Why Can't I Do That?

The other day at lunch my dad asked me a question that got me thinking. We were discussing my WIP. He knew I'd written three other manuscripts and asked if they were all about the same character. I blinked and said, "Oh, that's really tough to do."

I knew why he asked. His favorite author is Lee Child who has put out a dozen books about the same kick ass character, Jack Reacher. Every Child book immediately hits the NYT top ten. I went to Child's book signing this month (pic above) and bought the latest installment for my dad for father's day. As Child was signing, I said, "Please tell me KILLING FLOOR (the first book in the Jack Reacher series) wasn't the first manuscript you wrote."

I didn't like his answer. Grrr.

How did a debut novelist create such an addictive character? In his first attempt at a book? He has a background in TV which must have given him some insight. Recently I came across an article where he described his thought process in creating Reacher.

First: character is king. There are probably fewer than six books every century remembered specifically for their plots. People remember characters. So, my lead character had to carry the whole weight.

Second conclusion: if you can see a bandwagon, it's too late to get on. Writing is a crowded field. Why do what everyone else is doing?

So, I was going to have to do something a little different. The series that were then well under way-and most that were just starting out-were, it seemed to me, soap operas. Series heroes had partners, friends, jobs, apartments, favorite bars, favorite restaurants, neighbors, family, even dogs and cats. They jogged, worked out, had pastimes. They had bills to pay and issues to resolve.

I was going to have to avoid all that stuff.

But, the third conclusion, and the most confounding conclusion: you can't design a character too specifically. I knew in my bones that to think too carefully would produce a laundry list of imagined qualities and virtues and would result in a flat, boring, cardboard character.

This resulted in a best seller and an alienated, ex-military drifter without a home, car, job, family and with very few social skills. No roots. Doesn't want roots. Throws away his clothes and buys new instead of washing them. No girlfriends. Just one night stands. In an early book Reacher inherits a house and enters a relationship. Both nearly make him crack.

Sound like a good hero to put opposite your heroine? No. But damn it, Jack Reacher is someone I remember and want to know more about. He just isn't right for a romance. He's kind to women and enjoys them, but he will never be what they need for the long haul. He's strictly short term.

Sigh.

I've had to face the fact that this is not the right character for my type of writing. My hero must be long term and desire that happy-ever-after. My hero may not know this at the beginning of the book, but the heroine is guaranteed bring it out of him. As much as I love to read Child's books, it isn't a typed I can write. I have to write the love story with a HEA. Maybe someday I'll create a H/H that can endure adventures for several books. Like Nora or Janet skillfully do. (In Janet's case H/H/H.) But right now the resolution of my characters' emotional roller coasters creates a natural "The End" for them in my books.

Jack Reacher is going to be an old man who'll die alone. Probably at the end of someone's very large gun. But I'll cry just as much as when my heros and heroines pledge their love forever.

What kind of story do you love to read, but don't want to try to or know you can't write?

Shameless chapter promotion

I'm going to use my slot today to promote the upcoming online workshops and synopsis/query letter contest sponsored by the chapter. We've got some awesome things lined up, you should check them out! And remember, it's never too early to register for any of these.

Online classes

These are either two- or four-week courses ran through a Yahoo group. The fees for the four-week courses are $25 (or $20 for members of our chapter). The two-week ones are $15 (or $10 for chapter members). You don't need to be a member of RWA to participate.

To register, just send an e-mail to mwvrwa@gmail.com with your name, your PayPal name if it's different (so we can match payment to you), the workshop(s) you're registering for, and the e-mail address you'd like used for the class. Then send your payment via PayPal to the same address.

It's hard to notice on some screens and fonts, but the e-mail address has a "w" then a "v." We've had a couple people forget the "v" when they sent their payments and it makes things a bit more tricky to correct (PayPal doesn't let you simply cancel a payment unfortunately.)

July 7-31 (4 weeks)
Take the Mystery Out of Writing Mystery & Suspense Novels with Karen S. Wiesner
Time-saving tips from award-winning author Karen S. Wiesner to help you keep your mystery and suspense plot-lines straight from start to finish.

August 4-31 (4 weeks)
Secrets to Successful PR with Lisa Catto
PR doesn't have to feel like a four-letter word any longer! Join public relations professional Lisa Catto as she helps you put together your own press kit, learn how to develop an online presence, and get tips for working with the media.

September 1-28 (4 weeks)
Take Your Book from Good to Sold: Ten Lessons Learned with Shirley Jump
For first-time authors, the biggest hurdle to selling is learning how to craft a book that is better than good. Good wins contests. Good gets requests for partials. Good sometimes gets a revision request. But learning how to take “good” and turn it into “sellable” is the key to success. New writers may not see those small elements that make a big difference in a book’s salability. In this workshop, New York Times bestselling romantic comedy author Shirley Jump will share the ten lessons she learned that helped her take a book that had won the Tampa Area Romance Authors First Impressions contest and make it into one that was bought by Silhouette, plus how she turned formerly rejected books into single title sales. The workshop will include discussion of the revision process and the various elements authors need to look for before considering their book ready for an editor’s eyes. Today’s editors don’t have time to sit down with a fledgling writer and teach her how to take her novel to that next level. This workshop will fill in that final gap for the writer who is just ten lessons away from a sale.

November 10-21 (2 weeks)
Break Free From the Slushpile with CJ Lyons
This workshop focuses on queries, hooks and pitches. By the end, you will have a polished query letter, blurb and feedback on your opening page. Taught by medical suspense author CJ Lyons.

Contest

This is our first annual Pitch Perfect Contest, judging a long synopsis (4-10 pages), short synopsis (1-3 pages) and one-page query letter. The purpose of this contest is to help you get feedback on those dreaded synopsis, and have two polished versions ready to send to editors and agents. Since they seem to vary in required length, having a short and a long one will be helpful.

Not to mention, the grand prize is A FREE REGISTRATION TO RWA NATIONALS 2009! Isn't that awesome? Plus if you are a finalist in your category, an agent or editor will be viewing your proposal. Don't put off writing that synopsis any longer, submit it for some feedback and at least four sets of eyes will look it over and provide you with feedback.

We have some fabulous judges lined up too. Here are our categories and judges.
Contemporary - TBA
Futuristic/Fantasy/Paranormal - Leah Hultenschmidt, Dorchester Publishing
Romantic Suspense - Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary Agency
Romantic Elements/Chick Lit - Sha-Shana Crichton, Crichton & Associates
Historical - Kate Seaver, Berkely Publishing
Young Adult - Michelle Grajkowski, Three Seas Literary Agency
Inspirational - Kim Moore, Harvest House Publishing
Erotic Romance - Raelene Gorlinsky, Ellora's Cave

For more info on our workshops and classes, please visit the chapter Web site at http://www.midwillamettevalleyrwa.com/.

Saturday Check In

It was a busy week for me. I had two days of promotion going on, but I managed to crank out around 5,000 words on the contemporary WIP. At the moment I'm stopped due to research. Trying to get someone from a chamber to contact me about info for a rodeo and I need medical questions answers. I 've sent the questions to a couple of people but no response so far.

I'm posting this early and then you won't hear/see me until Tuesday. I'm judging 4-H clothing skills contest today and have a wedding to attend tonight, then the dh and I are headed to the other property until Monday. So, I'll be busy today and no internet for two days. Hopefully on the trip there and back I can add to the word count.

How was your week? Are you enjoying the sunshine!!!!!!

Girls and Boys

When my latest edition of Parenting magazine hit my mailbox, one of the front cover stories caught my eye: Boys vs. Girls, Who’s harder to raise?

I recall a lively discussion about this very thing at our last writing retreat. I entered into the discussion at the rented beach house with the idea that boys were harder to manage as toddlers and preteens, but girls -- with their smart mouths and sassy attitudes -- were harder to handle as teenagers.

As the mother of two very young sons, and a nearly grown daughter, several of you mothers of boys knocked me on my proverbial butt. Girls were easier, you said, boys were more challenging all the way through their childhood years and beyond. Not what I wanted to hear. So, I ingested the article with intense interest, hoping for a new glimmer of hope.

But what, pray tell, does any of this have to do with writing romance? Bear (or bare, whatever flips your switch) with me for just a few more sentences and it will begin to shine clear.

Here’s what the article’s author, Paula Spencer, and her lineup of experts had to say:

Boys are harder to discipline. Experts blame this on boys’ weaker hearing from birth. I can almost hear (after all, I am female) all the wives out there nodding at this bit of information. And it translates to this – neither warnings nor praise work as well with boys as with girls.

Physical safety? That’s a no-brainer. Boys, little daredevils that they are, definitely harder. Again, the distinct sound of bobbing female heads. This tendency in males often transcends into adulthood. Or, as in my case, my teenage daughter rides, and consequently, falls off of bulls. I get the worst of both worlds with this one.

