New Year Goals

Everyone is talking about resolutions, what they are going to change. I have a few goals in mind, some have been goals for the past few months and others are new. But they are my goals for 2010. I have written them down on a sticky note above my computer. My kids look at it and make faces but it 's there. Part One, I am going to finish the first draft of my NaNo story before March. Part Two do revisions on said story. I am going to write everyday, goes along with the finish the story. And I will go to the gym. Yeah my goals sound simple on the page, but in reality they are hard for me, because I can't seem to sit still long enough the accomplish them. Even going to the gym is short lived because of all the other stuff on my plate. But there they are, they are attainable but I have to work at it. Life is what we make of it and if it were easy we would be bored. So as the new year rolls in tonight and I'll be celebrating with friends and family I will be looking forward to what is to come. Pull out the grapes, the oranges or champagne and toast a new year. Or should I say pull out your pens, laptops and paper and get ready. See ya next year.

Resolutions

The year 2009 is at a close. I think this is the first year I don't have a true resolution. I'm on the fast track to losing weight, so I don't need to list it. My personal life is better than it's been, so being happier isn't necessary to list.

Psychologists recommend writing a gratitude list (so does my friend). I might as well write it here.

1. I'm grateful to be alive and have my family around me.
2. I'm grateful to all my friends; writers, fellows, co-workers, etc.
3. I'm grateful to have God back in my life
4. I'm grateful for a creative mind and heart.

However, there is a small list of improvements I'd like to work on during this coming year, the beginning of a new decade

1. I WILL schedule time to write each and every day. I schedule other parts of my daily life, why not writing too?
2. I WILL continue to strive for a clutter-free workspace, rest space and living space. So much clutter distracts me from my writing goals.
3. I WILL continue my business education, one step at a time, to make me marketable in this depressed job market.
4. I WILL achieve my ideal weight goal this year, if not in the first half of the year.
5. I WILL submit at least one manuscript to a publisher this year. (I'M MAKING THIS GOAL PUBLIC SO I HAVE TO ACHIEVE IT - YOU KNOW, ACCOUNTABILITY)

What a nice, short list. When have I ever had a clear enough focus on what I want to achieve at any time? Never before. Thank God for everything he has done for me this year.

I wish you all a very Happy New Year. May your gratitude list be equal to or greater than mine, as well as your goal list.

Clink! Clink!! That's my glass clinking with yours in toast to the upcoming decade. May it be a fruitful one for all of us.

What The Season Means to Me

I've been blessed with new insight into what this holiday season is really about. God Bless my friend who encouraged me to rent a cute, sexy Mrs. Claus costume. I wanted to wear it this week at work (I'm a hostess in a small, family diner).

At first, it was just an idea, a lark. The tables were turned on me when I first wore it Monday during the lunch hours. People who see me regularly there laughed when they walked in. Those who haven't seen me in a while were startled, but they grinned or laughed. As I walked through the restaurant seating customers, bussing tables and cashing customers out, smiles were everywhere.

My heart burst with sudden clarity. This season is about bringing happiness and joy to those around us. Amidst the chaos the merchants have created in our lives, I'm able to bring people a brief respite from the madness. They may come in with heavy hearts, grumpiness or just the "bah-humbug" feeling. When they leave I see happiness and delight reflected in their eyes and smiles.

This the season to be joyful and thankful for all the blessings of family and friends.

Thank you to the LC_RW members, some new friends and some old friends, for bringing my focus back to my deepest desire - writing. I wish you all a truly wonder-filled, joyous holiday and a happy, healthy New Year!

"Tis the Season

Christmas is almost here. I know everyone is running around buying those special gifts, wrapping them with the utmost care, and hoping they will bring pleasure and joy to the recipient. Sometimes however, the best gifts are the intangibles that often go unnoticed.
Like the gifts we receive from membership to LCRW. There are many, the gifts of friendship, encouragement, sharing, and motivation. The gift of caring critique that enables us to improve our writing and puts us that much closer to publication. And when one of us reaches that milestone, we all share in that bliss of accomplishment for our fellow writers.
Each gift is lovingly given and a cherished blessing to be received, all year long.
Merry Christmas.

A month after NaNo

So I didn't hit the full amount, but I am still proud of myself. Recently, I sat down and read all the words I've writtened and realized several things. One I need a common plot thread throughout the piece. Two all I have is conflict scene after scene. So I have about 25,000 words of scenes. I suppose if I tie it in with the actual story line, and plot I will have a completed novel. So that is my goal now. I want to have a first draft of a novel by the first of February.
I am going to be going to the Central New York Conference and the Sunday with Bob Mayer. I can't wait, I want something in hand for the critique. I could pull out several of my older manuscripts but this one is the most fresh and I am really excited about it. So that is my goal for the next few months. I should probably go and hit the Word document. I have a plot to nail down. Happy Writing

Top Ten Reasons Why People Don't Become Published

10. They dunt use spelchek.
9. They don't got no good grammar.
8. They address their query "Dear whomever."
7. They think a plot is a piece of land.
6. All their characters are too nice.
5. All their characters are too evil.
4. They have 11 1/2 pages of non-essential description. In the first chapter.
3. They've never let anyone critique their work because they want people to read it once it's selling on the bookshelves. Alongside the other best sellers.
2. They sit back and wait to become "discovered."
And the number 1 reason why people don't become published: They're afraid to pick up that pen or turn on the computer and start writing!

Gratitude

Dee's latest blog entry featured resolutions, something many focus on at this time of year.
Because I rarely keep resolutions, I like to look at the things I'm grateful for.
Not necessarily in order of importance:
1. That new grandson with the wonderful Gaelic name, Kieran. He is placid, quiet, easy to handle, a good sleeper and a great eater--the exact opposite of his older sister. I don't know if my daughter and son-in-law could have handled another screamer.
2. My other grandson Owen who has developed his own unique personality, so different from his older sister, and who boasts a smile that clutches the heart of even this old broad.
3. Out of the Dark, an anthology which brought me out of the dark of writer's indifference and near-fatal procrastination.
4. Tiger Woods who makes me appreciate my husband even more than I already did.
5. Mike and Mike in the Morning. They make me laugh, and groan and, occasionally, want to slap some sense into their pointy little heads.
6. A booming tote bag business which recently afforded me a brand new sewing machine, for which I will have my first class this afternoon. I can't wait.
7. My two grand-daughters who always make me laugh.
8. My husband, who still makes me laugh.
9. My 3 daughters, intelligent, self-sufficient, capable women who don't always make me laugh but sure make me proud to be their mother.
10. A great presidential year with LCRW, all thanks to our members who made this group thrive.

Now . . . what are you grateful for?
siochain
Kat

Resolutions

We are getting close to the end of the year. The time when folks determine what they could do to improve themselves for the New Year. A fresh start. Some will give up smoking (good plan I did it 50 years ago) some will go on diet, (don't think I need one lost 15 lbs when Bill passed away) some will take on new endeavors (I'm scared, but feel I need to do this.) The fear isn't that I might fail, probably will many times over. What inhibits me is embarrassing Bill or my kids. I have always been a team player and hesitate to initiate action. I love to help but don't like doing things on my own. The only thing I've ever done without others is write. I love it, it is liberating and satisfying. The thing that bothers me about writing is the publicity. Without it your royalties wouldn't buy a happy meal. I know I need to do this and feel fairly certain that many writers would rather just write and let the publicity and promotion take care of itself. Of course that won't happen.
I've made some positive steps in this direction. It won't go into play until after the first of the year, but I've determined to use the services of a PR person, right here in Rochester. Now I would like to propose a package be put together for promotion that each published author could rely on. If anyone has tried and failed with a type of promotion, that has not worked should be put in the packet as well. As a group we should be committed to helping each other. I find most of the younger members are far more savy in this area. I don't know how to put together a face book page or how to use twitter. For that I would ask that any of the members who knows how to do these things create a step by step plan for doing this. It may seem simple to those of you who know how, but do remember brain surgery is easy if you know how. This package will take time to create and I would be happy to serve as a facilitator for this and create the package as long as someone will get the information to me. I will also add what not so brilliant moves I've made. The publishing world is packed with almost successful authors and I feel that it should be the duty of LCRW to provide every method to rise our authors to the top of the pile. We have some brilliant writers and some daring writers who enter the publishing world by writing other types of material such as magazines. Could one of you show me how you did this? This could be another method of publicity. I think pooling our resources would benefit each of us. I would like to understand the complexities of Internet promotion. There have been many books written on the subject and for the most part they are as puzzling as promotion itself. We need a plain and simple plan to get ahead of the pack. Simple as 123, abc. Please chime in and let me know if you feel that this is a good idea or if I'm all wet. Don't worry about telling me I am all wet, I have towels. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Life Changes

Today I'm amazed at how much my life has changed in the last year. Thank God for these changes.

