize the things that I've learned from Larry Brooks (and others), a high concept story is:1) Original.This process usually starts with an interesting "what if?" question.As an exercise, let's examine the best seller "ROOM" by Emma Donoghue.WHAT IF you had been abducted, your captor raped you, you became pregnant, and you had to raise your little boy in a 10x10 room?Now, let's elevate the concept.WHAT IF the story was told from the little boy's perspective?BOOM. Instantly high concept. This book blew me away. It was beautiful and ugly at the same time. Being written from the perspective of a child was incredibly creative, and it made the horrifying reality of their captivity seem more innocent.*** Telling a story from a surprising point of view can elevate your story concept. Consider the story you're writing. Is there another perspective you could tell it from?2) High stakes.Ask yourself, what is at stake? WHAT are the consequences if things continue this way?In ROOM, Ma and Jack live in fear of their captor, Old Nick. Old Nick rapes Ma almost every night. To punish them, Old Nick stops bringing them food. He cuts off their power supply. Their nutrition is poor, and Ma's teeth are falling out. Old Nick is well, old. What would happen if he dies, and Ma and Jack are left in there for forever?They need to get out.*** Note: High stakes can exist in comedies too. Consider "The Hangover."Concept: WHAT if you were celebrating a bachelor's party in Las Vegas, and you LOST the groom?HIGH stakes:  The wedding is tomorrow, you can't find the groom, the bride is freaking out, and drug dealers are after you.3) Emotionally compelling.This is related to the point above. You will naturally feel emotional about a high stakes scenario. Think about your favorite books, tv shows, movies, etc. What strong emotions do they elicit in you? Fear? Anger? Excitement? Disgust? Nostalgia?In ROOM, I feel fear (I want them to get out), anger (at Old Nick), excitement (I nearly started jumping up and down at one point), etc.Consider your story concept. Is there any way to make it more emotionally compelling?4) A scenario that can be simply stated.Here is the concept for "ROOM."A boy is born and lives in a 10x10 ROOM, where he and his mother are held captive.HINT:Try to explain your story concept in 1-2 short sentences. If if takes you 15 minutes to explain what your book is about, be prepared to see people's eyes glaze over and make excuses about why they have to go.5) DIFFERENT from story PREMISE.I'll say that again. Story CONCEPT is different from story PREMISE.While premise talks about characters and motivations (ex. It's about a (blank) who wants (blank)), a story concept introduces the scene we walk into. It simply sets the stage. It boils the "what if?" question down to it's most essential parts.Story premise is separate (though connected) to the story concept.I know. This is confusing. My brain still does mental gymnastics trying to understand this. But having an understanding of how concept and premise are different will help you clarify what your story is about.For example, the concept of ROOM is (as above): A boy is born and lives in a 10x10 ROOM, where he and his mother are held captive.The premise of ROOM is: It is a story about a 5 year old boy named Jack who helps his mother escape from their captor, Old Nick, and the 10x10 room that they're held captive in.BIG Secret:When you figure out what your story is about (i.e. the concept  & basic premise) you'll have a MUCH clearer picture of what where your story is going, and a MUCH easier time telling others what your book is about.Ok, good. Now, let's start looking for ideas! You can find story ideas pretty much anywhere. But here's a good list to get you started.IDEA SOURCES:1) News headlines. I tend to look at things that are trending on Facebook.2) Consider the times you've felt a strong emotion.Can you remember a time when you felt really angry?Embarrassed?Betrayed?Uncomfortable?Disgusted?Elated?Scared?What about a time when you had a "eureka!" moment?Or a time that an opportunity came knocking on your door?Or a time you felt compassion?Take a few minutes to jot down a few simple sentences. This is story gold.3) Write down 100 things you're scared of. At first, I thought this was pretty dumb and hokey, but you know what? It TOTALLY worked.  I've only done 50 so far, but I've come up with some awesome idea sparks!So that's about it.Writers, where do you find ideas? How do you know that you've found a good one?Comment below!

