The phrase writing buddies brings the warm fuzzies to my heart. Where would I be without the friends who share my passion for writing?
Facedown in the snow with a puddle of drool forming around my mouth?
Hopefully not.
I'll be the first to admit I adore sitting home alone for hours working on my latest manuscript. I fantasize about uninterrupted blocks of time reading, or writing, or both. At some point, however, the need to share a complete and utterly fabulous idea overwhelms me. Or if it's one of those days (you know the ones I'm talking about), a writing buddy will understand the idiotic doubts and gross exaggerations I spout off.
My writing buddies keep me sane.
Who else really understands what writers go through? Only writers. It's true of any industry. That's why co-workers go to lunch and chat by the watercooler. Sharing the trivia of our day keeps us connected.
So, with that in mind, I'm taking a moment to say thank you to all of my writer friends who share my triumphs, my rejections, my ups, my downs, and my need for chocolate. Right back at you! The only thing better than having a writing buddy is being a writing buddy.
Enjoy your week!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008
Unattractive Quirks
I have a confession to make.
I'm not what you'd call a shopper.
It's not that I dislike stores or looking at lovely trinkets. I've felt the rush of pleasure purchasing something completely enthralling (and non-practical). However, I'm a short-term shopper.
Meaning?
I can only handle very--VERY--short bursts of shopping. I don't care to linger over groceries. I have no intention of smelling every lotion at Bath & Body Works. I can tell in the tiniest of glances if a sweater is right for me or not.
Do I have a point? Well, duh--of course I do.
I realized this morning while I was standing in an extremely long line at Target, and, might I add, surrounded by tens of thousands of other shoppers crammed into extremely long lines, that I have definite unattractive quirks. The thought led me to wondering about my current heroine, who is not a paragon of virtue either.
Just how unattractive are these quirks? Unattractive enough to turn a reader off completely?
Well, I think you need to have an example. Let's look at this morning's offense.
The above-mentioned check-out line just happened to pit me next to an adorable toddler. An adorable, hysterical toddler. Not the hungry or needs a nap kid. I'm talking a future neurotic (maybe the sweetheart will be a writer when she grows up? One can hope...) who every six to seven seconds would scream out "I'm stuck."
I glanced over. Was the tot stuck? Hmm... Her legs were dangling from the cart just fine, arms waving every so often, and she looked as free as a child in a cart could be.
After the sixteenth "I'm stuck," I began gritting my teeth. I can't say I felt sorry for the girl. She might have been stuck--the jury is still out on that one--but I was stuck listening to her scream that she was stuck!
But then I looked at her chubby little face and felt a wave of compassion. Her mom soothed her as best she could. I still wanted to run out of the store and breathe the sweet, cold breath of freedom, but I wasn't a ticking bomb any longer.
Lesson? Heroines can have unattractive quirks as long as they have just as many good traits. My latest heroine would have handled the checkout scenario with more grace than I did.
Maybe I should make an End Year's Resolution? Be more like the heroines in my novels.
Enjoy your week!
I'm not what you'd call a shopper.
It's not that I dislike stores or looking at lovely trinkets. I've felt the rush of pleasure purchasing something completely enthralling (and non-practical). However, I'm a short-term shopper.
Meaning?
I can only handle very--VERY--short bursts of shopping. I don't care to linger over groceries. I have no intention of smelling every lotion at Bath & Body Works. I can tell in the tiniest of glances if a sweater is right for me or not.
Do I have a point? Well, duh--of course I do.
I realized this morning while I was standing in an extremely long line at Target, and, might I add, surrounded by tens of thousands of other shoppers crammed into extremely long lines, that I have definite unattractive quirks. The thought led me to wondering about my current heroine, who is not a paragon of virtue either.
Just how unattractive are these quirks? Unattractive enough to turn a reader off completely?
Well, I think you need to have an example. Let's look at this morning's offense.
The above-mentioned check-out line just happened to pit me next to an adorable toddler. An adorable, hysterical toddler. Not the hungry or needs a nap kid. I'm talking a future neurotic (maybe the sweetheart will be a writer when she grows up? One can hope...) who every six to seven seconds would scream out "I'm stuck."
