The Competitive Edge

Current Project: Mystic Taxi
Status: End of Chapter 9, page 131

I run hot and cold when it comes to contests. Being published means the pool of contests I'm eligible to enter is pretty shallow. To enter a published book in a contest, the book needs to have been published in the year the contest takes place, so that closes me out completely. To enter an unpublished manuscript in a contest, that contest has to accept published authors and most of them don't.

I entered the 2008 PASIC Book of Your Heart contest this year for a couple of reasons, the main one being that entries would be judged by librarians and booksellers. Now that's different and I really liked that idea. Getting peer judges who are fellow writers is like throwing the dice. You get a fair judge, you're in good shape, but if you get one with an axe to grind, fairness goes out the window. I've heard so many horror stories about contest judges out for blood who have very little clue how to judge someone else's writing. Spare me the agony of that experience.

I got lucky with the PASIC and finaled. And I won 3rd place, which is very cool considering the multi-published authors I was up against. So I'm proud of that win. I'm proud of Knight's Curse, the manuscript that got me there, and I pray for its eventual publication. In August of this year, I bit the bullet and entered yet another contest with KC. Gulp.

Results aren't in for this other contest, which is the Nola Stars 2008 Suzannah. But I entered because it's another different kind of contest where judges are librarians and booksellers, but also fellow writers, so I don't feel as encouraged. This is a romance contest, and the PASIC was as well, but the romance in KC is only a strong subplot and not the main plot. I kind of regret entering the Suzannah now, but what's done is done. Sigh. I just hope I can final based on the strength of the writing rather than the romance. Finalists will be announced December 1. The winner will be determined by a panel of 2 agents and 4 editors, and though I don't care about the agents since I already have one, I care a whole lot about the editors because all 4 are from publishing houses I'd love to have consider KC.

The editors judging the Suzanna are Leah Hultenschmidt (Dorchester), Margo Lipschultz (HQN), Alex Logan (Grand Central), and Leis Pederson (Berkley). KC is currently with Margo for the Luna imprint, and Berkley has already rejected, but it was a different editor. Any chance I can get my manuscript in front of editors, I'll take it.

It's now time to start thinking about Pengquin's Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest. I heard not-so-great things about it last year, but from checking out the rules for this year's competition, it doesn't appear to be the popularity contest that it was last year. There are professional reviewers making the selections, not every Tom, Dick or Harry and their relatives. I'm hoping that's the case, anyway, because I'm seriously considering entering Mystic Taxi, which will be finished and polished by the time the contest opens on February 2, 2009.

I'm thinking of entering Mystic Taxi in the PNWA contest, but the entry fee is steep at $50, and from my experience with it last year, the feedback was ho-hum and scores aren't given so I don't know how close or how far I was from finalling with Knight's Curse. All the comments were positive. Not a single criticism, just glowing praise, but I didn't final. That kind of ambiguous feedback gives me pause. I'm not sure the contest is organized very well.

Do you enter contests? Why or why not? What are your contest plans for 2009?

Shortest Blog Ever--but with a fun exercise!

Current Project: Golden Heart Entries
Status: Dreaded Synopsis

My students tonight are watching The Breakfast Club, one of my favorite all-time movies. Then, they'll select a main character to do a comparison/contrast essay with their own lives. I love the essays this generates because you get a chance to really see how people see themselves. Tell me about your current heroine. How are you similar? Different? Do you tend to write your idealized self or your polar opposite?

Current Project: A Killer Pinot Noir
Status: Chapter One

Hello everyone! I'm Deborah Wright and I'm looking forward to being part of the blog. I'm especially pleased that my first official post is today, Veterans Day. This isn't exactly about writing, but hopefully there's some inspiration to be found within.

Heroes. They're one half of the HEA equation and our stories would be awfully short without them. We bandy that word -- hero -- about pretty easily, but what is it that makes a person heroic?

A couple of weeks ago my husband and I had an unique experience. We attended an event at the Evergreen Air & Space Museum celebrating the men who served in Easy Company in World War II. In fact, it turned out to be a much bigger honor, as the dinner was actually part of their annual reunion. For those of you who don't know, Easy Company is the nickname for the 101st Airborne Division, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, E-Company -- the men depicted in the book and mini-series, Band of Brothers.

There are only a few men from Easy Company still living and not all of them were able to make it to the renunion. After the dinner, with a couple of exceptions, each man got up to say a few words. No matter their advanced age, they each stood tall behind the podium and, to a man, they all said essentially the same thing. They weren't heroes, they said, they were only doing their jobs. The real heroes were their comrades in arms who fell at Normandy and in Holland, the men they left behind in every battle. They were proud of their service, but there was no boasting or bragging, no swaggering or telling combat stories.

My husband and I had personal reasons for attending the event. We both wanted to pay honor to these men who had served our country. And in doing so, we were honoring our fathers, both gone now, who also served in WWII. My father-in-law was a paratrooper who jumped on D-Day in the same area of Normandy as Easy Company, landing amidst gunfire in Sainte-Mare-Eglise. My father served in the army in North Africa. Neither of them spoke much about their experiences, at least not to their children. Dad, if asked about the war, would invariably trot out some funny story about sandstorms and camels, nothing more, certainly nothing about the horrors he experienced nor the friends he lost.

It wasn't until after my father's death in 1994 that I learned more details of his service. We were going through his things and I came across a newspaper clipping of dad and four other young men in uniform. My mom told me they were all friends from the same small hometown in Minnesota. They'd enlisted together in September 1941 and the local newspaper had printed their picture. The thing that struck me was how young they all looked, just kids, really. Dad had just turned 19 years old that August. He was the only one in the picture to survive the war.

