Don't do what I do (or: The Truth about Tessa's Notebooks)

I don't know about you, but I'm kind of addicted to pretty notebooks.

Like, seriously.

My dad used to say (in fact, he still does) that I must have been a pencil or a pen in a former life, I like paper so much.

I have stacks and stacks of pretty notebooks in all sorts of sizes and colours and designs, some lined, some blank (not a fan of squared - too regimented for my pantser tastes). Now, there's nothing wrong with having notebooks, of course... but...well...

I have this tendency to start writing in my new favourite and then abandoning it for another, or having this bright idea of having one notebook for each of my endless array of plot bunnies, or any other variant of that writerly boogeyman, procrastination. Because all that occupation with the notebook stops me from doing what I should be doing: Buying some superglue and sticking myself to my desk chair so I actually have to sit there and WRITE.

Yes, that's right. WRITE. Because my writing has been sporadic (at best) the past few month, and this is not something I can recommend.

So don't do what I do. Don't get preoccupied with the shiny new notebook (or, Muse save you, trying to find the PERFECT notebook), don't bother trying to find the perfect word processing software, don't worry about whether your pen is blue or black or pink or just a pencil stub.

Because the basic recipe for being a writer?

Pen/Keyboard + Paper/Computer + Imagination + Butt-in-seat, and it's the last two that are most important.

The rest is just window dressing.

Top Five Reasons Attending A National Writer's Conference is Worth it

With the annual RWA conference taking place this week, my mind has been on conferences. Last year, the RWA conference took place in San Antonio, where I was living, and after a great deal of struggle and soul searching, I registered and attended. I was unsure whether the high cost of attending would be worth it, and I was so glad I did in the end. This year, I am unable to afford to go, but I am a firm believer that if you can manage it, a big national writing conference is absolutely worth you while, and here are the top five reasons why. (The importance of these reasons shift rankings depending on where you are in your writing career, but all five were important to me and are likely to stay important as my writing career progresses.)

Number Five: You'll meet your people.

If you're a writer, you've experienced that moment where you tell someone you're a writer and they either
(a) back away slowly, mumbling something under their breath,
(b) tell you about how they would write a book if they had time,
(c) say that's nice, but what do you really do?

As writers, there's an immediate connection when you meet other writers. People who get it. They've fought sagging plots, writers block, the incredible vulnerability that comes from letting people read (and OMG, CRITICIZE) your writing. They know what it's like when a story won't leave you alone, and what its like when your characters abandon you mid-story.
They get it and that's worth so much.

Number Four: The Network

This touches on what number five is about, but it's more about meeting face to face, the people who you've known and connected with online. Writers tend to be scattered about, especially for writers living in non metropolitan areas. Conferences are a great place to meet the people you feel like you've known forever in real life.

Critique partners, agents or editors you've had dealings with, the folks from your online writers group are often at the big conferences, and they are there in part to meet you in person, and to network with you.

Number Three: The inspiration

This isn't just coming from me. I've experieinced this, but I've also heard it from so many writer friends.

There's a synergy that comes from getting hundreds of highly creative people together who are interested in writing and are talking about writing. Things happen. Plots start to bubble in your brain. You find yourself writing baby plot lines out on bar napkins. And some of those bubbles actually work.

Attending a well run, large conference can refresh your creative well, and give you new ideas to draw from. It can help you view old ideas in new ways. Conferences can be incredibly inspiring.

Number Two: the classes

The caliber of classes at a large national conference are amazing, as is the range of topics covered.

There's something for everyone.  Attending the classes I got to attend last year raised the level of my writing. I learned tools to help me learn to write better.

I learned tools to help me keep track of plotting, and character arcs. There's an incredible wealth of writing wisdom and  information out there, and a national writing conference is one of the very best ways to access that wisdom.

Number One:  Its the best place for first time authors to find an agent.

