Chapter-by-chapter outlining

There's a lot of background work
for the collection!

I'm an outliner when it comes to writing. It helps me think about the story as a whole. And, in the case of the collection, it will help me think about the community of the people and their stories, and how everything fits together.

I already have a basic outline for the coffee house book, as well as synopses for the other books in the collection. Since I'm still doing all the background writing and research, what I have is fine for now.

However, as it gets closer to time to actually start writing the coffee house book, my intent is to take the outline a step further by creating detailed outlines for each individual chapter. I think I've mentioned before that the characters are the driving force in the books, and because of this, the simple outline I currently have for the coffee house book is adequate for background work, but is really a skeleton outline. I need to fill in the holes to be able to move forward.

Essentially, what I intend to do is sit down with the coffee house book outline, and write the chapter outlines as if each chapter stood independent of the rest of the chapters (and collection). When I have that done, I'll fit the chapters together within the larger work of the coffee house book (there is a loose story arc that ties the chapters together, after all), and think about how the coffee house book fits into the larger collection. When all those threads are put together, I'll have an extremely detailed outline for the coffee house book, and I'll be ready to start writing!

Not every story needs this kind of outlining. Many stories I've written don't. But because of how integrated everything is in the collection, I think it's necessary to do. Tedious, maybe. But necessary.

Do you outline before you write? How detailed are your outlines?

Even in the midst of chaos, there is writing....

I haven't done a lot of writing-for-pleasure this month. I started a new job career and have had many changes occurring in my personal life, so other things have taken priority. And yet, even as busy as I've been, I can't stop thinking about the coffee house book.

The good news is that after Labor Day weekend, things will be a little different, and I'll actually have time to make time for the collection.

I have been working on the coffee house book a little, here and there, but only moments at a time, and just enough to remind me that I do need to write it, and the stories will never leave me alone until I do.

Examples of my writing task lists

I have a list of notes and tasks that I need to do for the collection. I still have a lot of background work to do for the collection. I need to do some research into a few areas so I feel a little more confident writing about them. More importantly, I haven't finished the character biographies for the coffee house book (or the rest of the town), so that's the first priority. My coffee house book outline is solid, so once the background work is done, I'll be ready for the first draft. And I know a few people who will be eager to read a draft when it's ready.

I wish I could start writing the chapters or the biographies I have, but this collection just doesn't work that way. The characters in the coffee house book are interwoven with each other, and with the characters in the other books. I have to have a good foundation for that before I start writing.

I have started stories that didn't get finished. I've started novels that didn't get finished. And those characters were content in the half-scribblings I did for them, storing the pages away in a folder or a drawer. But these characters are different. The collection is different. The coffee house book has been following me around since 2004, and no matter what else I work on, or where else my writing takes me, the coffee house characters are there, begging to be written. And now I can finally tell their stories.

Well, hello, weekend.

My first week at my shiny new job has come to a close, and I'm still here!

It was a bit of a chaotic week at the beginning, but I enjoyed the craziness, getting to know the members of the Marketing Team, and sort of getting settled into a new routine. (Of course, this "routine" will change after next week when I go partial-remote, and then again at the beginning of September since Puck and Tink will be home and thrown into the mix.) It's been a good week to get me started.

Of course, this Friday is different from any other Friday I've had in about four years because it actually means something. Now that I'm no longer a freelance writer, I have weekends again, and I know that tomorrow morning I can sleep in and I don't have to work. It's strange to think that. I'll be able to get caught up on housework, do some reading, maybe even hang out with friends. And I don't have to work.

One particular thing I'd like to do this weekend is to get the coffee house book back in shape. I've been greatly neglecting it (but haven't stopped thinking about it) for quite some time due to many of the changes in my personal life, and now that my schedule is different, I may actually have time to finish up the background work for the collection and write the coffee house book. Finally.

I will take some time this weekend to talk about my job a little more, and some other fun, exciting things that are coming up. In the meantime, have a happy Friday!

Closing up shop....

Today is my last official day as a full-time freelance writer. Monday will be my first day at my shiny new job. (Squee!)

It's a strange feeling to know that on Monday I won't be a freelancer anymore. I'll still be freelancing for a little while; I have some projects to finish up before I'm completely done, but those will be on the side, and my primary focus will be on my new position as a Marketing Communications Writer. It's been strange closing out the freelance side of my life. I've been freelancing since 2008, and now I won't be anymore. I have to change my mindset quite a bit. Not only do I not have to allocate part of my time to seeking clients and work, but I'll get my weekends back. I liked having a flexible schedule as a freelance writer, but I'm looking forward to the structure of my new job. I know that when I get home, I can be fully at home and give my full attention to the kids. (And if that isn't enough, I'll have free time to dedicate to the coffee house book!)

I'm not fully sure what to expect yet. I have an idea of my responsibilities, of course. I know what a copy writer in a marketing department does. But this is a new field for me. Starting Monday, I work for a company that creates software for the heavy duty trucking industry. I know a little bit about software and technology, but the trucking industry is new to me.