I learned that he served in the Minnesota National Guard, 34th Infantry Division -- the Red Bull Division. They were the first US Division deployed to Europe and my dad was on the first troop transport over, spending time in Ireland before the invasion of North Africa. I learned that he'd been a sharpshooter and had volunteered, but hadn't been chosen, to be part of a new group being formed from the 34th, nicknamed Darby's Rangers, the precursor of today's modern Army Rangers. Dad was wounded in North Africa and sent home in 1943, a first sargeant, while the rest of his Division went on to fight in Italy. He spent the remainder of the war helping train new troops.

These were quiet heroes. Men who might not have come across as "alpha" males, but probably didn't strike anyone as being "beta" either. They were men from all walks of life who did what they had to do and who came back from war wanting nothing more than to get on with their lives in peace. Much the same, I'd guess, as do all who ever return from war.

So when you're wondering what qualities to give the hero of your next story, especially if he's supposed to be heroic, try adding a touch of humility. Let us see his heroic nature, but make him blind to it. He'll be in mighty good company.

Happy Veterans Day!

Equation for a Romance Story

Current Project:Improper Pinkerton
Status: about half way

G(2)+ M(2)(C(5))= HEA

This is my version of an equation to build a romance story. You can multiply the C by more and get a longer story or shorten it for a shorter story. Your mission today is to jointly write a romance using this equation. The characters are Bud and Lizzy.
I'll start:

G(2)= Bud is a contractor vying for a job building a firecracker manufacturer. Lizzy has a goat farm. She makes cheese and has some fainting goats. She plans to win top honors at a prestigious cheese show.

Okay, next person what dos M(2) equal?

Have fun!

Equation for a Romance Novel

Current Project:Improper Pinkerton
Status:half way point

G(2)+M(2)(C(5))=HEA This is the equation for a romance novel. Use the equation and the characters Bud and Lizzy and dissect the equation one commenter at a time. I'll start with G(2)btw (the (2) and (5) are supposed to be superscript, you know, to the second and fifth powers)

G(2)= goals times two. Bud owns a paving outfit and he plans to get the contract for the new subdivision. Lizzy has the fainting goat farm next to the planned new subdivision.

Okay, next!

Expectations

Current Project: RS Option Book
Status: Chapter One

What did you expect when you logged on to the blog today? Was it this? A new design? Or were you expecting more of the same?

Before I dive into the topic of expectations, I have to take a moment to point out the new blog design. You'll notice that our book covers are all on the upper right now, with our new releases at the top of the page. Research shows the first place a viewer's eye travels on a webpage is to the top right column, so hopefully this will draw attention to our current and coming books. Our "info" now is along the left column, and be sure you scroll down and take a look at a new section labeled "Snapshots". Lots of fun new stuff you probably didn't expect.

Now back to my topic. Expectations are weighing heavy on my mind these days. With less than two months to go to my debut release, I've been thinking a lot about the next book, and the one after that. And tossing around this concept of giving the reader what they expect, but still shaking things up enough to keep the reader interested. We've talked about series before, and how most series tend to outlive themselves right around book 4 or 5. Why? Is it because the author's giving the reader too much of the same? More often than not, the reason I stop reading a series is because all the books begin to sound and read the same.

Like I said, this is in the front of my mind these days. My first book, STOLEN FURY, is a mystery romantic adventure. You don't know who the villain is until the end. But book two, STOLEN HEAT, is completely different. Sure, there's murder and mayhem and another treasure to be found, but this one is more of a suspense romantic adventure. The reader knows who the villain is all the way through. Book three, STOLEN SEDUCTION, is again another mystery romantic adventure, but does it have enough adventure? Is it as "Romancing The Stone" as the others in the series? Is it enough like the first two to give my readers what they expect, yet different enough to keep them interested?

I'm sure all new authors stress about these things (I hope!). It's that concept of branding, of labelling yourself as a writer so that when readers pick up your book, they know you write sexy romantic adventure or gritty crime dramas or quirky science fiction. My question for you though is, when are books in a series too similar and when are they too different?

THIS OLD HOUSE = THIS REWORKED STORY

I have lived for the past several weeks with two gaping holes in the side of my house. One where the bathroom used to be and another waiting for the door that was supposed to be an "easy fix."


This isn't the first time I've been involved in repair projects for my house--I gutted and remodeled my kitchen a few years ago. (The photo shows the gutted version of my kitchen before the project was finished.) However, other projects didn't involve trying to keep the wind, rain and cold from overpowering the heat from the furnace. Thank goodness we don't live in a really cold climate!

I've also started a modified NaNoWriMo (national novel writing month) challenge. Instead of writing a new story, I'm editing/cutting one that I drafted several years ago. Since I'm working on both of these things, I've begun to draw parallels between house remodeling and writing.

When you're building a new house, you want a strong foundation that will support the entire house. Just as you want to have strong goals, motivation and conflict for your characters to carry their story to a satisfying ending.

When you're remodeling a house or editing a story, the changes may be minor: some new wallpaper or simply checking spelling and grammar.

However, sometimes the project grows and grows--dry rot in two rooms instead of just one. No, wait! It's creeping into yet a third room! A leaking faucet--turn off the water! The seal just blasted across the room!

Fortunately, so far my story seems more cooperative. I went into it knowing I would need to cut the length in half, so I'm watching for language to tighten up or subplots to trim as I rekey the document. (This story was on an old computer and I don't have the same software on my current computer.)

Earlier this week, my son and I turned the corner on remodeling projects. After struggling with the city's permit process, receiving not-so-good news from the plumber, and hitting one stumbling block after another, we took a step back and considered the entire project from a different perspective. To follow the remodeling/rewriting analogy, we turned off the internal editor and unleashed our creativity outside of the four walls that had been the bathroom.

As many times happens with writing, this fresh perspective on remodeling brought a solution that will give me what I wanted (a larger bathroom with a whirlpool tub and lots of light) with less hassle and a bonus storage shed. Oh, yeah, and the holes in the wall will be repaired more quickly.