First, I've been writing again. Of course, I haven't finished anything and do tend to get distracted away from writing for long stretches. One of my resolutions for 2010 will be to dedicate a certain time frame each day to writing.

Second, I've lost 89.5 pounds in 16 months. Energy I've never experienced is driving me batty :) I'm seriously considering renting a 'Mrs. Claus' costume. The owner of Arlene's Costumes is a friend and wants to deck me out. Can't wait to see if I can fit into one of them. The one I looked at in Eastview Mall is so svelte-looking, I'm feeling sexy already.

Third, I've reconnected with my friends at LC_RW. I've missed being with you and I'm grateful for your friendship. I'm looking forward to the party on Saturday. Shall I dress up? :)

Lost

I usually don't just dip my toe in when I'm interested in something--I take a running start and do a cannonball. Which can explain why I watched 5 entire seasons of the show Lost in the past 3 weeks. (That's 103 episodes, each 43 minutes long. You do the embarassing math to determine how long I've been parked in my recliner the past month--and how little writing I've done as a result.)

Yeah, the show's that good. If you're not familiar with it, a plane crashes on a mysterious island and the survivors struggle to live with each other, with their pasts (told in flashbacks) and with ever changing threats. I'm pretty sure my jaw has dropped every single episode. (And someone has gotten punched every single episode, I've noticed.) The series premiered in 2004 (I'm late to the game) and the final season begins this February. I can't even wait.

Immersing myself in 5 seasons of this incredible, compelling drama has been quite the lesson in storytelling. It's been like an intense course in goal and conflict from the moment the show begins. It made me realize how weak my characters' goals and conflicts seem in comparison. Will the characters ever leave this island? That's the thought on your mind every episode. Was the goal in my last book that compelling? Nope. But I'm going to change that now, after watching back-to-back episodes of incredible storytelling.

What about the goals for your characters? Will your readers grip your book for the entire ride wondering if they reach them? Would your readers stay parked in their recliner to find out? Could you make their goals more compelling, more important? If you haven't read Donald Maass' wonderful book "Writing the Breakout Novel" check it out. He provides some great steps for raising the stakes in your book. I wonder of the writers of Lost read it.

Of course writing a novel is different from writing a long running TV series. But if you want to meet some great, real characters with incredible backstories and riveting conflicts and goals, check out this show. (And you don 't have to do it in 3 weeks either--but you might not be able to help yourself. The frist few seasons are free on Hulu and ABC.com)

Whoever thought watching TV could improve my writing?

(And if you are a Lost fan, get in touch. We need to discuss theories before the next season begins!)

Looking back...

Ten years ago my focus, along with most of the world's attention, was on the ushering in of the year 2000! We all wanted to know what would happen. Well, a lot has happened in the last decade. Many things we could not have imagined (September 11th, Anthrax letters, Hurricane Katrina, Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan). Difficult days indeed. My personal losses have also been numerous (the deaths of my dad, grandmother, three uncles, two aunts).

But as we stand on the cusp of 2010, I can't help but remember all of the wonderful things in my life that have changed over the past decade. In 2002 and 2004 my husband and I were blessed with two amazing boys. Everything in our world has shifted since their arrival. On a much smaller scale I achieved my dream of writing a book and having it published (two books). I reconnected with old friends and made new ones.

The year ahead, will bring both good and bad. It always does. That's okay...I'm ready! Of course, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we all have many more reasons to smile than to frown!

Gratitude

This is the season to give thanks. Thanks for our families, friends, health and prosperity. This holiday season I'm especially grateful for the opportunity to mend fences with my parents. They are not going to be around forever, which was shown to me the hard way with my mom having a small heart attack. Fortunately, the attack didn't do any damage, but did indicate she needed a pacemaker put in which has been done.

I'm grateful for my friends at LC_RW welcoming me back into the fold after a long absence. How amazing is it that you've made me feel like I'd never left?! I guess that's what having friends with the same interests as you can do. There was a chance that I'd not be able to attend meetings, but talking it over with a dear friend, I realized being back in the group is what I need to do for myself at this point in my life. It's time for me to realize some of my dreams!

My goals for the upcoming year? To continue my dreams of writing and becoming published, to continue striving for a healthy weight and being a nicer, saner person.

I wish all of you Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! (I do hope to do this at Bazil's next week) :)

Happy Holidays

Today we got our second snow fall and my little dachshund likes it just as much as the first time, that is to say HE DOESN'T. I suppose if my tranny were dragging in the snow I wouldn't like it either. I am kind of non committal about snow. It's pretty and I don't have to go out in it each day to get to work. Even when I worked I did so from my home office. Not overly fond of cold, but heck I was born in Rochester and I've had seventy years to get used to it.
I done all the Christmas shopping I am going to do.
I am looking forward to our Christmas Party at Basil's. I hope you all are able to make it.
In the past we each did a resolution goal for the year. What you plan on accomplishing for the next year. The goals were read the following year. It was very interesting. I would like to see this re-implemented. Many things from the old group weren't stellar, but some ideas were. I think we ought to take another look at what worked in the past.
I wish you all a prosperus and Happy New year and look forward to a great year for LCRW as well. MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR

Tiger Not out of the Woods Yet

I'm sure I'm not the only one waiting with bated breath to hear the next installment of the Tiger Woods drama. Like every steamy bit of gossip we receive through the tabloids and newspapers, we are shocked, dismayed, incredulous. Even when we're aware nobody is infallible (and certainly not celebrities). Everyone has done at least one stupid thing they regret in their lives. Great fodder for memoirs, really.

But here's the catch: eagerly participating in listening to these tales of woe can make an otherwise ethical person feel downright guilty! How dare we want to hear more, the juicier the better? Or perhaps we devise our our own judge and jury system (Tiger's wife found out about his affairs. She chased him down the road, swinging his golf clubs at his SUV). Either way, we're ashamed to think we enjoy another person's misery.

Enter fiction. Ah, yes. Now we can read about people's failures, their deviant behavior, lack of morals, and not feel guilty! That's right. Or...even better...we can write about those kind of people without ever becoming one of them! (And if we were that type of person once, a long, long time ago, we don't have to admit to it. It's only a character we're writing about, right?)

So, I apologize Tiger Woods, for keeping up on your sordid life, and speculating on your behavior. I'm sorry I've kept track of your ups and downs even though I never watched even one of your golf games. But you're interesting, now. Like a character in a book. The difference being that the fictional character isn't hurting anyone.

NaNo

This was my first year trying NaNo or National Novel Writing Month. The whole month of November all you have to do is write 50,000 words. The first two weeks, I worked hard then life happened. One word... KIDS. In the end I came up short, but I'm not discouraged. I reached 25,000 words in one month. I know it wasn't my goal, but I learned much about my story.

The idea is to write, not to worry about spelling, grammar, plot or anything, to just wing it. Now in the last few years, I have plotted the heck out of my stories before writing it then i found that I wasn't interested in the writing the story so i decided this would bring it back to the basics. Now I realize I need a happy medium. Half way through the month, I was missing structure in my plot line, I was missing characters... I missing character's base line. Details, everyday life and a thread throughout the piece of congruency. So then I started to write down notes, and more notes. I'm sure if I would have wrote those notes into my NaNo work I may have gotten to at least 30,000 words, but I didn't, I wanted only the story.

What I realized in the end, I know have a great base for a story, my characters are flesh out, (at least on pieces of paper around my house). Nano taught me, wing it with a simple blot line. A goes to B then to C then oh wow D came out of nowhere and it all worked out in the E end.

I recently did an Interview with Susan Wiggs, and I left the last question open up to her advice for writers. Her response was perfect it got me thinking about all those out there. Here's her quote: "Besides reading my books? (Kidding.) Seriously, read and learn. Like Maureen in Lakeshore Christmas, you can find the whole world in books. And then, sorry to tell you, roll up your sleeves and get to work. I've heard it said a writer's apprenticeship is a million words. So let's get cracking."

A million words and to think I did 25,000 in one month. I'm proud of what I did and what I learned. Perhaps next year, come November I will have a plan and I will meet the Nano goal of 50,000 words. Just write.

Whine Country--the rest of the story

Some of you know I provide child care to a few of my grandchildren three days a week. The perks are many, like watching the three year-old's face after she woke yesterday morning and discovered snow on the ground. That was really special, considering things went downhill from there--but that's a nightmare story for another time.

Another of the perks is being able to read [for free] issues of Entertainment Weekly. Not that I always agree with the articles or reviews, but I never know when I might find a jewel in the rough. And Stephen King's essays are always a hoot.

The November 6, 2009 issue featured a small piece about author Kathryn Stockett whose debut novel "The Help" [a February 2009 release] has close to 800,000 copies in print and ". . .its steady word-of-mouth sales have kept it on the NYT's best-seller list longer than any other hardcover novel this year . . ."