I'm SO excited to announce that my second novel, "All Shook Up" will be on sale from Nov 14 - 28!Christmas is coming! Buy a copy for you, or a friend or family member during this price drop.eBOOK and print copies available online at:AmazonNookKoboGoogle Play iBooksAll Shook UpNatalie’s world is shaken to its core when she discovers an old photo of a woman who looks like her. Could this woman be related to her birth mother, who put Natalie up for adoption as a baby? When she tracks down the person who dumped the photo album at her thrift shop, she’s shaken again. Especially when the gorgeous fire-fighting guitarist offers to help her find the owner. They quickly become friends – which is all they’ll be, as far as Natalie’s concerned. Her rebellious youth turned her off cheating men, and the new Natalie is looking for true love and a family of her own – something Casey isn’t willing to provide. But how long can Natalie ignore her undeniable attraction to the man with the Irish accent and the broken-down ’57 Chevy?​In Chelsey Krause’s second novel, friends become lovers over a whirlwind summer of rockabilly rhythms, twirling skirts, and a mystery that takes them hilariously far out of their element.

So,  you have an idea for a book.Maybe you've had this idea for years. You know your characters, you can picture certain scenes. You hear bits of dialogue. This complicated, multilayered web is tangled throughout your brain, and you wonder how you're ever going to get it all out.Or perhaps you have an idea, but no clue of where it's going, who the characters are, or anything else. You just have an inkling that something is hidden below the surface, and you feel the need to dig it out.Either way, you're probably wondering:WHERE do I start?How do I take the pictures in my head and translate them into words, without losing their luster? Their meaning?How do I bring my characters to life?How do I make sense of the disconnected scenes in my head?I wish I could give you a solid answer.Some writers insist that the only way to write a book is to plot it out; to make copious notes on character motivations, arcs, and backgrounds. Others would rather gag themselves.Some writers say you NEED a writing routine. That you must write every day, the implication being that you don't develop the habit of writing daily, you won't write anything ever.Some get up at 5 AM and write before their day officially starts. Others start writing at midnight.Some can write in busy cafes while others need quiet and solitude.Some writers (myself included), need to write linearly; they think in straight lines.  They need to see how one scene is going to affect the next.Others can jump from one scene to the next, adding bits here and there. They think in loops and circles, sometimes without any idea of how it's all connected.And because NO two writers are alike, I can't tell you what's going to work for you. I don't know how YOU are going to get started.That's something you have to figure out for yourself.But, I can tell you what I do.1) I need a plot outlineI have tried to write without an outline; without plotting a story before hand.After all, the GREAT writers that I admire don't outline.Stephen King. Diana Gabaldon. Anne Rice.They don't plot. They don't particularly know where a story is going. They sit down and write, and are just as surprised as you are by the twists and turns their novel takes.But, when I try to write without an outline, I drown. My beautiful story turns into a meandering narrative with no destination. It's episodic and boring. I need to map things out (or at  least attempt to, anyway).I need a skeleton to build a body on.I write scenes out on index cards. They usually just have a headline (like "The Hospital Scene") and a few notes on what happens. I like laying these cards out on the floor, and seeing how the entire story arc unfolds. I love the flexibility of being able to shuffle the cards around, noticing how moving a few scenes (or deleting others) can totally affect the plot.Diana Gabaldon has written some AMAZING articles on plotting vs not plotting. If you put words on the page, you're a writer, regardless of the process you take to get there. Read more here --->  http://nanowrimo.org/pep-talks/diana-...) I need quiet, uninterrupted chunks of timeI have tried writing at Starbucks, but I usually end up being distracted by the conversations going on around me.I have tried writing while my kids are up, but usually within 5 seconds of me sitting down to write, they interrupt me. Mom, watch me twirl.  Mom, my iPad won't work. Mom, she hit me! Mom, I'm hungry. Mom, my tummy hurts. Mom, I peed my pants.etc.I've tried writing when my husband is home, but we usually have errands to run, projects to finish, or movies or tv shows we want to catch up on.Through trial and error, I've found that I work best at night. I've come to recognize that I'm an intensely goal oriented person, and accept that I need solitude in order to do my best work.After everyone else is in bed, I fire up my laptop and start writing. When the house is quiet, when it's dark outside, when I have absolutely no interruptions or distractions, I can get into the "flow" of writing. There have been times where I sit down, and 4 hours go by without me even noticing. Those are my favorite moments.So that's pretty much it.Plot things out on index cards and write at night. That's how I get started.How do you write? How do you get started? Please message me, or comment below!

