Motivated by a combination of fear and stubbornness, I’ve had pretty much the same haircut for a decade now. Sometimes long, sometimes short, my hair is always cut straight across. No bangs, no layers, no nothing. I figure you can’t go wrong with simple, right?

Mmm, maybe.

But always playing it safe is boring. That’s true for hair, true for life, and especially true for writing.

So lately I’ve been trying to take more chances. Please see Exhibits A (a week ago) and B (today):

More interesting, no?

(The side bangs will take some getting used to, but I like them. Also, the stylist tried to get both sides of my hair to flip in, but as usual my hair did not cooperate. Is it weird that I take a certain pride in how stubborn my hair is? … Anyway, I think I’ll be happy if I can just get both sides to fall straight. I am so inexperienced with this stuff.)

Of course, this is about much more than hair.

When it comes to our writing, we have to learn not to be stubborn. We can’t hang on to passages, words, or plot points just because we like them. Sure, you may have worked really hard on that scene, but is that scene really working for your story? If not, cut it. And that metaphor you just wrote? It’s beautiful, but pointless. Cut it. Two characters who serve the same purpose? Cut one. Adverbs that subtly but significantly clutter your manuscript? Cut ‘em.*

Trust me, your ms will look better with a little trim.

In addition to trimming, writers should push themselves to experiment. To let go of all fears and inhibitions. For me, half the fun of fiction is getting to “do” and “experience” things I would never otherwise do or experience. Like traveling to another world (in my current WIP) or getting completely wasted (in Twenty-Somewhere). The other day, Erin asked me what I thought about writing characters who do bad things, like lying or stealing, and I had to admit that I find it fun. It’s my chance to be a little naughty and crooked, since I’m such a straight-edge in real life. (Coincidentally, Rachele Alpine blogged about “bad” characters today too!)

In other words, what I’m saying is that we should all follow Ms. Frizzle’s advice: “Take chances! Make mistakes! Get messy!”

Because it makes for fun hair, interesting lives, and great writing.

*Note: Contrary to popular writing advice, I believe there is a time and place for adverbs. But I also recognize that a lot of writers tend to overuse them, myself included.

The weather here has been pretty awesome lately. A balmy 50-60 degrees and mostly sun. (Hmm, a complete disconnect from my current header image… Oops. Oh well.) Riley’s been having a blast walking around the neighborhood again, and playing with the new puppy next door. They are painfully adorable together. I’ll work on getting pictures.

I’d like to blame the weather for my complete lack of productivity today, but I can’t. I’ve done exactly nothing on my to-do list today, and it’s mostly because I’ve been reading Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. Until page 60, I wasn’t sure if I’d like the book or not, but since then I’ve been completely absorbed. Ford’s prose is simple, elegant, and moving. And I’m so glad, because he seemed like a wonderful person when I met him at a local reading.

My other reason is that things at work are busier than normal, because we’re moving to a new building in a couple weeks. Between now and then, I’ll be handling a lot of logistics, plus after we move I’ll go back to a 5-day work schedule for a 10-week transition period. I’m not exactly looking forward to the reduced writing time, but my work has been very accommodating to me and my writing so far, so this is the least I can do. (And hopefully after the 10 weeks pass, I’ll have figured out a way to make my 4-day part-time schedule work in the new location.)

Furthermore, I’m hoping that my recent consistency and good habits will help keep me on track through the move. Because that’s the thing about being a writer, you know? There’s never a perfect time or situation. So you always have to make it work. Make yourself work.

So yeah, that’s what’s up for the foreseeable future. But hey, at least my workspace (both current and future) has lots of big windows so I can enjoy all this sunshine!

WIP update: 10,500 words! I’ve crossed a threshold! I’m really doing this! I can totally write this book!

Granted, I might have gotten a little farther if it weren’t for the Oscars last night… but whatever.

What I’ve noticed is that 500 words (my Mon-Thurs quota) has become easy for me. 1000 words (my Fri-Sun quota) isn’t easy, but it isn’t hard anymore either. Even on the nights when I start my writing at 11 p.m. — which unfortunately is fairly often — I can usually expect to collapse into bed around midnight or 1 a.m. I think my average is 500 words an hour. IF I’m focused.

(Which is why even though technically I can write at work, I never really get that many words down. There are just too many interruptions.)

Given that, I may up my daily quotas to 750 and 1250, respectively. Maybe in, like, a week? I don’t want to rush it, because the key is to set myself up for success. I want to make sure I set goals I can realistically achieve. Or else I could fall into that negative cycle of failing, beating myself up for failing, going into the next day/goal with a pessimistic outlook, and thus failing, beating myself up for failing, and so on and so forth…

Hey, can we go back to the Oscars for a moment? (Why, yes we can! Because this is my blog and I say so.) Besides all the glam and glitz, I enjoy Hollywood because it’s all about the same thing that I’m all about: stories.

Whether comedy, drama, thriller, or what have you, movies (like books) are about good stories. And I’ve learned a lot, both from movies and TV shows, about good storytelling. The compelling nature of friendship, from Sex and the City. The shades of grey that characters can (and really should) live in, from Battlestar Galactica. The simple power of real life highs and lows, from Life Unexpected. The list goes on.

(Obviously you can learn a lot about what not to do from bad movies and TV shows, too. But I like to focus on the positives.)

So last night (the Oscars) for me was a celebration of good stories, and the people who make them successful. And I have to admit, I was really happy when Sandra Bullock won for Best Actress. Because hers has been a long and varied career, from Speed to a Time to Kill, Practical Magic to Crash. And that’s what I want: variety. I’m terrified of being pigeonholed. Literary, Young Adult, New Adult, fantasy, mystery, chick lit… Truth be told, I’d like to try my hand at all of them. But nowadays, in the world of “author brands,” I worry about how much flexibility I’ll really have.