The point: nearly 60 agents turned down Ms. Stockett's book before publisher Amy Einhorn paicked it up in 2007. "Those rejections lit a fire under my rear end," says Stockett. "I would say I've got to make it better."

Enough said, I think.

Endings

Stephen King once said, “If you already know the ending, why write the story.”
I always think I know how my stories will end when I start, but more often than not the characters take over and create their own endings. Working from an outline allows flexibility in my writing, but keeps it on target.
My WIP is a longer version of a short story written about five ago, so the ending was pretty much set. That was until I went to Astronomicon.
I believe it was Rick who said, “Ask yourself, What If.”
“What if?” I asked myself and came up with another ending.
I’m only halfway through, so there still may be another ending. I’m not going to know until I’m finished.

A Side Note

Today, working on my mss is the furthest thing from my mind. My mom is going in for a pacemaker insertion early in the morning. We had a scare the week before Thanksgiving when my dad called to say she was being admitted to the hospital. This was not the phone call we'd been expecting.

You see, my mom has always been the strong one, the one who held the family together. On the other hand, my dad has been steadily become more frail. He's unstable on his feet and smokes like a fiend. A life of bad habits has made him the most likely one to have health problems.

The doctors were going to insert the pacemaker a week ago Friday, but decided to send her home with a monitor for 24 hrs. They said the new medicine seemed to be doing its job. However, after I returned the monitor that Monday morning, they promptly called her within a few hours and asked her to come in the next morning. I went with her, per doctor's orders, and found out that even though the medicine was working, it couldn't do the job needed. So, a pacemaker was definitely in order.

Thank God, we managed to get through the holiday with no mishaps or emergencies. Now, I'm camped at my folks house getting ready to turn in for the night. Four a.m. comes mighty fast. Luckily, my kids are in their late teens and early twenties and can fend for themselves, with a little help from dad

I'd like to think some day when all the tension goes away and life gets back to normal, I'll be able to make a great story from this. I'm certainly taking notes on what goes on around me.

With luck, I'll be able to get some hours in on my mss later tomorrow. Kept my laptop at the folks overnight. I'll keep you posted on how things go.

The Allure of Vampires...

What is the allure of vampires? Since I was a child and I’m sure long before that, the world’s been intrigued, horrified, fascinated, and compelled by the idea of vampires.

What does that bite feel like?

Are vampires wholly evil, only out to kill in the worst imaginable ways? Are they seductive creatures of the night, looking for the one woman (or man) to complete them? To spend the rest of their eternity with?

In the movies we see both. Some portray them as scourges of mankind. Others, the vulnerable hero-monster, wanting to love but so afraid of the monster within. Afraid of turning their beloved, or hurting them with their supernatural strength.

My sister and I both went through periods of time where we feared vampires. She often slept with her neck surrounded with stuffed animals. (Stuffed animals apparently work like garlic and/or holy water – no vampire can get past those sacred teddies!)

Tonight, when you’re lying in bed, close your eyes, expose your neck, and hope for the best (whichever best is the best for you…)

Response to Whine Country

A few days ago Lisa asked group members if we would continue writing even though we would never be published AND at what point would we hang up our pen and paper.

February something, 1983. I received a How The Hell Are You? card from a friend from my Operating Room days. I sat down to tell her what was going on in my life and . . . 27 pages later [I had to filch loose leaf notebook paper from the kids to keep it going], I began to think maybe I had something going with this.

That response turned into a story which went untitled for about 20 years, plus it was the best thing I've ever written. It was finally published in 2007. It only took me 24 years to see it in print. I didn't have an easy time finding a publisher. And every contest or pitch session garnered mixed responses. "No one wants a story with a 47 year old heroine." "Forget the old lady, give me a story about her kids; make her a secondary character." "The external conflict is difficult to read about. Your characters are harsh and unlikeable; good nurses don't talk like that." "Great story; super dialogue, fabulous characterization. Good luck finding a publisher. They aren't going for old lady heroines these days."

The story went on to win the Golden Wings Award from Wings e-Press, later it won the Barclay Brooch.
Would I give up writing even though I knew I'd never be published? No.
When will I hang it up? When they close the lid on my casket.
Kat

A Writing Exercise for your WIP (part 1)

If you're like me, you like playing around with your story, revising until your fingertips are calloused from typing. So I am proposing exercises to (hopefully) strengthen your manuscript. You may already use these methods, but if not, maybe it will give you something to work with.

First of all, I suggest starting with a chapter in the middle of your story or novel. The middle seems to be where most of my creative writing students falter the most. Sometimes it needs a "pick-me-up." Therefore, that is why I propose beginning in the middle, so to speak.

Notice your character's reactions. Are they strong? Is there emotional conflict? Every scene should either drive the plot or add emotional impact. If your scene does not have enough oomph, take it up a notch. Again, this is only an exercise. It may not work for your particular novel, but it's fun to see where it might lead.

Here's an example:
Cinderella realizes she doesn't have a dress for the ball. Good conflict. Let's take it up a notch.

"All my clothes look like soot and ashes. I can't go. It's not fair!" She kicked the broom and it skittered into the corner. Cinderella glared at it. "It's all your fault, you pathetic thing! Wal-Mart special! If only I had the Nimbus 2000, this place would be spotless!"

The broom shook, sputtered to life. Startled, Cinderella shrieked. The broom chased her around the room, sweeping all the while, until the place was spotless.

See how I've given the old story new life? Try it with your work, see what happens. You might find yourself pleasantly surprised at what comes out. Good luck!

Do you hear the crows this morning?

Did you know crows have funerals?
There may be a reason why these loud, black birds have a place in horror and mythology.
Crows are extremely intelligent birds. Crows, Ravens and Magpies have the largest brain among other birds.
Studies have shown they can count, use other animals to do their dirty work, and yes, have funerals.
How a crow funeral works, from what I've read, is, when a dead crow is found, large groups of crows gather, cawing, sounding off, and flying around. Then suddenly a moment of silence is observed, all the crows hush, and seconds later it's over, and they fly away. A moment of respect for their fallen comrade, probably more than a lot of humans get.
If you write paranormal, or mythological fiction, the crow may be a great animal to use in your stories.

And heck, if you're ever too tired to take your dog for a walk, you may find the friendly neighborhood noisemaker eager to help. I've read where crows grabbed on to a dog's leash, a cow's leash etc. and took the animal for a walk.

Whine Country

So, if you attended this month's meeting you heard my tale of woe: contest results that weren't quite what I was looking for. (Didn't final, lots of conflicting comments for a book I thought was gooood.) Kinda knocked me on my creative butt and left me thinking, "Why do I keep doing this writing thing? It's like dating an abusive bully." I've written other books that have gotten close to being represented by an agent, but no cigar. At what point do I cry uncle and give up?

I know, I know--want some cheese with that whine, Lisa? Just about every writer has faced disappointment and rejection on the road to publication. But here's my concern--how many writers just keep on slogging down that long road without ever actually making it to publication? For every "JK Rowling was rejected by 892 publishers story" how many stories do we not hear about the writers who don't ever make it to publication?

Many writers will ask themselves this question when faced with my quandry: "Would you keep writing if you knew you wouldn't get published?" And lots of writers will say, yes, of course I would.

Well, guess what? I wouldn't. I write with the hope that someday, my book will delight someone. I want to write a book that someone closes with a sigh and thinks about for the rest of the week. A book that makes them think and feel. A book they tell a friend "they have to read!" So, if I knew my book was never going to be published for others to read, no I wouldn't write it. I'd channel my creative energy elsewhere.

(It's like the time I collected giant clamshells in Cape Cod, took them home, handpainted them, placed them on handcrafted easels, carted them to a craft show and sold not one. Not one!!!! "Crafts gone bad" we now jokingly call it 20 years later. However, after that experience, I decided painting seascapes on shells was a creative endeavour I no longer wanted to pursue, and I'm fine with that.)

Now, I'm not at that point yet with writing, but it certainly is easy for my enthusiasm to be derailed while traveling down the publication road. Luckily, I belong to a great writer's group ready to prop up a sagging spirit. (Thanks guys. Just one of the reasons writers need to be part of a supportive community like LCRW.)

What about you? Would you keep writing if you knew you'd never be published? At what point would you decide to call it quits?

Old Friends

As I try to finish my mss, I had the niggling sense that I was missing something. One day it finally came to me. A book I had started (in between the two mss' I'm writing now)was no where to be found. It wasn't on my computer or the flash drive I keep my mss' on. Where was it?

This new 12-step program I'm on says you should pray about anything in your life, big or small. Well, this is a pretty small matter, but what the heck. I'll give it a shot.

After three days of praying for help in finding this story, I find it! Luckily it had been printed out and was saved in a nice, zip-up binder. Now, everything is on hold with all my work until I get the danged thing transcribed onto the flash drive.

I'm so caught up with it, the pages are flying as fast as my fingers can work. My husband is disgusted with me because it's the first time I've really been focused on getting my writing done. Of course, it didn't help that he was trying to nap in the same room I was typing in.

