Dogs

Preparation for Writing

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 3 Comments
Farley - safe on deck

Writing, like cruising, takes a lot of preparation. #writetip  It took me many hours to install the netting behind Farley on my catamaran. First I had to research the product, then order it, figure out how to install it, and finally install the netting. Was it worth the effort? You bet. Farley is safe when we are underway.

To me writing a good novel is similar. It takes a lot of preparation too. I wanted to mention Mary Lou Dickinson’s blog about “So you want to write: Some questions to ask yourself.” Mary Lou gives you a good list of questions to ask yourself if you are thinking of writing a novel.

Writing my first novel was the hardest. I had to figure out what my story was, what genre I was writing in, figure out the rules of the genre, and then take the big leap and start writing. The first words on the page were the most intimidating. Hard work will get you a long way. Just keep at it.

Was it worth the effort? You bet. I have two completed manuscripts and a third one at the first draft stage. I have an agent willing to represent me. And best of all, I have the satisfaction of working hard at something and being proud of it.

Writing Schedules

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 5 Comments
Dogs know how to have fun.

When do you write? #writetip My dog (updated cruising with dogs today) hasn’t noticed the water is cold or that it’s Friday. He doesn’t know we’re preparing to go cruising for the winter. And he doesn’t feel guilty about not writing.

I read somewhere once that “writing is like having homework for the rest of your life.” How true. To overcome this feeling, I write Monday to Friday and take the weekend off. Because I’m not trying to get words on the page every day of the week, my mind relaxes and sometimes a plot issue solves itself or the next scene pops into my head.

Everyone has different writing times. Find yours, but also find your time off.

Writing and Cruising

~ Kristina Stanley ~ Leave a comment

#writing Demands on our time that take us away from writing can be managed. Over the next couple of months I’ll carefully split my time between writing and preparing for our trip south.

Cruising requires long checklists, and I try to tick off one or two items per day and then move on to writing. Part of my checklist includes getting our boat, Mattina, ready for our dog, Farley (Cruising with Dogs updated with medical info).

On the topic of writing, this morning a friend of mine reminded me of Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss. It’s a good follow-up to yesterday’s blog about back to school studying and is an entertaining commentary on the value of punctuation. It’s been a while since I read it, but definitely worth it.

Cruising with Dogs

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 1 Comment

My dog who loves to dig is about to change his lifestyle.

This is the time of year I start focussing on the cruising part of my writing lifestyle. Cruising and writing are a great combination and our dog Farley (soft coated wheaten terrier) is a big part of it.

Receiving Farley’s dog permit in the mail from the Bahamian Government signifies the start of our winter cruising preparations. The dog permit allows us to take Farley into the Bahamas on our sailboat. It’s part of the process we go though in the fall.

My goal now is to keep focussed on writing while getting ready for the winter, and I will update the pages on my site for Lagoon 380 and Cruising with Dogs along the way.