Writers' Wednesday: How To Deal With Rejection

Welcome to Writers' Wednesday! Today I'll be entering the name of everyone who comments into a drawing to win a $5 Amazon gift certificate. I look forward to hearing from you!

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If you’re a writer, and if you dream of someday publishing a short story/novel/article/best-seller that will lead you straight to The Oprah Winfrey show, you’ve probably received a rejection letter from an agent/publisher/editor.

And if you haven’t, you will.

Sorry. Didn’t mean to dash your hopes. But the chances of having your work contracted by the first person you query are small. Not impossible, of course. Just small. And even if you’ve had the joy of hearing that first “Yes, we love it, here’s a contract,” your next work may not be as well received.

So how do you deal with rejection in the writing world, and how do you use it to make your next effort better?

1. Don’t take the rejection personally. Except in very, very few cases, you will not know the person to whom you are addressing your query letter. Nor does that person know you. The agent/editor/first reader is not rejecting you as a person. He or she is not telling you that you will never amount to anything in the publishing world. Or in any world, for that matter. He or she is simply saying that, for whatever reason, the work is not right. Not for them. Not now. That’s all.

2. Send out another query. Soon. This is crucial. Continue to query until you’ve exhausted your list. If you’re querying agents, http://www.agentquery.com/ is a good place to start, along with http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/. The annually published Writer’s Market is a nearly exhaustive list of agents, publishers, and other markets for your writing. Make a list of your top targets and work your way through to the end. Then make another list.

3. Read your rejection letters carefully to see if there’s anything you can take away and use to improve your manuscript. Most people will receive a form letter. If you manage to glean a personal comment on your work, that’s good! “I would have liked a better reason for Sally to return to her hometown” can help you take another look at your heroine‘s motivation. “I have two teenagers, and they don’t talk like that” can help you refine your dialogue. “Paul and Perry meeting in chapter twenty was too predictable” can help you amp up your conflict. Even “Sorry, not right for us” can encourage you take a more careful look at submission guidelines.

4. Keep writing. If you must, put the work that you queried away for a while. Sometimes it’s too tough to go back through and think about revising. That’s OK. Have another project in the wings. Maybe it’s your next novel. Maybe it’s an article for that gardening e-zine you’ve had your eye on. Maybe it’s a fun short story in a different voice or genre than you usually target. Maybe it’s a letter in longhand to your niece who just went away to college. Remind yourself why you write in the first place: because it’s a creative itch that just won’t go away. And it’s fun. It is, right?

5. Find a creative place, or way, to store your rejection letters. Stephen King used to hang his from a nail (later replaced by a spike, to hold the weight) hammered into his bedroom wall. Another author I know uses hers to make papier-mâché bowls. After they’ve dried into place, she paints them bright colors, and they make great additions to her living room décor! I’ve kept every rejection letter I’ve received. Right now, they’re just stored in a big (BIG) folder, but I plan to turn them into a giant display the day I become a NY Times best-seller and do a book-signing that draws a crowd of hundreds.

6. Comfort yourself. Really. Allow yourself the candy bar you usually don’t. Bake something delicious. Sleep in. Leave the laundry for another day. Go shopping. Play tag with your kids. You are a valuable being, and in writing and submitting your work, you’re living the dream that many people talk about but never achieve.

7. Find inspiration from these famous authors, all of whom were rejected multiple times before publishing:

Richard Bach, “Jonathan Livingston Seagull" (26 rejections)
John Grisham, “A Time to Kill” (28 rejections)
Mark Victor Hansen and Jack Canfield, Chicken Soup for the Soul Series (31 rejections)
Robert M. Pirsig, "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" (121 rejections)

Rejection is tough. But it does not mean the end of the world for you as a writer. Just the opposite: it means that you have the guts to send your work, your baby, out into the world for strangers to review. Think of how many people never even take the chance!

The Mid-Way Blues

"The easiest thing to do on earth is not write."
~William Goldman

Well, it’s happened. I’ve officially hit the mid-point of my latest WIP, One Night in Memphis, and I want to be anywhere but there.

I’m just about half-way, and I’m at that point where my characters are starting to bother me, and I see an uphill climb of plot ahead of me. I’m bored. I can’t believe I ever thought this was a good story to begin with. I have about 3 other stories percolating in the back of my brain, wanting attention. Now.

One of the pieces of advice I always give to new writers is to soldier on, to finish what you start, because we all know there are oceans of aspiring authors who don’t.

But what happens when it’s hard to take your own advice?

I procrastinate. I work on promotional ideas for One Night in Boston. I blog-surf. I play games. And then, when I’ve killed as much time as I possibly can, I turn back to the manuscript. I sigh. I curse. I mess with the formatting or change the characters’ names.

Eventually, I do slog on. I muddle through another scene. I produce a decent word count (though not as much as I should), and I hope that the end is somewhere in sight. You know the one I’m talking about: that shiny, happy resolution where suddenly, you like your characters again, you believe in your story, and you’re sorry to see it end.

I have to believe that it’s out there. I have to believe that my characters will get me there.

But man, those mid-way blues are hard to beat sometimes. Anyone have a remedy or two they’d like to offer up?

P.S. Tomorrow is Writers’ Wednesday, and I’ll be blogging about how to deal with rejection in the publishing world. Make sure to stop back and comment (there’s an incentive…)!

