Category: Blog
5 Tips Your Written Work is “Done”
Today’s Guest Blogger: Abigail Hills
Am I done?
A lot of us writers are perfectionists. We want to make sure every single letter; every comma is flawless. When do you know you’re done working on a piece? When do you distinguish the time to put down the pen, or stop clicking away at that keyboard? “I’m finished.” Are you able to say that?
Many writers are not. One published novelist told me she only knows she’s done when her editor tells her she has written enough. Most writers believe they are never done. Even after something is published, a lot of writers still feel their work is unfinished, and that’s okay! Here are some helpful tips from me, another writer, to get you to a place where you can say “I’m done.”
- When you’re sick of working on a particular piece, you’re done. You started out with something you really loved, but now you dread going back and editing. That piece has reached its finale. Send it to someone else to edit. You’re done.
- Remember that you may never feel your piece is “done.” You might always think you could have done better. We all feel that way sometimes. That doesn’t mean you aren’t finished.
- As you mature as a writer, your tastes will also change. Spending too much time on one piece can often do you more harm than good. You could spend the rest of your life on one single piece of writing, and never feel it’s finished. This is sometimes called the “Black Hole of Revision.” If it’s been a long period of time, too long for the amount of pages you have, you’re done.
- Ask yourself these four questions: Did I complete all the necessary story points? Have I taken out parts of the writing that I simply don’t like? Does everything make sense? Are my characters believable? If the answer is yes to all four of these questions, it’s likely you are done.
- Ask a friend. Ask someone whose opinion you trust to read your work. If they have some major things you need to change, you have work to do. If they only have small comments, it’s time to submit!
Remember, you don’t have to be 100% confident in your piece to submit it to an editor. Sometimes the pieces writers are the least sure about are the first ones to get published. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t revise. Revision can be your best friend! However, at some point, enough is enough. Carry on writers… but not for too long.
How do you decide you’re work is done?
Bio: Abigail Hills is a published writer and editor for Fine Lines. She is getting her bachelor’s degree in creative writing at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She is also a public speaker and advocate for those who suffer from anxiety and depression. Follow her at @AbigailHills on Twitter.
Today a Poem and a little Celebration
Today for Monday’s with Martin, we bring you a poem by David Martin, in honor of April being National Poetry Month, plus a little champagne in honor of our new Fine Lines Website!
Enjoy!
Woman
Your absence
pulls my skin from its flesh
and reveals empty places
packed with feeling.
Traces of your presence
linger over wine glasses,
opened books, and a rumpled pillow.
The echoes of your voice
make music to my jangled nerves.
The soft breeze I felt
was a ripple of your breath
gently caressing my face.
David Martin © 1996
The Rabbit Hole of Naming Characters
*Today’s guest post is by author Chris Mandeville
How Do You Name Your Characters?
Some writers don’t worry much about naming. They slap a label on a character and run with it. Other writers dive down the rabbit hole and put excessive amounts of research, thought, planning and creativity into naming. I’m in the latter camp, so thought I’d share with you some of the things I consider before attaching a moniker to a new character. I don’t recommend you join me down in the rabbit warren—especially not during NaNo—because it’s far too easy to lose all sense of time and purpose while exploring the wonderland of names. Instead I offer you a few categories, resources, and suggestions to help you quickly choose the names you need and get on with the business of the story.
WARNING: once you go down the Rabbit Hole of Naming, it can be hard to climb back out. For safe exploring, always attach a lifeline — a kitchen timer or a trusted friend to rescue you at an appointed time should do the trick.
CONNOTATIONS
As far as I’m concerned, the primary consideration when selecting a name is the connotations that come with it. Unfortunately connotations are for the most part an individual thing. Take the name Charlie, for example. If that’s the name of your favorite grandpa, your best friend, or the family dog, you will have a much different feeling about that name than if Charlie was the bully who beat you up in the third grade.
So how do you get a handle on connotations if it’s such a personal thing?
Try to weed out the truly personal associations and look at the more general, cultural connotations. Take “Trump” for instance. Because of “The Donald,” most American adults immediately think things like tycoon, businessman, wealthy, powerful, mogul. The cultural connotations of Donald Trump are bolstered by the definition of the word trump: a card of a suit that outranks the other suits; to excel, surpass, outdo. Note that I didn’t put a “good” or “bad” value on it because not everyone likes Donald Trump. The good/bad connotation will differ from person to person (along with various other associations, like crazy hair), but the impressions relating to Trump being a business tycoon are fairly consistent.
2015 Camp for Creative Writers in Omaha
We are excited to talk about this year’s Camp for Creative Writers!
We have a variety of artists from varied disciplines to Inspire, Teach, and Entertain our campers.
