Sick Days and First Drafts

Posted on by A.R. Geiger

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I was sick this week.

No, not with a virus.

Just a cold. I promise.

But it meant that I was out of the office on sick leave. Mostly, I just slept on the couch. And watched Toy Story. And drank way too much water and downed vitamin C’s like candy, because who has time to be sick, anyway?

Thankfully, I seem to be on the tail end of it. For which I’m grateful.

Being sick messed with my writing schedule, both at work and in my personal projects. And lately, my personal projects have been anything but perfect. See, I’m writing the first draft of a story.

And first drafts are hard.

You know why? Because I don’t know what happens in the story. I don’t know who all these characters are. I write ten chapters, then half of it gets deleted because the story took a different turn than I expected and what I wrote doesn’t fit anymore.

Characters do things I don’t expect them to do.

Things pop up in the most unexpected ways.

Settings refuse to let me see them, so I have to feel my way around in the dark and hope for the best.

It’s all very confusing.

You’d think I would be better at first drafts by this time. After all, I’m a writer. A (sort of) professional. I get paid to write stories, and every story begins with a first draft. (Unfortunately.)

So I should have the process licked by this time, right?

Right?

Well, not exactly. Because the reality is, first drafts are hard. They don’t make sense. The characters wander in and out and change as you write them, and the setting never looks quite the way you imagined it would. Some parts are wordy and boring and others happen so fast that you forget to put any emphasis on the important bits.

For goodness sakes.

But, first drafts are not supposed to be beautiful. They aren’t supposed to be put together, or comprehensive, or elegant. They are supposed to exist, inconsistent characters, choppy dialogue, major plot holes and all. So I am embracing this new story in all its messy wonder, exploring this world without worrying about the gorgeous chaos I am causing. The characters can change and the setting will grow, and I will snoop my way through all of it until I have made a lovely, glorious mess of colors and lights and words scattered across the page in a completely incomprehensible muddle.

And when the first draft is finished and the last words are written, I can start completely over and make something understandable out of it.

When I get over this cold, anyway.

What kind of things are you allowing to be messy and beautiful in your own life? Tell me about them in the comments!

Milestones

Posted on by A.R. Geiger

On Thursday, my boss came back from California with two things.

A picture, and the first page of the studio script they had been recording, signed by the actors.

That’s right. My first script has officially been recorded. I have an Adventures in Odyssey episode with my name on it.

How crazy is that?

Now the page from the script is framed on my desk at work, the picture is being shared with all of you, and I am back at work developing my other pitches, scripts, and outlines, because life goes on and the world doesn’t stop for fanfare.

But that script page, for me, is a massive milestone. It’s a cumulation of nearly eight years of hard work and about seven months of the toughest writer’s bootcamp that you can possibly imagine. I had no idea what accepting this job would mean for my skills as a writer, or that I would discover just how much I really didn’t know within the process. I am learning from the very best in the business, and there is no scraping by with something half-done. The last seven months have been a lesson in intensity, but I have grown in leaps and bounds. This script is evidence of that.

Getting this job, despite all the other people applying for it, was a huge milestone in my career.

This first script is the next one.

Milestones are so important to celebrate and remember over the years, especially for the days when life gets discouraging. The script page, signed by the actors who brought it to life, is my celebration of this milestone. Whatever else happens this year, whatever else comes my way, I had a script recorded. One of my ideas worked out. That, for me, is a huge win.

The episode isn’t done yet by any means, but for now, it’s the sound guys’ problem, and I’ll be on to new projects and other things.

That, in itself, is worth celebrating.

What kind of milestones has 2020 brought to you thus far? Tell me about them in the comments!

Devouring Stories

Posted on by A.R. Geiger

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Last week we started talking about things writers can do to move their careers forward when the next step seems impossibly far off.

Sometimes ‘making it as a writer’ seems like it’s full of huge, gigantic leaps forward: finishing a book, finding an agent, getting published, working full-time as a writer, earning this award, being asked to speak there—the milestones seem impossibly far apart and way too difficult to accomplish.

So, I think it’s time to start talking about the small steps.

The little things we can do every day to deepen our understanding of this craft.

Time to pay attention to the little things, my friends, because believe it or not, those milestones aren’t the building blocks of your career. Sure, they look fancy and they’re fun plaques to have up on the wall. But there is a whole lot of in-between steps before you can reach them.

We’re here to talk about the in-between. The practical.

And today’s practical?

Devouring story.

I’m not here to tell you to read War and Peace or 100 books in a year. But as writers, we need story. Not just our own stories, because we all know how we get caught up in the complexities and frustrations of our stories, and, unfortunately, we all have our blind spots.

