Lagoon 380

Writing tools to keep you productive

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 2 Comments

A digital recorder is the solution for me. #writetip I happen to be getting my Lagoon 380 ready for the winter season. My recorder is small enough to keep in a pocket. As I shine up Mattina (her hull is pictured here), I often think of plot ideas. It’s amazing how often a plot issue gets solved while working on something other than writing, especially physical labour.

I used to think I’d remember ideas, but I rarely do if I don’t write it down. Sometimes it’s not convenient having a pen a paper handy, so I use the recorder.

I also use the recorder while jogging or walking my dog. I hate to lose a good idea just because I thought of it when I was doing something other than writing.


The Oxford Comma

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 2 Comments


Should you use it or not? #writetip That depends on how you write. I’m a believer in consistency. I do believe a writer should learn how to use a comma properly.  Wasn’t I surprised when I took the correspondence course at Humber School for Writers and my mentor, Joan Barfoot, pointed out numerous comma errors.

 

So what did I do? I read the entire grammar section in the Chicago Manual of Style and made sure I knew not only how to use the comma but the rest of the punctuation marks. Sound like a lot of work? It was but worth it. When my work is edited now, I rarely get commented on a misuse of a comma. I can focus on writing instead of the fundamentals.

 

Back to the Oxford Comma. Up to you, but be consistent.

 

On a side note. Today is the day I get to see my Lagoon 380 for the first time this season. She’s up on the hard and waiting for us to get her ready. This has nothing to do with a comma, but she’ll be my writing platform for the upcoming months.

 

Writing and the Cruising Lifestyle

~ Kristina Stanley ~ Leave a comment

The cruising part of my life has begun in full force. #writetip It’s been a whirlwind of travel through the north-east of the United States, and today I’m writing from Severna Park, MD. I’m looking at the Chesapeake and feeling rather spoiled. It’s only two days now until we reach our sailboat. She’s up on the hard and we’re about to begin our preseason maintenance on our Lagoon 380. Somewhere in the midst of that, I have to find time to write.

So my question today is: what’s the difference between a journalist and a fiction writer? A novelist is not restricted by facts. I think a journalist can report and still keep themselves separate from the person they are writing about. It might be hard to do sometimes, but possible.

To me, when writing a novel, the author must put themselves in another person’s place. Understanding a character’s motivation can only be done, if you as the writer can switch places with the character. A scene comes to life when the writer controls the events, decides what will happen when, who it will happen to and so on. Sometimes writing a scene is an emotional roller coaster for the writer, but then, I think , it’s probably an emotional scene that’s worth reading.

Writing While Traveling

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 9 Comments

How to write when your routine explodes? #writetip As the season changes from summer to fall, I think we all go through changes in routine.

I’m preparing to head south on my catamaran, Mattina, for a winter of sailing. This is a difficult time to write. Somewhere in the middle of the million items on my to-do list, I have to find the time.  While, I’m on the  move here are some things I do.

Print my novel to edit while driving (not while I’m at the wheel).

Read books on writing, so I feel like I’m working.

Have my notebook ready. If I’m not in a place where I can use my computer, I still remember how to use a pen.

Write something each day, even if it’s only one sentence, it’s still an accomplishment.

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.