Boys are harder to communicate with earlier – think lack of eye contact and lack of details. Girls are harder later – enter mini drama queens at around age eight.

Self esteem is a more difficult issue with girls. How many bulimic or anorexic teenage boys do you know? Need I say more?

Keeping up in school? Mostly boys are harder. Boys take longer to develop attentiveness, self-control (ladies, let’s be honest here, you’re thinking of your men not your boys here, aren’t you?) language and fine-motor skills.

Bottom line of the article is this: Boys and girls are each harder in different ways.

Could any of this information help in your writing male and female characters? Why, or why not? I’m thinking it could be useful in my writing.

I posted this for Danita because she is having internet problems, which means she may or may not be able to comment on your comments.

Competition

I love this show, "So You Think You Can Dance." I've always loved dance, not that I could do it. I mean, I shook my booty with the best of 'em back in the day, but nothing like these talented, passionate young people. I didn't know the human body even had the ability to do those things!

My point for today's blog is competition, why we compete, and why those competition goals are so important to us. Take these kids on the show. 200 dancers competed for 20 spots. They put their heart on the line. They gave up jobs to be there. They spent their parents' money to be there. They trained through blood, sweat and tears from the time they were iddy biddy (in most cases) just to get a shot to fulfill their dream. Sound familiar?

It's hard to watch sometimes, but as a writer I can't help relating to their disappointment when these talented dancers give it everything they've got and most are told to go home. It's heart- breaking. But you know what? They're also told to come back next year. Top judge Nigel offers encouragement and support. He was a dancer, too, in his younger days, and he understands what these kids are going through.

I have a real penchant for reality competition tv shows, the ones that showcase talent and strive to fulfill at least one participant's dream. My favorites are So You Think You Can Dance, American Idol, Top Chef, America's Next Top Model (yeah, Alice, ANTM fans unite!), and Project Runway. Real people who have real talent, and real aspirations. I cheer with them when they win, I cry when they lose. We're living our dreams together.

DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD OF EUPHORIA AND DOOM

In the elated hours awaiting the arrival of my first grandchild on Friday, I couldn’t sit still long enough to write, much less construct a basic sentence. A captive in the throngs of verbal labor I couldn’t push out one articulate phrase. Giddy excitement overhauled my rational senses and linked my thoughts into a chain of mismatched babble.

The mail lady (What’s the correct term anyway? The spoken words suggests a contradiction in terms.) delivered a package to my door. A gush of syllables strung together without benefit of infusing a breath, spiked my jumbled phraseology with disconnected words. The lady smiled and nodded, but as I revisit my manic performance the question of my sanity had rimmed her wide-eyed stare. Did she drive away like a sleuth immersed in a mystery to unlock my scrambled message void of any codes? Or did she waste little time and mentally wrote ‘nut house’ next to my mailing address? I don’t know, but I haven’t seen her since.

The ugly serrated edge of this sword rests in my mother’s failing health and battle with re-occurring breast cancer. Thought I am steeped in joy at the arrival of my precious granddaughter, the exit door of life opens a little wider to foreshadow my mother’s weakened body. One might suggested I embrace the analogy a new family member has entered my world to lesson the pain of another in their exit. But a mountain of joy can’t replace a mountain of grief. Their unique vastness and qualities aren’t interchangeable.

Some writers can write in the midst of ecstasy or sorrow tossed into their lives. They plunge into their writing as a form of therapy to level or purge the imbalance. I applaud their ability to unlatch the gate of resistance, and push themselves beyond the borders of blinding brightness or heavy blackness to cloudless fields infused in unlimited possibilities.

For other writers, their emotions are woven into their characters personalities. These characters play across the setting, and dictate the direction, flow, and intensity of each word the writer sets in their thoughts and onto their lips. The journey establishes the writers earnest quest for answers and closures in their personal life. They press onward and listen to their own voice echoing in the cadence of their characters.

There are also writers who seek a path to a serene place to hibernate and contemplate. A time away from the writing world doused in conflicts, plots, villains, turning points, and black moments. They rest, cleanse their soul, draw strength, breath in the breath of renewed faith and resurface with a refilling of fresh ideas.

I’ve heard it said over and over, ‘Write what you know.’ In this moment, this is what I know. I can’t write when either side of a double edged sword pricks my heart.

How do you handle the double-edged sword when it cuts into your writing world?

Theme/Premise/Pitch

I’m emulating my good friend Danita today. She likes to rehash hooks, while I have IMMENSE trouble understanding/getting- Theme/premise. The current WIP doesn’t have murder, mayhem, kidnappings, chases, or even fights (well unless we have a barroom brawl, but that isn’t in the picture at this time). It is a purely emotional book. The characters and their pasts are the catalyst of the whole story.

On the blog about pitching CJ Lyons wrote , she said to start with your theme or premise to begin writing your pitch. Okay, but I feel like I've already failed because of my denseness when it come to this particular topic.

These are the theme/premise I came up with: Learn to love again; Conquer your past. They’re kind of weak. How do I build something around that? I like the second one the best. Not so syrupy sweet, something that I can maybe use to draw in readers with a hook or high concept.

Then she says boil it all down for your high concept which should be: “one and only one unique concept--whatever it is about your story that will create an immediate emotional connection or spark interest.”

CJ says this about finding the hook: “This is the unique spin that you have put on your story. This means narrowing your search to one small part of your story. Start with your blurb, usually the hook will be apparent there. If not, keep looking.”

My blurb: A workaholic ER nurse with plans to build a camp for sexually abused children finds herself drawn to a rodeo cowboy and his art. Has she found unconditional love or will her past tear them apart?

What I came up with for high concept is: High emotions and high stakes or Can your past dictate your future?. Both tap into emotions; the first with the high stakes, which could mean anything from monetary to emotionl, the second tells you something about the past is going to come into play, and who hasn't wondered "what if I'd done this differently?".

What is the unique spin on your WIP? Can you boil it down to a high concept statement? If so, please share maybe it will flip the light bulb on for me.

Saturday Check -in

Finally!!! Sun today!! Yes! We have an outside wedding to attend today. I've been looking for all my umbrellas all week. LOL

Well, this week after interviewing a National Champion bareback bronc rider and discussing the story with several CP's and friends, I've shifted gears and went to work on the contemporary western. I logged 3200 words on it this week, finsihed the synopsis, and have been working on pitches and hooks.

So how did everyone else do? Lots of plotting, writing, or just brewing?

Series

Sorry I'm late in posting this today. I had to run five miles in the training schedule for my half marathon (race is next Saturday!) and with the end of school looming (Tuesday) my kids were just completely wild this morning. Getting up early to post this blog just didn't work. Summer on deadline is going to seriously kill me...

So let's talk series. Specifically...when does a series out stay its welcome?

I've been thinking about this a lot lately, and we're going to be discussing plotting a series at our next meeting. Basically, in romantic fiction there are three kinds of series:

1. Books connected by an overarching plot which starts in book one but isn't resolved until the end of X number of books - a war, a hidden secret, the search for a serial killer. Generally, to understand what's happening with the overarching plot, you need to read these books in order. Each book has its own unique plot under the umbrella, which is resolved at the end of that book, and generally the romance between the H/h is resolved as well. But that overarching plot is what draws the reader from one book to the next. There are a lot of these series out there - JR Ward's BDB series, Any of Nora Roberts' trilogies (newest is the Sign of Seven trilogy), Lara Adrian's vampire series.

2. Books connected by characters. No overarching plot. Each book is stand alone. Can be read in any order and still understood. There are also lots of these as well - Cindy Gerard's bodyguard series, any of Allison Brennan's trilogies, Susan Elizabeth Phillips' Stars football books.

And finally, the third option which is really a combination of the first two:

3. Books connected by characters that hint at an overarching plot which may or may not be completely obvious. Books can generally be read in any order, though readers can get lost sometimes with multiple connections, esp. to books they haven't read. Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series is like this. There is something bigger going on that the reader feels is going to happen down the road, but it's not entirely clear. Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dream Hunter series is like this as well.

Like I said, this whole series concept has been on my mind a lot lately, especially because this past week my agent and I were discussing my option book in my contract. I have several choices before me:

1. Write another book that could be linked to the first three. This is entirely possible. I have at least two characters/plots that could work here. Benefits: I love these characters, love this series. Writing this/these book(s) would be fun. Drawbacks: Keeping it fresh would be a challenge. I'm already finding I have to be careful with what I do in book three so it isn't too much like the first two.

2. Start a single book that's completely different, keeping it within the adventure brand my first three books put me in.

