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Life...
Life is getting pretty twisty and turny lately. I've got my eye on three different book projects, I'm back to work on National Boards, and I'm still working on the whole life/work balance.
In other news, I also realized that sometimes, fear is what holds us back and sometimes it's what pushes us forward. I'm more afraid of NOT becoming a success than I am of being successful. It is what has pushed me forward these last ten years, and it's what continues to push me. Blame my high school, blame my parents, blame my friends and family. It doesn't really matter where you lay the blame, I'm still going to push myself to be the best I can in my life.
Now if only that weren't so exhausting. :) Labels: writers aren't crazy
My life is mine again...
 Well, sort of.
I was warned about a month ago that it was normal if I felt a sense of malaise after the wedding. And recently I've seen several articles online and in magazines talking about this phenomenon. Apparently after spending upwards of a year planning the "perfect day," getting back to real life can lead to the blues.
Thankfully, I have not experienced this. In fact, I felt a sense of release once the wedding was over. Now, don't get me wrong. It was the most beautiful event I could have wanted. The night was wonderful and amazing, and now I'm married to my best friend.
The release comes in knowing that all the planning, all the meetings, all the time consuming little details are OVER.
Done.
Fini.
My life is mine again.
I spent the first week exhausted. I can't imagine taking our honeymoon right now. I wouldn't have had the energy! So I tried to get back into my workout schedule, and returned as many borrowed items as possible. This weekend I read Susan Elizabeth Philips much-anticipated Call Me Irresistible, and loved it! Today, after Ray left to drive back for work tomorrow, I ran errands, hit the gym, read. I relaxed for the first time in what felt like months.
Most importantly, I feel like writing again. I feel like I've had time to refill the well, finally, and that I can be creative once more.
And all I have to say for that is Hallelujah!I'm starting small. My friends know I like to have weekly goals for myself. A guideline to keep me on track and moving forward. These same friends were the first to kick me in the rear when not meeting those goals almost sent me into a corner to rock back and forth. Now, those same goals energize me. They are small, manageable, but infinitely doable. And that's just what I need right now to get myself back in the saddle. Labels: random musings, weddings, writers aren't crazy
Some days...
Some days you just need a call from your best friends. They aren't the happiest days, and yet they are some of the best. They make you laugh, they make you think, and most of all they don't let you take yourself too seriously.We all need someone like this. We need the friend who has your back unconditionally. Who knows all your secrets. Who would sit next to you in jail and say, "Dang, that was fun!" Who tells you when the dress looks stupid, or when the hair-do is fabulous. In my latest manuscript, my main character has two of those friends. One is a co-worker, the other has been her friend for years. Neither is afraid to tell it to her like it is, and call her on all her, um, stuff. NY C is one of mine, and I can't wait to see her in the next few months. Who's yours?Labels: friends, writers aren't crazy
Night out with the girls...
There is nothing more treasured than time spent with some of your favorite people. With all the traveling back and forth I've done this summer, I feel like I haven't spent enough time with all my favorite people. But then I get together with my Girls and it's like we were just out to dinner the night before. I need that time. It recharges me more than anything. What recharges you? Labels: writers aren't crazy
The thing about writing is...
Here's the thing about writing: When you are a writer, you're writing every time you think about the book. You don't need to be at the computer, or with pen in hand. When you brainstorm, critique, or ponder your characters, you're writing. It's taken me a long time to get my head around that concept. I joke that I'm "slacker writer" because my page count doesn't match the higher counts of my critique partners. But it's a joke, because even if I'm not actively writing, I'm pondering. And that pondering helps the pages flow better when I do sit down. How about you? What is something you love to do, that you don't always have as much time for as you'd like?Labels: writers aren't crazy
You know you're a writer when...
 On a cruise to Bermuda, the only thing to calm you down after a meltdown of epic proportions is writing the opening scene for your new manuscript.Labels: writers aren't crazy
Inspiration...
Sometimes the hardest part about being a writer is not being around other writers. Other times, that's the best part. Last night was one of those times. Writing is interesting. There are so many avenues to consider, and as the writer, you get to play puppet master. As P.M., I've been struggling for MONTHS trying to figure out the hero of my current WiP. I couldn't get a lock. But last night I had a breakthrough. I finally figured out his deal, his shtick, his motivation. And realized I was writing the wrong book. D'oh!Well, at least I was only 30 pages in. And some of it can still be used. But a lot can't. I guess it's time to get cracking...Labels: writers aren't crazy, writing
It's only been a week...
