Writing Young Adult Fiction For Dummies

by Deborah Halverson

  Chapter 3

  Managing Your Muse

  In This Chapter

  Finding your best writing times and places

  Getting (and keeping) the words flowing

  Outlining and researching

  Keeping up with the YA writing community and industry

  Writing a novel is hard work and lots of it. As a YA fiction writer, you must combine creativity with productivity as you render abstract ideas into tangible collections of words on a page — hundreds of pages, in fact, all resonating with the energy and enthusiasm that prompted you to write in the first place. That’s a big job.

  In this chapter, you discover how to go about the job of writing YA fiction. You pinpoint your most productive writing spaces and times and get tips about protecting both. You see why you should tap into the YA community and how to get the most out of conferences and critique groups, and you find some resources that can keep you in tune with the children’s book industry. You consider the ins and outs of researching and outlining, and, above all, you find ways to kick-start your writing each day, foil would-be distractions, and give dreaded writer’s block the bum’s rush.

  Setting Yourself Up to Write

  Creativity churns out ideas; productivity churns out books. This section helps you figure out when you’re most productive — what time? where? under what conditions? — and how to protect your writing space and time from distractions or flat-out derailments. What’s right for one writer may be wrong for another, though. Use the tips in this section to determine what’s right for your personality and creative style.

  Carving out your writing space

  A great way to prepare to write is to set up a dedicated writing space. Where should that space be, and what should it look like? The answers are different for every writer. If you’re new to writing novels, you may not have the slightest clue. In that case, think back to high school and college. Were your best writing, studying, and number-crunching done in crowded locales or in isolation? Were your legs propped up and stretched out, or did you hunch maniacally over the keyboard with metaphorical steam billowing out your ears? When you tackle tasks that require complete focus now, do you prefer to be surrounded with the familiar, or do you need to leave your home because the call of the dirty dishes is just too loud to ignore? The key to setting up to write is to know yourself.

  Some folks think they need a studio built over their garage to be a writer, but you don’t need a whole lot to get down and dirty with your manuscript. Here are the bare bones of it, which you can fit that into a closet if that’s what’s available to you:

  A small table and chair

  Your computer

  A pen and your notebook full of ideas

  Key reference books

  And with today’s laptops, even the table and chair aren’t necessary. You can kick it on a sofa with the computer in your lap.

  You need neither a mansion nor a fortune to create a writing space. Productivity isn’t about the space; it’s about what you need to get in the writing mood and then stay there long enough to put some words on the page. If you don’t need a formal writing nook, don’t set one up. There’s no crime in that.

  As you design a space that accomplishes that for you, here are some things to keep in mind.

  Choosing the right lighting and seating

  Your stories may originate in your brain and funnel out through your fingertips, but your eyes and posterior are part of the writing team, too. Keep them happy by giving them the tools they need. Proper lighting eliminates eye strain, reduces headaches, and makes your time at the computer pleasant. Choose lights with no glare, and use desk or floor lamps with bendable necks or clip-on lights to let you direct the lighting where you need it. Don’t shine your light on your computer screen, and keep the shades on your window adjusted to prevent sunlight from glaring off of it.

  If you’re writing for an extended stretch, periodically focus your eyes on things around the room or outside your window, or just lean back and close them. No drifting off, though!

  You need a quality chair for your desk and another for kicking back if you have the space, so invest in good seats. That kick-back model can be a beanbag or an old couch — whatever’s comfortable and good to your body.

  Apply the rules of good ergonomics to your computer posture and desk and chair height. You want a relaxed, neutral posture to keep your muscles from straining. You can even get a foot rest designed for better typing comfort. If you’re writing for long periods, get up and stretch frequently. Don’t reward productive writing sessions with a sore tush.

  Livening up less-than-posh places

  Maybe all you can carve out for a writing space is a corner of a family room or an unused closet. If your space is small, liven it up with color. Paint the walls if you can. Tack up some sports pennants. Set a woven placement beneath your computer. If you’re tucked in a corner of the living room, separate your desk from the rest of the world with a partition screen, making a space instead of simply the desk you sit at. If you’re converting a walk-in closet or pantry into a mini office, add wall mirrors to give it depth and plants and posters of dreamy places to stay in touch with the outside world. Even small spaces can be happy places.

  If the only space available to you is the unused basement or the old lawnmower shed, don’t feel like you’ve just been banished to the dungeon. Fixing up non-living spaces doesn’t require money so much as imagination — of which writers have plenty! A coat of paint, cool posters or paintings from the five-and-dime, a wall collage of photos, a deliberately cheesy shower curtain dangled from cute ceiling hooks . . . you can decorate on the cheap. You don’t even need new furniture. A fresh coat of paint can do wonders for a tattered desk or rusted filing cabinet. I sprayed my rusty brown filing cabinet sparkly gold and absolutely adore it.