3. Start a new series, again, keeping it within the adventure brand.

While I like the idea of going forward and writing more connected books, I fear the whole, when is enough, enough? question. I've read several series - in all three series styles above - that seemed to lose steam after about 4-5 books. My enthusiasm as a reader definitely dropped off then. I think for writers, it's very difficult to keep the series fresh after that many books. In an interview I read with Susan Elizabeth Phillips, she was asked if she was going to write any other football books. She said no, because she'd pretty much done everything she could think to do with a group of football players. This was an aha! moment for me relating to series. I've loved all her football books (connected by characters, not an overarching plot), and to me they've all been fresh. But this goes to show how difficult it is to come up with those unique ideas once you've been writing a series for so long.

I'm sort of leaning toward starting something new. I originally intended these books to be a connected trilogy, not more than that. And while I know I could write one or two more, there is something invigorating about starting something new.

But I'm curious...how do you feel about series books? What authors can continually pump out fresh material in series that run longer than five books? Do you buy series that run that long? And do you have plans to write a series yourself? If so (or if you're doing so at the moment), how many books do you envision writing? How will you keep each book fresh and unique to keep your readers chomping for more?

MY VERSION OF THE WRITERS JOURNEY

A couple people kindly expressed an interest in a blog about how my spiritual journey has affected my writing. Good question!

I knew this would take some thought. It's turned out to be the equivalent of condensing a hundred-thousand page book into a three-page synopsis. Don't worry. This won't go on for three pages. :)

Perhaps I should first define what spiritual journey means for me, though it could mean something else to others, and give some background on what triggered this particular phase of my life.

I define my spiritual journey as experiences, realizations and changes in perception that bring me closer to my purpose in this life. My spiritual journey accelerated about five years ago when I turned fifty. A fairly routine visit to the doctor brought a dissatisfying result: he had no explanation for my concern of not feeling well other than I was "getting older." That wasn't good enough for me. I didn't want to live another thirty or so years not feeling well.

So I was ready for another way to live. I was open to alternatives.

I soon had an aha moment that my kids learned about in high school physics: human beings are energy. We are made up of atoms, which are electrons in constant motion in the space around a nucleus. We're not solid at all! Our bodies only appear solid.

A whole new world of possibilities opened up to me!

Not only are we energy, but some people knew how to channel that energy for greater health and well-being. I soon learned how to channel that energy too, through Reiki, and I thought I had discovered the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and won the lottery all on the same day. My life was going to be so easy now!

Well, not exactly.

Reiki did mean healing for me. Not just of my physical body, but on spiritual and emotional levels as well. Along with this healing came the realization that we are responsible for our lives.

Literally.

Our thoughts, emotions and actions determine what our lives will be. Very cool, right? Well, yes, but that also means no excuses. Whatever exists in my life, I'm responsible for manifesting, whether intentionally or by just drifting along. Lousy childhood, fights with parents, flaky relationships with men. Ouch! Why would I bring those things into my life? That's where my lessons came in. I learned to look beneath the surface of what was in my life and question why. When I discovered why, I was able to release emotional baggage I had carried for a very long time.

So how has all this affected my writing? I'm not sure. I haven't written an entire manuscript since my accelerated journey began. I've edited older manuscripts and finished ones that were started earlier, but I haven't written anything entirely new. Even the nine-book series I'm currently plotting was born pre-acceleration.

One thing I have noticed is I expect my characters to be smarter and to understand their own motives quicker. I also feel more comfortable digging deeply into motives. And since my characters carry a piece of me, I expect they will reflect my new perspectives also.

I think my writing process itself will benefit from my accelerated spiritual journey. When I'm stalling or avoiding a particular scene, I'll more quickly know why and push through it. No excuses, remember!

Will this make me a New York Times bestselling author? Not unless I'm willing to commit a hundred percent to that. Will this mean stories will flow uninhibited into my mind and onto the computer screen? Um...maybe!

Perhaps I have come late to the realization that this is a continuing journey with many lessons and many experiences. Perhaps other writers found out long ago that the joy of discovery is ours, it we choose to accept it and embrace it. Whatever the timing, I am honored to share this experience of writing with others who are on their own unique journeys. I would love to hear about your journey if you would like to share it.

THE HOUSE

As you can see, the above photo is of an abandoned house.

Let me explain. Years ago, maybe as many as ten, a house suddenly appeared along a road I travel twice a week when I drive to see my mother. It's not this house but it looks a lot like it.

The land the house appeared on is part of an old homestead. Picture it. A short driveway empties into a lushly planted area. Camellias and roses and trees, all planted to frame a home but there's no longer a home there. Keep traveling past that into the wide open field behind it and that's where someone planted the "new" very old white house I speak of.

Someone had moved the old house onto the land, obviously from somewhere else. I'm sorry I didn't see it moved. I love that kind of thing. Of course, a two story house appearing all of a sudden caught my attention and so every time I drove past, I checked to see what was going on. Not a lot. Eventually a foundation was poured. That took awhile. I pictured future changes as the house, now anchored properly to the ground, would evolve into a home. But nothing else happened. Years rolled by, then all of a sudden plywood showed up nailed over doors and windows. Interesting? What now? The answer: nothing. That's it. The house sits all by itself, closed up, abandoned. No plants, no paint, no sign of life. In fact, I've never actually seen anyone near the place and the changes, small as they are, have happened at glacial speed.

So, what's the deal? Did the house get sold for a dollar to someone saving it from a wrecking ball and did that someone then move it out into the grass fields, perhaps to a site that had been in the family since before the original house burned down? Was the house itself an old homestead, moved to a new site when the land it had been built on was sold? Why did the changes stop, what happened to the people who moved it, what happened to their plans? Or is there some other mystery afloat?

Doesn't the idea of an old house intrigue you? An abandoned house? Interrupted dreams? Change of fortune? Death, divorce, mayhem? Is the house a metaphor? A stage? Is it the past or the present that arouses more curiosity?

Writing Exercise: Use the house in a bit of fiction. Tie it in with characters in your WIP or create new characters.

That doesn't appeal to you? Then how would you use this house if you were to write a story where it figured into the plot?

Still no interest in participating? Okay, what building have you come across in your life that aroused speculation and formed a launching pad for fiction? Did you then go forward and actually use it?

Use the abandoned house any way you like, don't be intimidated, don't get fancy if you don't want. I hope you'll play along.

Kendra's Introduction

Good Morning!

I'm tickled to be here. Several writing friends have pressured me to blog over the years, but only Elisabeth managed to lure me to the dark side. (Her words!)

In October of 2004, I read an article in The Oregonian about NaNoWriMo and thought, "Huh. I can do that." I read tons of books; therefore, I should be able to write one. Right? So most evenings in November I shut myself in my husband's office and wrote a book on the computer we shared. I didn't make the 50K goal of NaNoWriMo, but I was hooked. I finished the book in a few months, bought a laptop, and started a second book. My husband asked when I'd earn some money.

I joined RWA and Rose City Romance Writers in summer 2005 and was stunned to learn I had an instant group of friends and supporters. These people loved to write and read as much as I did. And I was brushing shoulders with real authors. Normal people who had books sitting on shelves in bookstores. That was my goal. To read my name on a spine on a shelf at my local Borders.

My first conference was at Emerald City in Seattle that October. I'd done some querying with the first book and now was ready to pitch. I came home on cloud nine with requests for partials and an addiction to conferences. I loved the workshops, I loved the writers, and I loved socializing in the bar with these people who talked books nonstop. It was hard to come home. I sent off my partials, continued querying, and moaned as my rejections started to stack up. I started a file. Again my husband asked when I'd earn some money.

I do have a job. I've been a dental hygienist for twelve years working part time and raising my three daughters. I often tell people I'm a part time hygienist, part time writer, and full time mother. No, that's a lie. That's only a description in my head. I can count on one hand the number of people (outside of family) that I've told I write. And I didn't tell the family members. My mother did.

What a struggle to balance writing time and family. And house cleaning, grocery shopping, yard work, and laundry. My husband wanted to know when the big bucks would start rolling in. I showed him websites and articles that revealed what a majority of writers earn. His reply was something along the lines of "That works out to ten cents an hour. Or less."

I've been a voracious reader all my life. SMALL PIG is the first book I remember reading when I was in kindergarten. I can still see the cute pig rolling in the mud. After that it was Laura Ingalls, Nancy Drew, and Trixie Belden. I would read each book at least ten times and then I graduated to Stephen King, Danielle Steel, and Anne McCaffrey. I majored in Journalism at U of O, intending to go into advertising. I finished and discovered that entry level advertising agency jobs paid about the same as McDonalds. I didn't write for fourteen years. Instead I read and read and read. I loved to visit the used paperback shop and buy shopping bags full of dollar books. The thicker the book, the better. I was miffed when they raised the price to $1.50 a book.

