All past and future blog content can now be found at my website at the following linked address:

www.traciisonschafer.com

Just Breathe

If you follow my blog or social media accounts (or know me in my non-electronic form) you see/hear me say “never give up” all the time. It’s my thing. Never give up on your dreams. I’m a firm believer that persistence can get you any place you want to go. BUT, I’m slowly realizing, sometimes it’s okay to take a breath.

I set lofty goals on how much writing I’m going to get done on a particular day and dig in. I’ll sit in front of my keyboard until my brain turns to pudding. But I keep on going, spinning over the same thing without much forward motion, because, damn it, I’ve set a goal and I’m going to meet or beat it. So, I keep rewriting that paragraph, not liking it anymore on the tenth version than I did the first. Or I’ll rearranging a sentence over and over wondering if I repeated a word or just think I did because I’ve read the same sentence twenty-five times in a row now? I tell myself don’t give up, you have five more pages left to write/revise today and I push through.

I usually make or exceed my already sporty goals, but fall into bed like a zombie way past any decent bedtime not always happy with the way I ended and with nothing accomplished around my house. I’ve found that when I come back to my writing the next day I go back and whip right through whatever I’d been spinning on. So, my stubborn side is slowly accepting that taking a breath has some merit, too. I’m trying to be more aware and when I realize I’m in the throes of a spin, I make a note to reword this or rearrange that—if I’m not sure what’s bothering me, I’ll just make a generic note to review or reassess—and walk away. I’ve usually accomplished quite a bit by the time I hit a wall (i.e. get tired) and have the problem fixed first things the next day. When I give my brain a rest, my dogs get an extra round of frisbee, or I get a load of laundry or dishes done before I run out of clean things, or I get to read a few more pages of a book before I fall asleep (YAY). I still say never give up on your dreams, but I think you can also be kind to yourself in the process.

Only a few weeks in to this new way of approaching my writing, I’m finding it easier said than done. But I’m trying. I continue to tell myself, that it’s all right, I’ll get there. Just breathe.

Happy Writing (and Breathing)!

Traci

AND THE (LOGO) WINNER IS...

Back in March, I asked my friends on social media to help select a final logo for my publishing company. This is the one you liked best (me too). Thank you all for helping! Now here's a little background, in case you're wondering.

The company was officially established January 7, 2017, as a Limited Liability Company operating in the state of Oklahoma. The name was suggested by my son-in-law during a brainstorming session between me, him, and my daughter. Inkana means friend (or friendly) in the Chickasaw language. As soon as I heard that, I knew we'd found the perfect name. I started  with zero knowledge or experience on how to write a book and have spent the last seven years grabbing every bit of knowledge I could. I'd love to pass that on to others just starting out--be a "friend" to any who might benefit from what I've learned, not only about writing, but about the business of writing as well.

The design itself is a mix of things I find interesting and, therefore, write about. My first novel, The Anuan Legacy, is a science fiction book partially set in space. I've always loved space. So much so that my friends used to call me Spaci (the "i" dotted with a star, of course) instead of Traci when I was younger. Thus, the star. It's swooping in like "here I am!" And here I am--or rather my book--finally, after 7 years. Longer by the time the novel is actually published. The pyramid is because I find anything about ancient Egypt fascinating. I already have a work-in-progress partially set in ancient Egypt. You'll see that sometime in the future. The color scheme was inspired by the death mask of King Tutankhamun (originally named King Tutankhaten, but better known simply as King Tut). The logo colors aren't yellow and blue. If you look closely, you'll see they're actually photo images of gold and lapis stone, which are both components of King Tut's death mask.

Choosing to self-publish under my own label is just one of many paths to publishing these days. It's the one I feel most comfortable with and I'd like to thank you all for coming along on this wonderful journey with me.

Happy Publishing!
Traci

Editing - That's What I Meant

Have you ever found yourself telling somebody that’s what I meant or that’s NOT what I meant? Well, that happens all the time in writing. The entire story is in the writer’s head, but what comes out isn’t always clear, just like in conversations. That’s why it’s so important to get fresh eyes on your drafts. No matter how great or successful a writer you are, your work has to be looked over by other people who can catch all the things you meant to say but didn’t (outside of your own mind, anyway).

I started my first novel, The Anuan Legacy (coming fall of 2017), from a place of zero knowledge or experience on how to write a book. Therefore, it may have spun around longer than a seasoned writer’s work would have, but nobody should ever scratch together a draft and immediately send it out the door without putting it in the hands of qualified reviewers and editors first.

My critique group (The Plot Sisters), does a great job of being my first round of fresh eyes, and sometimes my second and third rounds, as well. But after a while, they don’t have fresh eyes anymore, either. They know all the things that have been cut and may no longer recognize when something is missing that should have been included. 

For The Anuan Legacy, after I wore out my Plot Sisters, I hired a trusted and reputable professional to give a critique as both a reader and someone who knows the current dos and don’ts of novel writing. (These change over time.) This resulted in more revisions. I then passed the manuscript on to beta readers. Beta readers are volunteers who have never seen the story before and are willing to read it and give feedback. Of course, this drove another round of revisions. Once those were complete, I ran the updated draft through a second professional critique. More revisions. Then my Plot Sisters graciously agreed to review the manuscript yet another time. The material had morphed enough since they’d last seen it that their eyes were fresh again. Of course, I received more revision suggestions. Next, more beta readers and, you guessed it—more revisions. My manuscript went through so many revisions it barely resembled the original draft anymore and the time had come to bring in the heavy hitters. I sent it off to an editor who gave it a good content edit. And, yep, I had more revisions to make. 

I might mention that after every set of comments, whether it be from my Plot Sisters, a professional editor, or anybody in between, I wanted to kick myself for not catching those things on my own. It always seemed so obvious after someone else pointed it out, but “tired eyes” just miss things. 

This process can go round and round and round. So, where do things stand now with my debut novel? I just received the manuscript back from line editing. If you guessed that will result in more revisions, you’re right. But hopefully soon, it will be ready for proofreading and publishing—with a million other steps in between like blurbs, cover art, formatting, reviews, launch activities, and so on. 

Suffice it to say that when this book finally reaches all of you, it will not just be made of paper and ink, but of my blood, sweat, tears, heart, and soul. I hope you enjoy it. 😊 

Happy Reading!

Traci

My Turn

My entire life I played a supporting role in my own world. A daughter to a single mother who could use all the help she could get, a wife to a husband trying to climb the ranks of a challenging career, a mother to an active daughter, a granddaughter in a sandwich generation that skipped a layer. Every time I see my daughter thriving, or remember a smile on my Granny's face when I did something special for her, I know everything I put into those supporting roles was well worth it. But, now it's my turn.

Yes, writing had reared its head a few times in my life. I ignored it. Because, you can't pay bills by writing. Right? (I suppose some can.) But when I discovered my love of reading, and ultimately writing, in my forties, I learned it's not about the money. It's about doing something you love to do.

So, I'm letting the worlds and words inside me leak out through my fingers onto paper and keyboard, and don't plan to stop them. I highly recommend you let your own passions out, whatever they may be. Don't stifle the fire in your soul.

Happy writing (or whatever fire-building you do)!
Traci