I glanced over. Was the tot stuck? Hmm... Her legs were dangling from the cart just fine, arms waving every so often, and she looked as free as a child in a cart could be.
After the sixteenth "I'm stuck," I began gritting my teeth. I can't say I felt sorry for the girl. She might have been stuck--the jury is still out on that one--but I was stuck listening to her scream that she was stuck!
But then I looked at her chubby little face and felt a wave of compassion. Her mom soothed her as best she could. I still wanted to run out of the store and breathe the sweet, cold breath of freedom, but I wasn't a ticking bomb any longer.
Lesson? Heroines can have unattractive quirks as long as they have just as many good traits. My latest heroine would have handled the checkout scenario with more grace than I did.
Maybe I should make an End Year's Resolution? Be more like the heroines in my novels.
Enjoy your week!
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Panic Mode
It's December 3, and the pressure is on.
Yes, pressure to write out a gazilion Christmas cards, to bake an array of delicious cookies, to purchase the perfect present for everyone on the list, to get the house decorated and keep it clean (as if!), to write like a fiend and finish the first draft of this novel before Christmas.
And what does all that pressure bring? Stress. A racing pulse. A snippy attitude. A feeling of unworthiness. It depletes the joys of the season.
I knew it wasn't pretty when I turned off every Christmas song on the radio. I had a feeling it was bad when I hid the boxes of Christmas cards out of sight. This morning when I passed the mountains of laundry, instead of quickly throwing a load in, I glared at the piles and walked right on by.
I avoided the to-do's and enjoyed a steaming cup of sinfully decadent coffee instead. Careful planning is one thing, but all the planning in the world won't put more hours in each day.
This year I'm baking about half the cookies I normally would. The Christmas cards will go out a little later than usual. The first draft of the novel might not be completely finished by Christmas Eve, but it will be close. And I will turn up the Christmas songs and sing my little heart out to combat the Grinch inside me.
Enjoy your week!
Yes, pressure to write out a gazilion Christmas cards, to bake an array of delicious cookies, to purchase the perfect present for everyone on the list, to get the house decorated and keep it clean (as if!), to write like a fiend and finish the first draft of this novel before Christmas.
And what does all that pressure bring? Stress. A racing pulse. A snippy attitude. A feeling of unworthiness. It depletes the joys of the season.
I knew it wasn't pretty when I turned off every Christmas song on the radio. I had a feeling it was bad when I hid the boxes of Christmas cards out of sight. This morning when I passed the mountains of laundry, instead of quickly throwing a load in, I glared at the piles and walked right on by.
I avoided the to-do's and enjoyed a steaming cup of sinfully decadent coffee instead. Careful planning is one thing, but all the planning in the world won't put more hours in each day.
This year I'm baking about half the cookies I normally would. The Christmas cards will go out a little later than usual. The first draft of the novel might not be completely finished by Christmas Eve, but it will be close. And I will turn up the Christmas songs and sing my little heart out to combat the Grinch inside me.
Enjoy your week!
Monday, November 24, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving!
This year I have so much to be thankful for.
I'm going to leave out the obvious and concentrate on the things I'm thankful for in regards to writing.
I'm very thankful for the members of the writing groups I belong to. I've made wonderful friendships with people who "get" me and encourage my writing efforts. What an incredible blessing!
I'm thankful for the rejections I received this year. They were gifts. The first rejection made me face my demons. It also dealt my doubts a death blow. Try saying that five times really fast! The second one motivated me to ramp up my game. I've been studying books on craft, asking advice, and relying on other people's honest criticism of my writing as a result. Another gift.
I'm thankful for the time I have to devote to my writing. I'm thankful for the internet, the library, all of the bookstores, and every other source which I use to research and enlighten my mind.
I hope you have a wonderful holiday. Eat lots of Turkey. Overload on pumpkin pie. Don't get into too many fights with your loud-mouthed uncle. And, at the end of the day, be thankful.