Now I purchase stacks of books at Borders and Amazon. (Tax write-offs, honey!) I read it all. Historical, paranormal, thrillers, and a little sci-fi. Just a few of my favorite authors include Diana Gabaldon, Lee Child, Robert Crais, Tami Hoag, JR Ward, and James Rollins. New-to-me authors who have recently amazed me are Karen Rose and Sharon Sala. I've been ordering their backlists.

I write romantic suspense. I can't write a romance without including a pile of dead bodies and creating twisted villains. I'm in the editing stage of my fourth MS and plan to pitch it at Nationals this summer. I can't wait for San Francisco. This will be my first Nationals. I'm pumped to meet in person all the people I've met online. And I get to have breakfast with Brenda Novak and her editor which I won at her marvelous online auction for juvenile diabetes. I'm dragging Elisabeth to breakfast to fill those dreaded empty conversation moments when I get tongue tied in Brenda's vivacious presence.

Enough about me. I'm thrilled to join this blog and look forward to meeting everyone. Many of you I met on the beach retreat, but I still have several people to get to know. Introduce yourselves to me! What do you write or love to read?

Settings in other towns

Today I wanted to talk with you all about setting, specifically setting a story in a place you've never been, or one you're writing about from memory. I've always had a difficult time convincing myself to set a story in Oregon. Don't get me wrong, I love Oregon. But I find myself drawn to writing about, dreaming about and researching places I've never been but want to visit. The first book I worked on was set in Edinburgh, Scotland. I've never been to Scotland, but it was sure fun to research. It was also during NaNoWriMo so I went into the Scotland forum and asked them bunches or questions (it was really helpful, I suggest that to anyone writing in November - ask questions in the geographical forums).

I remember reading once that when Laurell K. Hamilton wrote a book set in Arizona (or New Mexico?) she stayed there for a while to better learn the setting. Granted, she's wealthy and famous and it makes sense that she would do that for a book expected to sell that many copies. But what about most authors who aren't able to do that?

The book I'm working on now is set in Oregon. I sort of made up a town that's a composite of a couple I'm familiar with. But I may want to set my next book (partially anyway) in Italy, a town like the one I'll be staying in this summer. I'm trying to figure out what I should do to capture that setting. Lots of pictures? Lots of notes? Describe places I see? The picture above is a picture of the town I'll be living in, Gravina in Puglia. There are lots of caves I guess (I will have to tell you RS writers all about it - can't you imagine all sorts of bad dealings going on in caves?).

Have you ever set a book in a town you've never visited? Or have you vacationed somewhere with the intent of absorbing it as a setting to write about? What are some ways you've captured the setting to recall later when you're actually writing?

CHALLENGE CHECK-IN

I'm assuming Paty is going to be unable to post the check-in as she's been having trouble this week with the internet. Paty, if I'm wrong, oops and I'm sorry. Go ahead and post something else if you'd like.

Meanwhile, since building a book is a lot like building a house, the photo above. I heard from my editor yesterday -- she had read the proposal, liked the book I was worried she wouldn't like, had good ideas and suggestions for revising the proposal for the other other two books. I'm working on that now with the hope of sending them to her on Monday.

How are you doing? Karen, you back on the ground yet, honey?

It also occurs to me that we don't really have a challenge going on -- is anyone feeling the need to issue one or are we all doing fine rambling along at our own pace?

The Benefits of Critique

This is kind of a spinoff to Paty's post about having thick skin. Critique can hurt, or it can help. It all depends on how the critique is handled and if the critiquer is using it as a tool to help the writer as well as improve her own writing. Critique is an excellent way to do both. Everybody wins.

A couple of weeks ago I was involved in a discussion on a yahoo group called Online Writers Workshop. Several of the posters couldn't understand the difference between a critique and a review. I found this rather shocking, especially since some of them had been members of this workshop for five or more years.

The debate was over how comments are delivered. Some felt that when criticizing a person's work, you should clarify that it's your opinion only and that others may see it a different way. Also, if you're going to criticize something, the person getting critiqued deserves an explanation to help him or her understand why the critiquer thought something was wrong, and a suggestion for how to improve the work if the writer chooses to do so. Half the people on the list, including me, agreed with this perception. The other half did not.

The disagreeing half argued that a writer who's serious about critique should have a thick enough skin that he or she can take criticism without an explanation. Just accept the comment as an opinion, because what else could it be? And either take it or leave it. The critiquer doesn't have to explain anything. Like a review, and that's what they called it, too.

I couldn't disagree more.

For one thing, a review, as in book review, is a judgment. It's not supposed to be helpful, though it can be. But that's not what it's designed for. A review offers an opinion (sometimes a pretty blunt one) to help readers decide whether or not to buy the book. Is this helpful to the writer? Does the reviewer offer suggestions on how to fix what's wrong? Rarely. And that's fine because a review is what it is: a judgment.

A critique, on the other hand, is a writer's tool. If I read someone's work and say a particular sentence is awkward, I'm going to explain why I think so, and I might offer a suggestion how to make it work better. And I'll certainly clarify that they can take it or leave it because it's my opinion only.

Writers are sensitive by nature. All creative people are. That's part of what makes them creative. So to be blunt and judgmental doesn't help. It either discourages them, or they won't take the comments seriously, especially if there's nothing to back it up and no suggestions for how to make the criticized work better.

I was only taking a trial membership of OWW, and the trial is over on June 2. I won't be subscribing. I'm afraid many of the people there are misinformed and I have the impression there's no guidance. Kind of like the blind leading the blind. Maybe not, but when you get yourself involved with a big group and put your work out there to be "judged" by strangers, I think it's potentially damaging to the writer. Critique groups, and critique partners, should be carefully selected in my opinion.

I'm very happy with the group of mixed genre writers I currently critique with. I was looking to expand my circle to include speculative fiction writers who I can bounce my fantasy and paranormal ideas off of. But OWW is not the way to do it. Not for me, anyway.

Do you have a critique group you're happy with? What makes them special? How have they helped you and your writing? Can you give any examples? What advice would you give a fellow writer who's trying to decide whether or not to use critique as a writing tool?

Since Bethany Has A Clinger....

Bethany IM'd me and said she has a clinger at home today, therefore can't get to the computer. And since we have an open day, I thought I'd post my cover and cover copy here (in case you didn't see the thousand announcements I made all over and already peeked at my blog. LOL):

STOLEN FURY
Release Date: December 30, 2008

DANGEROUS LIAISONS

Oh, is he handsome. And charming. And sexy as all get out. Dr. Lisa Maxwell isn’t the type to go home with a guy she barely knows. But, hey, this is Italy and the red-blooded Rafe Sullivan seems much more enticing than cataloging a bunch of dusty artifacts.

After being fully seduced, Lisa wakes to an empty bed and, worse yet, an empty safe. She’s staked her career as an archaeologist on collecting the three Furies, a priceless set of ancient Greek reliefs. Now the one she had is gone. But Lisa won’t just get mad. She’ll get even.

She tracks Rafe to Florida, and finds the sparks between them blaze hotter than the Miami sun. He may still have her relic, but he’ll never find all three without her. And they’re not the only ones on the hunt. To beat the other treasure seekers, they’ll have to partner up—because suddenly Lisa and Rafe are in a race just to stay alive.

I am so totally thrilled with this cover. I can't stop grinning. It really captures the heart of the book well - sexy, suspenseful, mysterious all in one. In the story, the heroine, an archaeologist, is on the hunt for three stone reliefs of the three Furies - those winged creatures with snakes in their hair from Greek Mythology that tormented evil doers. So the stone Medusa-type head in the foreground is perfect. And the cover copy and top "steamy" photo really capture the romance well.

December 30th seems so far away and so close at the same time!! I don't know how I'm going to stay sane between now and then.

If you're published, what's your favorite cover to date? And if you're prepublished - or a reader - can you think of a book that had a phenomenal cover you just loved?

GIVING THANKS FROM A GRATEFUL HEART

Today, I pause to give thanks to all of you for enriching my life in the world of writing. I have learned so much through your kind and caring hearts and spirits. Amidst the frenzy and plummets of life I sometimes forget to give thanks to all of you for giving your time, encouragement, advice, smiles and hugs. Each enriching act paves smoother footfall for me up the mountain in the writing kingdom.

Though I lag behind in the bottomland one of you will point out the right path, and another offers words of guidance when I face an unexpected crossroad. In the midst of following, stumbling and jumping over the mud holes you have all leapt over with grace, I land smack dab in the middle of a pit of quicksand. Footsteps slap double time and a generous hand takes my own and lifts me from the muck of struggling to learn deeper POV, characterization, black moments, and resolutions, all meant to swallow me.

Thick in a fog I hear one of your voices laced with kind words of assurance as I languish in the dark forest of writers block. My anguish and despair dissipate and are replaced with your still, soft whisper that echos the chant, ‘This too shall pass.’