Over the next few months we will share the bios of the line-up, the press releases, and the details for what we are sure will be another great experience for all of our campers.
Who: Students entering the 4th grade on up. Classes are taught by certified teachers for grades 4-12, College, and Adult classes.
Where: Beveridge Magnet Middle School, 1616 South 120 St., Omaha
When: June 15-19th, 8:30 am to noon
How much: $150 per student. This includes a daily snack at camp and access to the Fine Lines Journal electronic copies for one year. Bring a notebook and writing utensil, your imagination, your readiness to be inspired, and maybe a water bottle.
How to Register: Fill out this form and pay online.
Check out this great camp video.
Friday From the Journal – Sneezing Trees
Today we are delighted to share the first place poem:
Sneezing Trees
Through my window, elms
Sneeze showers of zealous leaves
Swarming barren grounds
– Rose Gleisberg
We asked Rose to share about her inspiration for this piece:
My poem, “Sneezing Trees” was inspired by my husband’s work environment – working several floors underground for several years and having no window to view nature’s surprises. After several years of this, he was finally moved to a traditional office setting with a window view. One fall morning, he noticed the leaves falling from the trees. This was a pleasant sight, that until the move, he had little time to appreciate. With each new breeze, a shower of leaves could be seen. To him, it was as if the trees sneezed.
Author Bio: Rose Gleisberg graduated in 1980 from the College of Saint Mary in Omaha, Nebraska, with a degree in Early Childhood Education. After a few years, she left full time teaching to travel with her husband during his military career. Rose received a Creative Writing certificate in 2003 from Creighton University, also in Omaha. She currently substitute teaches, is involved in local writing groups, and writes poetry in her spare time. She resides in Bellevue, NE with her husband, Bob, and has three children.
Rose’s poem, “Holland’s the Place for Me,” was published in The Nebraska English Journal in 2001 and Bending Light in 2002. “Swish, Crackle, Crunch” appeared in Ideals in 2004. In more recent years, Rose’s poetry has been published in The Pen Women as well as Celebrate – A Collection of Writings by and about Women. Her poetry can also be found in Fine Lines, a literary journal published in Omaha. Much of Rose’s writing is inspired by her daily experiences with children – her own and her students. She also enjoys writing about nature and the many places around the world she has visited.
Friday From the Journal – The Wordsmith
Today we have a double treat for you!
First, the poem the poem that placed second in the Fine Lines Poetry Contest:
THE WORDSMITH
With pen in hand I slide to the other side,
Where fireflies shatter twilight’s veil,
Pine needles crinkle on the path,
Moonbeams whisper a melody,
Chanting waves enthrall,
Rushing winds caress,
Stars glisten above,
Blood tingles as
I drink from the
Fountain of
Words
– Marion Young
Now – join us in this interview with the author Marion Young
“Hello, this is Zoe at KPSK Radio. Today we’re talking with Marion Young, a local poet who scooped up second prize.”
Creek. Creek. The faux-leather chair cracked as I sat next to my talk show host. “Howdy.”
Friday From the Journal – Frozen Like a Statue
Today we bring you the Third Place Winner in the Fine Fines Poetry Contest
Frozen like a Statue
My teeth chatter against each other,
like a beaver gnaws on wood.
I’m frozen from my toes
to the tips of my auburn hair,
frostbitten to the very depths of my soul
battered by icy, bitter wind,
as Christ of the Deep withstands currents
and growth of marine life within its matter.
Icicles have formed on my eyelashes,
the only part of me not swaddled like a babe,
unshielded from the ruthless air,
as statues in open-air bear the brutal weather
that sears their foundations,
and cracks the stone.
My scarf whisks away from my neck,
yearning to break free,
to soar o’er the jagged, snowy mountain,
like Christ, held captive
by shifting sands and anchored by barnacles.
Tugging on my scarf, protecting my face,
I choke on the arctic bite of the air,
the bitterness cuts through my cracked lips
like saltwater on a wound,
then dig my poles into the freshly packed snow.
For a moment they are trapped;
and I am frozen like a statue,
Christ of the Deep trapped in the murky depths of silt,
yet instead of awaiting my doom,
I grasp the poles
like Christ reaching for the heavens,
I extinguish the cold soaked marble of my snow-sculptured figure.
Launching my gelid skis towards the distant lodge,
I carve ribbons into the icy snow,
like Michelangelo,
setting free the angel in the marble.
By Anne James
Author Bio:
Anne James works as a research lab technician in the department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology at Creighton University. She completed her B.S. in biology and French at Creighton. In her free time, Anne enjoys writing poetry, playing the trombone, knitting, and scuba diving.