Writers need story. I write for a radio drama. I spent all Sunday last week binge-watching The Mandalorian. I listen to audiobooks on a regular basis, I’ve watched movies specifically for work to better understand story structure, and I have started to be able to predict what comes next in the movie theater simply because I know where we are in the story.

Writers. Need. Story.

We need to analyze story, we need to pick apart our favorite books and movies and video games and graphic novels and see what makes them tick. We need to be that irritating person in the movie theater who leans over and whispers, “Yep. ‘All is Lost’ moment. Right on cue.”

I am not a fan of dictating exactly how anyone needs to ingest story. Books, movies, TV, video games, radio. It doesn’t matter. But as a writer, you need story. Not to listen to mindlessly, but to analyze, dissect, learn from.

So next time you want to take another step and or do the next right thing, watch a favorite movie. TV show. Pick a story, and grab your notebook. Find the ‘All is Lost’ moment. The quarter mark, where the upside-down world begins. The catalyst. Pick the story to pieces and see how it works, what theme the writer used. Write a pitch for it.

The more you devour story, the better you will understand it.

What are some of your favorite stories? Tell me about them in the comments!

Dark To Dark

Posted on by A.R. Geiger

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Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It’s also a Monday.

And I get to stay home.

What a strange feeling.

I am celebrating by watching the birds come to get the birdseed I left on the porch for them. So far, there is one Steller Jay. I guess word hasn’t gotten around yet. I’m hoping for Black-Capped Chickadees and Bluejays. Maybe a Magpie too.

Since it is a Monday, I am writing today, but I am enjoying the novelty of writing in my house in the sunshine. Lately, I have discovered the downside of working full-time in town in the winter, which is that I work from dark to dark. I usually drive into town with my dad in the very, very early mornings, spend an hour or two at my gym, then am in the office by the time the sun rises.

And, you guessed it, it’s already dark by the time I get outside again.

I’ve begun to turn into a creature of the night. Like, I’ve always been fairly pale by nature, but now I’ve reached vampire status. I glow.

It’s a little scary.

I tried to offset the effects of my ‘no-sunlight-ever’ routine yesterday by sunbathing on my porch for a while. But it’s January. Which means there’s plenty of sunshine, but there’s also snow and biting cold and wind.

It lasted maybe two minutes.

I guess I’ll have to wait for summer to come around again to put some color back into my cheeks. Maybe I’ll take a vacation and go visit my sister in Virginia and lie out on the beach for a while. Sure, I may blind a few people passing by, but at least I’ll stop looking like the undead.

Maybe.

But today, I get to write at my desk at home, which means I have sunlight streaming in through my windows and the honey-colored wood in my house is glowing with sunshine and my kitty is there to hang out with me and there are birds eating from our makeshift bird feeder.

So, yes. Today is a very good day.

Maybe I’ll get some vitamin D through the windows?

What are you planning for your long weekend, and to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.? Tell me about it in the comments!

What Next Step??

Posted on by A.R. Geiger

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I wrote a post recently about doing the next right thing.

Since that’s my version of a New Year’s Resolution, I’ve been thinking about it quite a lot.

I also went to go see Frozen 2 over the weekend with my younger sisters. In case you were wondering, it was fabulous. I loved it. But it was also about doing the next right thing. And it started me wondering.

What is the next right thing when you’re a professional writer?

Sometimes, that can be a pretty difficult question. Especially because it varies person to person and day to day. Sometimes the next right thing is to write a page, read a new book, or spend an hour or so journaling with your characters. Other times it can be completely different: spending some time away from your computer, going for a walk, or setting up a social media page to connect with other writers and potential readers.

Unfortunately, there is no formula. Everyone is on their own journey, and no one can simply snap their fingers and say, “This is what you need to do today to take a step forward in your journey.”

If only life were that simple.

However, sometimes it really is so, so hard to know what the next right thing is supposed to be—especially when you’re a writer. Getting a book published or finding a job in your industry can seem impossibly hard, and sometimes it feels as though, instead of a long road to walk, there’s a gaping chasm that you have to (somehow) jump over. It becomes a leap of all or nothing, right now, instead of a journey with definable steps.

Writer, I promise that isn’t true.

Since it can be so hard sometimes to know what the next right things are, I’m going to devote a series on this blog to look at some of the next right things that have gotten me where I am today.

Starting with Save The Cat.

Before I started working as a full-time scriptwriter, I hadn’t read very many books on structure or style or anything else. Let’s be honest, there are about a million different books out there, everyone has their opinion on how story works. Some are great and some are not so great.

I could never figure out which was which.

But when I started my job, my manager had some very defined tasks for me to develop my writing skills. One of those tasks was to read Save The Cat, by Blake Snyder.

I still have that book on my desk. As well as the two followup books.