So the moral of this story is to always know where your friends are.

Strange things are happening

As Jennie posted Harlequin is going digital and into the vanity press. Remember when I said, digital is the coming thing? You may not remember cause you might not have known me back then in 1998, but it was the reason I chose to be published with a POD publisher. But the fee Harlequin is charging is outrageous. If you choose to self publish please talk to me before you spend money foolishly. Self publishing can be profitable but not if you pay up front.
I invested in a Kindle this past week and note I said invested, this is the next thing on the horizon. It may not happen in my lifetime as I am an old lady, but there will come the day when kids will have their homework on a Kindle or similar device. To be able to buy a book in 60 seconds is nothing short of amazing, and the cost is far less than a actual paperback.
Other than my new toy and the fact that my dog is finally potty trained my life is pretty much a daily thing. Note to those who have trouble training a dog. I tried everything trainers, vets and friends with dogs but what finally worked was a video. I was watching it and the dog sat beside me, when it finished Widget walked to the door and scratched to be let out. Job done.
I am sorry for the late posting but had a full day that I was not planning on. I look forward to seeing you all on Sat.
Good Night

Show me the...

...query letter.

Okay, so you don't want to share your WIP. How about your query letters?
Do you have one you're particularly proud of, or a letter Agents read and then actually asked for more?

I'm still struggling. I've got about ten different versions and NONE of them work. I need the hook, but the hook is based on some back story. I just don't know how to start it.

Are you guys sick of me whining about this yet?

I am.

So...may I ask for one piece of advice from each of you, that led you to query letter success?
Please?

Thanks!

First & Ten

A Sunday afternoon of football reminded me of our upcoming contest, First & Ten. What a great concept!
Every writer knows, in order to make the sale, they have to grab the editor’s attention quick. Those first pages are critical. Like an exciting game of football, that first chapter has to be perfectly executed and action packed. Early mistakes are not easily overcome.
With the $10 entry fee, we’re sure to have many contestants competing in our contest. Kudos to the contest committee for this brilliant idea.
Sorry for the short post, but I do have a game to watch. Go Bills!

Exciting Industry News

Big news in romance publishing this week. For those that might have missed it Harlequin Enterprises Limited announced Monday the launch of Carina Press(TM), a digital-only publishing house that will operate independently of their traditional publishing businesses.

Carina Press will distribute ebooks directly to consumers through their web site and numerous third-party web sites. According to their press release Carina will publish a wide range of women's fiction -- romance, erotica, science fiction, mystery, family sagas, horror, thriller and more.

For writers and readers this is great news! Harlequin might pave the way for major publishers to put their money behind e-books. As a published author with Samhain and The Wild Rose Press I want the industry to grow. Harlequin has a sixty year history of providing customers with what they want. They've studied the landscape and their willingness to dive into the digital market might signal a shift away from the traditional business model.

Although I don't have a polished manuscript ready for submission, I do know that I will keep Carina Press on my wish list. Check out their web site if you want to find out more: http://carinapress.com/

Writing Outside the Box

If you didn't make it to the Astronomicon this past weekend, you missed out on a great conference. I spoke to many of the attending authors, who were cordial and accommodating. Although at one point there was a misunderstanding (during the cross-gender discussion panel), a point was made to think outside the box when writing.

If you traditionally write from a heterosexual's POV, try choosing a homosexual POV. If most of your characters are in their thirties or forties, think what someone eighty or ninety might do or say when put in a similar situation (such as a being exposed to a new romance, landing on a new planet, solving a murder.) If you are white, try writing from the POV of someone who is Asian-American.

Or juice up your plot. Maybe a detective isn't trying to find a murderer, but trying to hide one. Maybe the sweet old aunt acts like she wants her nephew to find the love of his life, but instead thwarts his attempts because she is afraid a romance in his life will harm his acting career. Or maybe the leader of the mob has hired a hitman to go after himself because he's miserable but too cowardly to commit suicide. Think opposites.

What can you do to change things up, to help you see things in a different light, maybe get out of a rut? Think outside the box. See where you mind can go once it's been freed.

Details on WIP--24 hours early

Sorry, guys, I'm writing my blog early because I can't predict how child care provision will go tomorrow. I wanted to strike while the iron is hot.

My WIP, "Raising Kane", is the story of investigative reporter, Mallory Kane, and Public Information Officer, police lieutenant, Keenan Pollack. They come together after violence erupts during a march protesting violence against women. Mallory is assigned to cover the march for the local TV station and is among those arrested on charges of inciting to riot because the march organizers failed to apply for the necessary permits--plus several protesters are seriously injured by those they are protesting against.

As legal proceedings ensue, Mallory begins receiving threats to prevent her from testifying about what she witnessed. Uncertain of whom to trust, she shares her thoughts and fears with no one while keeping the handsome Lieutenant Pollack at arm's length.
Now if I could find the time to write!!

Siochain,
Kat

Previews...

Hello LCRW,

I would love to know what your present WIP is about. In your comment give us a blurb!
Here's mine:

Anna 'Sight' Williams works for a Private Investigation firm in which everyone has their own special talents. Anna is a profiler, and a psychic. When she touches people she has visions. This can be very helpful in criminal cases...not so much in everyday life.

Her new partner Webster, is an 'everything by the book' kind of guy who loves to argue.

She refuses to shake his hand for obvious reasons and when he forces the issue, her vision is quite an eye-opener...

Unfortunately for Sight, she gets brushed in a crowded room and connects with an evil serial killer. Her gift changes, visions come randomly. She and Webster need to find this man before he kils again. When he targets someone they know and love, time is of the essence.

Can she trust Webster to 'have her back' and not let her down? Can she trust her own gift, to tell her the truth and lead her in the right direction? Can she give herself emotionally to a man for the first time in her life, and let down her guard? Her vision shows her a happy ending...but will a serial killer put a stop to her gift, and her life...before she gets her happily ever after?

Procrastination

I'm sure someone already wrote about procrastination. Yet, now that the holidays are approaching, I think I need to bring it up again.

With time becoming filled with plans for visiting family, holiday dinners, and a funeral sprinkled in, I find that I don't get to my computer as much as I had in the past few months. It's frustrating and depressing.

I've been successful in structuring a few parts of my daily life but not all. What I want most is to structure in writing time over frivolous stuff. Can I do it? I want to, I need to, so I must. Yet, determination is not my forte :(

So, what I am going to do it write out a schedule of when I want to write, as well as everything else I need to do each day. I've been doing it for a few days with some disciplines I need to maintain. It's helping me get everything done. Now, I need to add in time to write.

Will I make it too hard to maintain? I hope not. I figure an hour a day should be manageable. It's enough to get deep into the story, but not too long to block me from doing other things.

My goal? To take procrastination out of my vocabulary!

Dream Big

When my grandpa was alive, I would always say that I would make the trip to Kansas to visit him, but something would always come up. Either I couldn’t get the time off of work or I didn’t have any money or what ever dumb excuse… the airport is like an hour drive away from his house and traveling would be hard cause I was too young to rent a car. There was always an excuse because I thought there would be a tomorrow to go out there at a later date. Then all of the sudden there was no tomorrow. He passed away very suddenly and there was no more reason to make the trip, my excuses were dried up and my tomorrows to visit were yesterdays of unfulfilled promises. And I felt like the worst granddaughter ever.
When I was younger I always wanted to see New York City then 9/11 happened and there’s a chunk missing that will never be seen again. I wanted to go to New Orleans forever, then Katrina hit. Beautiful cities that will never be the same and the previous experiences I wanted can never be attained like that again… not that these cities are ruined forever by any means… just that they don’t have the innocence they once possessed.
Now in my ripe old age I travel tons. This year I’ve seen Philadelphia for the first time, I’ve been to New York for the 3rd time, I leave for LA next week for the 2nd time and in January I’m going with a bunch of friends to New Orleans for the first time. I’ve decided that lack of money was a really dumb reason not to travel, really it’s not all that expensive and if you cut out some luxuries like daily coffee and fast food, it becomes more affordable. And time is negotiable, if you don’t take off from work you will drive yourself crazy.
But probably the most painful delay I’ve had in my life is my writing. Back in high school I wanted to be a writer, but I believed a teacher who said I was too creative to be any good at AP English. In college I rediscovered my love for the written word and flourished, but I let myself get caught up in “The Real World” and writing became a hobby then became a past dream. If I could get back those 5 years that I didn’t pick up my pen, that’s 5 years that I could’ve written my 1st novel instead of working on it now. Hell I could be done with my 3rd novel by now and have been published, yet I gave into that stupid voice that said be safe and content with the little you have and don’t lose yourself in your dreams.
Lose yourself in your dreams. Dream big. If this is our chance, then grab hold of it with both hands and hold on tightly. We may not know how many tomorrows we have for our dreams but we do know they are numbered.

