K. Ryan's Blog

[image error]The most important pre-writing step a writer should take, next to character sketches (which I wrote about in more detail here), is outlining. Any writer who tells you they don’t use some form of outline is either lying or insane, or maybe a little bit of both. Just to stress how important this step is, let my draw from personal experience for just a second.

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve probably noticed (maybe) that I was working on a novel through almost the entirety of this past year. You also might have noticed that I have since stopped working on that novel and picked up a different thread instead. There are a few reasons why things just weren’t clicking with that particular story – for one, I think I’m just not at the right point in my life to be able to (successfully) execute the concept. Two, I didn’t have a solid outline, but went ahead with the writing part anyway.

When I used to teach creative writing in my past life, I would dock major points for students who either didn’t do an outline at all or had no evidence to prove they ever had one in the first place. But here I was, like an idiot, completely ignoring my own advice and everything I knew to be true about the process of writing. After starting and stopping more times than I can count over almost a year, I finally hit a wall. I had no idea what I was writing or why and I had no map to get there. While I had an idea of where I wanted the characters to end up, I had no clue how to get them there because I didn’t have a chapter outline beyond chapter ten, when I was planning on writing about twenty. It was a mistake of epic proportions and one that cost me nearly a year’s worth of work.

So, in order to avoid that inevitable pitfall, here are some things your outline absolutely must include:

An ending. I know it seems backward to write the ending first, but you really do need to know where you’re going to end up before you can figure out how to get there. Some authors don’t work this way and I’m sure there are other methods to this madness, but when I’ve actually finished a novel, this is the first step I’ve taken in order to see it through to the end. So many other aspects of the novel can be fleshed out once you know the ending: character development, foreshadowing, whether or not to add flashbacks or flash-forwards, prologues or epilogues…everything is influenced by how you decide to end your story.
A beginning. Once you’ve got an ending, you can start to figure out what the first step is, literally and figuratively. What kind of introduction do you want each character to have? What tone do you want to set? How much character development do you want to give away in the first chapter and how much should you save for later? Opening lines and opening chapters are a beast all on their own , and you can’t just jump into it without thought (as a side note, I’ve rewritten the first chapter of my current project about three times, but that’s a post for a different day). This is the first glimpse your reader gets of the characters, setting, tone, and plot. You have to put your best foot forward so you don’t lose them before you can even really start.
Chapter plans. This can be as free-wheeling as you want, but you still need to have it, especially if you want to finish. Different pieces can be moved around, added to different chapters, or removed entirely, but the point is to have an idea of how much plot is in each chapter. This gives you an idea about pacing, tone, and the all-important character development piece. If something doesn’t feel right in one chapter, that’s probably because it isn’t, and so you’ll have to troubleshoot the problems. Maybe one section of your chapter plan should really be later on in the book because it rushes the pace forward too quickly or maybe things are unfolding too slow and you need to beef things up a bit. Either way, knowing what’s happening in each chapter, even if all you have is basic bullet points, is going to keep you on track and help you stay motivated to move on to the next chapter.
Flexibility. Nothing in your outline should be set in stone. Anything can be changed, moved, or thrown away entirely because stuff happens. You might have an eureka moment in the shower and decide to completely change course (which would also mean changing your outlines to reflect that). Maybe something just isn’t working and you need to regroup. Whatever the cause, it’s okay to change your outline as long as it still exists in some form. It doesn’t mean you’re a bad writer or that your idea sucks; it just means you changed your mind. That being said, if you decide to scrap any part of your outline, I would keep it tucked away somewhere for safe keeping just in case you change your mind later. For me, I just copy and paste sections I’m not sure I’m going to use or want to save for later at the bottom of my document so they’re still easily accessible.

It’s really that simple and that difficult. But, trust me, taking the time to build this foundation now, along with your character sketches, will pay off in the long run.

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[image error]If your skin is anything like mine, it’s a bit of a problem child this time of year. Sometimes it’s kinda dry, sometimes it’s fine, and sometimes, it’s so chapped I can hardly move. Don’t get me wrong – I love winter in Wisconsin, to a point. I love Christmastime and snow (just as long as I don’t have to drive in it) and I love the atmosphere it creates around my home. But, I don’t love what winters in Wisconsin do to my skin.

Back in March, I wrote about my skincare heroes here, but I wanted to update that a bit to focus specifically on winter skin and how I combat that dry, chapped feeling.

