Sunday, January 23, 2011

Plan Your Work, Work Your Plan

My husband is a painter, the kind who paints walls not landscapes.  My sons have benefited from this as they always had a job growing up.  They learned a trade and will never have to hire a painter for their own homes.  There's more to painting than going to the store and picking a color.  My husband could probably write a book about it but something that has come about from the boys working with their father is a family collection of his sayings.  It's kind of a joke but that doesn't mean they're not relevant.

When painting, you have to do things in a certain order.  You don't paint the walls before you paint the ceiling.  You plan the order of the work and then work from that plan.  I'm going to be applying my husband's wisdom for the next week.

Starting today, I'm teaching an online course for CPRW, the local chapter of RWA.  I'll be talking about world building all week.  I'll spend today polishing the posts for that obligation, enough to last the week.  Every evening when I return from work, I'll answer questions and interact with the students.  Good times.

I'm also preparing two blogs for this week, one of them to introduce my highly anticipated guest, Alex Cavanaugh, author of Cassastar.  He's running a Music Top Ten Blogfest starting tomorrow.  Check it out  and join if you can.

Also this week I'm submitting the first book in my newest fantasy series to a publisher.  I received a kind rejection from PYR about two weeks ago.  Is rejection ever kind?

While all that is going on I'll be working on my WIP, the third book in a fantasy romance series.  More about that later.

So do you plan your work and then work your plan?  Do you go with the flow? 

6 comments:

Mary@GigglesandGuns said...

I like to plan my work and work my plan -- unless, of course, life has a plan of her own. Some "interruptions" can't be avoided.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Looking forward to the guest post - and the blogfest tomorrow!

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I know what you mean, Mary. Sometimes the world can disrupt the best laid plans.
Can't wait to have you here, Alex.

Helen Ginger said...

Something always pops up or gets in the way, but part of my plan is including times when I have to veer off the plan.

N. R. Williams said...

Hi Susan.
A plan is a good idea but first I have to get the idea. Often I mole it over for awhile, digging my bureau. Now it's time to fold the clothes and put them away. Well, enough with those silly similes. I am a pantser, once I have the idea, but I keep detailed notes, and lists. Often, once I know what I'm writing I search my name resource book and that can give clues about the characters personality since each name has a heritage and meant something when it was first used. You wouldn't want to name your hero dark menace and you villain brave protector after all.
Nancy
N. R. Williams, fantasy author

Jamie Gibbs said...

I'm a huge fan of planning, and sometimes I enjoy the planning stage more than the real thing (which is never a good sign). Plans are good in my books :)