The major editing for my story still lies ahead, but my lessons from remodeling will be fresh in my mind. Turn off that internal editor, step back if necessary and consider the story from a different perspective. The result will be a fresh and unique story that I'll be proud of--with perhaps some bonus surprises tossed in!

Do the rest of you draw writing analogies from other pieces of your life? Of course, Lori does, and she has graced us with several of them--the cooking ones are especially yummy! How about those of you with young children? Or visiting relatives? Or medical care for loved ones? Or full-time day jobs? What parts of your life are similar to your writing process?

Birds Of A Feather

I woke up at 6:50 this a.m. as the dog shuffled into the room to make sure she hadn't missed anything exciting like one of us getting up and preparing her a steak. For a second I lay there, thinking about how I'm going to figure out a plot point or two and then I sat bolt upright. (Okay, I didn't really sit bolt upright. Does anyone actually do that? How many times have I read it though? How many times have I written it? Oh, and as long as we're being honest here, I don't know for sure why the dog shuffles into the room every morning as I am not privy to her POV.)



As I was saying, I was wide awake in an instant because it was my turn to blog and I had nothing prepared. Eek! (Have you noticed how we all have little words we tend to use? Eli says eek. I say ack. Karen snorts. Danita is famous for her Ha! I'm sure all the rest of you have them too and that I'm just too fuzzy headed to recall them at this moment. Plus. we've all adopted each others...) As you may have already surmised, I still have no topic to blog about. This has happened before, of course. I've started other blogs just like this, the difference being I realize it's a cop out and eventually find a subject, but I'm pretty sure that isn't going to happen this time, so please, don't get your expectations up.

Now, this is where I cleverly work in that adorable picture you see at the top. See how all those birds are cuddled together? Remove one of them and the rest look as though they will tumble off the branch. They are feather to feather and beak to beak for warmth, support, safety and comfort, or at least it appears they are. (Here's where I draw a parallel between those birds and our little ragtag group of writers bound together by this blog.) We need each other!

Yes, it's true. Take Eli's exciting reviews this month. She shared them almost reluctantly, thrilled to have good ones, a little embarrassed, it appeared, for looking as though she was bragging. All of us said, "No, please, share. Your fortune is ours, too, it feeds the dream, we want to share your good times -- we're happy for you!!"

Last spring, I got a pretty bad review that I didn't see coming. It robbed all the joy out of the book for me -- something I admittedly allowed to happen, the reviewer just expressed her opinion. Other reviewers said they loved the book, but that one negative comment from a respected source (RT) just killed me. I finally told you guys and you guys were wonderful and supportive and it helped. Bad reviews happen sometimes. You have to get over it. Compassion helps (because face it, your family mostly doesn't get it. They understand the disappointment, but I don't know if they can actually feel the pain.)

We're sent tons of cyber chocolates to one another as bad news roles in. We've danced happy dances like a bunch of crazed idiots when it's good news and we've <> our way through a hundred problems. Most of us don't even see each other that often, most of us are at different places in our careers and in life, and despite our common mantle of the romance genre, we all write different kind of stories from erotic to suspense to heartfelt to inspirational to fantasy and everything in between.

The differences between us are even more profound than what and how we write. Not all our goals are the same. Some of us enjoy the business aspects of writing, some aren't sure they want to see their work in print, some like ultimate control over their work from blurb to cover to what's inside. Some of us are totally engaged in our work until our share in its life is in other hands and then we let go and move on (that would be me.) Some embrace the longevity of their product and stick with it for the long haul, far after it hits the shelf for the first month. It doesn't matter, it's just variations on the same theme.

To finish this up and not make it a complete waste of your time, let's do a mini check-in as we missed one this weekend. I'll go first. Chapter one done. Synopsis in progress. I also submitted a workshop to Nationals at the 11th hour (literally, beating the deadline by 12 minutes...) and agreed to speak in Portland and in Redmond this spring following the March release of a book I wrote this summer. I am trying to engage myself in my career past writing books which is out of my comfort zone, and in part if not in whole, I have all of you to thank for it as day by day and month by month you all push yourselves in different directions.

So, thanks! I think...

Covers

Last week I was hit soundly over the head with "You can't judge a book by it's cover." I was thunked several times. I'm judging a contest and I cheer every time that UPS man rings my doorbell with more free books.

After I opened the first box, I studied each book, read the author bio and scanned the cover. I never read back cover copy because I don't want any hints about what will happen in the book. Three of the authors I'd read before. One of these books I already owned and had enjoyed it. The rest I'd never heard of. First, I read the most famous author's book. The cover was gorgeous. Rich colors, with a graphic and title that truly set the mood and gave a hint of what to find inside.

I was disappointed. The characters were flat, the plot was forced, and there were several illogical jumps as the characters solved the mystery. After the first 30 pages I went back and reread the pages more slowly, convinced I'd missed something key about the hero because I couldn't "see" him. Nope. He was literally unformed. Drove me crazy through the whole book. I made myself finish the book even though I wanted to put it down several times. By the way, that catchy title didn't jive with the story.

The second book I picked up hesitantly. It had a truly unfortunate cover. One I would have wrinkled my nose at and immediately passed over in a store. The story was terrific. A first person POV with a fresh character and a great, unusual hook. I couldn't put it down. When I was finished, I felt angry for the author. Who designed and signed off on this horrid cover? How many sales had the author lost because of the stupid cover?

I wasn't very interested in picking up the third book, because I thought I knew what it was about by looking at the picture on the cover. Whoever designed the cover got it totally wrong. I was expecting one type of story but got a tight, fast paced educational suspense with fantastic characters. The story never went to the pristine location pictured on the cover. The heroine in the story never dressed in anything glamorous like on the cover. She was a refugee-looking woman who'd been through utter hell for five years. She barely had hair let alone the fantastic mane the picture portrayed. High heels? Yeah, right. Once again I was highly annoyed with the publisher.