Don't take my word for it. Take Scott Hoffman's. The founding partner of Folio Literary Management had this to say about it:

"Particularly for first-time authors, there’s no better way to get to an agent than at a conference. Authors love one-on-one meetings with agents, but we know where the best writers can be found: at the bar. You think Hemingway would have given an elevator pitch at a 7:30 A.M. meet-the-agents session?"

So there you go. Five great reasons why a national conference is worth the time (and huge expense) of attending.

From Pantser to Plotter

Relentless Writer's EXCLUSIVE and world wide web debut!

Here for your viewing pleasure is my first ever SlideShare! :D
Click through the slides and delve deep into the wild world of plotting!
(You can maximize the slide display to up the wow factor ;)

Enjoy!



In gratitude,
Marissa Campbell xo

AVELYNN

Forthcoming debut novel by Marissa Campbell

Coming from St. Martin's Press, September 8, 2015!

Anglo-Saxon England. Ambition, lust, and betrayal weave their fateful threads through Avelynn’s destiny. Against the political back drop of Alfred the Great’s war against the Vikings, AVELYNN brings the Dark Ages to light and illuminates one woman’s struggle to fight for what she believes in.

ROCK the CON: Pro Tips for Writers Conferences

(by Charlotte Levine Gruber, with Anna Davis)

Next week is the annual DFW Writers Conference. As Dallas area writers, Anna Davis and I thought we'd tackle pros and cons at the "Con."

Wrong kind of con, but still a great film.

My first professional writer’s conference was the DFW Con last year. I'd just completed the first draft of my first manuscript and made one (yes, one) weak polishing attempt. I had a writer friend to help break the ice. While my friend really helped my comfort level, it's often good to go without knowing anyone, forcing you to make new friends.

I've been to three conferences since, and have made several good friends. But the workshops—listening to other writers talk about what worked and what didn't—can help exponentially.

Generally, there are two tracks at conferences: 1) Classes on craft, publishing, and critiquing; and 2) Networking. Professional conferences are most effective when the writer can "work" both tracks. But for many writers, this is a step—or leap—outside of their comfort zone.

Anna and I have divided up tips for those who master track (1) and those who master track (2).



No, these are not the two tracks we want to master...

PRO TIP #1: Research classes ahead of time and plan accordingly.
While many writers are introverts, you'd be hard-pressed to find any of my friends or acquaintances who would call me shy. But at a conference? I'm all about the classes, the workshops, and the critiques. I'm planning my schedule now for the con that takes place in ten days.

Time spent researching the instructors is beneficial. Specific things I look for: publishing credentials, book sales, and genres. This research will help you decide which classes to attend, and will also help you prepare for each class so that you can get the most out of it.

Don't miss a class! Keep track of the schedule during the con.

PRO TIP #2: Use Twitter for Networking.
Here’s the deal: most of us writers just flat-out don’t like networking. We live in our heads because we like it there. But when you sign up for a conference, you’re paying a lot of money and taking time out of your normal schedule, and you don’t want to miss a huge benefit: MEETING OTHER WRITERS.

So in the interest of all that is good and holy about networking, take advantage of Anna's little-known conference secret: Use Twitter.

If you don’t have a Twitter app on your mobile device, GET ONE. Twitter is the business card of the digital age. It beats Facebook hands-down for speed networking situations like conferences and conventions.

If you have Twitter but don’t know how to use it, LEARN. You don’t have to be a Twitter expert. You just need to know how to follow people and how to look up a hashtag (like #DFWCon, for example). 

Knowing how to make lists would help, too. If you create a list for the conference ahead of time, you can easily add new contacts to that list throughout the con. When you go home, completely brain-dead and exhausted, you will have a record of who you met. You will also have a way to get in contact with them again. And you might even have their picture. Twitter is a mysterious and powerful type of networking magic.



Dazzling. Shocking. Twitter can be your best con strategy.

Twitter is a useful tool for all writers, but especially for introverts and others who might struggle with a slew of socially-challenging conditions (anxiety, ADHD, a hatred for small talk, etc.).