  No matter what space you choose to write in, include some items that inspire you. Surround yourself with quotations or photos of peaceful places. Frame the jackets of your favorite books or photos of writers you idolize. Keep a few favorite books nearby so you can flip them open on a moment’s notice to remind yourself why you love to write.

  You may also try adding music to your workspace. Many studies suggest that music helps people concentrate. It blocks out surrounding noise and gives your subconscious something to do while the rest of you focuses on your story. Wear headphones to filter out the background noise if you work in public places or in your house when others are home. Of course, some people crave silence when they write. Give music and silence a few trials each to pinpoint which scenario keeps you more focused.

  Create a businesslike atmosphere

  Your goal is to write an appealing novel, get it published, and make enough money to do it all again. You need to approach this task as a professional would, which includes setting up your workspace so it reflects the serious side of writing. In your work space, allow only things that are essential to your writing (sure, that stack of mail can be called “essential,” but it’s not essential to your writing), and keep the most necessary items within reach.

  For a cleaner work space, get things up and out of your way with magnetic office supply baskets that stick to the file cabinet next to you. Mount small shelves just for your necessaries or buy hanging organizers. If you crave tchotchkes, keep them few and organized. Sure, desk toys are fun, but you’re not there to have fun with toys; you’re there to have fun with your fiction. Here’s what to keep within reach:

  Handy items for your desk: Your notebook; a bookstand for your notebook, dictionary, or thesaurus; a cup and coaster; pens, pencils, and highlighters; tape; notecards and sticky notes

  Handy items to have within reach: Reference books such as a baby name book, books on the craft of writing (including this one!), inspiring novels, and a good dictionary and thesaurus

 
Handy items for nearby: An electrical outlet; a trash can; a printer and refill paper; a bulletin board; a file system for contracts, submissions, and research

  Invest in a separate backup device for your computer hard drive and keep it close by. You must save your writing frequently — preferably after every writing session. Choose a device that’s small so you can keep it nearby and easy enough to operate yourself.

  Nothing says “professional” like a to-do list. Use a bulletin board to post a to-do list and your writing schedule. This list is for nothing but your writing-related tasks. Those tasks can be writing business, such as “call bookstore rep to confirm signing time,” or your writing goal for that session, such as “rewrite school fight scene.” Get yourself a nice, thick pen for crossing things out when they’re done. That step is important. It’s easy to finish a day of writing and feel like you’ve accomplished nothing because there isn’t a big stack of papers in the printer when you’re done. Checking things off gives you satisfaction. Be able to look at your list quickly and make changes easily.

  Now here’s the hardest part of setting up and maintaining your writing space: Be organized. Don’t let papers stack up on your desk. Few things are deadlier for a flowing chapter than having to stop and search through a stack to find that reference article you need to complete the scene. The chances of getting sidetracked by those other interesting articles in the stack are huge, and your train of thought is likely to race on without you. Use binders, get a hanging folder rack for the side of your desk, or set up an accordion folder. An easily accessible filing system is a must. Keep your story ideas together and store your research for each book in a designated folder or binder.

  Protecting your writing time

  Writing time doesn’t just present itself; you must schedule it. And then, well, you gotta show up. I know, I’m stating the obvious, but in truth the first threat to your writing time is you. It’s easy to choose a nagging chore over a manuscript that’s hit a murky spot or to put off your writing tonight because you had a rough day at the office or to book your dentist appointment during your writing time because, hey, teeth are important. They are. But so is your writing. You must commit to its sanctity before you can ask anyone else to — and if you have family, friends, a job, and social obligations, you’ll be asking that of a lot of people.

  Here’s the thing: You don’t need huge chunks of time to write a novel. A few minutes each day can be as productive as any four-hour stint on the weekend. What matters is the quality of that time. If you show up for your writing reservation on time and ready to go, those few minutes will do you just fine.

  Commit to writing a minimum of five minutes every day. I heard this tip early in my career from National Book Award Finalist Kathi Appelt. Her reasoning: If you sit down for five minutes, you’re likely to stay there for ten, twenty, or far more. Or as the stunningly prolific Jane Yolen famously put it, “BIC.” Butt in chair. That’s how you crank out books.

  A lot goes into being a writer. And a lot can get in the way of it. Here are some tips to get your derrière in that chair and keep the rest of the world at bay:

  Block out your writing schedule on the family calendar. Marking the calendar serves as a visual reminder to everyone that your writing time has as much weight as work, extracurricular activities, or appointments. Schedule around your blocked-out times as you would a doctor’s appointment or soccer practice.

  Schedule business time. It’s easy to fill up your writing time with writing business such as researching the industry, submitting, promoting, blogging, and arranging speaking engagements. To keep that from happening, schedule a formal business time at the beginning or end of each writing session. Or set aside certain days of the week for business tasks. Put yourself on a timer if you must, but stick to it. Don’t let the business of writing replace the act of writing.