Elisabeth told me she had to fill out a long questionnaire about her story before the art department tackled her book. What happened with these books? Maybe this publisher does it differently. I've often read the author is powerless when it comes to covers. But what about the editor? Did these editors read the same books I did? I can't imagine pouring my heart and soul into a book only to have the cover suck. I'd cry.

Have you picked up a book even though the cover was weird or ugly? Pubbed writers--I want to hear your cover stories.

You knew I'd include this. My pirate, rock star, and Gabriella from High School Musical 2. (Yes, she is wearing a wig.)

Speed writing

The time for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is upon us. I know a few of you are participating, or modifying the event to suit your project. Even if you know you won't be able to reach 50,000 words this month, a lot of people end up speed writing as much as they can.

Personally, the best way for me to write fast is to have already plotted the scene I'm working on. Or at least have a good idea of what's going to happen and how it's going to end. Otherwise I just end up sitting there thinking too much instead of writing. It also helps me to have music playing so I can block out the voice of my internal editor.

I know a lot of people do little tricks to up their word counts during NaNoWriMo. Things like not using contractions, or calling your characters by their full name. That works, but I think it depends on your goal with the project. If you're going into it to see if you can write that much, by all means do that. If you're planning to continue with the book after November, I think you're just setting yourself up for more work by having to go back and fix those things.

Other tips for writing fast are:
- prepare any materials you might need (research, reference books, paper, pens, laptop power cord)
- tell your family to leave you alone for the amount of time you need
- turn off your phone/phone ringer
- get any chores or 'to do' list items done before writing so they don't nag at you
- set out food for your animals, grab a few toys, let them do their business - so they don't bug you
- grab any drinks or snacks you need so you don't get up; once you're up it's hard to sit back down

Do you have any other tips for getting yourself to write a lot in a short amount of time?

TRICK OR TREAT

Happy Halloween everyone!!!!

The Super Book Store

I read an interesting article in this morning's Publisher's Lunch about some book stores applying for a liquor license. Interesting. Boozing and browsing. Seriously though, you figure many book stores these days feature a coffee shop, some include a cafe, so why not alcohol?

I think the main goal is to boost evening and weekend store traffic. Not a bad idea. Plus with all the big chain stores bogarting the majority of book business, the indies have to do something different to set themselves apart. Would you rather go to Barnes and Noble to browse and sip lattés? Or to the corner bookshop where you can sip a brewski as you browse. Hmmm...

There are already retail stores that may not have a book section, but they'll feature books to go with other products, like cook books in cookware, and fashion books in the clothing section (especially if the book jackets color coordinate with what the maniken is wearing), and sports books in sporting goods. So why can't book stores be a cut above the mundane? Books would always be the focus, but there'd be add-on pleasures to your book buying experience.

I remember when there used to be story time at the local book store for the kiddies on the weekends. Do stores still do that? I'm glad the library does. My kids used to love that.

There's live music in some book store cafés. In fact, Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, the writers organization in Colorado that I belong to, just started an "open mic night" at different independant bookstores throughout the city. Members sign up to perform and read from their unpublished or published work. Sounds like great fun. I remember when I lived there we'd sometimes have open mic readings at local coffee shops, and that was a lot of fun, too. But I think bringing the entertainment to the book store is even better.

There's a great need to be creative in retail during these tough economic times. Book stores offer inexpensive entertainment through reading, and family night might have mom, dad and the kids spending a couple of hours at the local book store sharing a meal in the cafe, listening to live music or a reading, buying some books, then spending the rest of the evening at home curled up by the fire, reading to each other. I see the cocooning trend coming back, and it's about time, too.

What would be your fantasy book store? What would you like to see offered at your local book store that would make it special and more inviting?

Show v. Tell, Part Umpteen

I lectured on showing versus telling to my students tonight, and seeing as how my brain is stuck on "teacher" right now, I thought I'd revisit the topic here again. To my mind, showing versus telling is the hard, red line separating stellar writing from merely good. Sometimes we get so married to a particular paragraph or turn of phrase that it's hard to make the necessary revisions. Or we settle for "good enough for government work" because GAAA! it's hard to be so active all the darn time. Sometimes a girl just wants to lay on her proverbial editing couch and eat very real bon-bons.

This is where short writing exercises shine. I see it again and again with my students--they can make individual sentences sing, and then, slowly over time, the creative forces make their way into their "real" writing. Let's get those brains limber and shake off the cobwebs as we shimmy our way through a little tune-up.

(Please note that this is clearly a do as I say and not as I do blog because there's not an ounce of showing going on here, and I think I've managed to single handedly set the record for most cliches in two paragraphs. Reminder to self: do post on cliches next.)

Choose your poison:

1. My book is on the NYT list.
   
2. Her contract came in the mail, but she was disappointed.
   
3. I wrote 10,000 words last week.
   
4. She is a great author.
   
5. She is my inspiration.
   

Have at it!

Premise, Plotting, Writing

I wasn't going to ask a question this week because, Alice has dubbed me the question asker (LOL)- but after reading hers and Eli's comments on the Saturday check-in it made me wonder- What do you find the most difficult stage of a new project? Is it coming up with the premise or idea for a book, the plotting of the book, or the writing?

With everyone at different stages in their projects and listening to the concerns or problems they face- it made me wonder, just like everything else in writing, does each writer also find different stages of the writing more difficult than others and is it because of the genre they write, or just their own preference of getting the story on paper?

Myself, I love the research involved in writing the historical westerns. I don't have a problem coming up with a story premise/idea- but I tend to get frustrated with the plotting at times, but find the writing, once I get started flows fast and the story comes. With the contemporaries- the story idea comes and the plotting seems to fall into place, but the writing is harder. Not sure why, but I feel like a newbie writer every time I attempt contemporary.

So what is your genre and which of these do you feel you struggle more with Premise, Plot, or the writing? And why?