Plus, there’s nothing more fun than live-tweeting during a class, seeing someone else’s tweet about the same class (because you both hashtagged the conference and class name), and looking over to see that person with phone in hand, hunkered down, sharing the same experience online but not especially comfortable in social situations. Like you.

Writers: Twitter can be your best #networking tool ever. #GetTwitterNow #IntrovertsUnite #ConTips 

What's In A Character?

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you've all recovered from the long weekend.

For those of you who have been following my own personal writing, you know that I've been re-writing my Robin Hood/Sleeping Beauty retelling. Going back to look at something I wrote almost five years ago has forced me to re-evaluate one critical aspect of my manuscript. My characters.

Character's are hard. It's difficult to come up with different characters that have different personalities and various characteristics. It also brings up the question, where do your characters come from?

I'll admit that a lot of my female characters come from me. I know myself best and writing the way that I would react to things is much easier than trying to understand how someone else would react. Some of my inspiration comes from people around me. My sister heavily influenced my writing of Jezebel, Robyn Hood's adopted sister, in my retelling. I take a lot of aspects of my husband and his personality for Briar, the Sleeping Beauty character, but they aren't the only places that my characters have come from.

Here is a list of influence for different characters in my current manuscripts.

Robyn

For Robyn I wanted a character who was strong, like Katniss Everdeen, but loyal and heroic like Robin Hood himself, particularly from Once Upon A Time.

Briar

Since my Robin Hood character is female and somewhat like Katniss, I chose to have my male Sleeping Beauty character much like Peeta. Not weak, but more laid back. I'm also huge on anime, so a lot of his characteristics came from anime drawings I enjoy. I also drew from Hook from Once Upon A Time, because, I mean, Hook.

Takeshi

My other MS is a Utopian fantasy where the world no longer battles with weaponry, but video game styled avatars. Takeshi is the male lead in that MS and I have to admit that I'm a bit of a Japanophile. I love anime and I've been fascinated with Japan since my pre-teen years. Those influences played heavily into making my male character Japanese. Although my choice of characteristics came from T.O.P. from BigBang who happens to be Korean. I also Adore Ikuta Toma because he's adorable.

Characters can come from anywhere from the people you interact with day to day to characters you watch on TV to celebrities. 

Where do your character influences come from? 

TRAVEL WRITING - ANCIENT FORESTS, BOILED PEANUTS AND ROAD MAPS BY JANICE M. WILSON

My vacation for this summer had already been decided last year. A trip to a military base to watch my daughter celebrate her passage through boot camp became a necessity and everything else took second place. As an avid outdoor enthusiast and a writer this vacation would serve multiple purposes, I determined.

DESTINATION: ALABAMA OR BUST!

Planning Ahead

Excited to break into a new genre, I goggled ‘expert tips on travel writing’ and printed a few out before my long drive to Montgomery, Alabama.  Visions of farms, mountains, and country folk doing a whole lot of front-porch swirled on my mind, so a suburbanite like me needed to capture that laid back feel, which would require unplugging from constant Wi-Fi.  With a little initial pain the laptop got left behind in favor of yellow lined paper and some small notes on the back of maps.  With extra paper, a small duffel bag for four days of clothes and dried fruit snacks with nuts, I headed for the dirt roads west and south of Baltimore.

HOW COULD I NOT PLAN THIS PARK INTO THE TRIP?

Purpose of Trip

This became more than a long drive to support my daughter. More like a quest to show myself that I still had my adventurous spirit buried somewhere under stress, my ability to find my way through a hole in a needle and quite honestly – I needed a long drive to clear my head.  Driving had always been therapeutic for me and I needed therapy in the worst way!

ENVIABLE RAFTING TRIP DOWN THE POTOMAC -
OH, IF I HAD MORE TIME....