Monday's Movie Meme

"I dream for a living."
~Steven Spielberg

Snagged this movie meme from Marianne:

1. Name a movie you have seen more than 10 times. Probably The Sound of Music - you know, the annual Thanksgiving Day broadcast. Other than that, I don’t watch repeats that often.

2. Name a movie you’ve seen multiple times in the theater. The English Patient, Schindler’s List, Brokeback Mountain. Hmm…why do I go back for all the heavy, depressing ones? Catharsis?

3. Name an actor who would make you more inclined to see a movie. I don’t know of anyone who’d be a HUGE draw. I like Mark Wahlberg and Jake Gyllenhaal, Reese Witherspoon and Cameron Diaz too.

4. Name an actor who would make you less likely to see a movie. Jim Carrey. Can’t stand him. Sorry!

5. Name a movie you can and do quote from. When Harry Met Sally.

6. Name a movie musical in which you know all of the lyrics to all of the songs. Many, thanks to growing up with parents who owned umpteen movie musical records. Oklahoma, Kiss Me Kate, The Robber Bridegroom, West Side Story, The King and I, Carousel, Bye Bye Birdie…

7. Name a movie you have been known to sing along with. See above!

8. Name a movie you would recommend everyone see. The recent animated film Cars. Perfect for any age.

9. Name a movie you own. Lots. Without looking at my collection, I know there’s American Graffitti, Cars, Brokeback Mountain, The Lake House, Austin Powers, Dodgeball. At school, I have a stack of teacher movies, including Radio, Hoosiers, Mean Girls, Coach Carter, Music of the Heart, Stand and Deliver.

10. Name an actor who launched his/her entertainment career in another medium but who has surprised you with his/her acting chops. Mark Wahlberg (see yesterday’s post).

11. Have you ever seen a movie in a drive-in? If so, what? Yes, though not ‘til I was in my 20’s. There weren’t any around where I lived as a child. Last summer, we saw Pirates of the Caribbean 2 at a drive-in.

12. Ever made out in a movie? Um…yes. C’mon, I was a teenager once!

13. Name a movie you keep meaning to see but you just haven’t gotten around to yet. The Pursuit of Happyness.

14. Ever walked out of a movie? No.

15. Name a movie that made you cry in the theater. Oh, many. I’m a softy when it comes to that. Most recently, The Lake House.

16. Popcorn? Depends. Sometimes.

17. How often do you go to the movies (as opposed to renting them or watching them at home)? Maybe every couple of months. Too expensive!

18. What’s the last movie you saw in the theater? Actually, hubby and I just saw Shooter over the weekend.

19. What’s your favorite/preferred genre of movie? Romantic comedy, though I will take in a scary movie (with someone other than hubby…he refuses to watch them!)

20. What’s the first movie you remember seeing in the theater? Can’t recall.

21. What movie do you wish you had never seen? Point Break, with Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze. Not good and went on for far too long.

22. What is the weirdest movie you enjoyed? What constitutes weird?

23. What is the scariest movie you’ve seen? Nightmare on Elm Street - it was the first R-rated movie I saw in the theater (I was a pre-teen), and I couldn’t sleep for days afterwards.

24. What is the funniest movie you’ve seen? Hmm…probably the Austin Powers series: Mike Myers at his best.

Want to play? Turns out you can tell a lot about a person by the movies they like...

Shooter

"The eyes say a lot more than anything."
~Mark Wahlberg

So last night, hubby and I went to see the movie "Shooter" - it was his turn to choose, since lately we've been watching A LOT of romantic comedies (my choice, of course).

And while the body count was too high for my taste, the plotline, a government conspiracy story, was pretty good.

The best part, of course, was Mark Wahlberg. Anyone else find him as yummy as I do? He seems to be everywhere in the movies these days: we've watched him in "Invincible" (terrific, by the way), "Four Brothers" (again, too violent for me), and I know he was in "The Departed" as well (haven't seen it).

So for a lazy Sunday afternoon, let's pay a little homage to this good-looking guy who has great acting chops and also fought his way to stardom from a really troubled adolescence and a modeling/music career that could have faded. Hey, I'm all for rehabilitation!

Goodies for You

Happy Saturday!

Thought instead of posting any writing news or pearls of wisdom ;) today, I'd let you in on a few freebies that are out there for the taking:

1. Julie Cohen is giving away a copy of her newest release, Driving Him Wild.

2. Carly Phillips is sending bookmarks and autographed bookplates for her 2 upcoming releases to anyone who mails her an SASE.

3. And while you're at the above link filling out Carly's information, check out the blog space for rent that Alison Kent is offering. She claims to get 1000 visitors/day, so if you have anything to blog about or promote, that's a great opportunity!

4. While this one isn't totally free, you can celebrate the up-coming Buy a Friend a Book week and share your love of books and reading. And hey, you might just get a book in return. Karma, you know. (Thanks, Judy, for the link!)

5. Visit Marianne's site for a few more freebies...

Okay, I'm off to write (and clean the house...in-laws coming this weekend).

Have a great one!

With Friends, or Going Solo?

"Everywhere I go, I'm asked if I think the universities stifle writers. My opinion is that they don't stifle enough of them. "
- Flannery O'Connor

Last night I met with a sub-group of my local RWA - basically 4 of us who live within the same 20 square miles. And it was nice. We exchanged sample pages, talked about the sample pages we’d shared last month, enjoyed some coffee (and beautiful weather outside - almost 60 yesterday!), and watched the Borders customers browse.