Saturday Check in

Hey all! How did your week go? Did you accomplish what you wanted? More? Less?

I didn't write near as much as I wanted, about 4000 words. I was hoping for five times that. Hopefully this next week will work out better. But Wavy will be proud of me. I read three books this week! I had two to read for final edits and one was an EPPIE entry. That's why I didn't get as much writing done this week. Plus buzzing over the mountain for the meeting. It always takes away from my writing time, but it refuels and re-ignites my writing flame when I get back.

Only one more week until NaNo. How many of you are participating?

The Name Game

Yesterday, my six-year old son informed me I fail miserably when it comes to the name game. This is a snippet of our conversation after school.

Him, coming in the door, tossing his backpack on the couch. "Mom, I want to change my name."

Me, not bothering to look up from my computer. "Hm, sounds like a plan. What are you changing it to?"

Him: "Bryce. Spelled the right way."

Me: "Your name is spelled the right way."

Him, crossing his arms over his chest, looking way too much like his dad: "Uh-uh. You can't spell. Bryce: B-R-I-C-E. I can hear an 'I', not a 'Y'."

Me, smiling, finally turning from the computer: "Honey, we spelled your name with a 'Y' because we liked it that way. Sure, some people spell Bryce with an 'I', but we liked the other way better."

Him, looking quite indignant: "Well, I don't. I'm changing it to B-R-I-C-E. Because 'I' know how to spell. Better than you."

Unfortunately, the Gremlin has a point...though there's no way in hell I'm changing his name. ;) Nothing irritates me more than not knowing how to pronounce a name. My first year as a teacher, I remember standing in front of my 8th grade classroom reading the names off the roster list. Smart me, I didn't look at them ahead of time. I got near the bottom and saw this: Xipe. Now you tell me how you would pronounce that name! I took a wild guess, thought of Xerox and said: "Zippie". Um...not even close. The name is Aztec, and is pronounced "Sheepa". Needless to say, this boy and I were not lifelong friends.

As a parent, I wanted to give my Gremlins unique but easy to pronounce names. Our kids are: Alia, Bryce and Reece. When the oldest was about 2 we took her to Disneyland, and when we were getting on the plane to come home, the flight attendant at LAX looked at her boarding pass and said, "Wow, I've never seen that name spelled with so few letters." She's right. Look at all the spellings: Aleah, Aleea, Aleia, Aleya, Aliyah....I know there are more, but that's just a sampling. At the time we named her, it never occurred to me anyone could screw up the spelling (or pronunciation) of her name, but they can. And I won't tell you how many times people misspell Bryce and Reece. (Reese is feminine, Reece is masculine...how hard is that to remember? Sheesh!).

As a reader though, there's nothing more annoying that reading a book about a character and not knowing how to pronounce a name. The hero/vampire in JR Ward's first book is named Wrath. The first time I read that, I thought, "Seriously? No way. No one would name a baby Wrath. No matter the race." That name has always bothered me. I know, I know, it fits in with all her other "vampire" names, but it still bothers me. In my head, from day one, I've pronounced his name Wraith. Don't ask me why. Just sounds better to me, I think. So whenever I'm around anyone who's talking about those books, I always do a double take. As a writer, I try very hard to come up with names that are somewhat unique but still easy to pronounce. I learned my lesson early on. The heroine in the 3rd book I wrote was named Maren. To me that's a pretty easy name to pronounce...think Mel Gibson's dead wife in Braveheart (and when spoken with a Scottish accent...perfect). Apparently, though, not so easy to pronounce. Just about every person who read that book for me pronounced it Mare-in instead of Mahr-en. And when they would talk to me about the book, I used to cringe inside when they'd mispronounce the name, though I never corrected them.

I have my trusty baby name book on my desk, because yesterday I was looking for "unique but easily pronounced" names for the characters in my new books. As Alice's editor a few books back pointed out, the days of John, Mike and Tom are gone. Readers want more unique, but still easy to read names. Surprisingly, this is the first time in my writing I've had to turn to the name book - usually names just come to me. But now that I know these books will see print, I want to make sure I don't pull another Maren or Wrath out of the hat.

How are you with the name game? Ever heard feedback from a reader regarding a name you used in a story?

TAKING STOCK

Ready or not, 2008 is quickly wrapping up. What have you accomplished this year in your writing career? This isn't meant to be an exercise in beating yourself up--think of it as a warm-up to claiming those raindrops and chapter awards in December!

When I first made my list, it seemed pretty short. However, when I considered all the pieces in each item, it wasn't so bad after all. I also noticed that each item on my list included learning from and working with other authors. That's also very cool.

Anyway, here's my list (without too much detail):

-- The first part of 2008 was dedicated to promotion for my first published book. This was a new adventure for me with contests, booksignings, reviews, blogging, and more. As I have all year, I'm still gathering ideas from other authors and sorting through what worked and where I could have used my resources more wisely, as I promote two more upcoming releases.

-- I plotted a series of nine books and I'm eager to dig back into the actual writing of these books. Other projects (such as the large holes in the back wall of my house) have delayed this. To jump-start this writing project, I've decided to do a modified NaNoWriMo. I'm not sure that I'll officially sign up on the Web site and participate in the forums, I just want to write as many words as I can. And I'll be watching you other Wrimos for tips on how to be productive. :)

-- I'll be part of a Valentine's Day 2010 anthology with a new e-book publisher (Chris Young's) and some wonderful opportunities for promotion, including a "write-on" part that was auctioned off as part of a fundraiser for the humane society here in Salem. This promises to be lots of fun!

So what have you accomplished in 2008 and what do you hope to finish yet this year? Remember, there are two more months left in this year--still time to squeeze in a bit more writing time!

EVERYTHING MUST GO!