By Konnie Collins

A letter to an Agent...

Dear Prospective Agent,

What do you want from me? I'm a good writer. Really....I am. Just because I can't write a two paragraph letter that would wow Ernest Hemmingway, doesn't mean I can't write. You just have to give me a chance. I promise you'll like it. Really.

Really.

Love,
ME

Okay, so how many of us feel like this when faced with writing a query letter. I feel like I'm stuck on the process. I have gotten critiques, opinions, read articles etc. And now I don't even want to look at my letter. (Picture me plugging my ears, closing my eyes and singing off key really loud.)

The query process is intimidating. To say the least. So tomorrow is the day. I will spend a couple of hours on it again. Take what I've learned, do a little more research and see what comes of it. (Scratch that....Wednesday is the day, my daughter does not have school tomorrow.) Hey, I wrote 2 1/2 novels, I can write a simple letter. Right?

I just hate the thought of someone passing me over because my query letter sucks.
What is your experience with Query letters? Leave a comment and tell me.

Secondary Characters

All great heroes and heroines have them, sidekicks, best friends, or lovable accomplices. Batman had Robin, the Lone Ranger had Tonto, and where would Lucy be without Ethel?
Secondary characters flesh out our writing. What better way to build back story than with a conversation between friends. “Hey, Joe, remember spring break in Cancun? Did your rash ever clear up?”
Sage secondary characters help our main characters grow and accomplish their goals. When all seems lost, who do they seek for advice? An experienced coworker? A wise wrinkled grandparent? A stranger on the bus reading the New York Times?
Add a bumbling sidekick and you’ve instantly added humor. Ralph Kramden’s life would have been uneventful without upstairs neighbor Ed Norton. Together, they made comedy history.
Lacking tension or conflict in your writing? That can be solved simply by having a best friend cross a line. Flirting with the hero, taking an important document, or any risky behavior by the secondary character will force the hero/heroine into action.
Keep in mind, too many secondary characters can bog down the story. You shouldn’t need a scorecard to keep track. Also, don’t let the secondary characters hijack the story. Remember, the action revolves around the main characters. All others have a supporting role.

NaNoWriMo

An ironic situation occurred Saturday, the day I made my presentation on gender POV to the group.

The day before I had been looking into NaNoWriMo (National November Writer's Month), considering whether or not to join up, especially being as busy as I am with so many other things, and only having about two hours a day to write.

Then, in the gift I was given for presenting, was a book by the man who started NaNoWriMo! Of all things!

Those who don't know what NaNoWriMo is...you sign up at NaNoWriMo.org, where a community of like-minded writers await. As soon as November 1st rounds the bend, you find time to write roughly at least 1,6667 words per day until November finally closes its eyes to sleep. At that point, exhausted, bewildered, hopefully exhilarated, you will have finished a 50,000 novel. All you win is recognition, but isn't that what we're all looking for anyhow? To say, I've finished a novel. In a month! Yipee Skippee!

And then you'll spend the next two years revising and editing it.

Anyhow, I'm considering joining up...in the spirit of camaraderie and deadlines. Plus, I can't help but feel that receiving the book is a sign!

Write What You Know - Part 2

Today I received an unexpected piece of mail. Last year I contacted an organization that helps adoptees and biological families register with the appropriate agencies and assist in connecting separated families.

I signed up with the state registry and subsequently received an I.D. registry number earlier this year. Today I received non-identifying information from the state's department of health. I'm amazed at how much it's hit me that I can finally say that I know who I take after.

What a premise for a story! I've toyed with the idea of writing something like this, but wasn't trusting that feeling. However, the thoughts that ran through my mind as I read the paper were amazing in their clarity and power. Needless to say, I'm stunned.

I guess I'm going to take more time to let all this sink in and then feel out a story from it. Before I got married, I wrote a little book for a boy that a co-worker was adopting. I sure wish I'd copied and saved it, but I just made the one copy and bound it myself. It was good, made everyone cry! I'm not going to let my fears and not-so-low self-esteem stop me from trying again.

Write What You Know

I've always been told it's best to write what you know. My question is how do you do that without identifying real-life people in your characters? The topic I know most deals with my two youngest adopted children and their 'disabilities' brought on by short-stature and the organization we belong to that is such a support system.

I've recently remembered that I had a whole story written about a family with two such children in it. Where is that story, you ask? Beats me! I don't have it on this computer or on my flash drive. I haven't found any hard copies either, except for a few handwritten pages in a small journal.

Thinking back on it, though, I may have unconsciously 'lost' the mss because it was too revealing. At least, to me it was. However, now I think that it'll be one of my better books because I don't leave much to my imagination. I've put a few dreams as well as embellished some actual events into the story and I believe it's pretty good. Without my knowledge of adoption procedures and the short-statured organization, the story would fall flat.

So the remaining question is, how do I complete the story without hurting my kids? They've said they wouldn't mind being in a story as long as I didn't give them any romances, or make them out to be monsters or weaklings. This story definitely doesn't do that. Am I making a mountain out of a mole hill? Maybe. Probably.

I just have to take that leap of faith in believing in my talent. It's one of the hardest things for me to do with all the past negative feedback I've gotten from family. All comments have been about wasting my time on a 'hobby' that won't amount to anything productive. Not one of them has read anything I've written.

With the support of my writer friends and my newest friends in another fellowship, I believe I'll become a published author and a good one at that!

Finding Inspiration--Part II

I enjoyed Dee's recent blog about finding inspiration from newspaper headlines. Great idea, considering what Rachel Barnhart told us about the school board at last month's meeting!

I, too, have been one to use headlines for ideas. Both of my published novels reports in the newspaper. Arthur Shawcross called it 'taking care of business' back in the late 80's-early 90's. Others called it murder of 11 women. The apathy of our community and police department was the germ which grew into Captain Marvelous.

A local businessman's fatal overdose, and subsequent manslaughter trial for his two cohorts who delivered the last speedball because, they claimed, "he begged us to do it", became Try Just Once More. Two sad parts about this particular story:
1. in his constant search for the instant relief brought only by addictive substances, the businessman probably did beg his using pals to give him the hit that ended his life in a seedy motel room known for catering to the drug trade.
2. his family knew nothing about his drug use. Imagine receiving a middle of the night visit by the local gendarmes who tell you your spouse/partner/father/brother/best friend dropped dead after a shot of cocaine laced with Drano.

But I digress . . .

Lately there have been some very funny commercials on TV: the couple sitting in front of the TV set. She speaks in [what I think is Olde English]: "You may converse with him on the morrow at the bowling of the balls. For tonight we shall feast and revel." He grabs a giant bowl of popcorn and asks, "I love feasting and frolicking [or words to that effect]; is this [popcorn] the limit of the feast or is there more?"
I love it.

A second is the baby sitting in front of the TV set while an adult male practices on a putting green in the background. With much waving of hands and scowling, the kid calls him a shagasaurus. Hoot!!! Who dreams up this stuff?

Siochain,
Kat

To Twit or not to Twit

So it all comes down to social networking. As writer's we write so this shouldn't be hard for us to write here and there. The problem is time. Time to write and time to promote. This past week, I found time to write not one, but two short stories, I am going to market them to some magazines. I had to edit part of story that I put away months ago. And I have been writing for the examiner. But I haven't had time to write on my wip. Perhaps it's about managing my time.

This leads me to social networking. I am finding the more I write for the examiner the more I need to promote it. I facebook it, sometimes I email friends to check out the cool profile and Q and A. But should I be twitting it. It seems like leaps past all the rest of information.

Do I need to be twitting? Will it draw more attention to me thus promoting my name. As writers is this important to get our books written. I'm sure we don't use as accomplishments on our Query letters, I have X followers on my blog. X friends on my author facebook and X followers on my Twitter.

Thus saying I think the more people read your work the more they will remember your name so Social Networking is important. We do it all the time, hand shaking, word of month, loops, blogs, and the list goes on and on. So my questions is when do you know your ready to twit or not to twit. Does anyone know the answer to this question?

Find Stories from Headlines

A lot of writers claim to get their stories from the headlines. I decided to test that theory by today’s (Sunday) Democrat & Chronicle. Front page reads, City School District considers change in money distribution.
Doesn’t sound very exciting, but I thought I’d play around with some scenarios.

1. Two school board members battle over what programs get funding. Heated arguments spill over to the local coffee shop, where Amy Miller and Thomas Gilbert find love and compromise.
2. School district cuts funding for a music program. Sheila Hart finds a creative way to keep her program alive.
3. It’s no mystery why school board member Lois Bennett is fighting change when the money is being funneled into her secret account.
4. When parents picket city school district, sparks fly between single mom and Officer Wilson.
5. Teachers march on Albany to protest funding. Coach Rob Mitchell picks up fourth grade teacher Maggie Jones, literally, when she sprains her ankle.

Guess it works.