I still miss New York, but going through these pictures is SO fun. Brings back a lot of good memories.

I have more posts coming about Broadways plays, Central Park, museums, and meeting my team at RANDOM-FREAKING-HOUSE (eeeekkkk!) coming  up.

But in the mean time, here are the highlights from my second day in Manhattan. We packed a LOT into one day. It was incredible. Enjoy!

*** Be warned. There’s a bit of swearing in this post. Some of you may not like that, but personally, I like a nice f-bomb, just to keep things interesting. I swear, my “inner self” is a drunk Irish sailor. Anyway, happy reading

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June 7, 2015

G’day!

Walked to the Chelsea Market this morning. Except for the HUGE Anthropologie there, it was rather disappointing! Most things were terribly expensive, and the market was smaller than I expected. Still, it was fun to say we’ve been there

 

Took our very first subway ride this afternoon in order to get to Yankee Stadium.

It was pretty cool! I’m in love with the subway system, actually. It’s efficient, and really easy to figure out. The subway cars were very clean, not like the horror stories of garbage & cockroaches that I’ve heard about ;p

They had air conditioning too, which was awesome. Kept puke face Chel at bay.

Watched the Yankees play against the LA Angels. Chad was pretty pumped up; he was sure he was going to catch a ball. Sadly, a ball was never hit our way

We did see someone biff it though, trying to catch a ball. They went ass over tea kettle and landed in the row of seats below. I laughed, lol

I know stadium food is expensive, but hot damn. I paid $8 for a popcorn. $8 FREAKING dollars! AMERICAN! And the cheap bastards didn’t even give me any butter topping!

It was CRAZY hot and our seats were on the upper deck, so I decided to take advantage of the sun and get a nice tan.

Walked all over the place after that. Went to:

– Grand Central Terminal

– Chrysler Building (sorry, no good pics from that)

– Midtown Comics so I could buy a copy of Fight Club 2! They had already sold out in Edmonton. I had to fly all the way to New York City to find one! ;p I’ve bought my first comic book. I’m officially a nerd, lol

– 4 or 5 thrift shops (not sure anymore, they all started to blend together after awhile). Surprised at the prices. Way higher than our thrift stores at home.

– The Strand Bookstore, at the corner of 12th St and Broadway. Very famous, and for good reason. One of the coolest book stores I’ve ever been in!

Mr. Krause looking at books on sale outside of the Strand.

– Greecologies. An authentic Greek yogurt place around the corner from us, on Broome St. The B&B owners recommended it. I had rose petal compote on mine! Soooo delicious. I wish I had one near my house.

Other random thoughts on New York:

1) Lots of cute guys. But most of them are walking around with their cute boyfriends, lol

2) There are a lot of white guys with Asian girlfriends. Not a bad thing, just an observation

3) Glad I bought comfortable walking sandals. Walked 34,000 steps today!

4) The building we’re staying in was built in 1875. AMAZING, right!??!?

View from our window:

5) Our inner New Yorker is coming out. We just cross the street whenever the fuck we want now. (Chad’s words, not mine, lol)

 

K, that’s all for now. Might go out, might soak my feet in water.