Oh, don't look at me that way. It's not my fault my posts are few and far between these days. Well, okay, it is. But it's not really. It's the first week of school. I'm closing on my condo. I have to paint said condo. And I actually managed to forget I have a nice long weekend this weekend. See? It's not my fault, I've just lost my mind. On the upside, I finalled in the Emerald City Opener contest, hosted by the Greater Seattle RWA chapter. I'm thrilled beyond belief, even if that thrill is slighly under the shadow of the fact that I'm about to hand over most of my savings to people I've only met a few times. So what's keeping you up at night?Labels: writers aren't crazy
Am I the only one?
I tend to be a very vivid dreamer. I often remember my dreams, at least for the first few minutes. Longer if they really made an impression. My dreams tend to be more on the bizare-side of things, which most of the time I can handle. But this latest bought is just too much. Frankly, I'm blaming the big, beautiful full moon. I'm a pretty good sleeper these days. A miracle, really, from how it used to be. In the last year I've developed the ability to fall asleep (most of the time) within the first few minutes. It's a skill The Boy envies a great deal. Last night I was envying it. Took an hour to fall asleep, and this was already well past my usual turn in time. Then, once out? Bizarro dreams that refused to quit. They felt so real I thought I'd woken up and lived through 2 full days.And this was before I actually woke up. Definitely not a quality sleep night. Which I why I'm sitting here in great debate. Nap? Or write the last 5 pages of my manuscript. Sleep. Write. Sleep. Write.Oy, just the decision alone is enough to drive me batty. What do you think I should do?Labels: random musings, writers aren't crazy
Just when you think you're close, then knock you back down...
I opened up the mail today to find the little slip of paper I've been waiting on. The little slip announcing a package in the manager's office. Wahoo! My Dragon NaturallySpeaking arrived. For those of you not in the know, DNS is voice recognition software. Theoretically, it should allow me to speak into a microphone, and have then type what I say. Crucial, in my opinion, if I'm to continue to write while working on my National Board Certification. And yes, in case you're wondering, I probably am a bit on the crazy side. So I have my software, I have my headset (which, to be honest, pinches a bit and will have to be replaced eventually. I have a small head, people, and yet this is too small for me. What about all the big-headed people in the world?), I have my computer, I have the will to train the software to recognize my speech variances (I said hockey, not hackey). What I don't have? Is a DVD-rom drive. Sigh.Just when I was set to spend the rest of the evening on it...Good thing The Boy is a techie, and a talented one at that. Fry's, here we come.Labels: random musings, writers aren't crazy, writing
Oh, my head...
As a writer, I'm always looking for ways to make my books stronger. It's my job. Making each book better than the last is the goal. In light of this, I found myself listening to a workshop from last summer's National Conference on my walk tonight. The topic? How to heat up your manuscript. Not the specific title, but the topic. The speaker was engaging, and full of good advice. She was thought provoking and entertaining all at the same time. The problem? She provoked too many thoughts on how I can fix my last manuscript, and also on what I can do for my next manuscript. Too bad I'm working on a middle grade novel geared toward fifth grade and up. She was absolutely no help for that one. And seeing as how I'm about 40 pages from the end, I can use all the help I can get. *sigh*I probably should have done a better job choosing which workshop to listen to...but it was too much fun to stop.Labels: workshops, writers aren't crazy, writing
Life gets in the way...
How are you today? An innocent enough question to be sure. And I do want to know, how are you? Hopefully, you're doing better than me. I'm feeling incredibly stressed these days. I spent the last few days flying back to Michigan for all of 2 days for my cousin's Bar Mitzvah. A whirlwind visit with family, family and more family. A visit that left little time for writing, or grading, both of which I need to desperately get to work on.Anyone else out there feeling buried by life? I'm climbing back into things slowly. I'm having to cut back on my writing for the next month while I catch up on grading, and report cards. But while this bothers me, I also know it's all doable in the long run...as long as I don't let the panic set in. So tell me, how do you climb out of the hole? How do you stay sane when everything around you(including the weather) is going crazy?Labels: life, teaching, writers aren't crazy
How DO you do it?
Every writer has heard the question. "How do you do it? How do you sit down and write a whole book?" Or even better, "I wish I could write a book. I have this great idea..."
