D. M. BONANNO

FMWriters is traveling the web via the Merry Go Round Blog Tour. Site members have grouped together to write monthly on themed topics and turn the blog tour concept on its head: we’re not the ones touring: you are, as you read one writer’s perspective after another. This is my contribution to the Merry Go Round Tour. Enjoy your ride. ~ Dawn

A location is a conduit to channeling my writing energies. While I can write nearly anywhere and anytime, there are places that are in synch with my creative energies, and if I’m in a writing jam of any kind, I hit these places to get things moving.

First and foremost is the library. There are two I visit, one in a neighboring town, and one in my residential city. The one in the neighboring town has more natural light, and is closer to the street so there’s a good amount of white noise. Books are displayed on round shelves along the outer window wall of this circular building. It could very well be the circle that helps the energy flow so well. I’m comfortable there, safe. The second library is closer to my home, but it tends to be busier, I can’t always get the table and/or lighting that I prefer. I still manage though, those are just my preferences.

What is this location in competition with? My home office (usually private, and with music), my dining room (while my kids are playing), my job’s cafeteria (though I have to be mindful of the time on this one – this is a very good thinking spot and my lunch breaks aren’t unending).

What works for me is that I need sound or activity of some level that can fade into the background. TV and radio are usually distractions unless I have serious headphones available – the gaming kind with sound blocking technology.

I’m the second of five children, so I can look at this sociologically and point to the constant activity and sound levels existing around me as I grew up. Psychologically, I could say I need that level of activity to feel comfortable slipping into play-mode.  Either way, I’ve already planned that my “full time writing life” morning routine. It starts with dropping the kids off at school, hitting the gym, and then the library for new words. Home for lunch and whatever revisions I’m working on, maybe a little housework.

Wherever life takes me, I’ll always find a place to write. It’s a good feeling. What about you? Do you have a special place for your passions/hobbies?

Happy Writing

Dawn

Today’s post was inspired by Forward Motion’s Merry-Go-Round Mach topic ‘My Favorite Writing Place’. If you want to get to know nearly twenty other writers and read about their ideas, then check out the Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour.  

I’m revamping my goals for 2012. I’m dropping my picture book goals, it’s more my go-to when I’m playing with my daughter than it is a serious desire for publication. I think it’s just my playground right now.

I’d planned on writing one novel and revising another, and that’ll stay the same, but the schedule is changing, as is the project. I wanted to revise Shadow of Blood starting in February, but for workshop specific reasons, I’d like to apply to the workshop of my dreams with my absolute best writing, not something I wrote five years ago.

So I’ve jumped back into worldbuilding a project I started many years ago. The title came to me before the story did, “Winter Warrior” with the image of a short, spunky little warrior from the arctic zones with a snow leapoard for a pal. I wrote a short story around the par, which didn’t fare well as a short story because it was really my muase showing me how much fun this gal would be to write, wouldn’t I rather put her in a novel? So I am. I’d built the basics of the world, including a pretty serious map, and several nations, basic government structures, geographical climates and a preliminary magic system.

Because of this effort and my love for this world, I ended up writing two other short stories in this world with different characters. (Short story characters, but events that are linked to the horrible things in this world’s history, past and recent).

The plan is to worldbuild, plot, and research for the next two weeks. I’m taking a few days off with my family to visit some warmer climes, then driving into chapter one.

A symphony of characters is now calling to me, with complications to Armina’s mission, and hints of betrayal. In my heart, this is my best story yet. Can’t wait to get it written and see if I’m right.

And this is why I consider goals “guidelines” rather than absolutes i am required to strictly adhere to.

Also, now you know that when I say “happy writing”, I mean it.

~ Dawn

FMWriters is traveling the web via the Merry Go Round Blog Tour. Site members have grouped together to write monthly on themed topics and turn the blog tour concept on its head: we’re not the ones touring: you are, as you read one writer’s perspective after another. This is my contribution to the Merry Go Round Tour. Enjoy your ride. ~ Dawn

I didn’t write this post until just now, just to prove that procrastination is not worth the letters it takes up. I’ve been thinking about it all day, knowing I need to get to it, knowing it isn’t going to write itself, yet I took the experiment to the max. I’m irritated and annoyed that I need to take time out of my children’s evening time on a Saturday night to do something I should and could have done days ago.

It was a good reminder of why I don’t procrastinate deadline stuff.