Talk soon,

Love, Chels

So, I’ve been watching a lot of “How I Met Your Mother” and “The Mindy Project” re-runs on Netflix lately.

And they’re making me miss New York.

I went there for the first time this summer, partly to just an iconic part of the world, but also to meet my wonderful publishing team at Random House. I had been emailing and calling these people for months, and I thought it would be fantastic to meet everyone face to face.

Even though I was only there for 5 days (well, technically 3, when you factor in travel time), I completely fell in love with New York.

I feel like I GRIEVE for it.

(OK. I know that sounded melodramatic. But I don’t care. That’s how I feel).

Here’s an email I sent back home about my first day in NYC.

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June 6, 2015 – Day 1

Arrived in New York today after a long day of connecting flights and puking on airplanes. (Yup. Puke face has struck again. Twice. So fun). lol

(NOTE to my blog readers: I get horrible, awful, nasty motion sickness pretty often. I hate it. But, it makes for comedic moments like this. Anyway, carrying on.)

Staying at a B&B in SoHo (a district on the south side of Manhattan). The owners are very friendly – Canadians who have been living here for the past 15 years.

The space is very artistic!  I love it.

Albert & Michelle (who own the B&B) rent out the 5, 7, and 8th floors at 153 Lafayette Street in SoHo. One of the floors is Michelle’s gallery. Not sure if she has paintings or photos, but it sounds cool.

They told us that their eccentric landlord doesn’t like the elevator to be used on evenings or weekends, so Chad and I had to haul our luggage up to the 5th floor. Thank God we only brought carry on bags!

(Pic below: the rickety old stair spiral stair case we climbed everyday. The squeaked and squawked with each step. Not surprising, since the building was built in 1895).

The B&B loft floor is made out of wood panels (not normal hard wood, almost plywood) and painted blue (something between navy and cerulean). It’s so uneven – if you put a marble on the floor, it would take off! Their décor sense is very eclectic and easy going. It reminds me of something you’d see in a hipster decorating blog, or IKEA catalogue. The roof is a modge podge of decorative tiles, painted white. Colorful painting and pictures on the wall, low, squashy, square couches with white furniture covers.

SOOO hipster. Love it!

Chad and I wandered around SoHo tonight, had pizza at Lombardi’s in Little Italy (Lombardi’s has been around since 1905, making coal fired oven pizzas – they led us through a maze of hall ways and paths through the kitchen to get to our seating area, lol), checked out street vendors in Chinatown, and stood on Canal and Bowery (just like the SONG, Hey! Ho! by the Lumineers).

There is SO much to see and do. I’d love to take it all in, but we’re really only here for 3 more full days. Gotta prioritize what we really want to see!

Going to a Yankees Game tomorrow. Should be fun!

 

Chelsey’s Top 10 Initial Impressions of New York: 

1) Holy crap, fast drivers! The minute Chad and I got into the cab at the airport and the driver took off, I KNEW we weren’t in Kansas anymore. (Well, Canada. But you get my gist, lol)

2) Do as the New Yorkers do. No one pays any real attention to “WALK” or “DON’T WALK” traffic signs, they just step out into the street. The tourists stick out because they wait.

3) Apparently my heavy eyeliner and henna tattooed feet make me look Indian. (As an Indian street vendor pointed out, lol)

4) Less noisy than I anticipated. I don’t find it any noisier (or crowded, for that matter) than the Las Vegas strip. I imagine it will be busier, however, the closer we get to Times Square, Rockefeller Center, etc.

5) The city I currently live in is really, REALLY white.  I don’t think I’ve seen this much color or heard this many languages since I lived in the south side of Calgary as a kid. I find the diversity exciting!

6) There are grates in the sidewalks everywhere you go. You can hear the subway cars rattle and hiss as they pass below your feet.

7) There are makeup stores open 24 hours/day. Because when I wake up at 3 AM, I think, ‘You know, I could really go for some black eyeliner about now.” lol

There are also Starbucks everywhere. Now that, on the other hand, I could easily have at 3 AM!