Never mind the southern heat. Already trekking a steady path through my own Hades on earth, what would it kill me to endure some heat in the good ole south for a few days? I took the long way on purpose.  I’ve seen the common Route 95, which is a shorter distance but I willed to simply wing it on small roads along the way.  My inner-compass always points to the scenic routes and surprises and real people.   

HARPER'S FERRY - ONE OF THE UNEXPECTED STOPS
BUT WONDERFUL PLACE FOR A HISTORY BUFF!

By the time I reached Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, the once weary spirit within felt as rejuvenated as the forested state.  At a rest stop I started taking notes about the difficulty of grappling my steering wheel off route 70 and turn south on 81.  I looked at my ‘travel writing notes’, shook my head, and went inside the visitor center for a state map, feeding the ‘expert travel writing notes’ into a trash can.

SNOOPY - MY WRITING MUSE AND TRIP NATIVATOR
HOLDING 'ANTIQUE' MAPS - MY PREFERENCE STILL!

From here on in, this journal would be from the heart. (No GPS used until Montgomery city limits.)

In four days I covered 2200 miles, a round trip through 8 states. (No energy drinks consumed besides coffee or coke either!) As I reached each state line I added a new map to my collection, some coupon books, water and a deep breath of new air.  The closer I came to Alabama a more noticeable change in my attitude and peace I achieved. 

PEACE & TRANQUILITY - EVERYWHERE!
(A ROADSIDE WATERFALL IN THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS)

Social Media Marketing

After reading about some small places to visit, some of them I imagined would be awesome were (at best) unimpressive.  And vice versa - for places that didn’t call out to me at the starting line were surprisingly wonderful.  Except the Great Smoky Mountains – that was the exemplary star along the way. I became wonderfully lost and added five hours of driving time that day,  with no regrets. 

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK BYPASS
AROUND AND ABOVE GATLINBURG, TN - A MUST SEE!
(GOOD THING I DIDN'T BRING MY HIKING BOOTS -
I'D STILL BE THERE & LOST ON THE 800 MILES OF TRAILS!)

My phone memory quickly filled up with pictures and Facebook blurbs about Gatlinburg, Newfound Gap, Cherokee, Nantahala Mountain valley, Georgian corn and peach farms in the afternoon sun along the original Trail of Tears, and Alabama’s golden sunset at Cedar Bluff.  I reached my destination way past bedtime - exhausted, enlightened, satisfied, and shared. (now you are seeing it here).

A GREAT SHOT OF NEWFOUND GAP LOOKOUT OVER
THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS, TN & NC

Several Articles From One Trip

The next day landed top 5 in life experiences – the whole day!  My goal was to arrive safe and cheer my daughter as she marched in the graduation parade for AF ROTC field training.  In a sea of blue uniforms, our finest young brave cadets pledged to protect their land and people.  Ding! I reached the one of my proudest moments as a mother, and then assigned a new mission of fulfilling my cadet’s request for Mom’s Famous Baked Macaroni & Cheese for her when she came home. Life was on again!  I wrote about my daughter’s decision and sacrifice she made to join and submitted it upon return. And a more personal account posted on Soothingprose.com, my own blog.

A GREAT PARENTAL PRIDE MOMENT - WATCHING MY DAUGHTER MARCH
AMONG THIS SEA OF BLUE WITH OUR NATION'S FINEST YOUNG CADETS!

Acceptance of Diversity and Changes

It seems when we are running from something (even if just taking a break) the journey is usually a lot more enjoyable and satisfying.  The first night driving back was the exception on this trip.  After a long shower and a short rest, I reached Chattanooga, TN before sunset munching on boiled peanuts and drinking Mellow Yellow.

WHEN IN THE SOUTH, EAT AS THE SOUTHERNERS EAT!
BOILED PEANUTS - FOUND AT EVERY CORNER IN THE SOUTH!