As you can see from the sign at the top, you have just stumbled across a yard sale. In respect of Kendra's recession related blog yesterday and the seemingly universal struggle to make ends meet, I have decided to get rid of extra stuff I don't need (and at bargain prices, too.) So, take out your wallets, it's your opportunity to stock up on stuff I no longer need (or hope to get rid of -- hey, one woman's cast-off is another's treasure, right?)

First to go, Indecision. This one goes cheap. Buy a big chunk, think Christmas! It's a killer for a writer, but it might be useful for -- okay, nothing. It accomplishes nothing. It freezes actions and undermines forward movement. Still, think about giving the gift (at a reduced rate) that keeps on giving! Give the gift of indecision!

No? Over there! Look. A whole shelf of fear. Man, this is going cheap, too, so stock up for those times when you think you are on top of the world. This is how it works. Things are going good, you are totally on your game. Then someone innocently says something that reminds you you don't really know what the hell you' re doing. Or maybe you read something by an "expert" that seems counter-intuitive to you but figure they know more. Drat. Or maybe you just think of something all on your own. It doesn't matter, that's the beauty of fear. No special requirements, an equal opportunity condition, you can never have too much (or too little...)

I can see you're a tough cookie. I have something guaranteed to soften your cold heart. Over there, lurking behind the monitor, you see her. Isn't she cute? Yes, she's fixed, she has all her shots, she'll sit on your desk and nuzzle your hand and demand just a bowl of cat food every once and awhile and in return, she'll drool on your keyboard. ZAP! Wait, wait, she's free! Come on, you know you want her!

Don't want a perfectly nice little orange cat? Tsk...

Wait, don't walk walk empty handed. That bin over there with the two for one sign on it? That's the Envy bin. Oh, yeah, baby, you know all about this. Maybe not in your conscious mind, but it's there lurking in your subconscious, and who can't use a little refresher? Be sure to read the warnings on the label, though. Rumor has it a tiny bit can motivate ... perhaps. But too big a dose can cause discontent and literary impotence. I don't have a lot of this to get rid of, thank goodness, but what I have I'm willing to let go at a ridiculously low price.

I can see you are a discerning shopper. Let me part the curtain and show you the trio of goodies I save for special customers! That's right, I see you eyeing that little beauty called Greed and right next to it, a companion piece, Impatience. They don't seem related to you? Think about it for a moment. One says I WANT MORe and the other says I WANT IT NOW. And don't overlook Inertia. Yes, I know Inertia looks a little worn around the edges, sure, I've taken it around the block a time or two, but it's still in working order, trust me. You can have all three for half price, but don't tell anyone.

I think that's about it. No, that box is just for show. What are you doing? Don't open that box! Oh, dear, look what you've done, you've released negativity. Gad, it spreads fast, doesn't it? Cover your mouth and nose. Close your eyes. No, that won't work, it seeps through your skin. The only defense is not to let it near you. See it? Look away. Read it? Close the book. Hear it? Cover your ears. Unless you can think of one positive thing negativity can offer you, one way it can return what it takes away from you, give it a cold shoulder. You don't want that either? I'll get the vacuum and we'll try to get it back in the box.

Okay, I can see my yard sale is a total bust. I know, let's make a bonfire! Let's pile on everything that didn't sell -- except the orange cat -- and toast marshmallows!

Did I leave something out that you'd offer for sale cheap?

My Rant for the Week

My husband did the grocery shopping on Sunday. Usually I do it. As he came in from the garage with a bag of groceries, his first words were "Man, stuff is expensive!"

Have I mentioned he's a store manager for Safeway?

The slowing economy has made me more aware of my spending. I've tightened my belt a notch. Not a huge notch, but enough. I wait for my weekly staples to go on sale instead of automatically throwing them in the cart. Funny how the new sale price is the same price as the old regular price. I glare at the shrinking boxes of cereal and crackers. Their prices have stayed about the same, but the boxes are noticeably smaller. I rarely buy impulse items, but my hub often does. He bought egg nog this week. Huh?

I try to do all my grocery shopping in one trip. If there is something I need mid-week, it has to wait, because I'll buy more than I need. Or I text my husband to bring it home. This usually doesn't work. He doesn't like to shop on days he works; he just wants to go home. If he takes off his tie and name tag to shop, customers and employees still stop him in the aisle with questions.

Several years ago I stopped clipping coupons, but I recently started again. I also let my house cleaner go. I felt horrible, but she acknowledges her job is a luxury for most people. I wonder how many clients she's lost.

I had my hair cut last Monday. My hair dresser was the only one working in a salon of 12 stations. That place is always cranking with business, usually every station is full. Mondays are the quietest days, but I've never seen it completely empty. She tried to get me to set up my next appointment around the end of November. Six weeks? When I went eleven this time? I wonder how bad her business is hurting.

I'm thankful my husband has a steady job. When times tighten, grocery business increases because more people are eating at home instead of restaurants. I'm thankful we didn't get sucked into the mortgage mess. We almost did. Several times an agent flat out lied to me when I talked to her about refinancing. I thought it was a good deal. My husband ran it past a mortgage broker in his Rotary club who steered us away. I'm thankful we saved and invested our money. Yes, we could have saved more, but we're sitting better than a lot of people. I'm thankful my parents taught me the value of a dollar.

We've raised a generation of spenders. Cell phones, iPods, huge homes, awesome cars. A generation who believes these items are a right, not a luxury. We brought a large part of this crisis on ourselves and I believe it all came down to greed. People wanted items they couldn't afford, and companies loaned the money wanting the income from interest. Now everyone has to pay.

What habits have you changed recently to cut back on spending?

Valentine...

is the best show EVER! Has anyone watched this? I remember seeing ads for it last month. It caught my interest because it has Greek gods, but that interest left once I saw it was on the CW. Most of their other shows don't appeal to me.

But on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008 - my life changed forever. I was procrastinating on homework and channel surfing. Absolutely nothing was on TV, I'd already watched Sportscenter twice, so I decided to stop when I saw Valentine on. Heck, the guy was cute! And the whole Greek mythology thing.

