Happy Christmas!

I can't believe it's Christmas already! And that means the new year is just a week away. How does that happen?

This has been a year of ups and downs for me. The biggest "up" that came my way, of course, was finaling in RWA^®'s Golden Heart in the Novel With Strong Romantic Elements (NSRE) category. I can't tell you how big a boost that was to my confidence. I didn't win, but that didn't matter. Being a finalist is winning.

The biggest "down" of the year was realizing that the manuscript I finaled with just wasn't ready. I've been working on it since the National Conference, fixing the things that are wrong with it and strengthening the writing overall. I haven't sent it yet to the Agents and Editors who requested it at the Conference (I'm still working on it), but I hope to have it ready by the end of January. Whew!

Another "down" for me was hearing that RWA has eliminated my category (NSRE) from this year's Golden Heart. I've always felt like I was on the fringes of romance writing — I don't write Romance, but I always have a strong romantic subplot — but this felt like I was being pushed away with a big ol' NOT WELCOME HERE sign in my face. RWA is a great organization and they have to do what they think is best, especially from a legal standpoint, but I feel like they're picking nits, so to speak.

Amongst all of this, our RWA Chapter had The Discussion and decided the time had come to dissolve as an official Chapter of RWA. It wasn't easy to contemplate, but the economy and the changes announced by RWA National (or perhaps I should say the "clarifications" to existing rules) pretty much guaranteed the outcome. So, as of January 1st, we will not be affiliated with Romance Writers of America.

Enough with the gloom! Another huge "up" for me was finding a compatible critique partner in Meggan McQuaid. I've always been leery of critiquing, being both unsure about my own critique abilities and about finding someone I trust with my writing. Meeting Meggan and working with her on critiquing in a group, then gradually starting to read more of each other's writing, has been amazing. Not only do we write (and read) in similar genres (essentially romantic fantasy of various subgenres), but our craft is at a similar level. Having her as a critique partner in the last couple of months has been the catalyst for taking my writing to the next level — and I believe she'd say the same.

It would be easy to be a bit bitter about the dissolution of the Chapter (mentioned above), but actually, I'm viewing it as a positive thing. The members are staying together as an informal writing group NOT officially associated with RWA. There's a sense of freedom now that we won't be governed by RWA's bylaws. We're contacting old members — those who had let their membership lapse — to see if they'd like to rejoin us. And we're revamping this blog and the website to reflect the changes we're making. Look for the big reveal at the first of the year.

I hadn't intended to do a retrospective on my year when I started this post, but I guess it's been on my mind. :-)

How about you — how was your year? Are you looking forward to anything special next year?

Happy Holidays!

Deborah Wright
Website: www.Deborah-Wright.com
Twitter: @DeborahBWright
Facebook: Deborah.Wright.Author

 

Dealing With Holiday Stress

Current Project: Plotting Stage
Status: Just about ready to start writing!

I hope everyone has been having a wonderful holiday season. This time of year is a distraction in itself, isn't it? So many things to do: decorating, shopping, parties, special dinners, and more. And so much external pressure to do more, buy more, be perfect. It's no wonder so many people feel so stressed at the end of the year.

There are myriad ways to cope with the stresses and distractions of the holidays, but only one way that's right for you. I can only tell you how I cope. I used to spend hours in the shops looking for that perfect gift for family and friends. Then I began working in High Tech and with each promotion/change of job, my work life became more and more stressful and time consuming. Where I used to look forward to Christmas shopping, the idea of spending hours of my precious time outside work wandering around stores now depressed me. Getting into the holiday spirit became more difficult with each passing year.

A few years ago I decided I'd had enough. Mr. W was just as stressed as I was and, really, there was no reason for it. We don't have little kids to shop for (and I know that makes a huge difference, believe me) and we certainly had more than enough stuff ourselves--and so did our extended families. What was the point of all the shopping or thinking everything had to be perfect? We made a pact that we'd only exchange a small gift or two and that we'd limit the family shopping to gift cards or the occasional special item (but only if we happened to see something--we wouldn't go out on shopping excursions). It's amazing how little stress I feel now at Christmas.

The same thing goes for decorating. Some years I feel like putting up a lot of decorations, other years...not so much. I think last year all I put up was the porcelain tea light nativity. This year? We had a sleigh and reindeer on our front lawn, a wreath on our door, a small fake tree in a pot (the cats ignore it, where they'd feel compelled to climb a real one) and my Dicken's Village scene on the coffee table. Oh, and the nativity, of course. The house felt very festive without a lot of fuss.

And then there's New Year's Eve. Many years ago we also decided to stop accepting invitations to New Year's Eve parties, because we never ended up going--and then we just feel bad. We both hate driving on New Year's Eve--too many amateurs on the road--and the weather is invariably crappy. We much prefer celebrating together in our cozy home with our choice of champagne and hors d'oeuvres and watching our choice of entertainment (The choice this year? Top Gear (UK)!). It isn't that we're anti-social, we're just happier not dealing with the hassle on this particular night. If the night is clear, we have fun going out on our front porch and counting the number of fireworks displays we can see. The record count was last year -- it was so clear, we saw 9 different displays (I claimed 11, but Mr. W didn't see the other two)!

Obviously, I'm not saying that this is the way everyone should approach the holidays. It's just what works for me. Do I miss all the fuss? Honestly? Not really. We still watch Christmas movies and have a nice dinner, usually a steak of some kind. And we exchange our small gifts, because it's still fun to open a present on Christmas morning. Maybe it's just a change in my attitude, when it comes right down to it. I don't believe everything has to be perfect at Christmas. After all, some of my best memories are of things that didn't quite go as planned.

What are your strategies for dealing with the stresses of the holiday season? Do you pull out all the stops and love it? Or do you prefer a simpler holiday--or maybe something in between?

Deborah Wright
www.Deborah-Wright.com
Twitter: @DeborahBWright

Sights and sounds of Christmas

Current Project:Bridled Heart
Status:revisions

I'm looking forward to being with our daughters and their families on Christmas day. And the best part we will all be at my oldest daughter's house so I only have to take time this week to make the goodies we'll take. The presents are wrapped, and she'll have to clean her house! LOL

I'm going to piggy back off of Alice's Saturday Checkin post.

What scent, sound, tactile, and taste do you associate with Christmas?

For me it's the tang of evergreen when you drag the tree in the house and it brushes the doorway, furniture, and drops needles on the floor that get stomped on and crushed, making the scent even more vibrant. The sound of ripping gift wrap, squeals and shouts of the kids as they unwrap gifts they've been dreaming of since November. The weight and solidness of my grandmother's rolling pin as I roll out the sugar cookies and gingerbread men. Candy canes and peppermint ice cream are my Christmas indulgences. The sugary, minty combination on my tongue takes me back to childhood Christmases. My mom always had candy canes hanging on the tree and we(she and I) would have one a day and by Christmas morning there were very few left on the tree.

Now take one of your characters either past or present and have them walk into a house or room and experience those four senses.
I'll add my character later today.