(Of course, Andy’s (extremely practical) advice is to just get a book published first, then I can worry about the next ones. But it’s so much easier to worry now!)

I know it’s a different industry, but still, Sandra Bullock gives me hope. That I too can experiment with different styles and roles. That I too can flop a few times and still come back strong. That I too don’t have to bend to my brand; I can make my brand grow to fit me. That I too can find success while staying true to myself.

WIP update: I’m 8,400 words in, and stumbling through Chapter 3. I also injected additional material into Chapter 2 and need to shuffle some stuff from 2 to 1. It’s not exactly revising, but it’s not exactly progressing either. So I’m trying to make sure I allot most of my daily word quota to moving forward through my outline. That April deadline is looking less and less likely, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop aiming for it!

To my credit, I am writing steadily, if not quickly. Last night I almost went to bed without finishing (or really even starting) my quota, just because I was so exhausted. Well, okay, I did go to bed. I shut down my computer, moved Riley to Andy’s side, and even got settled under the nice warm covers. But my guilt wouldn’t let me sleep. So I got back out and wrote. Darn you, conscience!

(Or really: thank you, conscience!)

I am still tired, though, so I’ve only got 2 thoughts for you today:

1.

On Wednesday night, a girlfriend and I went to see Valentine’s Day. From a writing standpoint, there were a lot of problems. The ideas were good, but the execution was mediocre/rushed, probably because there were so many storylines. But overall I enjoyed the film, and I did guffaw embarrassingly on several occasions.

My favorite storyline was actually the one featuring Eric Dane, aka McSteamy from Grey’s Anatomy. I don’t want to give it away, so I’ll just say that it was unexpected and refreshing and really well done.

2.

There are a lot of writing rules. Don’t start with conjuctions. Show, don’t tell. Always kill off a character. Never kill off a character. So on and so forth.

I think it’s good to know the “rules,” but I think it’s also good to break them sometimes. Because really they’re just guidelines, meant to help beginning writers develop their skills to a point where they (the writer, not the rules) are good enough. Good enough that a reader won’t care if they start a sentence with “And,” or tell us how the villain felt, or kill off a character and then bring him back to life. Or whatever.

Along those lines, Natalie Whipple held a contest this week, challenging people to start a story with weather. (Another no-no.) The results were pretty awesome. My favorite was the first place winner; I thought her story was incredible. So much packed into so few words! I was also quite impressed with the 12 year old girl who received honorable mention. Her first line definitely hooked me, and then there was a melancholy, contemplative tone that made me sympathize with the main character. Click here to read the stories. (They’re short, only 250 words each!)

All right, I’m headed home (from my Panera office) to play with my dog, read, and probably nap. Peace out, cub scout!

Yesterday was a day of laughter. It began with highly inappropriate conversations about sandwiches. Only a couple of you reading this will actually know what sandwiches are. To the rest of you, I apologize, but needless to say, a sandwich is not a sandwich. And for the record, you cannot unwrap mustard.

Then after work I went to my writing group, and I think something about our new location Book Bums (which is a fabulous cafe/lending library – anyone in the Cincinnati area should check it out!) really set us off, because man we couldn’t stay on-task to save our lives. Okay, that’s not completely true, we did read excerpts of two people’s work and give them feedback, plus we tried to help Sarah brainstorm on the sexual identity of one of her characters. But seriously? I laughed so hard and loud for those two hours that I’m surprised I didn’t get arrested for disturbing the peace. We also came up with the best story idea ever, but I don’t want to give it away, so I’ll just say “G-Y Z–B–!”

HEE.

Sorry, this is turning into a bunch of inside jokes, and that wasn’t the point. The POINT is that by the time I got home, watched Life Unexpected (totally vital, btw) and then showered, it was 11:20 pm and I had only written 38 words on my WIP. I was exhausted (from all the laughing, naturally) and my boyfriend and puppy were already in bed looking cute, warm, and cuddly. So what did I do? I got in bed with them and went to sleep for 8 hours!

NOT.

I took a deep breath, closed my browser, and forced myself to meet my daily goal of 500 words. (For the record, I surpassed that.) Was it hard? Yeah. Was I tired? Extremely. But was it the right thing to do? Duh. Because I’d already had my fun. I’d already cashed in for the day, with all the laughing and the sandwich jokes and the g-y z–b–s. But I hadn’t earned any of that yet. The truth is, I have a bad habit of doing that — of claiming the prize before winning the race — but one thing I’m good at is making sure I pay up. (Eventually.)

Like in the first grade, when my mom told me I could have a GameBoy only if I got all A’s on my report card, but then she bought it for me six weeks before grades went home? I still worked hard and got all A’s.

Or in college, when I told myself that I’d watch one episode of Battlestar Galactica for every one page of my term paper that I wrote, but then I actually watched Season 1 back to back for hours? I still finished my paper on-time and aced it.

Or when Andy told me I should get a MacBook after I sold my first novel, but then he gave me one for my 23rd birthday anyway? Well, okay, I’m still earning that one. But believe me, I will.

Now I’m not saying this a good way to do things. In fact, haha, I think it’s awful, and that guilt is probably part of what drives me. What I’m saying is that being tired isn’t a good reason to miss a goal. It’s an excuse. And excuses don’t put dreams on ice for later; they push dreams away.

Furthermore, if you really want something, then nothing — not even getting it — should stop you from making sure you deserve it.