SATURDAY CHECK-IN/NANO UPDATE

Current Project: None
Status: Thinking

It's official, I am out of work, unemployed, and wondering what comes next. This is always an odd time for me. Half my brain is whispering, "Relax, enjoy being blank. You're like a field where corn is grown year after year. You have to add some soil restoritives or rotate the crops. Lie farrow for awhile, stay open for the next seed that blows into your consciousness and sends down roots." The other half of my brain is saying, "You'll never write again. It's over." Have you ever noticed how bipolar writers are?

How about you? How goes Nano or your own personal goals?

YOUR OPINION, PLEASE, ON THE LATEST PUBLISHING NEWS

Posted by: Genene Valleau

Current Project: Nine-book series
Status: Developing nicely!

My sincere apologies for this late blog post and I will also apologize if it seems rambling. Both of my older doggies are going through some tough times right now and my sleep has been sporadic at best. 

However, I have a ready topic thanks to Harlequin's announcement that it is establishing a vanity publishing arm and RWA's decision to remove Harlequin from its list of eligible publishers.

Many of the loops I am on are jumping with opinions on this topic. If you'd like to share your thoughts about this please, as always on our loop, be respectful of the feelings and opinions of others. 

I'm going to toss out some thoughts that I haven't seen expressed (but I haven't read the loops yet today). I'm sure there will be more news about this in the days to come.

THESE ARE MY THOUGHTS ONLY and don't reflect the any stance the chapter may wish to take. I've tried to keep these as thoughts only and not make a judgment on what's right or wrong or somewhere in between. Here we go:

For decades, RWA has done an excellent job of teaching people how to write as well as inspiring those same people to follow their dream of being published. 

Yet the number of RWA members has long exceeded the number of romance books published per year. 

So if only one out of every five or ten (or whatever the number is) RWA members become published by a traditional print publisher, what happens to the dreams of those writers who aren't yet published? 

Sure, some of their work isn't up to the standard we'd like to think all published books should be. Though we've probably all read or tried to read published books while wondering how in the world it ever got published.

I think we all know writers whose work is excellent and they haven't been published. 

Electronic book companies have filled the desire to be published for many authors. Stories that don't fit the mold of print publishers have found a happy home as e-books. Yes, early e-books got a reputation of not being "as good" as printed books. However, I think their quality has steadily improved--as has their market share. 

Of course, print publishers have noticed that market share of e-books, especially as they have experienced losses for many months (or years?). How are they going to stay in business? Perhaps by tapping into e-books and, ohbytheway, have you seen what vanity publishers are doing? People are actually paying to have their books printed. For a business whose priority is making money, I can see where this would be quite a temptation. 

If a print publisher goes out of business, where would all their established authors find a home for their stories?

I'm going to stop there as I need to dash off for a couple hours. I'm looking forward to reading your thoughts when I return.

PRINCESS FOR A DAY

Current Project: PRINCESS BOOK
Status: page 0

Today I would like to ask for your help. I'm in the beginning plotting phase for a book about a heroine who becomes a princess for a few days. As I write RS, it won't turn out to be the best day in the world to make this change and mayhem will ensue.

Do you have a fantasy about royalty? If your fairy godmother showed up while you were asleep and transformed you into a princess of a medium sized realm and you could do nothing but go along with it, what would you want to do? Would it involve the jewels, the luxury, the palace, the people, power, what? What would be the first thing you would do when you got out of your impossibly feathery/downy/silky bed and stood in the middle of your 2000 square foot bedroom with your very own servants hovering nearby, anxious to meet your every desire? I'm talking fantasy, and remember, you don't have a choice about being in this position and no, you can't go effect world peace and I'm pretty sure you can't buy Gerald Butler.

I can't wait to see what you come up with. I'm going to put mine down later so I don't step on anyone's toes. Think like a princess! Think big! (Help me out....)

Tantrums

Current Project: Untitled RS
Status: Plodding along

I don't know if it is a lack of respect or simply a lack of industry education that makes an aspiring author strike out at others in publishing. Last week on the BookEnds blog, Jessica wrote about an email that had been sent to hundreds of publishing professionals. I read her blog with my jaw on the floor, and I imagine she looked the same way when she first read the email. And then laughed. The letter ranted against agents, editors, and authors.

Yes, this is a hard industry. Hard to get in, hard to stay in, and hard to be successful. But why lash out at the people who can help? Publishing needs gatekeepers (agents, editors) to filter out the crap. Does good work get skipped over sometimes? Yes. But if it is truly good, I firmly believe it will be recognized. A writer needs to simply find the right gatekeeper while improving their craft.