Enjoy your week!
I'm going to leave out the obvious and concentrate on the things I'm thankful for in regards to writing.
I'm very thankful for the members of the writing groups I belong to. I've made wonderful friendships with people who "get" me and encourage my writing efforts. What an incredible blessing!
I'm thankful for the rejections I received this year. They were gifts. The first rejection made me face my demons. It also dealt my doubts a death blow. Try saying that five times really fast! The second one motivated me to ramp up my game. I've been studying books on craft, asking advice, and relying on other people's honest criticism of my writing as a result. Another gift.
I'm thankful for the time I have to devote to my writing. I'm thankful for the internet, the library, all of the bookstores, and every other source which I use to research and enlighten my mind.
I hope you have a wonderful holiday. Eat lots of Turkey. Overload on pumpkin pie. Don't get into too many fights with your loud-mouthed uncle. And, at the end of the day, be thankful.
Enjoy your week!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Adapting Sure-Fire Ideas
I'm on fire. My fingers skim the keyboard at the speed of light. The plot of my new book came to me so quickly, I just knew it was a sure-fire idea--until I read an interview with the editor I'm targeting and found out my core idea doesn't sell well in their line.
Waaaaahhh!
So what's a girl to do when her perfect idea, her perfect story is deemed unsellable? If that girl is me (and she is), she could be stubborn and write it exactly the way she envisioned it, only to get angry when it gets rejected, or she can adapt.
Adapt. Wow, that's almost a fighting word! I don't know about you, but I adapt the minutiae of my life on a daily basis. I don't always enjoy adapting.
My writing is the only thing I can cling to. It's the only thing I have complete control over. But writing is not my hobby. It is my life. I want to see my books on bookstore shelves. I fantasize about the day I can purchase my own book in a store. So, I adapt.
Decision made, I begin brainstorming ways I can keep the heart of the story but change the circumstances of the characters. And guess what? It takes only a few hours to iron out the details.
And once again--I'm on fire and my fingers skim the keyboard at the speed of light....
Enjoy your week!
Waaaaahhh!
So what's a girl to do when her perfect idea, her perfect story is deemed unsellable? If that girl is me (and she is), she could be stubborn and write it exactly the way she envisioned it, only to get angry when it gets rejected, or she can adapt.
Adapt. Wow, that's almost a fighting word! I don't know about you, but I adapt the minutiae of my life on a daily basis. I don't always enjoy adapting.
My writing is the only thing I can cling to. It's the only thing I have complete control over. But writing is not my hobby. It is my life. I want to see my books on bookstore shelves. I fantasize about the day I can purchase my own book in a store. So, I adapt.
Decision made, I begin brainstorming ways I can keep the heart of the story but change the circumstances of the characters. And guess what? It takes only a few hours to iron out the details.
And once again--I'm on fire and my fingers skim the keyboard at the speed of light....
Enjoy your week!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Walking Turns the Brain On
I finished the revisions for my latest book and sent it off to a few generous souls who had offered to critique it. While waiting for their comments, I started plotting my new book. You'd think I would focus exclusively on the new one, right?
Wrong.
Oh, I'm doing the necessary research and outlining the plot (it's going to be a blast to write!), but my mind keeps returning to the just-finished manuscript. And, as I try to swish the doubts from my mind, little things pop up, but in a random way, leaving me feeling queasy. Did I wrap up the loose ends? Did I sustain the conflict? Is my grammar horrific? Am I lying to myself--should I just burn the whole thing? (I feel sorry my brain was assigned to me. It could have gotten a normal human, but no, it's stuck with Ms. Neurotic.)
I've found the solution to all the angst: I walk.
On Saturday, I headed outside with my warm coat, ear muffs, gloves, and sneakers. The light drizzle and gray cloud cover didn't stop me. I needed the frigid air, needed the blood in my veins to flow. About halfway through this power walk, I realized I had indeed left a loose end. Did it terrify me? Oh no. Instead, I felt the sweet sense of relief. After all, I can't fix a problem until I know it exists.