Tempted to quit at times, your inspirational stories of drive and determination have instilled the passion in me to continue on; to persevere with my dreams and goals. I am reminded again; one positive word can dismember a multitude of stumbling blocks.

I know this lifelong writing journey will forever unfold surprises, some good, some unpleasant. My feet now march to a lighter cadence and my heart cherishes the invigorated beats all your friendships have bestowed upon me. For true friends waltzes through the door of our hearts carrying the warm rays of compassion, understanding, and loyalty.

I am blessed and I thank each of you for your many kindnesses.

What are some of the best words of encouragement you’ve received about your writing that hurdled you over a mountain of doubt and despair?

HOW THICK IS YOUR SKIN? by Paty Jager

As writers we are a vulnerable lot in that we put our feelings down for others to see. Granted they are in the body of a character in our work, but they are still our feelings. And everyone who puts their feelings out there can be crushed.

We have to grow a tough skin for those contest judges who “don’t know” enough to be judging a category, or that critique that hurts, or that form rejection letter or even worse the lengthy rejection letter that came so close to maybe getting published.

There have been two incidents lately in my little realm of historical writing that made me think about this topic. One is a post on my historical loop from a writer who received her judge’s comments from a “historical” contest. She said more than one judge commented she needed to explain what a “union suit” was. Anyone who reads historical knows what a union suit is! It is the one-piece underwear with a flap in the back that is still worn in some parts of the US today and used as PJ’s by some women. This is where the tough skin comes in- this writer could have thrown a tissy fit and asked what kind of judges are we getting for these contests, instead, she went on the loop and asked for different ways she could describe the clothing. Which, I feel she was accurate in just saying what it was- any true reader of historical fiction will know what she is talking about. So while she was calm, it ticked me off that someone was judging a category they shouldn’t have been.

The second incident is a writer who submitted to a publishing house and received a rejection stating her historical information and characters didn’t ring true However, her writing-grammar, spelling, prose were commended. This was an instance when a tough skin was needed, but this person didn’t have one. She sent several scathing replies to the editor.

Which of these writers will grow from the experience? Which of these writers do you think will go the farthest with their writing career?

Do you have a thick skin? Can you go the distance to be published? Do you have a thick skin story?

Paty's Blog

Can someone retrieve Paty's blog for today? It's in the dashboard under draft. I can't figure out how to post it from there. Thanks for any and all help.
Lori

How Thick is Your Skin

As writers we are a vulnerable lot in that we put our feelings down for others to see. Granted they are in the body of a character in our work, but they are still our feelings. And everyone who puts their feelings out there can be crushed.

We have to grow a tough skin for those contest judges who “don’t know” enough to be judging a category, or that critique that hurts, or that form rejection letter or even worse the lengthy rejection letter that came so close to maybe getting published.

There have been two incidents lately in my little realm of historical writing that made me think about this topic. One is a post on my historical loop from a writer who received her judge’s comments from a “historical” contest. She said more than one judge commented she needed to explain what a “union suit” was. Anyone who reads historical knows what a union suit is! It is the one-piece underwear with a flap in the back that is still worn in some parts of the US today and used as PJ’s by some women. This is where the tough skin comes in- this writer could have thrown a tissy fit and asked what kind of judges are we getting for these contests, instead, she went on the loop and asked for different ways she could describe the clothing. Which, I feel she was accurate in just saying what it was- any true reader of historical fiction will know what she is talking about. So while she was calm, it ticked me off that someone was judging a category they shouldn’t have been.

The second incident is a writer who submitted to a publishing house and received a rejection stating her historical information and characters didn’t ring true However, her writing-grammar, spelling, prose were commended. This was an instance when a tough skin was needed, but this person didn’t have one. She sent several scathing replies to the editor.

Which of these writers will grow from the experience? Which of these writers do you think will go the farthest with their writing career?

Do you have a thick skin? Can you go the distance to be published? Do you have a thick skin story?

CHALLENGE CHECK-IN, ANYONE?

Everyone must be out enjoying this beautiful day! At least, I hope it's a beautiful day where you are. I apologize if I'm stepping on toes by tossing out the challenge check-in. Or was it decided not to worry about this for awhile and I missed that discussion? LOL!

Is everyone between projects or in the brainstorming process? I'm making progress on plotting my nine-book series. At this point, I'm not pushing, but letting the ideas flow and jotting down lots of notes. The push will come in the next few days and weeks, as I plan to complete a detailed outline (a series "Bible," if you will) of each story by the end of June.

I also jotted down a detailed outline for a newsletter article this morning in between doing laundry. You never know when inspiration will strike!

How/what is everyone else doing?

The End or a New Beginning?

“When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on.”
-- Thomas Jefferson

I reached the end of my revisions last night. Though I still need to reread book two one more time to make sure I didn't mess anything up, I'm officially calling it done. Reaching The End is an amazing feeling, which most of you already know. But for those of you that don't, it truly is one of the most bittersweet moments a writer will ever have.

As I was rereading the resolution last night, I found myself once again having a hard time letting the book go, even though I will see it again in copy edits and galleys and reread it so many times I'll once again be sick of it. But the creation, the revising, the whole "sending them on to do something exciting" part is pretty much done. And that's the part that's hard to say goodbye to. These characters - even the villains who may be light-years different from me - all have a part of me somewhere inside, and as I get ready to send this to my editor, I can't help think it's sort of like sending my babies off into the world to fend for themselves.

Luckily, in my case, these main characters will pop up in book three in very minor places, so I know I'll see and "create" for them again, though it will never be the same as when they were central in their book. So for me this isn't really the end, but a pause. When I get to the end of book three though? That will be a different story. I've fallen in love with the main characters in book three (who were secondary characters in books one and two) and letting them (and the rest) go then will be difficult for me.

Kendra and I were chatting the other night and she posed a question that stuck with me. I'm paraphrasing here, but the gist was, "How many books does a writer really have in her?" We have all probably asked ourselves this question. What will I write next? Will it be as good as the last one? What if I don't have any more books left in me??? I've been thinking about this a lot, especially because since I sold, my brain has been mush. I could see the three books in my contract, but past that? Nothing. Even ideas I had before selling seemed to have dissipated into thin air. But luckily, in the past month new ideas have been popping. New characters, new locations, new stories. Yes, the end is always bittersweet, as I mentioned above, but the wonderful thing about writing is that it is ongoing. Characters will come and go but the writing endures. And the end isn't really the end of the line for any of us, but a new beginning. A chance to do something different. To write a new story, to create new characters, to build an entirely different world. I've said before that I don't particularly enjoy the beginning of a new book, but that's not entirely true. I don't generally enjoy writing the beginning of a book because it's the one section I have to work and rework to get just right. But I do love the idea of a new story. The possibilities. The excitement. The not-knowing-exactly-where-this-may-go feeling that brings us all right back around to page one time and time again.

Writing for me really is cyclical. Sure, we have beginnings and ends, but each just brings us back to the other if we work hard enough. Never ending. Unbreakable. Each one a knot that ties the rest together.

How do you view the end?

JUST PERFECT!

What a difference a day makes. I don't really allow myself to have "bad" days any more. However, some days are definitely more challenging than others. Tuesday was one of those days. As I write this blog post late Wednesday, today was definitely more to my liking! My older dog who has had some rough times lately seemed better today. There's money in my bank account and bills are paid ahead. I got the OK for the cover of my December release (graphic attached). And one wall of my office is covered with easel sheets showing the early planning for my next series of books. Ahhh...

We've heard a lot about writer's block, what what about life block? What about those days when life hands you challenge after challenge; taunting you to take another step, let alone dare to dream?

How do you work through those days? Just hang on and hope it will pass quickly? Sprinkle fairy dust around yourself and chant three times, "Bippity, boppity, boo?" Pretend you are on the latest reality TV show and plan how you will spend your million dollars at the end of the day when you are the last survivor?

On the other hand, what's your perfect day? Is it a day when you can write all day? A day when all the pieces of your life, including writing, come into perfect balance?

Have you ever considered doing this for the characters in your story? This could be a great way to get to know them if you're just starting a story or are stuck at some point. It could also be an interesting way to bring out their personalities for readers. For the social worker heroine in one of the books of my series, her perfect day could mean all the parents of kids in foster care suddenly had their own lives under control so they could nurture and appropriately take care of their children; and she could go home early because no calls of child abuse or neglect came in. For the policeman hero, his perfectly awful day could include finding a ticket on his motorcycle he thought was parked legally. Does he get mad? Ignore it? Laugh at the irony of the situation?

In fact, I think I'll do this for the main characters in each of the stories I'm planning. These perfect days and perfectly awful days could even become part of their stories. Perhaps I'll develop a workshop using this technique. If you want to try it out, consider this a mini-online workshop and do one of these exercises for yourself or your characters. Have fun!

PERFECT OR PERFECTLY AWFUL?