Another thing I love about inner compass driving is finding those beaten-path hidden places that you swear were waiting for you!   On a whim, and with the sun still another 60 min. before setting over Chattanooga City and the Dam, I took an exit to try and glimpse Ruby Falls in the hills nearby.  The admissions office just closed when I reached it, but I kept going uphill anyway, discovering a quiet upscale residential paradise, a train depot for touring the mountain, scenic lookouts over TN/GA states, and a bed & breakfast with a convenient ‘vacancy’ sign meant just for me!  

MY OWN VICTORIAN COTTAGE WITH GOURMET BREAKFAST.
THE LUCKY FIND OF THE TRIP!
(THE GARDEN PATH, LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, GA)

I FELT LIKE A PRINCESS FOR THE NIGHT!

Synchronicity at its finest!  I expected a cheap hotel chain room that evening so finding this garden amongst whimsical Georgian Victorian proved a sleepy traveler’s paradise.   So reasonably priced too, and I could not resist a restful sleep in a posh cottage of my own!  Booked.  Mine.

A WRITER'S HEAVEN - MY OWN PATIO FOR COFFEE & WRITING
& NEW WRITING RETREAT!

Too amazed to sleep at first, I spent a couple more hours on a second wind taking pictures and walking around and writing.  It would also be an insult not to enjoy the china cup of peach herbal tea in my room.  The hidden treasures and tiny charming details lasted through the morning and my breakfast on a veranda amidst bird baths and fountains. 

I COULD GET USED TO THIS - BREAKFAST AT THE INN
ON THEIR PORCH RESTAURANT

Lessons Learned From The Trip

I hated to leave but did I feel like my life sat quietly waiting in New Jersey to suck me back in?  No.  Responsibilities were back there.

Life was here, finding it and living it on a whim on the road. 

RIGHT OFF THE ORIGINAL TRAIL OF TEARS,
I ALMOST DID CRY IN RELIEF - MISSION SUCCESS
SWEET HOME ALABAMA!

The most satisfying revelation - I still had a long distance drive endurance, befriending quirky and loveable people is still fun, and the knowledge of using real (now antique) road maps, my original and still preferred GPS. 

CHATTANOOGA CITY IN THE SUNSET

CHEROKEE CITY, NC

Angle of Story

So far three articles came out of this trip, with another in the makes. And they are all different. Oh, the articles I read and threw out were informative, listing these as important virtues for good travel writing: purpose of trip; angle of story; planning ahead; writing several articles off one trip; social media marketing; acceptance of diversity and changes; what I took from the places I visited; how did it affect me. 

DON'T I LOOK MORE RELAXED? SELFIE TIME!
(GATLINBURG IN THE VALLEY)

I went. I saw. I shared. Got it. All good stuff. Sharing the trip in words and pictures to virtually put a reader there in the passenger seat and keep them excited enough to go there based on your experiences is the REAL mission in traveling writing. 

Until next trip report, visit my other FB page, Get Your Hide Outside.

YA'LL COME BACK NOW, YA HEAR?! ;)

The Dreaded Black Snack-hole

Happy July 1st!

Alright, so this post today is going to be a little less writing and a bit of my other favorite past time, food. A lot of it has to do with a phase I'm going through at the moment, for you see I am a snacker.

And I'm sure you're all thinking, so? We're all snackers to some extent. Well, I'm hoping to improve my snacking life. You see, after my third pregnancy I got addicted to sugar. Don't laugh. It was the only pregnancy I had where I craved sugar. The first I craved pizza and buffalo wings. The second pork rinds (don't judge), but my third all I wanted was junk. Reese's dipped in whipped cream (this is a thing. I promise). Or popcorn dunked in hot chocolate, milk shakes or whipped cream (again, this is a thing. One of my favorite things. I need popcorn.). Even what my family has dubbed as slammers which consists of popcorn, or Doritos (my dad's favorite) eaten together with your candy of choice whether it be Butterfingers, Reese's or my personal favorite peanut butter M&M's.

My baby is now five years old I'm still snacking on junk food. And gaining weight. And the problem is, I snack while I write. Stuck on a plot point? Grab a snack. Hit a wall? Grab a snack. Made it through page one? Grab a snack. The list goes on and on.