That's why I love walking. It somehow alligns my thought process to reveal things I need to know.
If you ever get the crippling doubts or the raging fears, try walking. Just go out and walk. It won't solve all of your problems, but it might just solve one of them.
Enjoy your week!
Wrong.
Oh, I'm doing the necessary research and outlining the plot (it's going to be a blast to write!), but my mind keeps returning to the just-finished manuscript. And, as I try to swish the doubts from my mind, little things pop up, but in a random way, leaving me feeling queasy. Did I wrap up the loose ends? Did I sustain the conflict? Is my grammar horrific? Am I lying to myself--should I just burn the whole thing? (I feel sorry my brain was assigned to me. It could have gotten a normal human, but no, it's stuck with Ms. Neurotic.)
I've found the solution to all the angst: I walk.
On Saturday, I headed outside with my warm coat, ear muffs, gloves, and sneakers. The light drizzle and gray cloud cover didn't stop me. I needed the frigid air, needed the blood in my veins to flow. About halfway through this power walk, I realized I had indeed left a loose end. Did it terrify me? Oh no. Instead, I felt the sweet sense of relief. After all, I can't fix a problem until I know it exists.
That's why I love walking. It somehow alligns my thought process to reveal things I need to know.
If you ever get the crippling doubts or the raging fears, try walking. Just go out and walk. It won't solve all of your problems, but it might just solve one of them.
Enjoy your week!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Author Loyalty
How do you know when an author jumps from your I-think-I'll-read-this list to your I-must-read-this list? Or, to put it another way, how do you know when an author jumps from pretty good to favorite? I know an author has climbed to my list of favorites as soon as a certain pattern emerges.
I bookmark the author's website and use it to track the release of her (or his, but usually her) next book. Then, when the book comes out, I have to buy it as soon as it hits the shelves. The current release is never enough, though, so I haunt old bookstores, searching for her backlists. When I've found and read them all, tears well behind my eyes, because I no longer have a stack of juicy morsels to relish.
I don't imagine for a second that I'm alone. You have the same obsession. Admit it.
I have several favorite authors and seem to pick up new ones every month. My pulse races when I see the tell-tale cover of a favorite author in the store--I have to buy it. I used to scurry home and devour the book all in one sitting but disappointment would set in as soon as I finished. Would I really have to wait another six months for the next one?
I've changed. Oh, my pulse still races and I still have to buy the book, but now I tend to wait before devouring it. I save the treasure until I've had a really bad day or feel miserable about something. That's when I need that book the most. And, I'm convinced, the book is even more fabulous.
Don't get me wrong, not all books hit me the same way, even when written by a beloved author. The characters might not blow me over, or the plot might not jump out at me, but it doesn't matter. I'll still read it cover to cover, and I never hold it against the author. She can't please everyone every time.
I bookmark the author's website and use it to track the release of her (or his, but usually her) next book. Then, when the book comes out, I have to buy it as soon as it hits the shelves. The current release is never enough, though, so I haunt old bookstores, searching for her backlists. When I've found and read them all, tears well behind my eyes, because I no longer have a stack of juicy morsels to relish.
I don't imagine for a second that I'm alone. You have the same obsession. Admit it.
I have several favorite authors and seem to pick up new ones every month. My pulse races when I see the tell-tale cover of a favorite author in the store--I have to buy it. I used to scurry home and devour the book all in one sitting but disappointment would set in as soon as I finished. Would I really have to wait another six months for the next one?
I've changed. Oh, my pulse still races and I still have to buy the book, but now I tend to wait before devouring it. I save the treasure until I've had a really bad day or feel miserable about something. That's when I need that book the most. And, I'm convinced, the book is even more fabulous.
Don't get me wrong, not all books hit me the same way, even when written by a beloved author. The characters might not blow me over, or the plot might not jump out at me, but it doesn't matter. I'll still read it cover to cover, and I never hold it against the author. She can't please everyone every time.
I'm currently reading the latest from one of my top five. And, yeah, I'm loving every minute of it!
Enjoy your week!
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