Recently it's come out to more of my coworkers that I write. I've never kept it secret, but it's also not something you usually bring up at the latest staff meeting. Still, the question was asked, "How do you find the time?" Ah, time. So elusive. See, here's the thing. I don't know that I FIND time. I MAKE time, certainly, but it's not something I usually run across at the grocery store. Personally, I blame my upbringing. Mom has never been good at just sitting back and relaxin g. She's always felt she needed to be up and about, doing, being productive in order to feel worthy. Okay, you say, so it was modeled to you. Weeeeelll, not exactly. I also attended a school for 14 years that strongly believed in their motto, "A strong mind, in a strong body." They ran us ragged from early on. Sports, clubs, community service, school work...you name it, they threw it at us. And there was no room for slacking, either. They fostered a healthy edge of competition everywhere you turned. So what was a girl to do? Learn how to make time, of course. On top of all that was required, there was also the stuff I wanted to do, like reading and writing. I learned to get to school extra early so I could sneak into the computer lab and work on my latest short story. I learned to actually use my study halls to, gasp, study! Then, when I finally got home at 0-dark thirty, I'd be able to crawl on to my bed and read. These habits have stuck with me to today. It's why I'm able to juggle all that I do. It's also why I have a horrible time actually relaxing. Once summer break comes around, it'll take me about a week or longer to truly accept that I have the entire day to do what I want, when I want. Despite the drawbacks, the hectic schedule, and the manaical gleam often found in my eyes, I wouldn't have it any other way. I like keeping busy. I enjoy the challenge of balancing it all. Do I wish the balancing act were a little easier? Sure. But it's an important part of what has made me successful to this point. So I guess I'll keep at it. For now. ***** Please note, if the contest win from last week isn't claimed by Friday, I'll be posting another opportunity to win Gerri Russell's latest WARRIOR'S LADY. Labels: writers aren't crazy, writing
Taking a moment...
So, the other day I decided to finally clean up my home desk and file away some of the many papers that have piled up in the last few months. I go through the process about 4 times a year, which isn't nearly enough, but it's all I can handle. I'd apparently forgotten to file away some of my more recent rejection letters, so that became the first order of business. And yes, I keep them. Every. Single. One. I figure one day I'll get one welcoming me, instead of rejecting me, and then I'll want to be able to look back on how far I've come. I'm very good at not letting these rejections get to me. Okay, mostly good. Every so often one sneaks in at a vulnerable moment. And still I keep them. Today, while filing a few more recent ones, I decided to look back through my collection. Just to remind myself how far I've come. You know what? I've come a long way. Sure, none of them were welcome letters, but I saw a theme. I'm a good writer. Maybe some agents don't believe I'm great yet, but I've got the start, and I've got the drive, to become even better. That, my friends, is what will get me published down the road. So sure, I have a stack of rejections. Most writers do. It's how we get better. These rejections are like fuel to the fire. They make me put everything I've got into my story. They make me stronger. They make me put everything I have into get to "The End."And one day, I'll get the other letter. The one that says they love my writing, and representing me is their dream come true. This day will come, and I'll dance in my living room when it does. Until then? I'll keep on writing.Labels: random musings, rejections, writers aren't crazy, writing
Questions not to ask...
I attended a lovely community brunch this morning, where the author of The Devil Wears Prada was the guest speaker. Once they finished with the community business, the event launched into her speach, which was actually done in a Q&A format. After listening to a few questions, and feeling my blood pressure rise (Mom confirmed when she told me later, "You started to get red."), I came up with a short, but important, list of questions not to ask a visiting author. - Never ask the author what you should send out to an editor or agent, in terms of a proposal. First off, she's in a different position than you. Second, every agent and house is different. Every publishing house, and almost every agent, gladly lists their submission preferences on their website. If there is no website, write to them. Their assistant will let you know their process.
- If you write Childrens books, don't expect a Romance author (or Chick Lit/Mystery/Thriller/Historical author for that matter) to know your market. That's your job. Almost every genre has some kind of group that will help you learn the ins and outs of your market. Romance Writers of America is a fabulous example. Find them. Join them. Learn.
- If you're going to ask how they got published, please understand that each case is different. Not everyone can pick up an agent AND an editor with only 100 pages of their very first manuscript completed.
- Don't ask where they get their ideas. Every author I know hates this question. Even the unpublished writers I know hate this question. There is no grand universal answer to it. We don't go to the store and buy them. We don't have them mailed to our houses on a regular basis. Our ideas come from everyone and everything in our life. You may be the inspiration for our next nosy neighbor. I'm just saying...