(Interesting side note: at one point, a couple who looked to be in their late 30s sat down in a chair in the lounge/coffee shop area, near our table. The woman hopped onto the man’s lap and began gyrating and kissing him. It lasted all of 30 seconds or so, still, the 4 of us were sort of left with our mouths hanging open. Never know what you’ll see when you head to the mall…)

Still, I left the evening thinking, well, it sure is nice to have fellow writers to sit down with. To talk about the industry and contests and conference news with. To share writing struggles and frustrations. To bemoan rejection together.

And yet.

It’s always a little frustrating for me when someone gives you a writing sample, asks for your feedback (which takes time), and then defends every comment or criticism you make. “Well, but that’s how I want the hero to behave.” “Well, I know people who talk that way.” “Well, many authors write from multiple characters’ POV.”

I sort of feel like, well, don’t ask if you’re not going to change anything or at least take suggestions under consideration. I like writers’ groups and critique partners for so many reasons. They are the reason my writing improved to publishable quality and the reason I picked myself up after so many rejections over the years. Still, occasionally, I’m reminded of why I go it alone as often as I share my work with others.

Anyone else ever experience frustration in working with other writers?

Dealing with Rejection

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to read Diane’s great post yesterday on Inspirational Romance. It’s always interesting to hear about the “rules” for a certain genre and then to see how authors manage to play by them (or not).

Speaking of which, one of my writing friends got back a short story she had submitted with a rejection note saying that her ending scene (2 older adults sharing a dinner that was originally meant for one) was not believable. Now, the plausibility of the comment and the scene aside, my friend gave a big cyber-sigh and said, basically, getting turned down time and time again takes a toll on you and your muse.

I tend to agree.

However, I also believe that those of us who submit our work are braver than those who write and want to submit but never do. At least we’re in the game, stepping up to the plate and giving it our best.

Still, that “no” stings. A lot. I’m planning on writing a Wednesday post that talks about how to deal with rejection…so for the record, how do you? Is it easy for you to shrug it off and move on? Do you assume a cavalier, “they don’t know what they’re missing” attitude? Or do you cry? Throw a tantrum? Pour a tall glass of wine and watch your favorite sappy movie? Stop writing altogether?

I’m interested to hear what people do, and more important, how they pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and dive into the process of writing and submitting all over again.

What do you do?

And for a little (addictive and time-consuming) fun, here’s a game I found for you to play. Go on, see if you can stop after you lose the first time...


Get Flash Games for your Blog

Writers' Wednesday: What Is Inspirational Romance?

Welcome to Writers' Wednesday! Today we have a guest blogger, Diane Craver, sharing her knowledge of the Inspirational Romance genre. Diane is a multi-published author with Samhain Publishing and has just released her newest work, Never the Same.

Sit back and enjoy - and make sure to leave her a comment when you're finished.

Thanks, Diane!

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What Is Inspirational Romance?

When I did a chat in December, I posted an excerpt of my inspirational romance, No Greater Loss. The excerpt dealt with a character’s near death experience and how she saw her loved ones in heaven. After reading this excerpt and entering my contest, a reader said, “I never read an Inspirational. Diane, does this mean they are related to religion or is that called something else?”

I thought this was an excellent question. I like RWA’s definition of Inspirational Romance which is “a romantic novel with religious faith as a significant element of the story.” I think it’s important to explain what Christian publishers want in their inspirational romances, but I want to add here that No Greater Loss doesn’t fit their guidelines. Publishers such as, Steeple Hill Love Inspired line, Barbour & Company, Zondervan, Bethany House, Multnomah, and Tyndale have strict requirements.

The following list is what the above publishers look for in their inspirational romances:

No foul language, taking the Lord's name in vain, euphemisms for curses (heck, darn, gosh) and no scenes containing violent content.

No dancing, no alcohol consumption by Christian characters.

No graphic love scenes. In an inspirational romance, they are non-existent and unacceptable. No staying overnight alone together. The characters should not make love unless they are married. Inspirationals are "sweet" romances. Any physical interactions (i.e., kissing, hugging) should emphasize emotional tenderness rather than sexual desire or sensuality.

Do not preach. An element of faith must be present in the books, and should be well-integrated into the plot. The conflict between the characters should be an emotional one. The hero and heroine might be struggling to accept the Christian faith or can be active church members. By the end of the story, hero and heroine must be both believers and members of a church community.

Okay, this is how my inspirational romance differs. I’ll start with the foul language because two secondary characters use a few swear words. The main characters never use any, but the young arsonist and his girlfriend swear when they’re fighting over a major life changing event. I couldn’t imagine their characters not swearing at two crucial points in the story line. However, a reviewer was offended that an inspirational would have any swear words in it at all. I understand her point of view. I asked several Christians what they thought of these two characters using foul language, and all of them gave me strange looks because they didn’t remember this language being used in my book. My editor was surprised at the reviewer’s comment because she said that Christians do use swear words.

In No Greater Loss, Luke and Jennifer spend a night together due to a blizzard. They don’t have sex but the scene between them wouldn’t be acceptable by Christian publishers. They also speak of their sexual desire for each other and think about it. This just seemed natural to me to write it this way.