The good news, though, is that I'm in the marketing department. I can do marketing writing. I've done it before. In fact, my new job description is very similar to the job description I had when I was working at my alma mater. I liked that job quite a lot, and I'm looking forward to flexing some of those writing muscles again.

I still have lots to do before Monday, but I'm ready. It's time to bid farewell to the freelancing adventure and start a new one.

Turning a corner....

HAPPY DANCE!

My career is turning a big corner this month. It's something that's been (sort of) in the works since May, and now it's finally culminated into an amazing opportunity for my career.

While I have not signed my employment contract yet, I have accepted the offer of a full-time marketing writing position with a company in central Illinois. My first day is August 6 (Puck's birthday).

I didn't say too much about the position during the application and interview process. A big part of it is that I didn't want to jinx it. But now that I have the position, I feel like I can say (a little) more.

I found the position accidentally. I was looking online for some freelance work and happened upon this. I was intrigued by the job description, which seemed perfect for my education and experience, so I decided it wouldn't hurt anything to apply.

The more I heard about the position as I went through the interview process, the more excited I got about it. It wasn't at all what I originally thought, but better. I know this may sound cheesy, but this position is what I went to school to do. This is the kind of position I envisioned myself in when I imagined my perfect job. I would be happy retiring from this company in forty years.

There are a lot of benefits to working for this company. It's a full-time salary position with benefits, after my two-week training period I'll only need to be in the office twice a week (usually), and the company is located in a nice community.

I know that no job is perfect. I know there will be difficult days. But I feel so incredibly blessed to be offered this position, and to be able to build a career on my passion for writing. I can't wait for my first day in the office (speaking of which, I'll have my own office--yay!), and to get going with some of these projects that will be on my task list.

This year has been difficult for me so far, and now I finally feel like things have turned a corner. I'm ecstatic about this position. I just can't stop happy-dancing.

The bookworms need to be fed

Nanny reads to Puck and Bug

My kids have been all about stories lately. Puck constantly has a book in his hand, carrying them around with him, and asking me to read this or that story a thousand times a day. Even Tink has been carrying books around and paging through them.

As a writer and reader myself, I'm ecstatic. I love that they are already entranced by the stories they have, that they want to know what happens to Amelia Bedelia when Mr. and Mrs. Rogers come home, and they have to help Duck find Little Bunny.

However, it has reminded me that my kids do not have enough books. (Can one ever have enough books?) There are a lot of stories I remember reading as a child, and I want Puck and Tink to have those stories in their memories, as well.

The kids are going to be spending some time with Monty soon, and while they're gone, I have some plans and things that are going to be done. One of those things will be to add to the kids' library. When they come home, there will be a whole bookcase in their room, ready for them to peruse and carry around the house.

Why it's important to stretch yourself....

I love being a writer. Really really. And while I have spent the last four years as a full time freelance writer, I'm exploring an amazing opportunity that would shift my career in a different (and awesome) direction.

It's different from what I've been doing, but it's something I have experience with. It really is a wonderful career opportunity, and it's the kind of thing that I've been working toward for the past four years. So depending on what happens this and next week, I could very well be headed in a new, amazing career direction, and I couldn't be happier.

So all that was a prelude to the point of this post: it's important to stretch yourself.

When I started out in freelancing, I took a wide variety of work. My first client was in the health/nutrition realm, but after that I found myself writing in the education field (which I still actively do). But I've also written how-to articles on DIY, recycling, and home improvement projects. I've written articles about mixed martial arts gear. As I gained experience and confidence, I sort of honed in on areas of clients, which led me to writing about a lot of health/nutrition/fitness (especially holistic health) and education topics. I enjoy them, and am confident enough in those areas to write more quickly than in other areas. But I have still always tried to push myself to write in areas I'm slightly less comfortable to expand my knowledge base and skills. It sort of keeps me on my toes.

I really believe that because I stepped outside of my comfort zone in some of my writing projects, I set myself up perfectly for this possible career opportunity.

When you push yourself as a writer, you show clients you can and want to take on new challenges. If you have a client that likes your writing skills and style, but you have no experience in the field, showing that you continue to stretch and push could be what convinces the client that you can, in fact, do what they need you to do in order to provide the best writing possible.

It's a good thing to have a niche. You need an area in which you're comfortable writing and can showcase your expertise. But neither should you let a niche become a rut. Staying in that niche can become a comfort zone. And if you're not willing to step out of it, you could lose out on some wonderful opportunities and relationships with great clients.

Great things can happen when you step outside your comfort zone and try something new. And it could propel your writing career in a different direction, but that direction could be just what your career needs.

Back in the office....

The last couple of weeks have been hectic. I had a lot going on in my work and personal lives, so I didn't blog as much as I'd have liked to. Sorry about that.

But I am getting back into my "normal" routine this week. I know that my routine could very well change soon, but I'll deal with that when/if it arises. In the meantime, I need some semblance of normalcy.