What a difference a day makes. I don't really allow myself to have "bad" days any more. However, some days are definitely more challenging than others. Tuesday was one of those days. As I write this blog post late Wednesday, today was definitely more to my liking! My older dog who has had some rough times lately seemed better today. There's money in my bank account and bills are paid ahead. I got the OK for the cover of my December release (hopefully I'll be able to include a graphic of it with this blog). And one wall of my office is covered with easel sheets showing the early planning for my next series of books. Ahhh...

We've heard a lot about writer's block, what what about life block? What about those days when life hands you challenge after challenge; taunting you to take another step, let alone dare to dream?

How do you work through those days? Just hang on and hope it will pass quickly? Sprinkle fairy dust around yourself and chant three times, "Bippity, boppity, boo?" Pretend you are on the latest reality TV show and plan how you will spend your million dollars at the end of the day when you are the last survivor?

On the other hand, what's your perfect day? Is it a day when you can write all day? A day when all the pieces of your life, including writing, come into perfect balance?

Have you ever considered doing this for the characters in your story? This could be a great way to get to know them if you're just starting a story or are stuck at some point. It could also be an interesting way to bring out their personalities for readers. For the social worker heroine in one of the books of my series, her perfect day could mean all the parents of kids in foster care suddenly had their own lives under control so they could nurture and appropriately take care of their children; and she could go home early because no calls of child abuse or neglect came in. For the policeman hero, his perfectly awful day could include finding a ticket on his motorcycle he thought was parked legally. Does he get mad? Ignore it? Laugh at the irony of the situation?

In fact, I think I'll do this for the main characters in each of the stories I'm planning. These perfect days and perfectly awful days could even become part of their stories. Perhaps I'll develop a workshop using this technique. If you want to try it out, consider this a mini-online workshop and do one of these exercises for yourself or your characters. Have fun!

LONELINESS

Loneliness and writing. The silent scream from within.

Thomas Wolfe is quoted as saying: “Loneliness is and always has been the central and inevitable experience of every man.”

I suspect he's right. Even when you're so in love you can't take a breath without your lover, even when you are holding your first newborn, each of us is always aware we are alone in this universe, that push come to shove, inevitably, it's just us standing there at the end of the day. Oh, I know, sometimes we get so caught up in the day to day necessities of life including feeding, clothing, driving, comforting, mothering, cooking, etc... for others that we don't feel lonely, in fact, we crave time to ourselves, like Eli wanting to take a shower without a three year old. We are not lonely because we are busy and distracted. I suspect humankind stays busy and distracted to fight off the lurking loneliness deep inside, but I'm not a philosopher, so who knows.

Add to this basic premise a job -- a passion -- that requires solitary pursuit and isolation. Think of it this way: if you are a mushroom, you cannot flourish until you seek the deep dark, moist cover of the forest. You cannot be a mushroom on a beach in the bright sunlight. It won't work. If you are a writer, you can't flourish until you embrace the very essence of becoming a story teller. Like a mushroom, you are going to have to go it alone most of the time. You are going to have to take cover under the umbrella of your imagination where the world within becomes more real than the one without. And the more successful you become, the deeper into the forest you'll tend to wander.

This is a pitiful metaphor, I know, but in my head it kind of makes sense.

Recently, another loop I belong to got off onto this topic. It was brought up by a woman who mentioned it in passing, like dipping her toe into a pond to test the temperature of the water. One by one, a few other writers chimed in. I was convinced many of them were at my stage of life -- children gone, long hours alone, multiple contracts, umpteen books under their belts, right in the middle of their careers. But then one of the women emailed me privately. She was in her thirties, two little kids, a husband, etc... and she felt the same things I feel, the same core loneliness, that struggle to fit into your life the people you love, the necessities of keeping life afloat for family, the desire to be a better more present friend, and the needs of writing that take you away from everything else. She is trying to find a way to juggle it all -- and it became clear to me that this is what we all do, one way or another, at different stages of our careers -- we juggle that need to be part of our own life and the need to create fiction -- alone.

No wonder we writers crave conferences where we can momentarily rub shoulders with other people who "get" us. People who mumble under their breath. People who hold conversations in the shower with themselves. People who jot notes in dark theaters and ask the cat what she would do if that creep ran out on her. People who wave their arms as though warning off a rabid dog or make their loved ones assume poses to see just what it would take to overpower a younger, stronger person. Nuts, like us.

As a kid, I used to always feel on the outside looking in. When I had my first baby, I remember thinking I would never be alone again. I soon understood the folly of such a notion and thankfully, let her go, but it was there for awhile and it was such a warm glow. The glow of creation.

Open Blog Day

Since today's an open blog day, I thought I'd post our meeting reminder:

Join us tonight for our May MWV RWA meeting at The Blue Pepper in downtown Salem from 6-9pm. Our guest speaker is our very own Paty Jager:

Characterization: Minimum Words, Maximum Impact
Author and e-pub editor, Paty Jager, will show you how to take your characters from ordinary to memorable. This workshop will help an author pinpoint the little things that make a character come to life. Will use country western songs to show how choosing the right words can spark a connection between your readers and your stories.

And now a question...

Who was the most memorable guest speaker you've heard speak at a chapter meeting (or workshop) and why?

Websites

Happy thank-God-it's-no-longer-100-degrees Monday!!!

Ay ya ya...was it hot enough this weekend or what?! Friday night my poor kids had a baseball game. It was 102 when we drove over to the baseball fields and 99 on our way home. I was melting in the shade, they had to be dying in the sun! I'm so so SO happy we've returned to "somewhat" normal May temps. Don't get me wrong, I love the warmth and sun, but going from the 50's to 100's in a matter of days is a shock to the system!

Since Lisa's bogged down in class right now, snowed under with term papers and press releases and taking photos of hot guys (you'll have to ask her about that one...) I'm filling in for her today with a random survey.

Author Websites...what catches your eye?

I'm in the process of revamping my website to be more in line with my adventure theme. And as I'm looking at content I'm asking myself, what brings readers back? Obviously, new content. Contests are good. Updates on releases. What about teasers? Deleted scenes? Character interviews? Sections for writers - articles on query letters and agent hunting, etc? What content on author websites has piqued your interest and kept you clicking around? What content do you find boring or not worth including? And finally, what author websites have you seen that totally rock?

Saturday Check in

Yes, I'm a blog hog this week! LOL

So how did everyone do this week? I didn't write a single word on my WIP. My company had me hopping all week and I was on two reader loop chats which I did miserably at because of not enough computer time. Then yesterday and today I am judging 4-H presentations. Which is fun. I learned how to skin and mount a duck and make a chicken yesterday along with a plethera of other things. Looking forward to what I'll learn today! However, there is some down time inbetween the kids so I have a long a couple of the books I'm reading for research on the WIP. So I am getting something done!

Has the change in weather made it harder for you to stay focused on the writing?

Voice

Danita asked me to fill in for her today. So you get a double dose of boring me this week. Which brings me to the subject of voice.

When Terry Mclaughlin spoke to our group last month she asked me how I changed my voice between the historical and contemporary stories. And to be truthful- I haven't a clue! I told her by word usuage to not appear as stupified as I was by her question. I never think of voice. I don't know what mine is or how it's changed over the years. I believe, however, it has always been strong, and I've had to work on other elements such as plot and sentence structure.

My first romance book (which is horrid) neither one of the characters really had any GMC other than staying alive. The hero was pretty docile. But I was a finalist in a contest with the love scene. My second romance I finaled in a contest and placed third. Cindy Hwang of Berkley requested the full and rejected saying she loved the characters but the plot was bad. And so it went. Either I received high scores in contests or rock bottom scores, and was told that meant I had a strong voice.

But back to the topic. How does one explain their voice? On the blog this is how each blogger comes across to me. Lori - humorous and fun. Eli - sassy. Alice - the voice of reason. Wavy -perky with wisdom. Karen - intellectual. Genene - entertain as well as inform. Danita - catchy and fun. Lisa- optimistic.

And having read Lori, Alice, Karen, and Danita's longer works- that same voice pretty much comes through with some added nuances.

Is this how you hear your voice? Or are you like me and not really sure how to explain your voice? I'd like to hear others takes on the different bloggers voice to see if I even know what I'm looking for in voice. Or is voice an illusive thing that no one can really put a finger on? Just they either like it or they don't.

Grappling for Grammar

I'm so excited! I start school next week. Seriously! I'm going back to college. Hee hee. Well, that's not exactly accurate since it's only one class and I'm taking it online.

It's a grammar class at Central Oregon Community College and I'm taking it to brush up on those pesky repeater goofs that plague me now and then. My grammar is fine for the most part, but sometimes I screw up using pronouns depending on where they appear in a sentence. And the correct use of "was" and "were" is an intermittent problem for me.