The letter was anonymous and made me wonder what the writer had experienced. Had she been querying for years and developed a folder with a hundred rejections? Had she written a dozen manuscripts only to find no one wants them? Or had she written one, queried a few agents, and gone into shock at the rejection. (I strongly suspect the last.) Whatever her experience, it pushed her off some sort of ledge.

My favorite bit was about how it is a crime for hard working people to spend years writing a manuscript only to get it rejected. I'm trying to image a world where every manuscript is published. With the internet anything can be published in some form, but imagine all those manuscipts with covers in a book store. I cringe to imagine my early work where people can see it. I was proud of it at the time; I'd finished a book. But did that mean I had the right to demand someone pay to publish it?

I believe this person will never succeed in the business. She may feel better after her rant, but it won't change the rules. I have an image of this writer crossing her arms and stamping her feet as she scowls at Stephenie Meyer or JK Rowling. That's not going to help. Here's the formula I think will help: Buckle down, study the industry, ask for help, show respect for professionals, and grow a thick skin. A little prayer might help, too.

Keeping it anonymous, has anyone met an aspiring writer or published author like this? And what would you add to my formula?

Constructing scenes

Current Project: Derby book
Status: First draft

I have a question for you all - how do you come up with your scenes? Do you plot major points of the book and brainstorm what it takes to get you there? Do you write a scene at a time and think to yourself, how would my character react, then write the next scene off of that reaction?

I used to be a full-fledged plotter. I would brainstorm the major points of the book, then come up with the scenes to take me to that point. I've talked about it some here already, but that clearly hasn't been working for me. The plot only takes me so far, then I realize my characters fall flat because I didn't develop them enough.

So now I've made a point of focusing on characters. I'm not forgetting the plot by any means, I know the main points and where I want it to go, just not scene by scene. I thought I'd try allowing my characters and their actions and reactions to take me from scene to scene.

That's tough!

I'm having a heck of a time coming up with scene ideas. The amazing and wonderful Eli helped me brainstorm some plotting things late last week that has helped make the conflict stronger and more interesting throughout the book. I've been able to think of scenes for the next couple of chapters so I'm working on writing those, then I'll see what I can come up with next. But I could really use your ideas on how you come up with your scenes. Do you ask yourself a certain question? Post an issue? Or they just come to you?

Thanks for the tips! On an unrelated note, I'm trying to pick a roller derby name. I made a poll - if you have an opinion on any of them (or ideas for another one), I'd love your vote! I tried to think of a spoof on a famous romance author that the general public would know, like Nora Roberts, but couldn't think of anything. If you have other ideas, please leave them in the comments! Grazie!

SATURDAY CHECK-IN/NANO UPDATE

Current Project:The Baby's Bodyguard
Status: cutting, revising, trying to find a resolution I like...

Another week has flown by. The book should have left the house yesterday, but alas, it did not. My editor graciously said I could send it Monday which means it's crunch time. I spent most of yesterday working on a final read through and cutting extravaganza. About half done with that, so second half today, then it's time to wrap her up.

And then will come the plot another book phase, but hopefully, also some goof off time and some of that better include a little house cleaning because it's hard lately to find the house under all the clutter and dirt. The dh does an admirable job covering for me, but he's more an "event" cleaner (aren't most men?) Please tell me why our houses are not made out of cement with giant drains in the middle of every slightly sloping floor and a fire hose in every room.

So, how are you doing on your goals?

The Low Down Gritty Truth

Current Project: Entwined
Status: 80,000+ words

We've talked about process several times. Plotting vs. panstering, character sheets vs. mulling things over in our heads. The act of writing is similar for each of us, regardless of the steps we take along the way. The only way to write a book is to sit at the computer and type. Or sit at a desk and hand write. Put words on paper. One page after another. That's the goal. That's what has to be done to get to 'The End'. But what about the mental game? Is that the same for me and you? Is it different if you're published or unpublished? When you're on deadline and when you're not? When you write for a NY pub or an epub? If you write novellas vs. novel length books? If you write category vs. single title?

My guess is no. But I'm curious to see if I'm right. A few years ago (three to be exact), I wrote out my mental process and posted it on my blog. Then I was unpublished and not working on deadline. Now I am. It was fun to look at what I wrote then and see how/if it has changed. To my surprise, not a whole lot has changed. My mental process when I'm writing a book is pretty much the same. The difference now - when I'm under deadline - is it's amplified. A lot.

