Keeping up with the responsibilities of life...

Hello fellow writers,

My thoughts today are about time management. I work full time, take care of my daughter (and husband at times), write, read for Wild Rose Press, and finally there's housework. Notice that's LAST on the list.

It's hard, there are days when I am on a roll writing and want to do it all day. Family outings. Then there's the cleaning binges. Deadlines for reading. The only thing I can't change is my work schedule.

I wish there was a tried and true method to manage my time.

Two hours here, two hours there...and everything gets done. Not possible.

I guess it's like everything else, all in moderation. I can't stop working, I can't and don't want to take time away from my family, and I guess I have to keep the house livable since I can't afford a housekeeper.

At this point in my life if I can write 2-3 hours a day. That's AWESOME! I'll take what I can get. And maybe save some dusting for later.

Kind Words From a Stranger

As a reader I've often wondered what was the most difficult part of writing a book. Some authors say the first line. Some say the saggy middle. While others struggle with creating a satisfying ending. Although none of those things were easy for me when I sat down to write my first two manuscripts, they were far less stressful than what was to follow.

It wasn't until my first two novels were contracted, edited and released that I experienced true anxiety. Feedback. The truth is I would like everyone that purchases a book with my name on it to have a pleasant reading experience. Sadly, this simply isn't possible. As a voracious reader I've picked up books that I've adored and some that have landed with a thud against my living room wall.

This brings me to the point of my post. Sometimes an unexpected kindness gives you a boost when you need it most. Tuesday I received a lovely email from the founder of a well known review site. It seems that she stumbled upon both of my books and in her words 'loved them'. In fact she wanted to know about future stories and whether any secondary characters would now have their own book.

Now, I'm pretty sure this individual had no idea how much I genuinely appreciated her thoughtfulness. See, I'm not really at a point where I consider myself an author. Maybe that comes with time and far greater experience. But yesterday I felt like I moved one step closer to the real deal. More than anything it's given me one more thing that I can hold close to my heart when I encounter the crush of future rejection. In an industry of ups and downs --- a few small words go a long way!

Finished yet?

When is the manuscript done? It seems like a never ending process. I am close to finishing the first draft of the novel I'm currently working on. I plan to go through editing checklists, read it aloud, bring it to my critique group, give it to readers. Spellcheck. Etc.

There is always more to check, change or fix.

When is it done?

For prolific authors who write books every year or every six months, who have contracts, they must have a time when they say, okay this is it. Stop.

Does it help to have a deadline?

Writing is probably their full time job and they are probably assigned editors who check & recheck their work. Still...sometimes it's got to be hard to let go.

I feel like the more I write, the more I learn. That can either help or hinder me. I remember during the time I was writing my first manuscript I learned about POV. I had to go through and check all my scenes. Many of them included head-hopping.
Another time, I learned about dialog tags, same thing.

But then there's the times when I'm afraid to use a word that's perfect in a sentence because it ends in ly.

Can you edit to death?

I think so. Your story needs YOUR voice. Grammar is one thing, but keep your voice.

And after awhile youhave to let it go. Send it out.

Then, when your manuscript is picked up, let the experts tell you what to fix.
And start a new one.

Finding a market

If you are a fiction or poetry writer, where do you go to find the perfect publication for your work? Writer’s Market (http://writersmarket.com/) is the touch stone of information. They have a treasure trove of information and have over 6,000 market listings and contact names. At $5.99 per month or $39.99 a year, they are a resource every writer should know about.

However, I would like to introduce you to a free site that I have used to find a publisher for my last two short stories. Duotrope’s Digest (http://www.duotrope.com/index.aspx) has over 2425 fiction and poetry listings. The main search criteria include: Genre, Theme, length, Pay scale, and Media. They, also, have a submission tracker – and we all know that can be priceless.

When you go to the Details page, you are treated to a plethora of information to narrow your search. If you want more, there is a link directly to the website of the publication.

They even have a listing of the most slothful publications (http://www.duotrope.com/rtstats.aspx?pubtype=S&report=Top25) (that steered me away from Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine), the quickest, the publications that accept the fewest submissions.

All-in-all, I love this site and recommend that you, at the least, give it a look when searching for a publisher.

Fiction Writers

How does a writer learn to write fiction? Does it start with a captivating children's story read to you by your mother? How about when you get hooked on Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys (yes, I admit I'm dated), or maybe something a bit more adult - Shakespeare, Dostoyevsky, Salinger, Dickens, Poe? Does it start in high school English class?

If your're like me, you were assigned numerous essays and reports, term papers, theses and such during your school years. You may have been required to write fiction pieces in a creative writing class or as part of a special project in your history class. But if you enjoyed the writing assignments, sooner later you found yourself writing for pleasure - even if you were the only person who actually read the material.