Sure, there are other things I procrastinate. I push off laundry so I can write. I push off starting that new revision so I can balance the checkbook. You could make it work for you if that was your intent, and it does help get the floors mopped on a more frequent basis, but it’s not the life I want to lead.

The most fun I ever had procrastinating was playing World of Warcraft for three months instead of starting a novel revision. This was five or six years ago–I’d probably hang myself now if I even thought about doing that. (Besides, I cancelled WoW permanently at least two years ago, been four since I’ve been on a raid).

Why did I do such a horrible thing? Because I wasn’t ready to work on something and blocked myself up completely. There was no joy in the writing because it was all pressure. Why didn’t I just work on something else? I didn’t have the tools and processes in place at that point to really know that I could. All I knew is that something wasn’t working, so I turned my back on it.

So before I ask you what was the most fun you’ve ever had procrastinating, I’d also like to remind you (and myself) that if something isn’t working, if you’re not thrilled to be working on it, don’t just turn away. Work on something else if you have to, but don’t ignore what’s bugging you about what you’re ignoring. Most of the time, there’s a better way that you (and I) just can’t see yet.

Now, I’m off to go watch Star Wars with my kid for the first time – hopefully they didn’t start the movie without me.

Happy Writing

~ Dawn

PS there’s nothing wrong with world of warcraft if you can control how much time you spend on it. that was not my strength and completely interfered with my writing. i admit completely to having an addictive personality, and know that if i can’t control it, i have to avoid it. the exception to this of course, is my writing.

Today’s post was inspired by Forward Motion’s Merry-Go-Round August topic ‘Procrastination’. If you want to get to know nearly twenty other writers and read about their ideas on Cross-Genre Fiction, then check out the Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour. 

January Results

The first month of the year starts with the most potential, but also happens to be the craziest due to weather, work, and everyone getting sick. This January was better than last January in regards to sickness, but still crazy. And I rocked it.

• Short Stories Written – 1 (with another in progress)
• Short Stories Revised – 3 (with another in progress)
• Short Stories Submitted – 1 new + 17 resubmissions
• Crits: 5
• Read: 2 (it was a Tami Hoag month)

Did I mention I received 15 rejections this month? Whirlwind! In addition, I did some minor work on the novel to prep for the revision, and I started my VP letter for the workshop application. I couldn’t seem to switch tracks to get to the picture books though. I might drop my count to 6 instead of 12 for the year. It’s off topic of my focus, so I’m not really worried about it just yet.

February Goals

For February, I’m expecting some insanity. Hiring/interviewing at work, training another person, learning some new tasks myself, and preparing my family for a vacation. I think my goals might be a little more hopeful than practical, but better to aim high and miss it for legitimate reasons than laziness. I’ll be revising the novel using Holly Lisle’s How To Revise Your Novel class. I’d started it before, but the novel I used was so badly messed up (formatting issues, I couldn’t even read the thing) that it broke any motivation I’d had. This project is better for learning a new method. The catch however, is that I’d like to use the first 8k of this novel to apply for VP. Which means, I might just give the first 3 chapters a rewrite first then worry about the official revision.

• Shadow of Blood: revision
• Short Story Drafts: 1
• Short Story Revisions: 2 + submit both (these two are close, so it shouldn’t be too hard)
• Crits: 4
• Read: 1 – 2

I honestly don’t know how long this revision is going to take. The first half of the novel needs rewriting due to the writing being five years old. The second half was rushed a bit, so I’m sure I need to add in a lot of background details and link information I missed in the first half. I’m planning for a 6 month revision. It used to take me a year to revise a novel when I went chapter to chapter and took my time. I’m motivated. This novel is getting revised and critiqued, and then I’m cleaning it up to submit it. Submission may not be in 2012, but it’s coming. I even have a sequel in mind.

Good luck to you and your projects for February, writing or otherwise. Dawn

Hi All,

It’s been pretty quiet here. I’ve been busy writing and revising, working on some good stuff, I hope. I’ve had a lot of rejections this month, I think all the editors made New Year’s resolutions to return all January subs before the end of the month…

One of those rejections was pretty interesting. It was some serious feedback from the Triangulation anthology with a comment that if I rewrote it, they’d look at it again (no promises, of purchase, of course). Based on their feedback, I’m giving the story a serious workout.  The story is short, under 2k, but this is probably one of the toughest revisions I’ve worked on yet. Still, I’m hopeful. Even if the Triangulation editors choose not to buy it, I’ve moved the story along in a good direction.