However, my inspirational romance does have many things in common with the ones published by the Christian market. No Greater Loss is a sweet romance with faith playing a large part in the characters’ lives. Dr. Jennifer Hunter is a Christian psychologist with a Sunday radio show dealing with women's topics. Her Uncle Ryan is a Catholic priest. Jennifer turns to prayer throughout the book. She’s great at helping her patients with their problems, but she can’t help herself work through her own grief and guilt. After her husband and baby died, she thinks God must want her to remain single. Luke needs to learn to forgive his past wife for something she did during their marriage, so he can move on with his life. My inspirational romance is emotional with compelling characters who find inner peace.

Fortunately for me, Samhain accepted my inspirational romance without all the restrictions imposed by other publishers. They allowed me to tell my story the way I felt it needed to be told.

Do you enjoy reading inspirational romances? You don’t need to go to a Christian bookstore to buy them. I bought a Steeple Hill Love Inspired recently in a grocery store. Because of their popularity, they are sold in many secular stores.

Have you considered writing an inspirational romance? Writing about Christian characters facing challenges of love in today’s world is rewarding. Inspirational romances will always have a place in publishing because people are looking for the deeper meaning in life, and they want to read faith filled stories.

An Excerpt

"Sometimes a player's greatest challenge is coming to grips with his role on the team."
~Scottie Pippen

In honor of March Madness, here’s an excerpt from One Night in Memphis, my latest WIP (featuring the non-alpha hero I mentioned yesterday). Here, the H/H meet for the very first time, on a basketball court, appropriately enough.

[Dakota is our heroine, Sarah her best friend. Gunnar is Sarah’s neighbor and the reason they’re at the courts in the first place. And Ethan, well, Ethan is our lovable, wounded hero…]

“Far one,” Gunnar said to Sarah, motioning as they crossed the grass. He broke into a jog and headed for a group of guys huddled in the middle of a basketball court fifty yards away.

Dakota looked around the park. Six courts, five pick-up games going on. Lots of long legs and lanky arms and sweat-soaked t-shirts stuck to muscular backs. Lots of trash talking, too, from the comments she heard around her.

They took the long way around, past a stone fountain, cheering families, bikini-clad women. Past a set of swings and some slides. Past smooth cement ramps where kids in bandanas skateboarded. Over it all, the sun beat down, its yellow face sliding toward the western horizon.

Someone whistled close by, and she turned, startled. Ten feet away, ball propped on one hip, stood a stocky, redheaded guy. Thick freckles covered both arms like a tattoo. He winked at Dakota and gave her a once-over. “Hey, good-lookin’.”

“Hey yourself.”

Sarah tugged at her wrist. “Ignore him. He’s an ass. He’s here every weekend, hits on anything that walks by with boobs and a pulse.”

“Thanks a lot.”

“You know what I mean.”

“Got room for two more,” the guy called after them. “Or we’ll be over at Doc’s Pub later. You should come by.”

When Dakota looked back over her shoulder, he jerked his chin in her direction. For a moment, he looked as though he was about to say something else, when one of his friends jabbed a hand at the ball from behind him. It spurted from his grasp and rolled away.

Dakota giggled.

“Hey!” The guy turned around, hands fisting.

Dakota turned back and was about to follow Sarah when a basketball bounced near her feet. It slowed as it hit the grass.

“Can you get that?”

She stopped at the voice. Still masculine, though different. Not the obnoxious rasp of the redhead. Soft-spoken, almost. Polite. Kind.

She turned, and in that moment, the world tilted under Dakota’s feet. A guy she hadn’t noticed before stood at the edge of the pavement: medium height, dark brown hair, flushed cheeks. His chest heaved as he panted with the effort of the game. He smiled, sort of a crooked grin that lit up only half his face. Still, it worked its way under her skin, until she felt her cheeks burn. For God’s sake, stop staring at him, she told herself. He’s just a guy. Ordinary. Not even that tall, or good-looking, or built. She reached down and picked up the ball, rough and rubbery under her fingers.

“Thanks.”

Dakota took a few steps in his direction. Now she could see the color of his eyes, a greenish shade that reminded her of the lake back home, in early evening when the sun was right. Those would make a girl stop and stare, she thought, a second before she saw the sadness coloring the pupils. Sadness and distance and--what else is that? She tried to read the other emotion there and failed. Maybe he isn’t completely ordinary after all.

“No problem.” She bounced the ball over to him, and he caught it on the second hop. Strong fingers, she thought, even as she told herself not to look.

He smiled again, wider this time, and something inside her lit up. “You aren’t from around here.”

“You can tell?”

“It’s your voice.”

“Oh.” She felt herself redden. “No accent?”

“A northern accent.”

“Yeah, well, I flew in today. Just visiting a friend for the weekend.” She put one hand on a hip, liking the sound of his voice. Wanting it to continue. Wanting him to come closer.

“That’s too bad.”

“That I’m visiting a friend?”

“That you’re only in town for the weekend. Memphis deserves a week or two, at least.” He studied her for a moment longer. Then one of his buddies yelled something, and he glanced back at the court. “Well, have a good time while you’re here.”

“I’ll try.” Dakota dug her toes into the grass and waited a moment, watching the way his back flexed as he jogged away. I wonder if he’ll turn around.

He didn’t.

“D!” Sarah called. “Come on!”

Oh, well. She backed away, one slow step at a time. Good-looking, she thought, in a different way. Not the type I usually go for. But definitely good-looking. Maybe I ought to be watching that game instead of Gunnar’s…

Make sure to stop by tomorrow for Writers' Wednesday!!