My first literary piece was a mystery entitled "The Mystery of the Lost Skull," which I presented to my startled parents when I was nine. I think my mother still has it tucked away with her high school yearbooks, the petrified corsage from her weekend at Harvard, and my sister's first baseball mitt. (I come from a long line of pack rats). I'm descended from a prolific writer of fiction, too, but he died in 1932 so I can't pick his brain to help me hone my writing skills. Hope some of his talent rubbed off on me.

Being an avid reader is helpful if you're an aspiring writer. But the question is: how do those terrific writers do it? How do they grab you? How do they scare you and keep you awake at night or make you cry over obstacles keeping the lovers apart? I want to do that! I want to be Nora Roberts or James Patterson or Stephen King or Anne Rice, or maybe Jane Austen. So I repeat: how does a writer learn to write [good] fiction?

My guess is - just write, write your heart out. Read authors whose stories captivate you and try to mimic their style, their formats. Take every class or presentation you can fit in your schedule. Write some more. Have your attempts critiqued. Revise, Revise, Revise. Absorb critical comments and put recommendations to work. Submit to contests and 'friendly' publishers. WRITE. ENJOY!

What book is on your nightstand?

This has been a roller coaster of a month, at first I had a vision malfunction then as the vision slowly returned I had a problem ...I couldn't read print. E-print worked well for me and I enjoyed it, but it wasn't like having a book in my hands. As most of you know at the LCRW meetings there is a basket raffle, which includes a gorgeous basket with goodies and most important books. Proud to say I won this month's basket and how happy I am with the books.
During the workshop Kat talked about Characters and she used JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood Series as an example, and to my great surprise, Dark Lover, the first of the series was in the basket. Also, Rita, a member pointed out it was an awlsome book. Well, I'm sure you see the way this is going, of course that was the first book I read.

Then the inner book whore erupted from me, and between the library and Borders, I have read six out of the seven in the series. The reading frenzy only completely consumed me, up til 1:00 in the morning until I had to force myself to put the book down. My husband nightly saying for the last week as been, "That can't be another one." I plan on getting the Lover Avenged, the newest release for my nightstand, if it makes it there for longer than a night, then I will be happily sedated.

The series is well written, it's a whole new world that makes you want to know more. JR Ward does a wonderful job with the male voice, and her scenes are hot, steamy and fierce. Not only did the book captivated me, but it opened up a whole new aspect to my thought processes on Characterization and Plot. I found myself having AH HA moments. Realizing mistakes I have made in my own work and Ideas of new work to be done. I am a firm believer that reading only makes you a stronger writer, so now with my vision back and my thoughts surging. I must ask each of you... What's on your nightstand? Is it gripping, motivating, relaxing or just bring out your inner book whore?

My blog didn't post

Today was my day to post on the LCRW blog.
And I did--early this morning--with a wailing 8 month-old on my lap.
I wrote up this nice little dealy on hobbies.
Edited it.
Rearranged a few sentences.
Rewrote a few more.
Spell checked it.

And I hit the wrong button.
If you want to see a shortened version of what I really wanted to write [Owen had escalated into the screams only a teething baby can make], check out comments to my empty box.
Peace,
kat

Hilda and Chuck

I remember Hilda and Chuck! They lived behind our house in Leesburg, Florida. I always thought they did a lot of flitting around, and they tweeted and twittered way before I ever heard of such behavior. That Hilda - every day her new brood of little ones sat there in the nest with their beaks wide open, but she seemed to spend a lot of time gazing at that nighthawk who showed up at dawn. Tsk! Tsk!

Where It All Began

Where it all began . . .
Thirty-some odd years before I put pen to paper, there was Chuck and Hilda,
As a young cosmetology student, I was required to engage the client in conversation. After an awkward attempt at the weather, I turned her attention to the window. Two brown sparrows were hopping about on the second story ledge overlooking Main Street, Bradford, PA.
"That's Chuck and Hilda. They've moved up from Florida and are setting up housekeeping."
In the mirror eyes rolled as I wrapped hair around plastic curlers, but nonetheless, I continued. "Chuck stayed out late last night. Listen to Hilda squawk at him."
Thirty minutes later, returning from the hair dryer, my client asked, "So where was Chuck last night?"
"At that new bird feeder," I told her. "A lot of red-breasted robins hang out there," I lowered my voice. "If you know what I mean."
The chronicles of Chuck and Hilda continued. Like any couple, they had their ups and downs. They raised their babies and moved back south. My clients would come weekly to have their hair styled and to hear the latest saga of Chuck and Hilda. Just tales of normal life, but it made the ladies forget their own troubles for a little while.
Thirty-some years later, I'm writing stories about life and love. Who knew?