Book Signing from Heaven

Good morning ladies and gentlemen. It's great we now have some male members (oops that didn't sound right) should be : men as members (still not good.) How about we have guys in the group? Yeah, that's the ticket.
I have to tell you about my weekend. On Sat I went to Sam's club (alone, never did that before)and bought a bunch of goodies. And Sunday my daughter Kelly and her boyfriend Kenny helped me set up a table in Izzy's Restaurant on Buffalo Road.
At 12:30 people started pouring in. And I do mean pouring in. I've done lots of signings but there were more folks at this one than all the others combined.
This was more than the book of my heart. It is the book of my life. All the years Bill and I shared. Good times and even the minor troubles (roof leaking, water heater dying and the garbage disposal refusing to dispose)were still fun because we lived through it together.
And, I learned a valuable lesson. How to publish yourself. Not as rough as I thought it would be. No walk in the park, but not agony. And the great part is the royalties are all mine. Granted it costs, but not the same as other presses. My royalties from my fiction books wouldn't buy a happy meal. I wouldn't advise self publishing a first book, but once you know the ropes, it's the way to go.
I also learned I have more than one type of writing in me. Thought I was just fantasy, but not so. Who knew?
LCRW is a significant part of this discovery. The group helps to spread your wings and to learn attempts are not failures, just steps to success.
If anyone has any questions please feel free to pose them. Sounds like you bend questions like pipe cleaners, but you know what I mean.

Dreams

I've always had a vivid imagination. Many times it has gotten me in trouble. So when I decided to become a romance writer I thought I had it made. NOT!

There were no story lines or characters or scenes to put down in writing. I kept drawing a blank. Then the dreams started. In my dreams, I became a different person and lived that person's life. The dreams kept repeating until I put them down on paper. Each time I put everything from the dreams on paper, another dream would soon surface.

At first I didn't think anything of these dreams. There were just an annoyance I wanted to be rid of. It was several months before I realized I had the bones of a story. From then on the process changed. As I settled in to sleep, I would bring up the current story in my head and run through it as I drifted off. This brought more of the story out for me and I was able to keep recording it.

The first inkling I had anything worthwhile to write came in my senior year of high school. We had an English assignment to write a one-page Halloween story. I received an A+ for my effort, the only one in the class to do so. Another assignment was to write a speech on a person in history. Since my older brother was an avid history buff, I went to him for advice. Armed with his recipe card box filled with quotes and a scrapbook on Robert Kennedy, I wrote a speech that won a school contest.

However, I was home sick when it was time to read my speech, so friend did it for me. Since I couldn't speak, my speech wasn't allowed to go on to the county level.
With that background, I knew there was a chance I could write something worthwhile. All that was missing was that spark, that inner muse. My dreams.

After a disheartening discussion with my husband, who doesn't believe my writing is anything other than a time-consuming hobby, my dreams are all I have to keep me going. I trust in my dreams. They haven't let me down yet. With perseverance, determination and better time management I will achieve my goal of becoming published.

Written by Patti Olesik.

Taking Chances

I’m new to writing. I don’t bring the confidence born of a college education or books and articles published for all to see. No one would consider my writing deep – with texture and nuance. Much to my chagrin, I don’t have the skill to write gorgeous text – I’ve tried. There are no layers to my prose.

I write scenes. The longest piece I’ve written is 8700 words. The two stories I’ve sold are 987 words and 1573 words. The prospect of a novel scares the bee-jeepers out of me. I can’t grasp the concept of writing 80,000 words. EIGHTY THOUSAND WORDS.

Yet, I’m now working on a novel. My friend, Phil Tomasso, convinced me that my scenes are chapters. All I have to do is write enough scenes and I will have a novel. It’s still intimidating, but I have nine chapters of 1200 words each. Only 70,000 words more.

Poetry – not a fan. Perhaps I’m shallow, but if I have to work to understand what you are saying, you aren’t doing your job. However, after hearing Pat Gore’s poems (during numerous writer’s group), I discovered I don’t dislike all poetry. Her poetry moved me more than I thought was possible in 200 words.

How has that affected me? I wrote a poem. I’m the guy who hasn’t written poetry since high school, and never voluntarily. Now I have written TWO poems. Pat has shown me that, in twenty-five words, you can evoke an emotion strong enough to bring you to tears.

Generally, I only read fantasy. To date, I have written science fiction, shape shifter, humor, serial killer, romantic adventure, and alternate reality. My novel is a YA fantasy with two girls as the protagonists. (It has yet to be determined if I can pull that off.)

I’ve grown as a writer. I’m not good, yet, but I’m twenty times the writer I was three years ago, when all this started. And, I discovered that I may have a talent for critiquing. (NOT in-depth, technical, your preposition is dangling, critiquing, but forty-three pages ago you said XYZ so you can’t FGR now.)

I no longer make my friends read everything before I present to a writer’s group. I’m more confident of what I can do, more relaxed with my writing. (And, frankly, my friends hate fiction and never “got it.”)

NONE of this would have happened if I hadn’t taken chances. Hadn’t put myself out there for everyone to see. For everyone to say, “It would work better if you….”

Bottom line, it is sooooo worth it. Get out there and take a chance. Write.

Finding time

I always thought when I "retired" from my day job, I would have all the time in the world to write. Hah!!

I didn't figure on falling in love with my first grandchild, then offering to provide child care when her mother returned to work as a school counselor. Of course, as things go, my sweet Meredith did not remain an infant, nor did she stay the lone grandchild for long. I [we] now have three, with a player to be name later this year.
And, then there is my tote bag business which demands a fair amount of attention. Adding to the equation are my editor responsibilities.

At the moment, I have approximately six hours spread over three days to edit manuscripts. I use my two days off to make tote bags. The other two days and evenings, I write. In her most recent posting, Kim mentioned "chores" which are as important as the actual writing itself: self-promotion. It does me little good to create the next NYT best seller [hah!] if no one knows about it or me. There are author loops which deserve attention; blogs for special interest groups; workshops for writers to plan and present; and for me which is most fun--inventing characters.

I wish you all the time you want to write--with none of those pesky little interferences like kids, housework, cooking, laundry, yard work.

Siochain,
Kat

Priorities

I'll be going along the lines of the last member's post...finding time to write.

Like everyone else, I'm busy. I'm a stay-at-home mom of children who don't like to sleep, yet the only writing time I have is during "nights and naps." That's about 3 hours a day altogether, and some of that time I spend catching up on emails or rifling through reference books.

One night a week (for six weeks a semester) I teach a writing class...one night a month I facilitate a writers group, then there are various critique groups I'm involved in. As my free time becomes pared away I wonder, when do I have time for fun?

Of course, reading and writing are fun (and I read at least a half hour a day), and I love to cook. But I want to be a sucessful writer, so most of my free time is devoted to improving my craft. After taking care of my family (which will forever come first), it's my number one priority.

Successful Formula

Yesterday’s horoscope stated that the successful formula is imagination plus work. What I haven’t figured out, is which is more difficult.
There are days when I have dialog running through my head, but no way to get to the computer. Other times, I’ve sat in front of a blank screen waiting for my muse to show up.
Best writing times for me are early, when ideas are fresh. A quiet house with no distractions is a blessing. There’s nothing worst than a ringing phone or a needy cat.
Finding time is always a challenge. It’s a rare day that writing comes first. It’s often squeezed in between work and chores.
Back to my horoscope, I need to come up with a plan. I’ll jot down notes as inspiration hits and devote time for writing only.

Living Life to the Fullest

I hear lots of people talk about what they would do if they had a day, a week, a year to live. But often times when we’re told we have a day, a week, a year, we’re told because we’re sick, our expiration date is coming up and we’re at risk of spoiling. And in your last day, week, year, when you’re sick, is not necessarily the time to jump out of planes and visit Paris and climb mountains. Your precious few last moments are usually spent in a bed with tubes attached and machines sustaining you. You try to get your affairs in order and you try to spend what ever time you can with your loved ones while trying to ignore the inevitable death floating about your head. Then your loved ones are left lost, missing part of their own identity, struggling to maintain day to day, struggling to find out who they are without you.
I hear lots of people talk about what they would do if they had a day, a week, a year to live. I see less people living as if they knew their expiration date, taking advantage of life while it stills pulls strong in their veins. And I’m guilty of this far too much myself. How many times have I blown off a party or gathering because I had to work late or was so tired from work that I could barely keep my eyes open on the drive home. How many times have I let my boss make me feel pressured to have a “perfect” branch, that there’s no excuse to not to have a perfect branch (not possible by the way), and I stay ‘til 9 or 10 at night doing paperwork that I couldn’t do during the day because I was trying to be 3 different people. I barely remember what some of my friends look like anymore, I never get to see them.
Can one really live life to the fullest? Is it in our genetic code to be able to live each day, each week, each year as if it were our last? Are we so fearful of death that we think we will live forever, denying the inevitable and in that denial of death avoid life? Can we embrace simple joy in what ever we find? Can we live guilt-free and regretless?
Posted by Konnie Collins

Inspiration

Where do you get your inspiration?
My first full length novel was inspired by a dream, or rather a nightmare.