I happened to catch it at just a few minutes in and was hooked. For a romance writer who loves Greek mythology - this show is perfect. Let me tell you about it.

Aphrodite runs a business called Valentine, Inc. - they get soul mates together. She sends her business cards into the sky, and the fates deliver them to a soul mate in need. Then Aphrodite can tell when someone has picked up a card, so they go to a woman named Phoebe and she checks the Oracle of Delphi. The Oracle shows them about the two soul mates and what their destiny will be if they don't get together. And what the timeline is.

The premise is that their business is waning, less and less people are using their "service." Keep in mind that the soul mates don't know they are getting services by Greek gods. The gods use the purpose of their business to fit the needs of the soul mates. In the first episode, the hero and heroine (just friends) has a tiff so he shoved photos of them down the sink. The Valentine, Inc. card came floating through the window as a 24-hour plumbing service. So the gods show up as plumbers then proceed to help the soul mates get together. Another episode they were wedding videographers, last night they were lawyers, etc.

So, in this world the gods start turning mortal as they become irrelevant. So they need to kick their business up a notch. Aphrodite decides to bring in an expert on modern love. She waits for the fates to show her what to do, and she picks up a book that's used as a table leg. It's a romance novel :) So she convinces the romance writer to join their team. It's really cute to see her reaction when she finds out the Greek gods are real. So a romance writer is helping these ancients to help others find love. Isn't that the best premise ever?

Other characters are Hephaestus (who now goes by Ray), who is Aphrodite's lover and first husband. Ages ago she ran away from him and married Aries (who goes by Ari), who is still her current husband in a loveless marriage. Aries and Aphrodite have a son, Eros, who is on the Valentine, Inc. team. And Hercules is there too, he's with the seer Phoebe. It's such a great cast! Each week they connect a new pair of soul mates.

I swear the writer of this show recorded my dreams and turned them into television! The first couple of episodes (last night was only the 3rd) are on the CW's Web site. Enjoy! :)

Have any television shows inspired you?

SATURDAY CHECK IN

I need a blog fix and some accountability!

How's everybody doing?

I received the quadruplet baby book back for copyedits. It arrived yesterday afternoon and they want the changes in NY on Monday. Huh? Naturally, we have visiting family to throw into the works. It just never amazes me the hurry up and wait aspects of this business. I'll work on the edits which are the lightest I've ever seen, and then it's back to work on the WIP which is taking baby steps toward creation. I have to admit that editing a story I just finished while beginning a new one is a little daunting. Can these five pages ever swell into almost three hundred? Right now it seems kind of impossible.

So, where are you, what are you up to, and those of you getting ready for the write a book in a month thing starting in November, explain to me how you get ready for it. I think Wavy said something about plotting -- does that mean you must have it plotted first? (The plotting is the thing that sometimes takes me a month!)

Have a great weekend!

The Power of Patience

I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel like this is happening to me. Waiting. Always waiting. It can be so frustrating sometimes.

I'm usually a very patient person, but what I've discovered about myself is that when I'm waiting for something, I tend to subconsciously go into a holding pattern. I don't mean to, but I put off doing certain things until I hear about X, Y or Z. It's that niggling voice that whispers in my ear, "Well, there's no point in doing this or that until you hear something first."

Of course I'm talking about all things writing related. Well, other things, too, but for the purpose of this blog, I'll stick to writing. We work on our WIPs, then submit pages to our critique partners, then wait for their feedback. When we query agents, we wait for their response and hope it's not a rejection. If it's a request for a partial, we wait to hear if they like it enough to ask for the full. If they ask for the full, we wait to hear if they love it enough to offer representation.

Then comes the next phase of waiting. Our agent submits the manuscript to publishers, and you wait for news. Your agent follows up with editors, who haven't made a decision yet, and you again wait for news. I just heard this morning about a second pass on Knight's Curse, but there are still many more pending a decision. Aargh! The waiting!

So while I wait, I do other things, like work on the next book. I'm so glad I'm in love with this new project or I'd be a gonner. Even so, that waiting bugaboo bugger sits on my shoulder and whispers in my ear, trying to get me to put off this, that and the other until I hear news. So to quiet my torturer, I decided to enter a couple of contests.

So I enter the PASIC Book of Your Heart contest, make the finals, then wait past the September date winners are to be announced. It turns out the editor judge for the paranormal category (the category I finalled in) has not responded to the contest coordinator's plea for a judgment on the finalist entries. Wait some more. Then we find out a new final editor judge (St. Martin's) has agreed to do the honors, so we start waiting all over again.

I also entered RWA's NOLA Star's Suzannah. Finalists will be announced at the end of November, so I'm waiting to find out about that.

So tell me, what are you waiting for right now? And how do you deal with it?

Dear NYT Bestseller . . .

Dear NYT Bestseller,

Perhaps you weren't listening at our August meeting when Maggie Lynch from the Portland Chapter told us to read contest entries as if they were bestsellers. Maybe your mocha couldn't get around your cheese quesadilla and you thought she said, "Write bestsellers as if they were contest entries."

Had it not been for the glossy cover with your trademark sassy & fun cover that made me plunk down my $4.99, I would have thought I missed one in that last round of judging. You do not take an extremely likable hero and heroine and spend the FIRST SIXTY FREAKING PAGES mired in backstory and narrative. Long, winding, pointless backstory. NO ACTION. NONE. NONE. Heck, I'm just now on page 61 and the hero and heroine are about to meet. And nothing NOTHING else has happened other than set-up. Yes, you've got an amazing voice (10! 10! 10!) and you could probably make a grocery list readable, but you're not going to sell based on voice alone.

Oh wait.

You did.