Heroes

"Not the glittering weapon fights the fight, but rather the hero's heart."

Over the weekend I won Diane Craver’s March Madness contest – yippee! – and so I now have a free download of her new Samhain release, Never the Same.



Can’t wait to read it. Diane’s going to be appearing here in the future as a guest blogger for Writers’ Wednesday, too, so stay tuned for her post on writing inspirational romance!

Spent a lot of time on my laptop this weekend, in front of the television and various playoff games, but I did manage to get about 5000 words written over the last couple of days. I’m struggled a little with the development of my hero in One Night in Memphis. He’s not an alpha male (I know…gasp), but a guy who’s more on the quiet, sensitive side, a 30-year old widower who’s venturing reluctantly into the dating scene after a year of mourning his wife.

I know I can’t make him too tortured or broken – my critique groups have already told me this – and yet the story is as much about his journey back to emotional health as it is the heroine’s. Maybe more. He’s not a confident, brash guy. He’s not muscular and chiseled. He’s…sort of regular. Kind but not a pushover. Smart but not that talkative. Do you think that makes him uninteresting? I hope not. I really, really hope not.

It’s definitely harder to write this hero than others I’ve worked with in my novels. Alpha males, for all their flaws, are easier to create and easier to make the heroine (and the reader) fall in love with. For me, anyway.

We’ll see. I do like Ethan. And I think he’ll be both believable and likable. And sexy, of course, in his own way.

What about you? Do you ever have characters, in your writing, who simply spring to life with little effort? And then do you have others who drag your creative muse kicking and screaming the entire way?

And the Madness Begins...

Well, March Madness is upon us, and though it hasn't been a complete surprise, there have been a couple of upsets and some nail-biters of games:

VCU (who??) knocks out Duke, the name pretty much synonymous with NCAA Basketball Championships.

Winthrop (who??) takes down the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.

Xavier, a little private school, forces #1 Ohio State (huge school with huger players) into overtime.

#6Vanderbilt sends #3 Washington State home after double overtime.

UNC's Tyler Hansbrough (what a cutie!) scores a season-high 33 points, playing without his face mask for the first time in weeks. His father was almost crying in the stands...

Hubby doesn't watch basketball at all, and I usually don't follow it much until the playoffs. But I always enter the March Madness pool at work, and I watch as many of the games as I can.

Why? Well, I like sports in general. I'm a competitive kind of girl. But I do like college hoops especially, because the players (for the most part) aren't yet jaded by the media spotlight or multi-million dollar contracts. They bleed the sport and their school colors, and you don't usually hear of a player transferring half-way through because he can get a better contract at another college. They love the game, pure and simple, and play their hearts out.

Just for kicks, let's watch the greatest moment in NCAA playoff history, Duke beating Kentucky at the buzzer in 1992:




What about you? Are you a sports fan? Follow March Madness? Enter the office pool? Or stay as far away as you possibly can??

There's a Certain Slant of Light

"There's a certain Slant of light, Winter Afternoons--
That oppresses, like the Heft Of Cathedral Tunes--"
-Emily Dickinson

This was the scene outside my kitchen window Friday around 8 am:



Notice, in case you didn't in the first pic, the daffodils that are beginning to show:

And this is the scene outside my kitchen window this morning around 8 am:

Sigh.

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And not that there's any connection (or is there??), if you're interested, head on over to this site and sign up to be on Al Gore's petition when he speaks to Congress about the dangers of global warming.

Have you seen "An Inconvenient Truth" yet? It might just change the way you think about a couple of things...

What Do You Read?

"I have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library."
— Jorge Luis Borges

Good news! Samhain just found out that they’ve become an official RWA-recognized publisher! This means, among other things, that I’ll be able to apply for PAN status (which is the RWA published authors group) as well as enter my book in the RITA contest, if I choose. And to romance authors, those are pretty big buzz-words.

I have to give a big thumbs-up to Christina Brashear, Samhain’s publisher and founder. She’s a workaholic and a tremendous supporter of romance authors!

Stole this meme from Nicole - thanks!

Reading Interview

1. A book that's changed your life: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. Powerful female protagonist and a scintillating look at the value (and risk) of not conforming to society. I read it in college and was floored.

2. A book you've read more than once: Oh, Gosh, many. The Little House series. Several of Stephen King's books. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

3. A book you'd take onto a desert island: The Collected Works of Wm. Shakespeare (it would keep me busy for a while!).

4. A book that made you laugh: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Mr. and Mrs. Bennett are terrifically hilarious.

5. A book that made you cry: The Pact by Jodi Picoult

6. A book you wish had never been written: Can't think of one. The written word has a lot of power, so I'd hate to say something should never have existed at all.

7. A book you wish had been written: There's some great YA out now that I wish I'd been able to read when I was in HS, including Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky and Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson.

8. A book you're currently reading: I'm back and forth between The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama and Lisey's Story by Stephen King.

9. A book you've been meaning to read: 19 Minutes by Jodi Picoult.

10. Tag people you want to hear from: Anyone and everyone who reads!

Have a great weekend!

What Day Is It, Anyway??

"Are you Master of your Domain?"
"I am King of the County. You?"
"Lord of the Manor."
"I'm Queen of the castle!"
~from "The Contest" Seinfeld episode

Do you know that all day yesterday, I thought it was Thursday? I even dragged the recyclables to the bottom of the driveway when I got home after work, and hubby looked at me when I was finished and said, “You know it’s only Wednesday, right? They don’t pick up ‘til Friday.”