So there you have it. My little bit of advice to help you better enjoy your next experience with a published author. Labels: random musings, writers aren't crazy, writing
Welcome Guest Blogger - Emily Bryan!!
 I'm always excited to welcome guests to my blog, and this is no exception. Emily Bryan is a good friend and fellow chapter-mate, though she moved East a few years ago. I interviewed her the other day, and here's what she's had to say.: EB: I’ve mentioned on my blog tour that I was previously published as Diana Groe, writing my Dark Ages Viking romances, but we haven’t explored it very deeply.
Me: What prompted the switch? Was it the market? A desire to try something new? Your editor or agent?
EB: It was all of those things. I had just finished the manuscript for SILK DREAMS. It’s a harem tale set in 11th century Constantinople and not for the faint of heart. Some of my most complex characters live in that story—most notably Damian, the eunuch spymaster that many of my readers had a love/hate relationship with.
And I killed off a character I really liked. Of course, it had to happen that way. I will not cheat on the needs of the story. But I wept while I did it. I love SILK DREAMS. It’s a “thinking” book, a book that readers have told me stayed with them long after they finished it, but it is not a “safe” story.
I owed Dorchester another book (SILK DREAMS being the first of a two book contract) so I was toying with the idea of trying to write a comedy. I feared it would be like a hippo trying to waltz, but I wanted to give it a go. Artemisia, the artistic duchess in DISTRACTING THE DUCHESS, had begun to take shape in my mind. She started whispering her secrets to me.
About then, my editor called.
It seems the American market is not terribly friendly to historicals that aren’t set in Regency England or Scotland and the closest my Vikings ever got to Britain was the monasteries they looted. When I told my editor I was thinking about writing a light-hearted story set in the early Victorian era, I could almost hear her doing back-flips over the phone.
Me: Do you have fun writing in this new voice?
EB: Oh, yes! I wake up each morning wondering what strange situation I’ll put my characters in so I can work in some witty repartee or unexpected twist. As you may know, Erin, I used to sing professionally. I’ve often compared my Diana Groe books to Grand Opera, full of angst and drama. My Emily Bryan titles are more Gilbert & Sullivan . . . with sex! I used to sing both dramatic and comedic roles. Why wouldn’t I write both?
And actually, I’ve combined my Emily and Diana styles in my upcoming release, VEXING THE VISCOUNT. The primary love story between Daisy Drake and her viscount is set in 1731 London, Emily’s playground. The secondary love story between a Caius Meritus, a freedman, and a Celtic slave girl takes place in Roman Britain, 405 AD—pure Diana Groe.
Me: Is it more of a challenge for you?
EB: The biggest challenge is the comedy. It’s much easier to make a reader cry than laugh. Physical humor, the kind we’re used to seeing in sitcoms is hard to make funny on paper.
I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. In my stagework, the comedic moments required much more rehearsal than the dramatic ones. It’s all about timing. Once I had to sing a duet while running around the stage, timing my movements so I could surprise the audience by leaping out the window at the last moment. I threw myself over the pretend sill to land on a well-placed, if not very thick, pad off-stage.
Another time, I had to throw a pie in someone’s face. This is not as easy as it looks. Choreographing our movements so the event appeared spontaneous, even accidental, required hours of practice. And I was ever so glad to be the “pie-er,” not the “pie-ee.”
So the comedy was a steep learning curve. But I think something must be working with my switch to light-hearted stories. DISTRACTING THE DUCHESS has just been nominated for an RT Reviewers Choice Award!
Me: What was the hardest part about switching subgenres?
EB: I had to research another historical period, but I enjoy that sort of work.
The hardest part is making sure my more serious Diana voice doesn’t sneak into my light-hearted Emily stories. Yes, I still sometimes kill characters off, but in the words of Harry Renquist from TRUE LIES, “Yeah, but they were all BAD!”
Me: Have you ever considered writing contemporary?
EB: Actually, I have written a romantic suspense which is being considered at a major house. The editor loves it and kicked it as far as marketing, where it seems to have stalled. We’ll just have to wait and see. Publishing wheels grind with glacial slowness. Patience is a required character trait for authors.
ME: Does contemporary work well with your voice?
EB: It hasn’t quite sold yet. At the risk of sounding like Sybil, I think I have a third voice that comes out in the contemporary manuscript. Clean, crisp and brief.
