Karen Foley
Lynn Raye Harris
Ellen Hartman
Diana Holquist
Samantha Hunter
Shirley Jump
Dee Tenorio
Jeannie Watt
A Pattern for Creativity
Creativity is one of the greatest gifts bestowed on us, whether it's creating a painting, a quilt, a model ship, or a song.
This past weekend, in the spirit of spring, I decided to clean out the attic. I was amazed by the amount of crafts I had stored there. (Jeannie, I can put all this stuff in the driveway and if you have a pickup truck, it's all yours!)
I have bins of brightly colored embroidery floss, sewing hoops, cross-stitch fabric and patterns. Another bin held at least 500 tubes of acrylic paint, boxes of brushes, and hundreds of pattern books for folk painting, neatly stacked beside plain wooden cheese boxes, wine boxes, picture frames, and barrel staves, all just waiting for an artist's touch. In yet another bin, I found all my beading and jewelry making supplies, along with pattern books for creating beautiful bracelets, earrings, and necklaces. I also unearthed a bin that contained my stained-glass supplies. There was a glass-grinder, cutters, a soldering iron, rolls of copper foil and lead came, and bins of beautiful, translucent glass. Stacked in another bin alongside these items were--you guessed it--stained glass pattern books.
It was a nostalgic undertaking for me, as I recalled some of the beautiful projects I've made throughout the years. I also recalled that each time I tried a new medium, it was often a very complex task to transform my creative ideas into an end product. I had to learn the craft, become familiar with the tools and equipment of the craft, study the work of other artists, and hopefully bring some talent to it, as well. I also realized that every end product started with a plan; a framework of sorts. Only with a pattern, with an understanding of color and texture, did the end creation match the image I carried in my head.
I've been working on my third Blaze book, and have a deadline that will be here before I know it. I've struggled with this book. Up until several weeks ago, I had a premise, but no real outline of how the story would unfold, who the characters were, or what their unique conflicts would be. I had no clue why these two characters would fall in love, or why a reader would even care. In the words of a good friend, it was all "schlock."
Then I realized what the problem was. I hadn't mapped out my story. I had no "pattern" to work with, if you will. I hadn't taken time to lay out the different plot lines, to add color, texture, and depth, and bring it all together in a beautiful, cohesive story. Even songwriters start out by focusing on sequencing, i.e., composing their song with an arrangement or structure. I'm definitely a plotter, not a pantser, but I thought I could skip this crucial step in the name of expediency. I was so wrong.
Once I went back and laid out my central story, developed my characters more fully, wove in several subplots and brought in secondary characters, I could actually see the story in gorgeous, 3-D detail. Since then, my story has been flowing almost effortlessly, and I know I'll have no problem meeting my deadline. And hopefully, the end product will match the image I carry in my head!
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Can't wait!
Hi, Karen,
Thanks for the lovely post today--I have some similar collections of artsy potential in my house :) I have tons of enthusiasm when beginning, but run out of time (and will) to continue... someday?
And I'm definitely looking forward to your next books!! When are they scheduled to come out?
Thanks, Fedora. I think I'm
Thanks, Fedora. I think I'm reluctant to get rid of all my crafts stuff because I have this dream of one day getting back into it. I think it was actually easier when the kids were small...they took naps and went to bed earlier. These days, I feel like I'm always on the run, LOL.
Overnight Sensation will be out on Sep 1st, and I don't have a firm release date yet for the one I'm currently working on.
Oh Karen,
I wish I lived closer...:) I am about to tackle my basement again. I'm trying to be more practical, less sentimental. Do I really need the Arctic Pacs I wore in the 1970s? Yes, part of me cries. I'll have to slap that part into shape if I'm going to have any success in the basement.
As to the book, I just went through the exact same thing, and I mailed the book off this morning. It's not perfect, but there are so many things I like about it. I wrote the first three chapters and sent them in, but I was not happy with them. I reworked them and finally got three I liked in mid February! Book due March 31! But after that, I was able to map out a story and then flesh it out.
You'll get this baby done. I'm glad you got your pattern and can go to work. I have discovered that I have to have a full pattern, too, and that's what I'm doing right now--a super detailed synopsis for my next book. It gives me comfort to know it's there when I start writing.
Wow!
Oh my goodness, Jeannie!! You're my new hero! A whole book in less than two months?? Wow. And the thing is...I'm sure it's amazing! Yes, I also must have a detailed synopsis before I start. It's my roadmap for when things start to go off-course. I'm so proud of you for meeting your deadline. What an inspiration! Thank you for sharing, because now I feel like I might just be able to do this.
Jeannie's Paintings
Jeannie, it's amazing to me that so many writers also have other creative outlets and how many writers tend to be artistic. I was looking at your paintings (on your website) and they are amazing. I especially like the one of the cowboys waiting outside the gate (Jordan Valley '98). Is this something you still actively pursue? Talk about living in an area that provides daily inspiration! I have a book that I wrote a couple of years ago and then set aside, that takes place in the Sierra Nevada. Once my current deadlines are met, I'm thinking of ressurecting it, and I know just who I should talk to about the area, LOL!
Karen--thank you so much for
Karen--thank you so much for the compliment on my paintings. I don't paint too much now because I tend to not be able to think about much else when I do it. It pretty much drives me crazying during the process--which is a lot like my writing technique of blocking in big areas, then zeroing in on the details.
Any time you need Sierra Nevada info, let me know :)
Yay Karen!!