Of course I know that. I mean, we’ve lived in this house for over a year now. And yet still, somehow this week has felt as though it was 100 days long.

Anyway, I’m excited, because today after work I’m coming straight home and writing (this is definitely a treat, because usually I’m trying to squeeze some writing time in after dinner, past 8:00 or so). I finished all my little after-work errands, worked out extra hard at the gym all this week, so I could give myself today off.

So this afternoon, I’m settling in for a couple good hours’ work on One Night in Memphis, my next 24-hour novel and the latest WIP.

What about you? When do you find time to write? Early morning? Late at night? In fits and starts throughout the day? And do you ever “treat” yourself to extra writing time?

For a good laugh, here’s a remember-when from Seinfeld, one of my favorite shows from the 90s. Remember the “Master of my Domain” episode? Sure you do. And the brilliant thing about it is the way the viewer knows exactly what the characters are talking about, without them ever mentioning anything specifically. Enjoy!

Writers' Wednesday: How To Use Commas Without Going Crazy

Type “comma rules” into any search engine, and you’ll turn up a multitude of sites. Here are a couple I’ve found that are helpful without going overboard:

The Purdue University OWL (Online Writing Lab)
JPROF Journalism Site

For a quick guide, though, here are a few tips I've found most useful. Commas can be confusing, but if you print this out, tape it somewhere near your computer, and refer to it when you’re in a jam, it should help in many cases.

1. Use commas to set off introductory phrases. Many times, the placement of this comma will occur where you would draw a natural breath if reading the sentence aloud.

As soon as Jenny woke up that morning, she had a sense of foreboding.

After the horse dragged Cowboy Bob five hundred feet, the animal finally slowed to a stop.

Note: Sometimes the intro phrases are short. Use your discretion in those cases. Read the sentence aloud and see if a comma would clarify the sentence’s meaning.

Last night Jimmy snuck into my bedroom after my parents went to bed. (Comma would theoretically go after “night,” but is it needed? Probably not.)

After all wouldn’t everyone rather win a million dollars than drag themselves to a job they hated? (Comma would, and probably should, go after “all” to clarify a natural pause of emphasis in the sentence.)

2. Use commas to separate items in a series. A series equals three or more items, by the way.

Madeline packed a single change of clothes, a few toiletries, food for her pet rat, and enough money to get her across the border.

Note: Placement of the comma before the “and” of the final item has been debated. Some grammar guides will tell you it’s appropriate. Others will tell you it isn’t. My editor recently took out all commas before the “and” in sentences like this. My gut feeling is that it’s a personal preference that won’t make or break your manuscript either way.

3. Use commas to set off interrupting phrases (also called appositives or non-essential/non-restrictive clauses, if you want to get fancy). The test is to see whether the interrupting information is essential to understanding the sentence. Can you drop it out and retain the central thought of the sentence? If the answer is yes, put a comma before and after the interrupting phrase. If the answer is no--if taking out the interrupting phrase will change the sentence significantly or render the sentence grammatically unsound--then you cannot use commas around it.

Sarah Smith, my best friend since first grade, turned out to be the biggest liar I ever met. (The fact that Sarah is the speaker’s best friend might be interesting info, but dropping out the phrase between the commas does not significantly change the fact that she turned out to be a liar.)

The girl who had been my best friend since first grade turned out to be a liar. (Aha! Here, the phrase “who had been my best friend since first grade” is essential to the sentence, because if we take it out, the sentence changes completely, to “The girl turned out to be a liar.” Which girl?? Here, commas may not be used, because every single word is essential to the meaning of the sentence).

4. Use commas before a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, for, nor, so, yet) when joining two complete thoughts in one sentence:

I wanted to see an actual cowboy who lived in the west, yet I feared flying more than anything else in the world. (The groups of words on both sides of the comma could also function as stand-alone sentences. Therefore, put a comma before the conjunction).

Bryan checked his appearance in the mirror one last time, but he was certain that no one would recognize him in the beard and fake glasses. (Same case as above).

5. Use commas to set off place-names when talking about cities/states/countries. Note that you must place a comma after both the city AND the state/country in the sentence.

Johnny grew up in Dublin, Ireland, but he moved to the United States and settled in Chicago, Illinois, after his mother passed away.

Common Misuses of the Comma - Be Careful!

1. DO NOT use a comma before a coordinating conjunction if it does not separate two complete thoughts.

Dr. Johnson tightened his collar against the wind, and was convinced that the cold would kill him this time. (The second half of this sentence cannot stand by itself, so you cannot put a comma before the coordinating conjunction “and.”)

2. DO NOT use a comma to separate a subject from its verb.
The baseball player, hit a home run in the bottom of the ninth. (Can’t do it! No reason for it! Don’t even try!!)

3. DO NOT use a comma to join together two complete thoughts in a sentence without the proper conjunction between them.

The country road wound along the edge of the woods, no one dared to walk it alone after dark.

(The groups of words before and after the comma could each stand alone and make sense. Therefore, you CANNOT join them with only a comma. You must add a conjunction, or change the comma to a semi-colon--more on this in another WW blog--or simply place a period and make them two sentences.)

The country road wound along the edge of the woods, BUT no one dared to walk it alone after dark.

The country road wound along the edge of the woods. No one dared to walk it alone after dark.