I'm very fortunate to have a retired English teacher as one of my critique partners, and she catches everything. But I can't depend on her to be there for me forever. The apron strings must be cut. Sniff.

Here's an example of what I'm talking about:

I suddenly wished my spiky hair wasn't too short to hide behind.

The correct word is weren't. Though that doesn't sound right to me, it's still the proper way to use it.

And here's one of my pronoun errors:

I pictured this Turkish warrior beating up my teachers, most of whom were bigger than him.

The correct useage would be bigger than "he" and not "him."

I'm probably the best comma-user on the planet, I know how and when to use lay, laying and laid, and I've never had an issue with who or whom. And I know the difference between that and which. So hopefully I'll ace those particular lessons. I'll let you know.

If you have issues with your grammar, or just want to see where you stand, I highly recommend this website for some excellent grammar exercises. They've added about a dozen more categories since I last visited. Hmm… Maybe I didn't need to shell out my $89 for the college course.

Here's the syllabus for the course I'm taking at COCC. Looks like fun, doesn't it? I can hardly wait to jump right in and stretch those atrophied grammar muscles. After all, the eighth grad was a really long time ago. For me, anyway. COCC has other writing classes, too, and I'm thinking of taking the one on writing magazine articles as well.

So do you have any particular problem areas with your grammar? How confident are you that you can simply "get by" in this increasingly competitive industry we've chosen for ourselves? Personally, I've decided not to take any chances. It's tough enough as it is.

A book is a book is a book . . . Right?

Apologies for the VERY late post. I think I was stupefied by Lori's amazing post, and repressed the fact that I had to follow her today.

Last week, Tavy and I went to the Friends of the Library Book Sale. For $13.20 we got a huge bag of books. A lot of hard to find YA, some picture books, and of course, a ton of romance. As I added to my TBR pile at home, I started to feel a little guilty. I don't BUY books. I mean, I buy books, but I don't BUY brand new books very often.

Most of my books come from:

• Packages from my mother. My mother is a librarian, and she regularly raids the discards and donations for me.
  
• The library,. Now that I'm getting out of the house again, I'm back on a steady diet of 5-8 library books a week. Tasty. I've started showing Tavy board books and letting her "pick," so that she too knows the excitement of a library book.
  
• Friends of the Library Bookstore. I love supporting them, and I buy around 10 books a month here, and usually donate around the same amount.
  
• Friends/Freebies/Book Swaps. I get books from give-aways, our chapter book swaps, trading with friends, and other freebies.
  
• Half.com. I feel guilty even admitting this to a group of writers, but when the above fails, I usually turn to Half to find what I want, cheaply.
  
• Amazon. Ditto Amazon. One of my writing gigs pays me in Amazon dollars, but I always try to find stuff in the bargain bins.
  
• Borders. I pay full price for about 10-15 books a year, and usually at least half of them are people I know through RWA. The other half are usually self-help/non-fiction/gifts/impulse.
  

Whew. I feel better just admitting that, but I feel horrid that out of around 250 books I read each year, less than a 1/10 result in any money back to the authors. I should be drummed out of RWA for this! I know from reading RWR letters that many authors HATE the idea of used book sales, and shudder at the mere mention of evil, evil Ebay. (Of course, these same ladies can often be seen with wheelie bags in the free rooms at Nationals, but I digress).

And lately, I've been contemplating joining Paperback Swappers, because I'd like to read more by some hard-to-find authors, and I'd like to stop using Half.com so much. While amazing for cheap readers like me, I can see how authors would hate Swappers and other sites like that. Because, of course, what you WANT to have happen is Reader A loves your book, recommends it to Person B, who runs right out and buys it (full price), who tells Person C, and Ta Da! NYT Bestseller.

Perhaps I should do even more book reviews on my blog to balance things out? Should I avoid Swappers out of solidarity to my fellow authors? Where do you get YOUR books? Has your views on used books changed since joining RWA? Are there certain authors whose books you try to get at full price? Any other thoughts on used books?

INSPIRATION IGNITED

There’s nothing more rewarding than lumberjack portions of inspiration to fill your writing platter. Those surges, over-flowing with brilliant ideas and creative solutions, pulsate through your brain and pump your writing appetite into maximum overindulgence. In the writing kingdom that’s a good thing. What induces theses magnificent moments, and why they sometimes emerge at inopportune times, is a mystery as hard to solve as a good Agatha Christie book.

Some of my greatest ideas, scenes, and dialogue attack me at the most inconvenient times. The instant I slip into the shower golden remedies to problem areas and sensational dialogue sequences rain through my brain and drip from my tongue like refined grade A honey. If I could suction cup a waterproof computer to the wall I’m convinced I could write breathtaking chapters all day...or until the hot water ran out.

Writing inspirations and solutions have also attacked me in the middle of the night on a potty trot, mixing bread dough with flour up to my elbows, and driving the car. Most recently they struck at the doctor’s clinic with my legs in the stirrups in examination room number three.

Some situations make it difficult to jot down those magnificent gems at their moment of birth. To preserve those eloquent and precious sentences I’ve developed a memory tool. I repeat the thought out loud at least three times to help it stick to vacant wall space in my brain until I can place my hands on a pen and notepad. This method is foolproof most of the time, but glitches can arise. For example: In the examining room it doesn’t matter how delicate and professional your thrice repeated dialogue between two women comparing their husbands to the mold and grout around their kitchen sinks might sound. This chant will net a quick referral to a specialist of another kind.

Do you have a favorite place or time when writing inspiration ignites you? What do you do when writing inspirations irrupt in an inconvenient setting? Do tell. The next time I face examination room number three I want to be armed and ready when a force of genius strikes and illuminates my writing world.

Pitch Paragraph

I’ve been lurking on several agent blogs preparing myself to pitch to agents at Nationals. And I don’t just mean an agented appointment. I’m hoping I can get up nerve to talk to any agent I see. You know, casually at first, then hoping to edge into a short, succinct discussion about my WIP.

Kristen Nelson of the Nelson Literary Agency has been posting pitching info on her blog. And the one thing she said that finally rang a bell with me was to make your pitch sound like the back cover blurb with your plot catalyst.

And she says these are the three different ways you can build the paragraph around the plot catalyst.

1. The back story that sets the story and creates the context

2. Contributing plot elements that will broaden the story

3. Character elements that are imperative to the story.

Or she says you can do a combination of these to write up a pitch and back cover blurb.

So here goes. This is my pitch paragraph.

Mae Simon is on her first assignment as a Pinkerton operative and nothing will stand in her way; neither conventions nor a righteous U.S. Marshal. She’s also determined to find the traveling actor who fathered her and disappeared, leaving her mother pining for the man.

U. S. Marshal Beck Harlan can’t afford to get close to anyone . Not with a vengeance seeking outlaw killing off his intimate acquaintances. However, he finds himself falling for the French prostitute he persuades to become an informant, not realizing, she is a Pinkerton operative after the same man.

Show us what you would use for your pitch of back cover blurb of your WIP.( And I'll take any all suggestions on mine)

Saturday Check-in

It was nice to see Eli, Lisa, and Kendra at the Powell's signing last night! There was a good showing. And I really liked the panel discussion.

Okay, for check-in. I did miserably this week. And I really can't blame it on the gkids because they weren't here for most of it! I had promo stuff and work stuff that got in the way. I did some more research, but ended up with less than 1000 words this week. I worked on the synopsis, figured out more back story to make the characters more rounded, and have defined more of the secondary roles. But word count- not great!

And I don't foresee next week looking any better. The gkids will be back, I have four all day chats scheduled at reader loops, and I'm judging for two days for a 4-H event(which I get paid).

I hope everyone else had a productive week!

Pop Culture in Fiction

Okay, first of all, because Alice is gone and she didn't get a chance to share, I'm doing it for her. She sent me the new cover for her August 2008 release, BODYGUARD FATHER, and I want you all to see it. If you scroll down, you'll find it in the "coming soon" section as well, just below her July release, which is connected. I love that these two connected books have very similar covers. Isn't it gorgeous?

********

On to my post...

Speaking of Alice The Great, Wed. night she saved my bacon (yet again...you're da bomb, Alice) and helped me work through a section of my revisions. You see, I LOVE to add in popular culture bits in my books. I think it's fun and that it gives readers a way to connect with the characters on a more "real" level. So I'm always looking for a way to sneak a short reference to pop culture in somewhere.

One of the things my editor asked me to do in revisions for my first book, STOLEN FURY, was beef up a secondary character who ends up being the hero in the next book, STOLEN HEAT. So in a scene I added, this guy's sitting at his desk (he owns an antiquities gallery) reviewing an inventory list of his holdings. He gets to the last page and stops cold because it's a list of all the Egyptian pieces he's collected over the years. You see, years ago, he fell in love with an Egyptologist and she ended up dying and he was partially responsible. Over the years, in his guilt, he's been collecting Egyptian pieces and shoving them in storage. He has no intention of selling them or even looking at them, but even he realizes it's turning into an out of control obsession, and though the goal was to originally feel closer to her, it's taking him farther away.