8) The old buildings here are PHENOMENAL. Seriously. I can’t get over just how beautiful and ornate the buildings are in SoHo (and surrounding areas). Most in the SoHo district date back to the 1800s.

9) New Yorkers are nicer than I thought they’d be! No one has yelled at us (yet, lol). In fact, the B&B owners have offered for us to use their cards to see “The Top of the Rock” and “MoMa” (i.e. Museum of Modern Art) for free!

10) If you don’t like pushy street vendors, don’t go to Chinatown. I didn’t mind it, but I can see how people getting in your face and saying, “You wan purse? You wan watch? Come, come, I show you best price,” can get annoying.

(Note: Little Italy isn’t far from Chinatown. Just look at the signs below!)

And there you have it! Our first day in New York.

Will write more soon,

Love y’all!

– Chels

Writing can be an incredible joy.

It can also be soul sucking and awful.

I sometimes feel alone with these feelings. It turns out that my writer friends are also in the pits of writing despair, secretly (or openly) hating their work. I was mulling this in my head when I watched Pixar’s “Inside Out” with my kids. And it combined into this:

The 5 Stages of Writing Despair 

(as expressed with the cast of Pixar’s “Inside Out”)

1) Disgust: Oh God. What am I writing? This is awful!

2) Anger: THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE PIECE OF CRAP!

3) Fear: What if people don’t like this? Is caffeine overdose a real thing? What if my mother reads that sex scene on page 42?

4) Sadness: What’s the point? I’m not a “real” writer. I should just give up. Who will want to read this garbage anyway?

 

5) Joy: Huh. I guess it’s not so bad. And there are a few really great scenes. I’m kind of a genius. Wish I could hug my ideas.

Which stage are you in?

Stay tuned, I have a “Writers Guide to Rejuvenation” post coming up. It’ll be a humorous look at how writers can overcome these stages and keep writing.

– Chelsey

In Part 1, I talk about how all (and I do mean ALL) writers MUST redraft their work. The changes might be big or small, but the final product is never exactly the same as the first draft.

I admit that I didn’t really want to redraft anything. I beat myself up a lot (unnecessarily) for not getting it perfect the first time. What a waste of my time!

In many ways, I’ve been too attached to my original ideas of what the story “should” be, rather than being flexible and allowing the story to change. I needed to  push myself to write better, and let the story morph as it may.

It was a great lesson to learn.

But it also got me thinking: Are there any well known stories (movies, books,whatever) out there that bear little resemblance to the original idea?

Here are a few examples that support the idea that all first drafts are shit, and that the BEST ideas often come later.

Gone With The Wind

“Gone With the Wind” is a favorite of mine. It has the best elements of an epic love story. History, unrequited love, war, controversial topics, strong characters… you don’t get much better than that!

(Side note: I’d LOVE to write a character like Rhett Butler someday. He is charming in the movie,  but just wait till you read the book!).

Even if you don’t like Scarlett O’Hara, she’s hard to forget. I happen to love her. She’s arrogant and spoiled, but in a charismatic way. I can’t help but like her!

But here’s the best part: Margaret Mitchell originally named her Pansy, and changed the heroine’s name to Scarlett just before the novel went for print. 1, 2

Really? PANSY???? Can you picture her having ANY other name than Scarlett? I certainly can’t.

Thank GOD Margaret Mitchell re-drafted. I couldn’t have taken “Pansy O’Hara” seriously.

 

West Side Story 

You know “West Side Story,” the 1950s retelling of Romeo and Juliet? The one about rival white and Puerto Rican gangs wreaking havoc in Manhattan’s upper west side?

Yeah. It was originally about Irish Catholic and Jewish families duking it out in the lower east side. 3

Can you imagine it??!?!? West Side Story was originally “East Side Story” with a heavy dose of anti-semitism.