Have you ever read Crichton’s EATERS OF THE DEAD? The movie called The 13th Warrior with Antonio Banderas was based on this story. The tale is told from the POV of Antonio’s Arab character and the voice is entirely different from any of Crichton’s other books.
Like everything else, the author’s voice is an element which must serve the story. That means it is malleable.
What is voice? Word choices? Yes, but it’s more. It’s the unique way the author has chosen to tell the story and I think the nature of the story itself dictates how that happens. Thus, voice is something that changes depending on the needs of the story.
Thanks for letting me visit with your readers, Erin. If any of them would like to try my many voices, I invite them to visit http://www.emilybryan.com and http://www.dianagroe.com. I’m looking forward to being in Seattle March 10th. I’ll be giving my NEUROTICA workshop about adding comedy to your prose to EASTSIDE RWA! Can’t wait. Me: Neither can I!
EB: And please leave a comment or question here. I’ll be giving away a signed copy of VEXING THE VISCOUNT to someone who lets me know they’ve stopped by! **Well, you heard the woman! Leave us a note letting us know you stopped by, and you just might win. And as always, stop back soon. Labels: guest blogger, writers aren't crazy, writing
The crazy thing is...
 The crazy thing around here may, in fact, be me. There are some days, as a writer, when you simply need to hit the panic button and run screaming from the room. These days are usually closely correlated to those days when the manuscript simply refuses to do what you want it to do. Some (ahem, Serena) would say this problem stems from me flying by the seat of my pants (forever known in the future as being a Pantser), and not plotting enough. I think it means I've hit about a third of the way through the book. There's frequently those days of panic. Every time I sit down to write the words come out like blood from a stone. I sit and type, and erase and type some more, and erase and...well, you get the picture. Writing is hard work. No one told me this when I was a kid, so I make sure to tell all my students this...just in case they are crazy like me and want to write. Writing is hard. It's not all flowing prose and wonderfully colorful scenes. (Unless, of course, those scenes are entirely about the colors of the room. In which case, I probably don't want to read the book. Sorry!) Frankly, I think writing should come with a warning label. "Write at your own risk. May lose sanity in the process."Or does the fact that I write mean I lost my sanity a long time ago? Oy. Either way, I love writing. There's nothing I like better than a scene coming together. Now if only this scene would come together...Labels: writers aren't crazy, writing
To do list...
- Finish report cards and comments. Check.
- Doctor appointment. Check
- Figure out why Gmail is holding email from possible agent hostage.
Notice what's not taken care of here. I am going crazy in my head trying to figure out why my email won't let me in to my email. Hopefully this will resolve itself soon, or I may just lose my mind entirely. I guess while I wait I could get back to working on my YA, couldn't I? Yeah. I could do that... Labels: random musings, writers aren't crazy, writing
Synopsis hell...
Some of you may remember the memory key fiasco of last spring. Thanks to it, I spent the better part of two weeks not working on my new book. Instead I was re-reading my 4th manuscript (the one I finished almost a year ago), and trying to recreate my original synopsis. I was bitter through the whole thing. Writing a synopsis is hard enough. Revising and editing it? Painful, but doable. But rewriting completely from scratch? There's not much in life I dread more. But I got to work and I did it. I finished the synopsis. I sent in the requested manuscript partials, and I got back to work on my new book. That is, until I sat down to write last night. On a fluke, I checked something on my Alphasmart. It has 8 "files", but it also has an additional limited amount of space. So if I were to open a new file over the old, it would push it out of the "file" but not off the system. And wouldn't you know it, as soon as I peaked into the directory what do you think was there smiling at me? Mocking me with it's one word file name?The synopsis. Yup, I found the original. Just in time to finish printing (another story in and of itself) up copies for my Golden Heart entry. Now I have to sit down and re-read both to figure out which is better. But you know it'll be the original.Labels: writers aren't crazy, writing
Life returns to normal...I hope.
The last month of my life has been a complete whirlwind, followed by a tornado. The first month of school is always hectic, but for some reason, this month seemed crazier. Is it because we started two weeks late, so the Jewish Holidays that would have fallen in the 5th and 6th weeks of school, actually fell in the 3rd and 4th? Or is it that the Emerald City Writers Conference also fell during that first month? Maybe it's the wedding I happily agreed to act as bridesmaid for...Either way, I took it all on this month, and came out limping. Now that it's all over, it's back to work, ladies and gents. Back to my newest book, a YA set in a small college town. Back to parent conferences (they start next week). Back to blogging. Labels: festivities, life, writers aren't crazy
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