A few ideas I found when listening to Country music. I've found ideas from other novelists work.

One writer wrote about how he can find at least three ideas from just the front page of the paper. It's true. Check out the front page, see how many ideas jump into your writing brain.

As your working on your WIP do you have other stories and characters running around your brain? What do you do about that?

I have a hero running around in my head, and a title/line in the book. I'm not going to tell you...you'll just have to wait for the book. But he's just waiting there, waiting for his turn on the pages.

I need to keep writing, so I can get all these stories out. I love it!!!

Another e-book benefit...

Most people will agree that e-reading devices such as the Kindle and Sony 505 are somewhat cost prohibitive. Despite maintaining a four-book-a-week habit for years, I spent months debating whether it made sense to switch over to electronic purchases. Cost and comfort were huge factors that I had to consider.

It’s been just about a year since I became a Kindle junkie and I can honestly say I will never go back. For me it’s easier, more efficient, and cheaper. Here’s a secret many don’t realize. There are free e-books constantly being offered through publishers and through Amazon.

Two days ago I was scanning Amazon’s top rated Romance list and noticed a new release, According to Jane by Marilyn Brant. After reading the reviews I decided it sounded offbeat and quirky --- well suited to my Sunday afternoon mood. As I hit the download button on my Kindle I realized something else. It was free. Apparently, Kensington wanted to build buzz around this debut author so they decided to offer the electronic version free. Based on the reviews I think their strategy is working.

This story was everything the product description promised:

In Marilyn Brant's smart, wildly inventive debut, one woman in search of herself receives advice from the ultimate expert in matters of the heart. . .
It begins one day in sophomore English class, just as Ellie Barnett's teacher is assigning Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. From nowhere comes a quiet "tsk" of displeasure. The target: Sam Blaine, the cute bad boy who's teasing Ellie mercilessly, just as he has since kindergarten. Entirely unbidden, as Jane might say, the author's ghost has taken up residence in Ellie's mind, and seems determined to stay there.

Jane's wise and witty advice guides Ellie through the hell of adolescence and beyond, serving as the voice she trusts, usually far more than her own.

As soon as I reached the final chapter I realized the story gave me more than just a couple hours of relaxed amusement. It also gave me a needed boost of motivation to go back to my own neglected works-in-progress.

Reading

I have found myself reading more these days, to keep up with my involvmetn in various activities. This isn't necessariliy a bad thing, the problem I have found is some of my favorite authors have let me down as a writer and as a reader. Mostly those who have written series. As a writer I understand the enormous responsibility writing takes, and the adventures that an imagination creates, but one would think even with a series that new branches and adventures can still happen.
I was so excited to finally read that latest in the series several times this summer and fall only to find myself thinking... I wouldn't do that, where is the conflict, all i see is repetitive scenes and dialogue. So my question is where is the freshness to the books? Do these authors get locked into a time frame with logistics and forget about the excitement of the new work?
It is my hope one day to be published, and if I go down the series avenue, I hope my closest to me will raise their hand and say go outside the box, I've read this same concept three books ago, branch out. Because the last thing I would want is avid readers never picking up the book because the arc now appears to be... nonexistent. Or the secondary or lesser characters have more life than that of the main characters. Can you tell I have been highly disappointed? I guess you can say I didn't get my aahhhaa moment in three book series that I have read in the last two months and now I'm complaining. Sorry for the ranting.

Writing Weaknesses

We all have them. Problems that creep up in our prose time and time again. Critique groups find them even after we've read our work five times and saw nothing amiss. So I feel comfortable sharing mine, knowing full well I'm in good company.

1) Author interjection. Sometimes I lose my character's voice. It falls away and exposes the person behind the curtain. If you'll recall, the Great and Wonderful Oz fell victim to this fate. And now the reader knows it's not a teenager speaking at all, but the author: a middle-aged mom.

2) Using superfluous writing. I always have to go back through my writing and remove "that," "the," and "just," for example. Sometimes I make my point twice in the same sentence. (Okay, not sometimes. Always. Look, I did it again!)

3) "Telling" instead of "showing." Much of the time, I love the way I've worded something. But if it isn't helping to keep my pacing, or it ceases to keep my characters in motion, it's not working.

4) Repeating words. In one sentence I'll say "She passed the salt." In the next paragraph it might say, "She passed up the high fat rolls." Maybe several sentences later I'll write "...she said in passing." It's tough to notice these, to be sure. But when I do, I get out the Thesaurus!

There are more, but these are the problems that crop up for me on a regular basis. It's good to know your weaknesses. And even better to realize it's okay to have them.

Did i miss it again?

Crap. Did I miss the deadline again?
Sorry. this living life on life's terms is getting old.
Sometimes it feels like I should unplug one or more of the many irons I have in the current fire, but they're all so much fun--when they're in the mood--that it's hard to pick. Example: why is it so difficult to master the intricacies of child car seats. I, of course, go back to the stone age when children were transported on their mother's laps or in car beds in the back seat. Not safe in the least and total chaos ensued when those little devils decided they didn't want to stay in the car bed. But this shoulder/lap/waist plug in here, release there contraption is for the birds!
When a three year-old says, "Tighter, Nana", you know it's time to throw in the towel.
too bad these seats don't come equipped with mouth gags.
Tirade over, I am yours in everlasting writing of adventures--
Kat, the grumpy grandma

What's in a Name?

Ever have a great story all mapped out in your head, just to have your fingers freeze over the keyboard because you can’t come up with a name for your characters?
Names make our characters stand out from the crowd. Typically, I like strong sounding names for my heroines. Kate, Kelly, Caroline with the hard consonants, seems to give them an edge.
Wanting to give my latest heroine some vulnerability was a bit challenging. I want my heroine to be able to brush away a tear at a sad movie, but still be able to flip off the jerk who cut her off on the expressway. I want her to have imperfect teeth, but a perfect smile. And of course, she must possess a resilient heart so she survives pain before the inevitable happy ending.
I named her Jolene.

Little Progress on My WIP....

I think I’m suffering from computer anxiety. Sitting at the keyboard, checking email and surfing cool websites, can be a whole lot of fun. But at the end of the day I’m still stuck on page eighty-two of my work in progress. Hmmm….no surprise, right? Lately, as I flip from one industry site to another my brain starts free falling. How can I push my writing up a notch so that I can scale that next hurdle? What’s the secret because a whole slew of authors are making it happen? That’s the point where my fingers stop flying over the keyboard. My WIP stares back at me. The pressure to write something ‘good’ renders me incapable of writing anything at all. Warped? Absolutely. Common? Probably.

I doubt that there is a simple cure for this disease. Tomorrow I’m going to avoid interacting with my Dell. Maybe a little distance will bring about a reconciliation. My brain and my fingers might learn to work together again. If that fails me, I have a backup plan. The new fall schedule for television kicks in next week. I’m not a huge addict but sometimes a few episodes of NCIS or Castle (premiered last year on ABC) helps me nail down conflict and tension building.

What helps you when your writing hits a lull?

Oops.

Hi LCRW,
I thought my post was today, but it was yesterday. (Tuesday)
Sorry.

As you've written over the years, have you noticed it getting easier or harder? Have you developed techniques you didn't have in the beginning?
For example, I've found outlining to be invaluable. My first novel I didn't outline. I just wrote.
My second, about half and half.
My third, I have a complete outline and now I'm writing. However, I had a ton of scenes already written. I have about 5 incomplete novels and loads of ideas. I plan to finish all of them.
But this time, outlining was easier. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.
:)

I'm enjoying the writing. It'll be interesting to go back and read it and see if it sucks. :)
Really, its amazing how much time you can spend on writing and not get paid at all. Hoping it will pay off in the end, but knowing if it doesn't I'd still keep writing.

It's very late, and I'm writing this after work, so it's probably barely legible.
Sorry about the rambling...

Working Together

Of late, I've had the privilege to work with a number of LCRW members on two committees, as well as one to one.
Members are working together, and having some real fun while doing it, to pull off next year's conference, the first one we've had in a number of years [if count back to 2000 and before that]. We met in the middle of downtown, at a cafe on East Ave on a Friday night at 8PM. To some, this would be a scary undertaking: braving the streets of Rochester after dark, parking in a garage or open lot or on the street. It wasn't at all. And East Ave is BUSY on a Friday night. All sorts of funky cafes and shops and bars. No matter, we laughed the entire time!!
Another committee is working on the contest, not a new endeavor for us, but certainly a new format, and hopefully, a new customer base. This has been enjoyable for a number of reasons, getting to know one another and learning new skills [creating camera ready ads anyone? How about studying local colleges to determine if they offer creative or fiction writing courses?] in a number of areas.
Lastly, one by one, LCRW members are spreading the word about our doings which have generated offers for corporate sponsorship for the Andersen conference.

