Boards with Sticky Stories: The Myth of Storyboarding Undone

You have seen them.  Probably heard about them.  Fiction writing fanatics often swear by them.

They are story boards.

Yep.  And to the left is my very fist attempt at one.

You may have wondered what happened to all my writing.  Why hasn't she posted on Facebook?  What is her latest thing?  What's going on?

All the answers to your questions as well as my current non-fiction project are color coded and slapped (somewhat straight) onto this tri-fold of card board.  Post It sticky notes covered me last week as I attempted to de-myth or de-bunk all the funky hype about story boards.

So, here's my executive summary aka the scoop.

I LOVE story boards!

First, who does not enjoy fresh office supplies?!  Mmmm- smell that collated paper and highlighters fresh in the morning?!  Ahhh.

Secondly, instead of fourteen different sheets of notebook paper and three thousand paper napkin notes my book can been seen in one place!  WOW!  Look at that.  (Wish it could write itself, but that is not happening.)  And so easy to move things around... stick chapter here.  Nope, move that over there.

C, (who wants to be consistent with numbering anyway) with my book laid out in front of me- chapters, sections, themes, scripture references, etc. the 'holes' appear.  Fortunately and unfortunately, the gaps in my writing or the logic are frightfully apparent so there is no going back and 'hiding them'.  My story board work has unstuck the writing blocks because I know exactly what needs to be tackled next.  There you have it- a board of stickiness so that my 'story' the flow of my book makes sense and will help others.  Hooray!

If you need me over the next few weeks- find me near my big board or back at Wal Mart buying more office supplies!

What's the Deal with Rejection?!

I suppose rainy days and rejection notes should go together like Nutella and bananas or football games and fleece jackets.

As my gutters gush with falling water this afternoon, I admit that my inbox has gushed recently with lots of incoming messages.  The content is similar.  Often sounds like the same writer has sent the messages because the notes contain "no", "no thank you", "not right for us", "um, maybe you should focus more", and the more cavalier: "we've had too many of these kinds of submissions lately.  Message us next year".  Really?!?!  The Reagan's 1980's anti-drug Just Say NO Campaign is in full swing in my writing life!

I suppose I could get depressed.  I could stop writing.  I could just freeze up and hold everything back.

The problem is that almost twenty years ago I made a weird decision.  I decided that rejection was normal for creative artists to receive and so to 'normalize' the experience of rejection I would instead choose to collect rejection emails, texts, or letters as badges of courage.  Goofy, I know.  Rejection = badges of courage.

But there is something about the 'turn' and 'twist' of this decision which compells me to keep writing! And keep trying.  Like Dorie, who did help find Nemo, I just keep swimming...

A colleague says I have perseverance.  My high school counselor back in 1987 called me stubborn.  My husband agrees with both.

So, here I am writing again while it rains

Rejection- bring it on, baby.