  Shut down. Turn off your e-mail, unplug your Internet hub, erase the games from your computer, enable the voice mail–only feature on your phone. Shut down anything that can distract you from your writing. Even writing-related e-mails and phone calls can wait until your scheduled business time. People will learn not to call during your writing time because when you call back, you tell them, “Sorry I missed your call. I send all my calls to voice mail during my writing time. What can I do for you now?” Pleasant but pointed. Most people appreciate knowing the best times to reach you.

  Let others know. Tell your family that you can’t be interrupted during writing time except for dire emergencies, and then remind them of that by shutting your door and posting a sign to keep needy children at bay. You don’t have to be rude about it. You can write something like “Do Not Enter: Mommy loves you, but it’s writing time. Please leave a note and I’ll get back to you shortly.” (Adjust that for the office, of course, if you’re a lunch-break writer.) Leave a pad of sticky notes and a pen. Make the visitor decide whether his or her need is important enough to write a note.

  Be okay with saying no. You don’t have to volunteer for everything to be a good friend, parent, and employee. Learn to say no to things that violate your writing time, as in, “No, I can’t take that on right now,” “It’s great talking to you, but I’m in my writing time,” and “I would love to help you do that. I’ll find you as soon as my writing time is up.” Telling your lovely darlings to wait an hour is okay — you’re not refusing your kids; you’re training them to handle what they can during your writing time and wait a bit for the rest. That doesn’t make you a terrible parent; it makes you a better one because you won’t be cranky, and you’ll give the child your full attention after your writing time. Trust me — I’m a triplet mom and a published author, so I know.

  Trade personal time with someone else. Want writing time? Sometimes you have to give to get. Negotiate with your significant other so that you both get time to pursue your personal interests. Set up a couple of nights a week as your nights to write, and give your partner nights to do his or her thing. Quid pro quo gets everyone vested in protecting that time. Or offer to take the neighbor’s kids for an hour after school a couple days a week, and then let that neighbor reciprocate. You both get some me time, and the kids get play dates. Everyone wins.

  Filter and prioritize. Writers commonly steal their writing time from their sleep allotment. That works for some folks, but it’s not ideal for your body — or fair to your family, the primary recipients of your crankiness. Can you give up something else? Probably. Most people, if they look carefully enough, can find plenty of tasks that can get the old heave-ho. Try it. List all the things you do in a week and figure out which ones you must do, which ones you can hand off to someone else, which ones don’t actually need to be done at all, and which ones you can do more quickly or efficiently than you currently do them. The spare time can easily become a writing session.

  Don’t settle for just passing the time when you could be giving time to your passion. The average American watches five hours of television a day, according to the lovely folks responsible for the famous Nielsen ratings. Imagine all the writing you could do with 151 extra hours each month! Just giving up one show a night can gain you seven extra hours each week. Consider your other outlets, too. Are they more important than your writing?

  Smaller blocks of time are easier to work into a busy schedule, so if you can only give yourself half an hour to write every day, great! By the end of the week, you’ll have written for 3.5 hours. That’s plenty of time to write your novel.

  Setting Your Muse Loose

  Writers devise all sorts of nifty tricks for getting — and keeping — the words flowing. You’re sure to develop favorites yourself. This section offers some tried and true ways to capture ideas, to launch each writing session, and to take aim at writer’s block should its shadowy figure dare to loom.

  Capturing ideas

  Ideas tend to pop into writers’ heads at inopportune times — as
you fall asleep, for example, or when you’re cruising up the I-5. In Chapter 4, I talk about fostering ideas that have high teen appeal, but before you can foster them, you must capture them. This section gives you two ways to do that.

  Exploit your downtime to capture ideas. You probably have a lot of waiting times in your life, such as waiting for the bus or commuter train, waiting for your daughter to finish lacrosse practice, or waiting in the doctor’s office. Don’t just tap your toe and fuss with the paper gown. Pick up a pen and jot in your notebook. These can be wonderful breakthrough moments.

  Carry a notebook

  Carrying a notebook is the timeworn idea-capturing method of choice for most writers. Palm-sized or full-sized, spiral or bound, the notebook’s style is up to you. The point is to have a master place to write down those random thoughts that isn’t the back of receipts and stray papers. Those are too easy to lose — and what do you do with them if you do get them home safely? Stack them in a box and spend precious time sorting through them? When’s that going to happen?

  If carrying even a palm-sized notebook with you when you leave home is impractical, slip a few index cards in your purse or back pocket; you can just tape the cards in your notebook when you get home. Taping is great because having to transcribe notes into your notebook is an extra step that you’re likely to put it off until later — and sometimes “later” turns into “never.” Keep the notebook and tape where you put your keys so that the taping becomes as much of a habit as tossing your keys into the drawer.