And yes, I still pick them up when I’m stuck and need inspiration, instruction, and a direction for my scattered thoughts.

It is a detailed, understandable guide to structure and story, written by a screenwriter who worked in Hollywood for many years and made more money in this industry than I will ever manage. His writing is clear and concise, and his advice is solid good sense.

So when I’m stuck, and I don’t know what the next right thing could possibly be, I reach for Save The Cat, and give my understanding of structure a boost, because I know that will do nothing but move me forward.

What is one thing you do for your writing when you’re not sure how to move forward? Tell me about it in the comments!

Weekend Prep

Posted on by A.R. Geiger

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My weekends are very precious to me.

I have solid tasks that I make sure are done every Saturday and Sunday to prep for my week. Breakfasts for the whole week are made, lunches are planned, laundry is done and folded. Hopefully, my house is cleaned, and I get some writing done.

Books get read, too. On the best weekends.

But my weekends are also the time to spend with my family. And this weekend, my sisters and I decided to take the afternoon and go see Frozen 2. Six of us went, and that meant a lot of special heels, favorite outfits, giggling, and one big van, because six girls will not fit into my little car. Trips into town when you live so far out in the country are occasions. We have a lot of fun with them.

We also had a lot of fun with Frozen 2. I think it might have been better than the first one, which is saying something. Yes, I loved the first one. I still sing Let It Go.

Don’t judge.

But Frozen 2 was a wonderful, hilarious experience, and all my sisters loved it.

I laughed so hard.

The best part of the movie, though, besides Kristoff’s song (because I’ve been waiting years for a proper Disney Prince song) was watching my little sisters crack up over Olaf’s story and the reactions he constantly got to his nonsense.

It was wonderful.

Afterward, we went out to lunch and ate way, way too much food. Then picked up ice cream sandwiches on the way home, because why not?

Then I came home and made baked oatmeal cups, homemade hummus, and Monday’s lunch because I still have to eat this week. I’m not going to lie, but Phineas and Ferb played in the background while I cooked. It’s my favorite, especially when I have a lot of kitchen prep-work to do.

Don’t laugh.

So, basically, I watched cartoons and made snacks all day Sunday. How was your weekend?

Have you been to see Frozen 2 yet? What did you think? Tell me about it in the comments!

The First Of The Year

Posted on by A.R. Geiger

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The first book, that is.

That’s right! My book list for this year is up and running. I have two books on it so far. A Map Of Days, and The Hygge Life. Thankfully, I’ve had a bit of time to read and relax this weekend, because the last few weeks have been crazy and hectic and busy, and my books got the worst of it.

I didn’t pick them up. For days.

But I’m back into the regular swing of things, and the age-old question that every bookworm/adult asks is now knocking at my door.

“How in the name of bookmarks and sanity am I supposed to find time to read as an adult?”

What a great question!

I have no idea how to answer it.

Obviously, there must be an answer. I know amazing, fantastic adults who tackle so much more than I could ever dream of doing who read. And not just read, but read a lot. It is possible.

And now that I am entering a new year with a new set of pressures and deadlines and expectations, I am determined that I am going to find my own answer to this question. Because, of course, every adult who faces this question has to find their own answer.

Unfortunately, there is no universal key.

No one-size-fits-all.

No secret formula.

For me personally, I know already that a good deal of whatever books I plow through this year are going to have to be audiobooks. I have an hour’s ride to work in the morning and an hour home, and it’s amazing how many audiobooks I can devour with that time. For the rest—I’ll have to catch them in minutes. In the last half-hour before bed. During my lunch break—when I’m not trying to be social and have friends.

I am still convinced that bookmarks are the adult reader’s best friends.

I don’t have anything even remotely similar to a ‘to-be-read’ list for this year, but a few that will hopefully feature on my ‘read’ list are . . .

Nicholas Nickleby

Les Miserables

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry

The Lord of the Rings

The Girl in Cabin 10 (which I am reading now)

and Garden City.

I like to scatter old and new books through my list. Old favorites and new experiences. Since I always choose my books by what I feel like reading at the moment, none of these are certain. But at least I will have tried!

What’s on your to-be-read list this year? Tell me about it in the comments! And I’d love suggestions for my own list as well!

What Day Is It?

Posted on by A.R. Geiger

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Does anyone else get a little discombobulated during the holidays?

I do.

My routine gets dropped, I go on vacation, eat too much food, forget to write, and by the time everything is finished I can’t remember what day it is or what I usually do with myself on a normal workday.

Thankfully, this only happens once or twice a year.

Seriously, though, Christmas this year was a blast. After missing both my parents through November and celebrating Thanksgiving without my mum, it was good to have them both back and the family semi-reassembled.