ELISABETH'S MANUSCRIPT STAGES
Stage One - The Proposal
Chapter One - My shiny new idea isn't quite so shiny anymore. I forgot how much I hate writing first chapters. Hook? Hook? Gah! I hate hooks. I'm clearly hook-illiterate.
Chapter Two - Okay, maybe this isn't quite so bad. New POV, the setting works, I'm getting into the story. And wow, I sorta like my characters. Gonna have to go back and make some changes in chapter one, but I think this just might fly.
Chapter Three - Zip, zip, zip through the first three chapters. My agent is going to love this.
Synopsis - Pause to work on suckopsis. Pull hair out by the roots. Whine and complain on IM to anyone who happens to be online. Finally get it done and badda-bing...send away.
Wait - And Wait. And Wait. At this point I should be used to waiting. But you know what? Not so much.

Stage Two - The Reality
Chapter Four - Okay, now what? It sold? Oh, boy. Now I have to write it. The idea made sense in the synopsis. But that was months ago. I haven't looked at this thing since my agent sent it off. Oy. I think I'm in trouble here...
Chapter Five - Getting into the groove. I actually like this. This story might just work. Sure, characters are angsty, but they're fun.
Chapter Six - I am the best writer on the planet! This is going to be a NY Times Best Seller! Maybe I should take a break and think about writing my RITA speech.

Stage Three - The Middle
Chapter Seven - (Right around the 125 pg mark). OMG. What was I thinking?! This is the most contrived piece of drivel that was ever written! I'll have to PAY people to read it. And melodramatic? Argh. Sounds like a bad version of Days Of Our Lives. I'll probably get sued.
Chapter Eight - I'm too far in to give up. I will not give up. I will NOT! I have a contract. People are counting on me. Push through, push through, just keep pushing...
Chapters Nine through Eleven - Okay, if nothing else, I like my characters. I don't have a clue where the plot is going, but the characters are strong. That's something at least.
Chapter Twelve - The hero's getting on my nerves. He needs sex. At this point though I have NO idea where I'm going to fit that in. But seriously? If he doesn't quit pestering me I'm going to slit my wrists.
Chapter Thirteen - Oh, crap. I've passed the halfway mark and I STILL have all these plot points to get through. I'm going over my target word count, there's no way I'll get all this in here in 100K words. No way. I'm doomed.
Chapter Fourteen - Need chocolate. Must. Have. Chocolate. These two are driving me nuts. My editor isn't going to give a rip about these two. And the plot? Holy Crapoli. How will I ever tie this all together?
Chapter Fifteen - Building. Slowly. But still so much to get through. *big sigh* Okay, refocus. Time to get serious. I can do this. Really, I can. I might lose all my eyebrows in the process, but I can do this.

Part Four - The Beginning of the End
Chapter Sixteen - Tension, angst, black moment foreshadowing (and that's mostly for me, not the book)
Chapter Seventeen - Here it comes. Climax build up. Black Moment. Yes, hero, I know you hate me. Hang on with me. I won't leave you out to dry, I promise.
Chapter Eighteen - BAM. Black Moment. UGH. I'm emotionally drained. I need coffee. Or chocolate. Or coconut cream pie. Mmm...wonder if Shari's is still open...
Chapter Nineteen - Climax. My shoulders are tight. I feel like crawling out of my skin. Maybe I should kill someone just for the fun of it to ease all this stress?
Chapter Twenty - Resolution. Wrap up all the loose ends. Surprisingly, I did it! Kissy-face moment. Slobber, slobber, pant, drool all over each other. Man, I write pure sap. But it's not half-bad sap. ;)

Type T-H-E E-N-D.

Reeeeeeeeeeelief. I should get a medal or something. Too bad no one in the house will care that I finally finished. Wonder if there's champagne somewhere...

Hit "send".

Stare at blinking cursor.

Feel something funny. What is that? Oh yeah. I recognize that flutter in my belly. It's angst. Not over writing the book but over the fact I finished. Was the book crap or was it really good? Now I'm just not sure! And I have to wait to hear from my editor to find out the answer. (There go the eyebrows for sure...)

*smacks hand against forehead* Why do I do this again?

*sigh*

On to the next proposal...

***
How about you? What are the steps you go through when you sit down to start "Chapter One". Share your process!

And before I forget...this is for our dear friend, Alice:


(You gotta change that last word to "Alice")

Happy Birthday, Alice!!!