Note: If you are author Joyce Carol Oates, consider all of the above null and void, and use the comma with abandon. If you are not JCO, your agent/editor/publisher will be much happier if you submit a manuscript that does its best to adhere to the above guidelines.

Hope this was helpful to you. Good luck!

Fun Things That Have Nothing To Do With Writing

Since I have a busy day ahead of me, and since I’m hard at work on tomorrow’s Writers’ Wednesday post (make sure to stop back in 24 hours and see what I’m blogging about), I’ll leave you with a couple of fun things instead of any reports on my writing life (or lack thereof, these days)...

You Are A Good Friend

You're always willing to listen Or lend a shoulder to cry on You're there through thick and thin Many people consider you their "best friend"!

What Kind of Friend Are You?

Aw, well, that's refreshing to know. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in my life I wonder...

A, B, C, D, E, F . . .


Play along now!

A - Age: Somewhere over 30 :)

B - Band listening to right now: Rascal Flatts

C - Career future: Best-selling author??!!

D - Dad's name: David

E - Easiest person to talk to: My sister

F - Favorite song: Couldn't begin to guess. I love music too much!

G - Gummy Bears or Gummy Worms: Bears. Anything that resembles fish bait weirds me out.

H - Hometown: Tiny dot on the map in the Lower Hudson Valley.

I - Instruments: I play a mean piano. Really.

J - Job: Teacher!!

K - Kids: Um...I like them when they go home to someone else...

L - Longest car ride ever: Drove cross-country one summer, so probably the stretch between Wyoming and Washington.

M - Mom's name: Marilyn

N - Number of people you slept with: Last night? Hubby and 2 cats.

P - Phobia[s]: Small spaces

Q - Quote: Anything by Shakespeare or Dr. Seuss.

R - Reason to smile: That I woke up healthy this AM with an awesome job to go to!

S - Song you sang last: "Breathing" by Lifehouse. I love that band!

T - Time you wake up: With or without an alarm? Today: 5:30. Typical.

U - Unknown fact about me: Keep reading my blog, and maybe you'll find out!

V - Vegetable you hate: Asparagus, interestingly.

W - Worst habit: Stressing over things I can't control.

X - X-rays you've had: I broke my wrist the summer I was 8.

Y - Yummy food: Chocolate. Any kind. In any recipe.

Z - Zodiac sign: The fiery Sagittarius!

Make sure to check back tomorrow for Writers' Wednesday!!

Reading Recs and Baby Pics

"When I look back, I am so impressed again with the life-giving power of literature. If I were a young person today, trying to gain a sense ofmyself in the world, I would do that again by reading, just as I did when I was young."
~ Maya Angelou

Hope you had a nice weekend! I have 2 reading recommendations for you this morning:

1. Tickle Fights and Barbecues, a short story by Marianne Arkins. It’s a quick, heart-warming read. Plus it’s only $1.50 - probably less than you spent on your coffee and bagel today! And for those of you who aren’t yet converts to the whole e-publishing industry, this story is a nice introduction. You can download and read it immediately (either on-screen or printed out), and it’s only 11 pages long. Give it a try--and leave her a review when you’ve finished it!

2. The T-Zero E-zine published by Writers’ Village University.. I’m featured under the “Recognitions” column in the March issue. Very nice write up (thanks, Vivian!), even though it mentions my publication with Virtual Tales which of course is no longer happening (my choice, in case you hadn’t heard, not theirs).

And for a totally different kind of entertainment, here’s a picture of me at 9 months old, loving every minute of my bath in the kitchen sink (yes, really!). We’re having a contest at school right now to see how many people you can correctly guess from their baby pics…it’s amazing how some people look exactly the same, and some have changed completely.

What do you think? Would you be able to tell this is me??

TGIF

Substitute "damn" every time you're inclined to write "very;" your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.
~Mark Twain

Boy, am I glad to see Friday! It’s been an incredibly busy week, mostly because I took Monday off for traveling and thus came back to a desk piled high with work…

I’m headed to my local RWA chapter meeting this weekend, which will make for good discussion as always, and possibly a home and garden show as well (hubby wants to go…somehow with a foot of snow still on the ground it’s hard to think about that!).

Oh, and did I mention that I joined Absolute Write last week? They have great forums with some terrific members who actively post on a regular basis. It’s easy to spend an awful lot of time there ~ but do check it out if you have the chance.

I also registered my blog with Google Analytics, which tracks my site traffic. It’s interesting to see how often and from where people are stopping by, how long they’re spending, which pages they’re visiting, etc. And again, it’s too easy to spend more time than I should studying my stats instead of writing.

Writing. Oh yeah. I should do some of that this weekend, too. One Night in Memphis is about 1/3 done and needs some attention. And I’ll probably be working on promotional stuff as well.

Okay, I’m off...be back on Monday!

Happy Weekend!!

The Day After the Debut

"Writing became such a process of discovery that I couldn't wait to get to work in the morning: I wanted to know what I was going to say. "
~Sharon O'Brien

By all accounts, yesterday’s Writers’ Wednesday debut was a hit, so I will definitely be continuing it in the future. Thanks to all for the content ideas, too! And remember: if you’d like to write a post as a guest blogger, I’d love to have you! Just leave me a comment here, or email me through my website (there’s a link over there, on the sidebar). Don’t be shy: you have more expertise than you might think!