I was actually out of the state on Wednesday and Thursday last week. I had some personal business to take care of in Florida, so I flew down on Wednesday evening, took care of the business on Thursday afternoon, and flew home Thursday evening. It was a bit of a whirlwind trip, but very, very productive in terms of what I needed to accomplish. I'm really, really happy with how things turned out for a lot of reasons. (Vague, I know. Sorry.)

Anyway, because the trip was so short and because I wasn't checking any baggage for the flight, I decided not to bring any work with me. I just brought what I needed for Thursday (and my journal--come on... I'm not a savage), and left everything else to wait until Friday morning. I figured that if there was something that came up, I still had email access, so I could deal with it as much as possible remotely, and get to the rest of it when I got home. Thankfully, nothing came up.

It was very strange being fully out of the office for those couple of days, though. Since 2008 I've been a freelance writer from home. That means that even when I'm "out of the office," I can keep working, take stuff with me, and never really be on vacation. But I didn't take any work with me on this trip. So I had time to do some journaling--which I really needed--and I even listened to part of an audiobook on the flights. I watched TV in the hotel room. I people-watched. It was strangely wonderful.

If I am offered full-time opportunity I applied to in May, this will be more like my life. Yes, there will be times I'll be working outside of normal work hours, but overall, I'll have a more "normal" work schedule. I'll be able to make plans with the kids or with friends for the weekends. I won't have to think about work 24/7. (Okay, let's be honest. When it comes to writing/work, I'm going to think about it pretty much all the time. But you know what I mean.) It will be strangely wonderful.

That's one of the things I miss about working at my alma mater in Admissions marketing. I got to do what I loved, but I had the ability to end my day.

Well, I survived being fully out of the office for two days, and now I'm fully back in the office. I have about nine projects on my desk I'm working on (I'd love to get at least half of them done this week!), and there's the whole updating-my-calendar thing that desperately needs to be done, too. It's going to be a busy start to a busy week, but I sure am glad to be home!

There's a reason it's called a career *path*....

Photo source

Last month I found an opportunity I couldn't pass up. At first I was, I admit, a little skeptical.... it sounded too good to be true, and I've fallen for that before.

I know more about this opportunity now, and I'm excited at the prospect of it working out. It would be an amazing career opportunity for me. It would push my career in the direction I want it to go, and it would be an opportunity that I would stick with long-term.

I can't (well, won't) say what this opportunity is right now, or any real details about it, but it would utilize my education and experience, and (as I said) advance my career path.

I know. Vague. Sorry. When I can, I'll share more.

I've been thinking a lot about this opportunity over the past couple of days. I've been weighing the pros and cons of it, thinking about the possibilities of some of the details I don't know yet, and imagining how this will alter the path of my life and career. It will change a lot of things in my life, for a lot of reasons. And if it works out, there will be some transitions that will be difficult, but that I will have to get used to.

But that's how it works when you're on a career path isn't it? You're not supposed to stay still, stuck where you are. You should be pushing forward, striving for better, right? That's what this opportunity is.


I have a degree in English in order to have a career as a writer. I have been working as a freelance writer for the past four years (to the month, actually), and each project has given me more experience and samples for my career. I've strengthened my skills, and the projects I accept now are very different from those initial projects and articles.


The progress I have made as a freelance writer has been an effort to land an opportunity like this one. This opportunity is why I went to college, and why I have pushed myself (especially recently) in my freelance career. This would be my career-maker.


Of course, with this kind of opportunity, there are some adjustments that would need to be made. (Understandable. If I were working in a traditional job and had a big opportunity or promotion, adjustments would need to be made.) At first, those adjustments bothered me just a little bit. But I know that they come with the territory of advancing my career. And because of what these adjustments will ultimately mean for my family, any concerns I have are being set aside. They are minor in comparison to the benefits of what's to come if this opportunity pans out.

I don't know what's going to happen. I'm supposed to know more next week. Whether it works out or not, this opportunity is sending me on a whole new path.

Counting down the days....

This is the last week that Puck and Tink will be with Monty for this visitation. They've been gone since the middle of the month, and I'll be so, so thankful when they're back! I've missed them like crazy, and while I've been doing what I can to stay busy, it's been very difficult to keep from...wallowing.

I readily admit that this visitation was more difficult for me. I know the kids are having fun and are being well taken care of, but I hate being away from them! There were many mornings I woke up and peeked in the kids' room, expecting them to be snoozing. Or, out of habit, I would pour two toddler cups of milk in the morning when I had Bug.

I can't wait until they're back. Like seriously.

But I've had a list of things that has to get done before they get home, and it's not finished yet. So in these last days before I get to cuddle the babies, I'm trying to carefully plan what I need to do, especially for work, in order to get everything done I need to before the kids are home.

It's going to be a busy week, but it will be worth it when I get to pick the kids up on Saturday!

What do you have to do this week?