I'm so glad things have worked out and you're feeling better, and writing away... we need more Foleys for the bookshelf. ;)
I don't have too much craft stuff stacked up -- I had watercolor stuff and candle making supplies, mostly, in the basement, and then my sewing things here, but that would be my main craft things in the last few years. There's gardening, though with our yard that's mostly a necessity, and then the tarot, which I have accumulated decks, but it doesn't take up too much space.
I tend to be a "learn by doing" person, including the making the mistakes. My writing process seems to work differently depending on the book -- with Blaze, I often write the synopsis first, I have to, because it's how I sell the book, but then the book may take detours and change a bit from the original plan.
With the mainstream I'm working on, it was very interesting because I got the idea in a flash and knew I had to just sit down and write -- so I did, and finished an almost 200 page draft in a little over a week. It stalled just at that point, and I had to go figure out why, and messed around, kept bumping into walls, but then I realized that original draft already had all the story, it just needed fleshing out, so I sat down and just started revising and messing with it, and today, just went back and wrote a synopsis -- now I feel that with the 180 pages I have (from revision) and moving forward to the end with the synopsis, I'll be able to finish it pretty easily... It was a kind of wacky process, though.
With quilting, I have always followed patterns, though I'm working on two quilts now, one is a charm quilt that has 1800 triangles (God help me, I've only put 500 together so far), and a mish-mashed rail fence, where I just want to use all of my extra material, so I picked the easiest pattern I know, and just started making blocks out of all of my scrap, and we'll see how it turns out... It might end up a colorful mess, but it will be warm nonetheless. :)
I guess my process for just about everything is whacked, but I follow my instincts, I guess... If it feels good, do it, LOL.
Sam
Sam, you are the Queen of
Sam, you are the Queen of Quantity (and Quality, as that RITA nomination is testament to!). I've never met anyone who can sit down and grind out as many words as you can, when you put your mind to it. It always amazes me. But I'm glad, because then it means more Hunter books for the Foley bookshelves!! ;) Your charm quilt sounds beautiful; make sure to post a photo of it when you're through. Also, one my favorite afghans is one that my grandmother made me using all her scrap yarn; it's a colorful mess, but it does keep me warm!
Actually, my pal Charli
Actually, my pal Charli Teglia, now *theres* a woman who can produce pages and books like no one I've ever seen -- she's incredible with how many pages she can put out (heh, Charli puts out... LOL). Seriously, though -- this was the first time fast drafting ever worked for me, and I think it was because I just had the whole book in a flash -- and then of course 75% of it has to be rewritten, but all the bones are there.
Usually I am much, much slower - I think Charli has put out as many books in a year I have put out in 2 or 3...
Sam
Oh, now I have to go check
Oh, now I have to go check her out...and probably add her to my ever-growing TBR pile! I remember listening to Barbara Keiler (who writes as Judith Arnold) talk about how she wrote some of her first books with her infant on her lap. Now there's a prolific author who puts out some truly fabulous books. I love her stuff.
I cleaned out my sewing and
I cleaned out my sewing and craft room when I moved into this house.
Now I have room to lay out my patterns.
Go forth and create!!
Go forth and create!!
Seriously, my uncle is a retired chemistry professor from Cornell, and he brought home one of those long, soapstone lab tables for my aunt. She's an avid quilter and sewer (seamstress??) and that table has been invaluable for laying out her patterns.
I used to do all kinds of
I used to do all kinds of crafts before the internet came along. My husband would love to get rid of an entire bin of yarn that I just can't bring myself to get rid of just in case lol.
I'm laughing because there
I'm laughing because there were a lot of things I used to do before the Internet came along! My kids think it's pretty funny that we grew up without it...that's equivalent to the Dark Ages, at least to their way of thinking. But I know what you mean about hanging onto it. I was really into folk painting about 12 years ago and did the whole seasonal craft fair circuit, selling my stuff, but then sort of got away from it when I start traveling a lot. Then it seemed like nobody was doing it, and a lot of my suppliers went out of business. But I noticed this past Christmas that there were more and more folk painters showing up at the craft fairs again, so maybe...ah, well. I'll hang onto the craft supplies for a little bit longer.
Nice post!
Hi, Karen -
I don't really tend to save stuff. I've tried a couple of hobbies over the years - stained glass, beading - but the only one that really stuck was knitting. I like it because it's portable (I'll be the one at National with a bright pink pouch and needles), has great colors and textures, and you can make some really amazing, beautiful things. Some people are "stash knitters" - they buy yarn without having a particular project in mind. I'm the opposite. I pick a project. I buy yarn. I knit the project. I pick another one....lather, rinse, repeat. No, I am NOT obsessive compulsive, LOL.
But...that leads into my writing. I've found when I'm stuck I often need to look at and/or redo either my storyboard, or write a detailed synopsis. I write a couple of different types, one plot-based that says "this happened, then this happened" and gets me through the RD. The second one is the emotional one, more like what I'd submit, but longer, where, now that I know the characters a little better I delve more deeply into how what happened makes them feel. Then I layer in the emotional responses in the next drafts as I revise. I find it easier to write if I'm focused on one thing - plot, then emotions, etc. I wish I could do it all in the first draft...but I can't. At least not yet.
Hmmm...I like patterns, I do one thing at at a time, there's counting involved in both activities (stitches, word count). Okay, I'm a little obsessive compulsive ;).
So impressed
Karen, you're so talented!
And I hear you on how important it is to have that pattern, those directions. I really need that, too. If I don't have a solid outline, I get lost and frustrated. With one, though, I'm always on track but have the fun and enjoyment of enjoying the surprises that always crop up as the story moves and the characters come to life, instead of worrying about--or worse--letting them take me off track.
I'm so glad you found your rhythm.