Here’s what I do:

Morning:

Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Cleanser. I’ve been using this one off and on for years, and so far, it’s one of the few cleansers I’ve found that actually works with my combination skin. It doesn’t dry me out, doesn’t make me feel tight after cleansing, but it still controls my oily spots and creates a nice foundation for everything else. Plus, the minty scent is a nice pick-me-up during my morning shower

[image error]Hindsight is a curious thing. Two years ago, I was living paycheck to paycheck, barely getting by, out of teaching, but not quite out of work, and writing my heart out. Flash-forward to the present, and things look pretty different.I’m still kinda living paycheck to paycheck, but that’s not my paycheck’s fault

[image error]I have a problem, guys. This is a beauty-related issue, and so many are affected by this disease. You’ve probably already guessed it – beautycitis. It’s a common affliction for beauty addicts: that constant, never-ending itch to search and search for it. The perfect mascara (this doesn’t exist, I assure you). That long-lasting, foolproof foundation (this does exist; I’ll get back to you on it). You know what I mean.

For me, skincare has always been a constant struggle. I’ve had so many issues with irritation and acne over the years, but yet, I never learn my lesson. I should just stick to what I know will work and won’t bother my skin, but I just can’t help myself. And even though I know better, I’m still searching high and low for the unicorn product that will do exactly what it claims, yet won’t wreak havoc on my skin. So, now that it’s officially winter in Wisconsin, that means it’s time to put my exfoliating cleansers away for a while and turn to a cleansing balm for something a little kinder to my chapped skin.

Enter Farmacy Green Clean Makeup Meltaway Cleansing Balm. Here’s what it says it does: “A nourishing cleansing balm that erases makeup and gently lifts away impurities caused by pollution, it leaves the skin hydrated and silky smooth.”

Normally, I straight-up never believe a product’s claims until I try it myself. Most things just don’t do what they say they’re going to do, or at least not completely. This thing though? This thing does. And does. And does some more. Like all cleansing balms, it starts out as a solid and then, after you use the nifty little spoon included in the packaging, it breaks down into this luxurious, spa-like oil. Oh my god, it smells like green candy. Or that earthy, sweet smell I only used to find in Aveda products (which I’ve learned through trial and error I absolutely can’t use if I want to avoid skin problems).[image error]

My skin isn’t quite at it’s winter peak yet, but even now, spreading it around my face feels like heaven. To clarify, I have combination skin, with it veering more on the oily side of all things combo, and so cleansing balms usually only work for me in the winter time when my skin gets dry and flaky from the arctic winds I love so much. The ones I’ve used in the past, like the Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm, have all been nice, but still left me feeling a little like my skin wasn’t really all that clean.

I definitely don’t have that feeling with this stuff. It’s not a squeaky-clean feel, but I’m still not sold on the idea that feeling is great for your skin anyway. This just makes my skin feel clean. Not overly dry. Not tight. Just cleansed and purified and ready for my precious Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Oil. It glides on like silk, just like the description says, and I felt like I was in a spa, getting a facial or something amazing like that. That whole experience adds up to your skin ready for the next step, but not stripped, and relaxes you as you finish your nighttime routine.

The only thing I wasn’t crazy about with this cleansing balm is that it does make my contacts a little cloudy, but that’s happened with any cleansing balm I’ve ever used. I think I’ll just chalk that up to the user, not the product

[image error]I’m going to go into teacher-mode here and talk for a little bit about character sketches. More importantly, why you should do them and do them now.

There’s lots of wonderful analysis out there about what the most vital part of a novel is: the characters, the plot, or the style. I would add the planning, too, but that’s a post for another day. You can make an argument for any and all of these (and let’s be honest, they’re all vital), but I’m going to stand on my soap box for a moment and yell and scream about characters and how you develop them as a writer.

I’ve made some mistakes as a writer, but I’ve never made the mistake of not having a sketch for each character in all of my books. And by sketch, I don’t mean an actual, hand-drawn sketch or anything like that. I’m a writer, not an artist, you know?

Here’s what I’m talking about:

What does the character look like?

I always start out by ‘casting’ my characters. I definitely spend an obscene amount of time trying to find the perfect picture to match what I see in my head, even if I’m basing a character off a known actor or actress. On that note, I usually do ‘cast’ my characters with a known actor or actress jut because I can see them vividly in my mind without having to work that hard at it. That also makes hearing their voice in my head that much easier, too

[image error]I feel like every time I start one of these posts, I start with an apology. So, in keeping with tradition, I’m sorry that I haven’t been as present on this blog (and this website) as I should be. Life has gotten crazy, y’all. Like turned upside down crazy. But that being said, things have slowed down and I’ve finally been able to spend some time with my first love.