By the way, if you haven’t see West Side story yet, please stop reading this immediately, and go find a copy. Even if you don’t like parts of it, (though I love this movie, I tend to get bored toward the end), it’s so worth it to see men acting like macho gang members, while leaping and doing pirouettes.

(Side note: I’m super pissed that Elvis Presley wasn’t cast as Tony. He would’ve been AMAZING!!!! Elvis was originally asked to play the role, but he declined because his business manager or whatever advised him not to be part of some two bit, off beat musical. I mean, seriously. Can’t you picture Elvis here!?!?)

Sigh… this is my favorite song from West Side Story. I’ll randomly sing it while I’m scrubbing the tub (good acoustics), or washing the dishes (’cause I’m bored).

Anyway. Moving on.

I’m sure there are plenty of other examples, but those happen to be my favorite. That, and I’m operating off of about 5 hrs of sleep (cough – writing deadlines – cough), and I don’t have the energy to look up any more.

What are your favorite movies? Books? Plays? Can you imagine them being any other way?

– Chelsey

 

References:

1. Shrewd, Selfish Scarlett: A Complicated Heroine, http://www.npr.org/2008/01/28/1848270...

2. Scarlett O’Hara, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarlet...

3. West Side Story, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Si...

OK.

How could I have possibly forgotten this crucial, important, so basic that every writer knows it, concept?

I’ve heard variations of this before.

That there is not great writing, only great rewriting (Justice Brandeis).

The purpose of the first draft is not to get it right, but to get it written (John Dufresne).

I don’t think anyone puts it quite as well as Hemingway, but you get the idea.

(Side note: Isn’t Hemingway wonderful? I so love it when highly intelligent people swear. It’s oddly exhilarating. Anyway, moving on).

There are countless writing books and blog posts and famous writer quotes that knock us over the head with this sample principle.

And yet… and YET, I still frigging forgot this.

I’m writing my second book. I finished the first draft in January, with the intention of having a complete manuscript ready by summer.

I know that all first drafts are shit. I know every writer goes back and polishes their work. Well, I knew it on a logical level, anyway. But I think I’m really starting to KNOW it on a deeper level.

There are some days (okay, weeks even) where I’m lazy with my writing routine. Where I don’t even want to think about how much work I have ahead of me.

I have to cut out entire chapters (yes, chapters!) and characters (even crucial ones!) and plot points because they just don’t jive with the story.

I’m looking for plot holes and weak points in my manuscript. I’m looking for ways to make strong characters, with believable backstories, motivations, feelings, aspirations, etc. I’m eliminating useless dialogue.

And even though I’m no where close to being done, and even though sometimes I want to bash my head against the keyboard or am tempted to just delete the whole frigging thing (which I wont), and even though so I’ve only changed little bits so far, I know my book is better for it.

Now that I’ve had this “epiphany” or whatever, I’ve had two recurring thoughts:

1) That the best results come from struggle.

2) That I’m not alone. That other writers must have had horrible first drafts, and lived to tell about it. (I’ll address this in part 2).

Consider thought #1, for a moment. Imagine someone working out at the gym. They do the same old routine every time they exercise. They never push themselves to do better. It’s easy.

They never try to run that extra lap, or lift a heavier weight, or whatever.

There’s no struggle, no pain, no sweat. And because of that, they’ll never see just how far they can go.

I believe that writing is the same.

If there is no struggle, there is no improvement.

It’s only through conflict that we grow.

Anyway. I am determined to persevere. Positive thoughts, and all that.

I will get rid of the garbage, and keep the gold.

Once again, Hemingway puts it the best.

(Side note: he really seems to like the word shit, doesn’t he? That must be why I like him).

Oh, I can’t resist. Here’s another:

Ahem. Anyway….

Stay tune for Part 2.

Is there a project you almost gave up on? What made it turn around?

Do you think there is a time when you should walk away from something you’ve worked on?

– Chelsey