In fact you sold ME. I, with no book budget at all, saw your shining moniker in a weak moment and snuck you home behind the detergent and baby food. Once upon a time, you knew how to plot. You've got the slot on my keeper shelves to prove it, and they don't exactly hand out RITA's for "Best Backstory in a Non-Novel." You were good. Scary good. Then what happened?

You got smacked with a big ol' dose of J.K. Rowlings disease--thy editor is in awe of you, and no longer speaks up to actually EDIT. Maybe you signed up for too many books this year. Maybe you had other stuff going on in your life. Maybe you resurrected this one from under the bed in a desperate attempt to turn your discards into college funds, but sister, let me tell you, if it didn't have your name affixed to it, I don't think it would have made it out of the first round of judging.

Now, while your latest work is lodged firmly under MY bed now, and won't be seeing the light of day until I trade it away, I'm not willing to give up on you get. You're no longer an auto-buy for me, but I'll let you keep your library privileges. Maybe this one WAS a fluke. You've got too much talent rattling around in there to let yourself off the hook so easily as you did with this go-around. You need to dig deeper and fulfill the promise you make to readers when they pickup a book with your name on it.

And how can you do that? It's simple "Write as if it's a contest entry!" Wait. I know you're thinking "But that's exactly what I did! Isn't that what you've been yelling about?"

Um. No. You wrote a bad parody of a contest entry. What you need to do is to write like you've never sold before, like you'd sell your left kidney to make the GH finals, like getting an editor or agent to read past the partial would be your own personal Everest. THEN. Then, you'll have a shot at reclaiming some of your past glory. And I'll be rooting for you! But until then, please, lay off the double lattes and take better notes!

Smooches,

Wavy

P.S. Feel free to post your own anonymous rants at the writing/reading related injustices in YOUR world right now :)

Knowing Lori is on a hiatus due to personal reasons, I'm taking the liberty of blogging this Tuesday morning. Lori, if you happen across this, our thoughts are with you. Meanwhile, If I'm stepping on someone's space, please go ahead and post right over the top of me, I will love seeing what you have to say.

The reason I am taking this liberty is because I realized today what this blog means to me. It's the second thing I check almost every day (after the mail. Oh, and if the dog is still breathing.) Unlike so many of you, I don't have the distractions of children or commuting or deadlines other than writing ones. I don't blog anywhere else and I seldom read other blogs though I do sneak into a few of yours once and awhile. I love opening up this blog and seeing what everyone else is up to, what they think, what concerns them, where they are on their journey. I love Lori's gentle humor, Eli's snarky insights, Danita's wit, Paty's questions, Genene's thoughtfulness, Lisa's take on getting started. I love the ying and yang of Wavy's rants, hearing about Kendra's children and reading addiction --er, habit-- Karen's imagination. You are all funny at times, insightful at times, serious, confused and determined and you always start my day in a positive way. I love the responses from bloggers, members and non-members alike, they so often see things in a different way and they enrich the experience. So, from the bottom of my heart, thankyou to bloggers and readers alike.

Every once and awhile, one of us throws something out that raises hackles or eyebrows or blood pressure, something we either identify with or disagree with. Something that annoys us. And that, I believe, is okay. Maybe even good on occasion as it means we're thinking and reacting and becoming involved and isn't that the point? Most of the time, our blogs are not confrontational, they're more along the lines of musing meanderings with a little information, a lot of opinion and many questions thrown into the mix. And that's good, too. A decent walk along a riverbank may not get your heart pounding like running from a pack of rabid dogs, but on a day to day basis it's a heck of a lot more pleasant.

Do you look forward to reading our blog every day? Which kind do you enjoy the most? If you're not a member and you check in every day or even once and awhile, do you know we enjoy hearing from you and you are always welcome to participate?

OUR BLOG

I am taking the liberty of blogging this Tuesday morning. If I'm stepping on someone's space, please go ahead and post.

The reason I am taking this liberty is because I realized today what this blog means to me. It's the second thing I check almost every day (after the mail. Oh, and if the dog is still breathing.) Unlike so many of you, I don't have the distractions of children or commuting or deadlines other than writing ones. I love opening up this blog and seeing what everyone else is up to, what they think, what concerns them, where they are on their journey. I love Lori's gentle humor, Eli's insights, Danita's wit, Paty's questions, Genene's thoughtfulness, Lisa's take on getting started. I love the ying and yang of Wavy's rants,

Titles

This one or that one.... Well, I'll post my original post here and the other one I was thinking about will be on my Monday personal blog. So you'll have to buzz over there to see what the subject I was thinking about posting is. :)

I know most authors say your titles will be changed you don’t need to think too hard about them. But according to agent, Jessica Faust of Bookends Agency, that is the first thing that grabs her about a manuscript and will keep her reading. The title.

She says it should evoke the feel of the story and grab the reader’s attention. Granted most titles get changed when they are bought by a publisher, but if you have a good one, it will grab the attention of your first reader-either an editor or an agent.

So, I’ve been anguishing over the title of my historical western mystery. I had planned to use colors in the titles, but so far no one has liked the titles I came up with. Then I thought I’d just go with Mae Simon, Pinkerton Detective: Vanishing Heiress. To keep the series influence the Mae Simon, Pinkerton Detective would be on all the manuscripts with a title for each book. But that doesn’t grab the reader. Then I thought of “Au Revoir Esther” since at the beginning of the story the heroine throws off her old persona “Esther”, and she pretends to be a French Prostitute. But this doesn’t tell you there is a mystery involved in the story.

Faust also said your title should let the reader know a little about the story genre.

I need something that says historical, western, romance, mystery…

The title of a book, usually comes to me just like the characters and the premise, but for some reason this book isn’t jumping out at me with a title. Here are some of my other ideas. Any thoughts?

Improper Pinkerton

Chasing Dead Ends

Posse of Two

Cloak and Colt .45

How hard do you work to get a title that suits the book? Or do you just name it your character’s names and figure it will get renamed when it is bought? What is your method for finding the right title for your story?