What a joy that is.
Thanks
Kat

Time and Time

Well, school has started this week and I am finding I have more time, but it is quickly filling up with activities I didn't previously have. Lately, the last two weeks, I have been writing for the Examiner and someone asked how do you have the time.

I don't know. Somehow, I have managed to write the articles I need, the writing I need to do and still get to the miscellaneous things done I never knew I had.

If someone would have asked me about my writing schedule a month ago, the answer would have been I don't have time to write. Now, I have to make time. In that lies the difference, I wasn't making myself accountable for my time and now I am and am finding I am more productive with the same amount of time I had when I didn't have time. So as you can see, make yourself accountable, make time work for you and just write. The more you write, the more you write.

Agents

For those who don't already know, I finally signed with a literary agent. Yay! I'm quite proud of myself, since I've been trying for over two years now.

Here is what I've learned along the way for those of you pursuing representation or considering it.

1) The query letter must be perfect. I revised my letter quite a few times before I began to get manuscript requests. Summing up a plot in one tiny paragraph is difficult. There are even classes you can take for this, it's such a difficult feat to master.

2) Do not sit on your hands and wait after an agent has requested your manuscript. You will be waiting a long time for a possible rejection. Unless the agent requests an exclusive (and never give them more than 30 days), continue to submit your query to other agents. I wasted a lot of time waiting around for responses.

3) If an agent requests your manuscript, let them know you are open to revisions (unless, of course, you aren't). This might make or break your chance if they like your writing but feel the plot needs tweaking.

4) If another agent is interested in representing you, let the other agents who have your manuscript know about this. They will get back to you even sooner on your work, at which time they may also request to represent you. You will then have your choice of who you feel is the best fit. (This is what happened to me.) Don't automatically go with the first agent who says yes until you've explored all other options. Let them know you need a week to let them know, check references, etc.

5) Do not give up. I sent my manuscript to 35 agents over a span of two years.

I will be happy to answer any other questions pertaining to agents if anyone likes. I did a lot of research on it, and of course, experience was my best learning tool. Having an agent does not guarantee that I will have my novel published, but it does help my confidence level. And it gives me a better chance of getting in with a great publishing house.

School Starts Tomorrow!!!!

It started today for my husband. Tomorrow my baby starts second grade.

This has been a rough summer. With barely a moment to myself, I've looked forward to school starting with a desperation that surprises me.

My laptop crashed (again), after I'd gotten it all organized and working (again.)

BUT...even though it all made me feel like giving up, I forced myself to keep writing, editing, thinking and planning. I finished novel #2, and finished editing it too. (For now.)
I am in the process of outlining my new WIP called Second Sight.

I plan to get down to the business of looking for an agent now that I may have an hour or two to myself.

Got a new laptop, so far so good.
Went to Toronto, saw the Yankees win...
I'm looking forward to some real uninterrupted time to do what I love.
Create.

I know this isn't a very exciting blog...next time I'm going to write about querying. (I think.) :)

Thanks all,
Christine

Labor Day

Labor Day is traditionally a day to celebrate the struggles and accomplishments of organized labor. While I don’t belong to any union, I do belong to LCRW.
LCRW is a union of sorts, writers joining to hone their craft, promote their works, and lend support. Personally, I can attest to the fact that I’ve become a better writer through my association.
The support and encouragement permeating from the group is immeasurable. The genres may be different, but as writers we all share a bond. Non-writers just don’t get it. They can’t feel the sting of rejection or understand the euphoria of a by-line.
At every meeting, one can feel momentum building, new ideas, projects, and goals, all moving forward and expanding. It’s hard not to get caught up in the excitement with contests and conferences on the horizon.
So, I’ll take Labor Day opportunity to say ‘Thank you’ to LCRW and all the members, past, present, and future for making it such a wonderful organinztion.

It's all new to me

Unscheduled blog from the Adks. How come none of you published authors ever told me not to use words ending in 'ly'? And let's have an in-depth exercise with real examples of showing, not telling. It's bad enough when my MS says 'she looked at him and felt weak' but I have to learn how to say something like "Her knees shook. She sank into a chair, but the living, breathing Greek god across the room sauntered out the door before she absorbed him, took in his flashing black eyes, his blatant sexuality." Or something to that effect. It's a major pain to revise. Can't use the words was, felt, started to, sensed, etc. Ad Infinitum. Yadda, yadda. Who knew? A work that spans years of effort must be re-worded page by page. I'm too old for this; I may die before I finish!

My New Toy

Next time around, I'll think twice before signing up to blog on the last day of one month, then the second day of the one to follow. Coming up with something brilliant two days out of three is not as easy as it might seem.

Okay, here's one: I have a new toy. It's a combined birthday and Christmas gift from my husband. We believe in "gifting" each other at various times of the year not near our birthdays [November] or Christmas.

With the assistance of our son-in-law, a prodigious on-line shopper and computer guru, John bought me an ASUS notepad. It arrived late Monday afternoon; I was able to input most of the settings on Tuesday. All By Myself you should know.
It's amazing what a person can do when they follow instructions.
Too bad living life on life's terms doesn't come with a textbook.

This puppy has great possibilities. It is light in weight, smaller than teh usual laptop. The keyboard is larger than the usual ACER/ASUS--10.1 inches, so my fat fingers don't get in the way.

The Andersen Committee is considering purchasing one for a raffle item at next year's conference, complete with a tote bag filled with writers stuff. We are psyched!!!
Peace,
Kat

Juggling time and space

Today marks my first day back to work, taking care of two of my grandchildren, ages 3 and 1.
Up at 5:30 AM; convincing a 3 year old it's time to wake up; keeping the one year old from emptying the cupboards which don't have child-proof locks, and attempting to ignore the space cadet dawg who barks at all creatures real and imaginary.

Midst this all, due to a very vivid dream I experienced through the night, I outlined a new rosette length [25,000 words] story which will be part of an anthology for the Last Rose of Summer line for Wild Rose Press.

I count the hours until 3:30 PM when one of the adults comes home to relieve me of duty.
Peace
Kat

New Blog Created

While attempting to prepare photos of the bags and totes I make for my website, I had one of those 'well, duh' moments.
Why not simplify matters and add the pictures to a blog.
Took a couple hours, but now I have something to be proud of and which I can alter within seconds, and all by myself.
How cool is that.
here it is: www.KatsKustomKarryAlls.blogspot.com
If you have a moment, hop on board and check it out!!
Kat

Are We Dumbing Down Our Writing?

by Rick Taubold

From time to time I hear this comment that today's writers and writing has gotten away from the gorgeous prose of decades--and centuries--past.

My wife is reading a set of novels by Howard Fast from the 1980s and she's periodically asking me what certain words mean far more often than usual. She's enjoying the novels very much and has expressed the opinion that today's writing is less complex than writing used to be.

Have today's authors dumbed down their writing to make it more comprehensible, hence more salable.

Are today's authors simply less competent in their vocabulary than their predecessors?

Writing styles change over the years. Contemporary writing tends to reflect the contemporary society, regardless of the period the writing depicts. If Charles Dickens or Mark Twain were writing today, would they be writing in the same style as they did in their times?

Likewise, our vocabulary has shifted. Words common in past decades are less used today. Does this mean readers are less literate? In our current society, new words arise daily and supplant older ones. In addition, our vocabulary has undergone some drastic shifts as new technical terms arise.

Should we lament once-common words falling out of use or being replaced? When someone is totally amazed by something, we'll say he was astounded or dumfounded. But when was the last time you heard the word "flummoxed" used? Or how about "expurgated?" We can say that, "Most children read an expurgated or bowdlerized version of Grimms' Fairy Tales." We're more like to say, however, that they read a censored or sanitized (or even "politically correct") version.

I love seeing those big, twenty-five cent words tossed and sprinkled into prose. The problem is that doing so in a contemporary novel with contemporary characters will make it sound out of place. We might love Shakespeare's colorful vocabulary, but forcing modern characters to use it is a questionable act unless the story requires it.

English is a growing--not a shrinking--language. Vocabulary is shifting, not always being lost. Slang is on the rise. Old words are being given new meanings. I love "ghetto" as an adjective. "It's ghetto" means something is run-down, broken-down, beat-up, decrepit, derelict. Would a teen today use any of these words? Well, it would depend on his or her background. As a writer, I have to consider how my CHARACTERS would say it, not how I might want to say it.

I don't think we've dumbed down our writing any more than I believe modern authors are necessarily less competent in their vocabulary than their predecessors were. Have I read authors whom I considered less competent in their vocabulary skills? Have I read some authors who seem to have simplified their vocabulary on purpose? Yes, to both. Do I think it's a pervasive problem in modern writing? Not at all.