Diary Dilemma

I still remember the day I got my own diary - the kind with the key and lock. I was at my grandma's house and couldn't wait to get started writing in it. I still have that diary tucked away in a box of mementos.

I suppose that's why I'm incorporating diary entries for my character, Savannah, in the MG story I'm writing. The problem is, she's writing about much deeper things than I ever would have. In her defense, she's an Army kid whose dad is deployed to Iraq. Kids nowadays deal with trauma with much more frequency than my generation did. So, my question is, can my MG character use her diary a bit more maturely than characters might have in books published before now? 

I'm in a really wonderful online critique group. Those ladies help me see and think about things in my book that I wouldn't have. But one thing they mention a lot is that Savannah's diary entries are too long and formal. If you have a minute, take a read of a couple of her entries I haven't been able to use (but would love to incorporate somehow) and give me your opinion.

Diary, 

I'm starting to realize that my life is very different from other people. That should be obvious, but it wasn't to me. I've never known anything different than a dad in fatigues that's gone sometimes. But mostly he's just gone for training, not war. Kids with two parents that have normal jobs and don't have to move every couple years don't even know how good they have it. Sometimes I'm afraid to have friends over because they'll finally see what a weirdo my family is from planet Army. Maybe it's this move that's made me see the differences now. It's like my family is my favorite, most comfortable sweater that suddenly becomes itchy, hot and the ugliest shade of orange when I show it to others. But Trudy is different. She and I have matching sweaters!

Diary,

Is it weird that I'm never upset to move? All my friends cry when I leave but I don't feel like crying at all. Maybe I like moving. Or maybe I never get attached enough to friends to cry over leaving. For me, going to a new place is like starting in a fresh journal. There are no mistakes and endless possibilities.

Opinions? I would like to point out that Savannah sounds much more informal and "kid-like" in her dialogue with other characters. But writing is prone to be more formal than speech, so I think that's why she comes off more mature in her diary entries. Granted, Savannah's grown up a little faster than other kids her age because of her life circumstances. In the end, I want kids to connect with her the same as any author. Which brings me to another dilemma - should Savannah be blogging these entries instead of writing them in a journal? Aaargh! The endless challenges!!

Writing Family

This year, I've had the fabulous fortune of being part of an email writing accountability group with 18 other women from across the US and Canada. While you may think it unlikely that emailing could create accountability, let alone camaraderie or family, you're wrong.

These wonderful and talented women have been there to encourage in so many more ways than writing since the end of November. We call our project the "366 Goal". We made a commitment to each other way back in November to meet a daily mini-goal, which we would check in with through email to be held accountable.

All of us chose writing goals - journaling, working on a MS, exploring a fun writing project we've always wanted to do. The mini-goals were just that - mini. Some of us have a goal to write one word a day. Only one word! But the beauty of the mini-goal is that once you've got that one word down on paper, more words struggle to be let out and written down.

I've gone between two goals: write 20 words on my current MS, or revise/edit the same MS for five minutes. These simple goals have helped me keep momentum on a MS I've been working on for years. In fact, since last November, I finished the novel and have now edited/revised 50% of it with another critique group I have online.

Many days I struggle to edit or write, but when I remember it's only for five minutes or 20 words, I manage to complete the goal every time - except once. I have to admit that I missed one day of writing earlier this month when I was in the throes of packing a house and moving across country. I was so disappointed when I woke up and realized I'd forgotten to write!

But instead of beating myself up over breaking my longstanding writing streak, I patted myself on the back for only missing one day. After all, if it hadn't been for those 18 ladies showing up in my email everyday, reminding me that THEY had written, I never would have accomplished the writing habit that I have now.

It has, in fact, become a habit. There isn't a day that I don't think about my writing, and that's a wonderful change from where I was before when I was lucky to write "if I had time". As everyone has heard before, there isn't time. You either make it, or you don't have any.

There are a little over five months left in 2016. Make a mini-goal for yourself to take you to the end of the year. It could be a writing goal or something else you've always wanted to do. Find just one other person to help keep you accountable, and start building a habit!

For more on mini goals, check out Stephen Guise's book "Mini Habits - Smaller Habits, Bigger Results"

Me with SuZan, one of the ladies in our accountability group that I had the good fortune to meet.