I’m working on a new story, too, based in a world I’ve written another short story (a WOTF honorable mention), and am planning to write a novel in as well. It’s a troubled world with lots of potential for manipulation and seeds of dark magic. Strange creatures too, some magical, some not. I’m enjoying it.

I’ve been reading, too.  The blog that caught my eye tonight was Patty Jansen’s, which answered my question about when I should start self publishing. I’ve held back and am watching many of my peers put their work up for sale. My writing is stronger than it ever has been, but I’d like to see it a little stronger before I put myself that far out there.

I’ve also been skimming through sections of the Breakout Novel by Donald Maas and have been asaulted with ideas to revise my novel Shadow of Blood. I’ve got two anthologies going as well, one being Triangulation: Last Contact. Tonight I read David Barr Kirtley’s “Family Tree” from Way of the Wizard. Damn good story, and with an ending I couldn’t predict. I don’t know why I can’t read an anthology straight through. I have six anthologies on my nightstand right now. I suppose I like variety. And a little bit of chaos.

Time to get back to it. (The writing, not the chaos. Oh wait, that’s rather the same isn’t it?)

Happy Writing.

~ Dawn

I have a new article up in Issue #66 of  Vision: A Resource For Writers.

Do You Duotrope?  If you’re submitting your fiction and you aren’t aware of Duotrope or using it, it could be worth your time to read.

Happy Writing — and Submitting.

~ Dawn

FMWriters is traveling the web via the Merry Go Round Blog Tour. Site members have grouped together to write monthly on themed topics and turn the blog tour concept on its head: we’re not the ones touring: you are, as you read one writer’s perspective after another. This is my contribution to the Merry Go Round Tour. Enjoy your ride. ~ Dawn

I’ve heard that some writers envision their reader and target their story for that person. I haven’t been able to do that, which has been my struggle with the picture books. I’ve tried writing for my daughter, but if the idea doesn’t work, it isn’t going to work. Maybe I just don’t write that way. Honestly, I have enough ideas flowing past me, I can snatch them out of the air, until I start trying to be picky. So, I just hug my muse and start writing.

So who would enjoy my writing? That’s tough to say.

My blog and nonfiction writing are definitely aimed at writers, especially those beside me in the trenches.

My science fiction is less techie and more sociaological. I love creating a planet (or planets) and figuring out what causes conflicts, and what makes them worse.  I love challenging my character to grow, to find what’s inside them to overcome their obstacles.

My fantasy writing tends toward the same, though I revel in creating magic systems. Figuring out and putting together a network of magic that needs to run smoothly, that can make or break someone’s lives, that’s just too much fun.

But the characters in both genres are people that have someone to lose, or in some cases, nothing left to lose and it’s their very soul they’re trying to save from bitter meltdown. We’ve all been in dark places, haven’t we? (If you haven’t, I want to borrow your life for a little while, just til I get bored). My stories take those dark places and gives it meaning, assigns it value as a tool for growing and moving beyond.

My “ideal” reader in all honesty, is me. I write for me. I write to remind myself the dark is in the past, and that whatever darkness may come, I’ll face it down. I think that’s why I can’t write humor. I think that’s why the picture books are so challenging for me, despite the fun my daughter and I have creating stories together. It doesn’t mean I’m giving up on them. Maybe it means my focus just isn’t there right now. And by dark, I don’t necessarily mean horror, though I’d dabbled a bit with it. I mean dark literally as the opposite of light, happy, and airy.

As much as I enjoyed My Little Pony as a child, I’m probably not going to write anything that fluffy.  I’ll try though, as my daughter enjoys such things, but probably for her eyes only.

But for me, and for the rest of my readers, whomever you may be, here comes the dark. Here come battles of the heart and soul. You’ve been warned.

Happy Writing

Dawn

PS share with us in comments the kinds of books you enjoy reading. Is there anything that makes you squee in delight and buy the book without even reading the first page?

Today’s post was inspired by Forward Motion’s Merry-Go-Round January  topic ‘My Ideal Reader’. If you want to get to know nearly twenty other writers and read about their ideas, then check out the Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour.   The next Merry Go Round writer is Bonnie. She’ll be posting her take on this same topic on the 5^th for your reading pleasure.