I love food. I'm the self proclaimed queen of copy-cat recipes. Want to make Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana? I have a recipe for that. Texas Roadhouse rolls? Yup, and I can even make the butter. Costco's Bistro Scalloped Potatoes? Got you covered with the best recipe ever. I went so far as to find a pretty darn good recipe for Pizza Hut Pizza dough. But the problem with all of these recipes is that none of them help me when I'm in the mood to just grab a handful of something to stuff my face while I'm writing. And don't get me started on just not eating because that's a whole other topic completely.

What I'm hoping to do today, and I'm hoping that some of you will help, is to find snack recipes that I can eat while I write and still remain somewhat healthy and not on a sugar high. And so, I present The Writer's Snack Cave, (I believe it's next door to the writer's cave.).

1. Hot Chocolate with Vanilla creamer

This one is pretty self explanatory and sometimes a kick of hot chocolate does the trick. Just mix hot chocolate with French Vanilla coffee creamer. Ta-da!

2. Strawberries and Whipped Cream

Whipped cream in a can is not nearly as fattening as whipped cream in a tub. Simply cut the end of the strawberry and spray some whipped cream in there.

3. Tortilla Wrap

I love to make these when we're going out of town or on a picnic because the medallions are easy for the kids to eat and not super messy. I like to take a tortilla and spread ranch across. I'm a big meat eater so I like a mixture of turkey, ham and roast beef topped with American cheese. Add lettuce and tomatoes, roll and cut into medallions. Easy for snacking.

4. Fruit Cones

Waffle cones are the greatest thing ever. Add fruit into the waffle cone and you've got a satisfying sweet snack. Add chocolate chips (or peanut butter or butterscotch) mini marshmallows, fruit, wrap in foil and place in an oven or over a camp fire and you've got the best s'mores ever.

5. Veggie Confetti Dip

Now, this recipe I found on the The Nourishing Home website. I love cheese and crackers, and while I haven't tried this yet, it's on my list of things to eat.

• 4 oz homemade yogurt cheese (or cultured cream cheese)
• 1/4 cup each of your 4-5 favorite raw veggies (see suggestions below)
• 1/4 tsp of Celtic sea salt
• Pinch each of dried parsley and dill weed

1. In a medium bowl, add homemade yogurt cheese (or cream cheese), salt and seasonings. Use a fork to mix well to combine.
2. Finely dice ¼ cup of your favorite raw veggies such as carrot, broccoli, celery, green onion, zucchini, yellow squash, red pepper, etc. (I do not recommend using cucumber, unless you lightly salt it and let it sit in a colander for at least an hour to drain. Otherwise, it will make your cheese spread soggy.)
3. Add finely diced veggies to the seasoned soft cheese and use a fork to mix together until well incorporated.
4. Line a small glass bowl with a sheet of plastic wrap and add the veggie-cheese mixture to the bowl. Place in fridge at least one hour (or overnight) to harden.
5. When ready to serve, remove from fridge and place flat side down on serving platter. Gently remove plastic wrap. Serve with your favorite crackers.

6. Chips and French Onion Dip

I'm sure some of you are wondering about this because you can buy containers of dip in the dairy section, but my family makes a homemade dip with cottage cheese that I simply can't get enough of. Take a container of cottage cheese, I prefer the larger curds but use whatever you like, and mix in a packet of French Onion Soup. The powdered soups are usually with the regular soups. Dip your favorite chips. Easy and addictive.

7. Spinach Dip

Down the same aisle with the French Onion soup packets is a Knorr spinach dip packet with vegetables. Mix with mayo and sour cream and you've got spinach dip. I prefer French or Italian bread to dip in it, but some people like tortilla chips. 

Of course you can always go with the tried and true past times, hummus and crackers, plain fruit, granola bars, etc., but I'm always on the look out for something I can do myself. Got a favorite writing snack? Share in the comments!