Now, the pop culture reference came in because as I was writing this, I saw an analogy. Mel Gibson's character in Conspiracy Theory. He couldn't walk past a copy of Catcher in the Rye without buying it. And that's what my hero was doing - in a sense. I considered using that pop culture reference, and mentioned it to Alice. The problem with this, however, is two-fold. One, Conspiracy Theory is an old movie from the 90's. Will many people remember it? if so, does it date me? And two, considering all the flack surrounding Mel Gibson, will the reference to him turn off readers? Of course, I don't want to turn off readers, so that's something to take into consideration.

As it turned out, I think I got the point across without the pop culture reference, so in this case it wasn't needed, but that doesn't mean pop culture references are taboo. I love reading them in books and though some may say you should avoid mentioning them, movies and TV characters live forever. Laura Ingalls Wilder will always have braids as far as I'm concerned and Indiana Jones will always be the sexiest archaeologist I ever saw. In my mind, references don't necessarily date books but give you a way to identify so long as you pick references that span several years and aren't fads that come and go.

In the last scene of the paranormal I just sent my agent, the "mentor" is talking to the hero, who's wavering on his duties and being the man he wants to be vs being the one he's afraid to be. At one point she says to him, "This is your Star Wars moment. Stand up and do what you were born to do." I love this line for two reasons. One, who doesn't love Star Wars, know it and identify with it? And two, this line is particularly touching for me because when I was considering running for president of our chapter, Alice muttered almost the same exact thing to me. So now you all can blame her for my being president ;) But seriously, it did help me decide what I wanted to do, and I will never forget it.

I'm curious. Do you use pop culture references in your books? If so, can you give an example? If not, how come?

A SMILE IS A SMILE UNLESS ...

You've perhaps heard that one way to connect with readers is to use universal emotions that everyone experiences, such as happiness, sadness, grief, anger, and anticipation.

As writers, we can also use universal facial or body expressions and gestures to help readers connect with our characters. A smile is a sign of welcome, a growling dog means danger, flipping someone off means -- well, most people know what that means. Or do they?

I believe it was Paty who asked for English words her character from another country could "mangle" that would add a touch of humor. And I got to thinking how writers could help define a character by doing this with gestures or facial/body expressions in addition to just the spoken word.

Of course one of my examples involves a dog. :) A growling dog generally is giving a warning that you're treading in dangerous territory, and a dog with a wagging tail is considered friendly. However, one of my dogs wags his tail when he growls. This message seems contradictory, but there's a reason. When he was a puppy, we scolded him for growling at us. He wagged his tail to apologize and I made an off-hand comment that he'd better be wagging that tail if he was going to growl. He's now twelve years old and still wags his tail when he growls -- and looks at me to see if that's alright!

The gesture of flipping someone off generally is done in anger. However, it reminds me of a joke about a grandmother who didn't know what the gesture meant. She was dawdling through traffic, waiting until the stoplight turned yellow to go through intersections so other drivers had to wait and wait and wait. As the joke goes, someone flipped her off. Thinking that must be some new way to say "hello," the grandmother returned the one-finger wave. She got such a rousing response that she continued her meandering through downtown traffic, wreaking havoc and offering a one-finger wave in greeting and in response to blaring horns.

Smiles can also convey different messages. A smile can be broad and welcoming, mischievous, menacing or hiding what a person really feels. The character could give one message on the outside and keep their contradictory thoughts bottled inside. This can help a writer dig deeper into the character. What kind of person would do this and why? Perhaps a celebrity or public person who is always expected to be "on" or is in the camera's eye all the time. What if that person was "caught" having a bad day. What would their reaction be? (Is this where supermarket tabloids get their photos and those wild headlines?) Or a young woman who was eager to please keeps smiling at others even though her resentment of being used or victimized builds and builds inside until she flips out and becomes the smiling mass murderer.

OK, these may be extreme examples that I've not actually used in any story so far. However, as I'm starting to plot a series of books, I'm thinking of different ways to define those characters. How about you? Have you used a different take on "universal" gestures or expressions to give a character endearing -- or not so endearing -- flaws or quirks? Or do you stick with more traditional gestures such as a furrowed brow as a sign of worry?

The Waiting Game

I am playing the waiting game, my least favorite part of writing. It's the part where you send off a proposal -- so happy to see it go, so relieved it seems to work -- and then start worrying that it's terrible. Should you continue to write on it or move on or stand around staring into dusty corners? Will that call ever come saying the material is a go or a no go? Ack!

We all play it. With agents, with editors, with CPs.

What is your least favorite part of writing and how do you cope with it?

Sorry this is so short, the floor guys are here and kicking us out of the house. If someone would like to post additional information or use this to ask other questions, etc...please feel free.

Free Tuesday

Hey, all! Since it is the free Tuesday, I'd like to visit about getting thrown off course.

That's me today. I was just getting in the groove of the new WIP last week. Starting to kick out some pages, get into the characters, and then commitments and company upended me and I sit here today (company is visiting the other daughter for a few days) and I can't quite get motivated to jump back in even though the whole time I couldn't be at the computer writing, the characters and their backstory as well as some scenes that may or may not make it into the book have been playing in my head.

When you get thrown out of sync how do you get back in? I plan to start reading from the beginning and draw myself into the story, but I was wondering what others do. I haven't started any kind of music affiliation with this story yet. But my daughter gave me an MP3 player for my mother's day/birthday present. So now I have to decide what music put on it.

So what do you do to get back in a story when you've been pulled away for a few days?

Pet peeves

Sorry everyone, this post is going to be rather short - on my way out the door all day for work stuff. Something I was thinking about last night is pet peeves in writing and I want to do an experiment. What are your pet peeves that you see in books?

This is on my mind because I was talking with Eli last night about one of my pet peeves. When a character uses dialogue to explain something, when it's clear that in a 'real' conversation they wouldn't explain that. But since it's a book, and we're not psychic, the info needs to be in there some how. I tend to prefer it when it's in an internal, or if one person has a thought about how annoying it is that this person is blabbing on when he/she already knows that. Just something to acknowledge that it's a device I guess.

But I know that wouldn't bother most people. And something that might drive you crazy, I wouldn't think twice about. Like head-hopping. I hear so often that people can't stand head-hopping. Sherrilyn Kenyon uses it in her books and it doesn't bother me at all. In fact, I like the back-and-forth - I feel like I get more from the scenes. I don't know that I could pull it off as a writer though...

So what are your pet peeves? My hypothesis is that there may be a few common pet peeves among us, but that we'll each have our own little quirk. And lesson for the day: You can't please everyone. It's impossible to make a story that won't have pet peeves in it to some people. So don't try! Too stressful.

Challenge Check In

Good morning! It is a dismal, gray, and wet day on my side of the mountains. A good day to either write or read a book.

My WIP is continually congealing in my brain. Some good twists and ideas came to me. And while describing my work to a writer of poetry she said it sounded so good it made her leg tingle! LOL So far when I tell someone about the story it has been received well. I hope agents feel the same!

My word count for this week is: 3812. Not as much as I would have liked but I'm still researching and edging my way into the story. Getting a feel for the setting and characters. Not sure how much writing I'll get done the next couple of weeks with my daughter and three children 3-years-old and under running around my house, but we'll see.

How did everyone else fare this week? Good counts or researching or just plain thinking about the story.

PS: Don't forget to hop over to Brenda Novak's online auction for diabetes. There are some great things offered and it's for a great cause!

Vocabulary Workout

That's right, people. It's time to flex those literary muscles, shape up those sentences and condition those consonants and vowels. Bulk up on your word choices for a buff body of fiction that will make your readers drool at the very sight.

Okay, yeah, I'm on a fitness binge… again. Can you tell? Last year, for every pound I lost I seemed to gain one more and I'm ashamed to look at myself in the mirror. But enough about me. This blog is a fitness exercise for your prose.

I was watching the remake of Alfie the other night, the one starring Jude Law (yum!). He had one of those word-a-day calendars and he'd rip a page from the calendar every day and would find a way to use that word. It got me to thinking. We should all work on building up our vocabulary, don't you think? We're writers, right? Words are our business. So…

Get your fattest dictionary down off the shelf. Close your eyes and flip it open, then jab your finger down on the page. What word did you point to? I want you to do this three times, in three different sections of the dictionary. Now write a paragraph or scene using those new words.

I'd do the first as an example, but I'm on my way out the door to Les Schwab to get my brakes fixed. I'll contribute when I get back.

Try not to pull a muscle and have fun! 8^)