Sure, we were missing—let’s see—nine people, but we managed.

A lot of our food didn’t get eaten.

We’re still used to buying for a lot more than ten.

Which means more treats for New Year’s Eve!

Despite the lack of siblings and their spouses, we managed to have a blast. We ate egg McMuffins, opened presents, threw pillows at each other, opened more presents, skyped with said missing siblings, opened still more presents, threw a mountain of trash away, ate shrimp and played board games. Like I said, it was a blast.

There was also chocolate involved.

A lot of chocolate.

Since we were more focused on hanging out, throwing pillows, and having fun, I forgot to take pictures. So you’ll have to take my word for it.

But!

Now the New Year is about ready to roll around, and I am thinking about more than Christmas and my days off and the family I’m missing. (Hi guys!) My routine is starting again, I’m back at work, and I’ve begun to wonder what 2020 has in store for me.

I’m pretty sure there will be a lot of books involved.

Mostly books I’m going to read.

I’m thinking there will be some writing too, and I’m hoping for a few trips and possibly a chance to see my tiny nephew. (What?? I have a nephew????) There also may or may not be a building project in the works, but I think I’ll keep that under my hat for now. Beyond that, I am mostly preparing myself for a whirlwind of surprises, and I’m excited to get started!

How was your Christmas? Tell me about it in the comments, and let me know what your year ahead looks like!

Christmas Parties

Posted on by A.R. Geiger

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I am not generally a ‘party’ kind of person.

Honestly, if you know anything about me, you know this. I spent my childhood hiding from parties. In my room, in the woods, in books, and in stories out of my own head.

Once, I hid in a rabbit hutch.

Someone found me.

I’m still bitter about it, if you were wondering. I think I should have been safe in a rabbit hutch.

But now that I’m pretending to be an adult, I go to parties. Apparently, that’s part of the deal. Of course, I’m still an introvert who needs time to recharge and hide away with my books, but when a party comes up, I don’t run. Usually.

This year, I hosted a Christmas party.

I was so proud of myself.

My writers’ group had our first ever Christmas party together this weekend. We ate awesome food, drank sparkling cider, exchanged gifts, and talked about books. It was lovely. These girls are my best friends, my mostly companions, and my support group. They understand my strange rants, support my flashes of inspiration, and keep me centered.

I love them.

I was also apparently preoccupied completely with our party when it happened, because I didn’t take a single picture. Not even one, although I meant to take a few, just to prove that I can, in fact, throw a party.

Oh well.

Next time.

I also had a work Christmas party this week. We played Whirlyball. Which is basically lacrosse with bumper cars. Since I’m not competitive, coordinated, or athletic AT ALL, I was a little worried that it would turn out to be an embarrassing experience. But bumper cars tend to level the playing field, and I had so much more fun than I expected.

Neither of these parties called for high extroversion or meeting a lot of strangers, but I’ve decided to count them as my quota this year. I have one more Christmas party with some younger siblings planned, then this introvert is going back into hiding. Until then . . . Merry Christmas!

Do you have any Christmas events planned? Tell me about them in the comments!

Vacation

Posted on by A.R. Geiger

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This week, I am not going into the office.

I am taking my first vacation days since starting this job, and I am so excited. I’m going to sleep in, read way too many books, write my own projects, and spend so, so much time with my family.

And maybe watch way too much Disney+. Because it’s the only streaming service I’ve ever actually liked. For one thing, I know exactly what I want to watch as soon as I open it.

Meaning, whatever I click on first is my new favorite.

I have a thing for Disney movies. And Pixar.

I’m basically a child, so this is the best streaming service ever.

But I’m going to be so responsible and only watch Frozen once and spend most of my time outside or with my siblings. Case-in-point, yesterday! We went to the zoo—which I took many, many pictures of—and afterward found an outdoor skating rink in downtown Colorado Springs. They had music and lights in the trees and people skating with their kids and cute couples holding hands while they skated.

So, of course, I panicked and had to join because it’s Christmas time almost and skating in the park with lights and music and people is romantic in a fairytale kind of way. So, yes, we did it for the aesthetic.

I took no pictures of the result.

But my sisters and I had so, so much fun. None of them had any skating experience, and I’d only been a few times, so we weren’t exactly graceful, but no one fell or broke any bones or had any major bruises by the end of it.

So it was a success.

I’m hoping for lots more spontaneous adventures before I go back to the office at the beginning of December. But since part of my plan includes hiding away in my tiny cabin with a cozy fire and a good book, I’m going to have to figure out how to do both.

And find time to write and bake cookies as well.

Who needs sleep during vacation, right?

What are some fun activities you jump for when your vacations come around? Tell me about them in the comments!