To recap, here are the massive life changes I’ve experienced in the last year: 1) I started a new full-time job last October, which meant I had to become a part-time writer, sort of, 2) I got engaged last December,  3) My fiance and I bought a house in April, 4) We got a puppy in September, and 5) I started another new job in October (same boss, long story).

During all this, I had been chugging along slowly but surely on a new book. Somewhere along the way, the train went off the track, so to speak. It was taking me months, literal months, to finish one chapter. At first, I put all the blame where one usually does when the creative juices stop flowing: real life had just gotten in the way. It will just take time, I kept telling myself. Some progress is better than no progress, I said in hushed whispers, desperately clutching my coffee cup and and patting my cat on my lap.

While those things are true, I was also ignoring a massive problem: I just wasn’t that into my new book. My mom loved it, sure, but she’s my mom. Of course she was going to find the diamond in the rough. But for me, I think I was just trying to do too many things at once with too little time to really dig in and explore it. When you have only a few spare hours on the weekend, if you’re lucky, to devote to a book, less is more and then some.

About a month ago, I realized that eight chapters in almost a year was probably a symptom of something else, so I made a deal with myself. If I could finish my outline over the course of a week, and feel good about that outline, I would soldier on and keep at it.

So I sat down and tried to finish the outline. I must’ve sat at my computer for an entire ten minutes with my cursor pulsing, daring me to do what I’d known for awhile now, but couldn’t admit. I just couldn’t come up with anything. By that point, it was easy to walk away from about ten months of work because I knew it just wasn’t going anywhere.

When I taught creative writing in my past life, I also used to preach that the biggest cardinal sin a writer can commit is writing without a net, aka a solid outline. In those ten months I spent tooling out only eight chapters, I realized I’d done exactly what I always taught my students not to do.

It was horrifying. It was depressing. But it was freeing at the same time because I could let go knowing that I didn’t have a plan and probably wasn’t going to ever have one. And that’s okay because it just wasn’t working.

So now, as we approach the craziness of the holidays, I feel renewed. There was a plot sitting on the cluttered desk in my mind, and I’m going to let it run wild. There are some ideas there that I’m really excited about, but as I always told my students, ideas aren’t enough. You need a plan. You need a net. You need an outline, otherwise you won’t finish. I learned that lesson the hard way, and in doing so, I found my writing mojo again. My passion for new and breathing characters. That thrill of flying headfirst into the unknown is back and I can’t wait to see where it takes me.

I’m finally going to take my own advice, and I’m starting slow this time. I have a solid character sketch, and am working toward a workable, flexible outline that is exactly what I was missing before.

I’m looking forward to being a more active participant with this blog and with my writing. I’m looking forward to my next, currently untitled book. And for the first time since I left teaching, I’m so, so grateful for the advice I used to dole out in spades because now I see how true it was.

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I am writing. I promise

[image error]All four of my books are now available exclusively on Kindle Unlimited!

Download them here: Amazon

Happy reading!

 

 

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A long, long time ago when I first published Finding Emma, a reader asked me if the blog Emma writes in that book “Northern Chic” was actually a thing and if any of the products I’d mentioned were ones I’ve actually used and enjoyed. Since then, I’ve always wanted to write a series of beauty-related blog posts, but just never really got around to it.

Now that I feel like the craziness that was the last few months (new job, engagement, the holidays, etc.) has finally settled down, I’d like to start adding some more lifestyle and beauty posts–I’m planning on posting about my wedding planning too!

I should preface the below details by first saying my skin is really strange and reactive. Things like lavender oil, in particular, make me breakout like crazy, and I’ve discovered that certain hair products give me those pesky little bumps around my hairline and cheeks. Because of these issues, I’m a firm believer that you get what you pay for, and while some of these products are on the pricey side, they’re worth every penny to me because they work. So, through serious trial and massive error, I’ve finally nailed down a skincare routine that solves most of my problems.

Everyone’s skin is different, so what works for me might not necessarily work for you. These are just my personal heroes

Today kicks off the blog tour for All of the Lights!

All of the Lights is currently on sale for $2.99 for the tour–>buy it here.

Release week was such a rush–it hit #83 on Amazon in its category and is officially a bestseller. I never expected this kind of response for any of my books (you can hope for it, but never plan on it, you know?) and this has been such an amazing experience as an author, especially an indie one.

To celebrate my blog tour, hosted by Indie Sage, I’m giving away a signed paperback, two e-copies, and a $10 gift card. You can enter right here–>Giveaway Link

If you want to follow along, you can find all the info about my tour here.