Good news from The Wild Rose Press: they’ve read my partial of Lost in Paradise and requested the full manuscript. So that’s exciting. Still, no matter how many times I’ve sent out fulls, it remains more than a little nerve-wracking to send your baby out into the big bad publishing world for a stranger to review.

Cross your fingers for me, and I’ll keep you posted!

Welcome to Writers' Wednesdays!!

Welcome to the debut of Writers’ Wednesdays!

Each Wednesday, on my blog, I’ll be posting a brief article (and I mean brief: 300-600 words) on a “How To” aspect of the writing (and publishing) process. I’ve discovered, through much trial and error over the last few years, that I’ve gained a lot of experience that other writers might find valuable before they struggle through it themselves.

If you have a topic you’d like to see addressed in one of the “How To” blogs, let me know! Or even better, if you’d like to write one of the Writers’ Wednesday posts, contact me to be a guest blogger. Spread the word to your friends and fellow writers, too.

Without further ado, here’s Writers' Wednesdays #1: How To Write a Novel

Visit any library or search engine, and you’ll turn up hundreds (maybe even thousands) of resources that will give your advice on how to write a novel. Some of my favorites include Stephen King’s On Writing and Bob Mayer’s The Novel Writer’s Toolkit.

Definitely do your research; there's no substitute for solid advice from published pros. But to give you an idea of what's involved, before you read an entire book (or bookshelf) of guides, here in mini version are my top 5 tips for beginning a novel and working your way through from start to finish. Stay tuned for additional Writers’ Wednesdays blogs on all the details…

1. Devise your storyline. In one sentence, state what your story will be about. (This is also called a logline – a general statement that summarizes your entire story.)
Examples:
An alliance of cowardly deer hunters searches for treasure in a dungeon.
Or
The bohemian nephew of a timid politician’s ex-wife has only 1 hour to live.
Note: This sentence should excite you; it should be the one thing that will remind you why you loved the idea, when get frustrated halfway through the novel.

2. Brainstorm the details. Who are your main characters? What is their conflict? What are they searching for in the story, and how will they be different at the end than they were in the beginning? What are their names? Where is the story set? A fictional or factual location? What is the black moment in the story, and how does the story end? Some people like to outline all of this. Some write from scene to scene. You need to figure out what works for you, in putting all these pieces together. But you do need these pieces.

3. Set a schedule and workable goals. This is the most critical piece. Set a deadline for yourself. Really. Too many people start out strong and then lose steam as the weeks and months go by. Pull out a calendar and decide, realistically, how many words you can write in a day. Not sure? Start with 500 and go from there. How many days can you write in a week? Total up your days in a month, allowing a little bit of time for the unforeseen, and set a goal for yourself every month (I will have 5000 words written, or I will have finished three chapters).

4. Write everyday. Taking into account the demands of your daily life, commit yourself to writing X amount of days each week. Then do it. Don’t make excuses. Don’t find something else to do. Don’t say you’re too tired. Sit down at the keyboard (or the pad or paper, or the microphone), and compose. It’s too easy to lose focus when you take time off.

5. Reward yourself. Writing is hard work! Give yourself some incentive when you reach a milestone: that first 2000 words, or the halfway point, or the end (definitely the end!). Chocolate is good. Or a shopping spree. Or a Starbucks nonfat latte. Or a bubble bath. Or...you get the idea.

There’s more, of course, but this will get you started. You can write a complete novel, if you really want to. You can!

Scenes from the Beach

"One cannot collect all the beautiful shells on the beach; one can collect only a few, and they are more beautiful if they are few."
~Anne Morrow Lindbergh

A view of the Florida Gulf Coast shoreline:

and my mom and I on the beach:

(It was pretty cool and windy, but still warmer than NY, that's for sure!!)

My Sunday-Monday Blog

"My parents didn't want to move to Florida, but they turned sixty, and that's the law."

~Jerry Seinfeld

OK, those of you who visit on a regular basis know that I usually take the weekends off from posting.

But today I had to write, because tomorrow I probably won't, because...

Guess why?

Guess where I'm sitting right now?

In sunny Florida, about 60 miles south of Tampa and 5 miles from the Gulf Coast.

Seriously.

I took the weekend to visit my parents, who are newly retired and wintering down here, and I'm flying back tomorrow morning. (I really, really, do not enjoy flying, but I haven't figured out any other way to cover 1000 miles in less than 3 hours.)

It's been a wonderful respite from the cold and gray that is New York winters, and I know how lucky I am to be able to hop on a plane and leave that behind for 3 days.

So here's an interesting question for you: if you could go anywhere in the world, for just 3 days, where would you go, and why??

Writers' Groups

Why I love writers’ groups:

1. They understand the meaning of query, synopsis, partial, black moment, hero’s journey, POV, H/H, WIP, and RWA.

2. They are brutally honest about why the scene in the middle of your story absolutely, 100%, does not have to be there. And they will pick you up when you’re finished mourning after deleting it.

3. They will bend over backwards to help you research a city/celebrity/disease/time period for your latest WIP.

4. They will meet you at Border’s on a Thursday evening and willingly give you feedback on your latest chapter even though it’s 6:00 and they could be at home sitting down to dinner or having a big ol’ glass of wine with their feet up.

5. They will celebrate with you at every milestone on your writing journey.

What do you appreciate most about your writing group/critique partners?

For Your Reading Pleasure...

"March, master of winds, bright minstrel and marshal of storms that enkindle the season they smite."
~Algernon C. Swinburne

Congratulations to the winner of my February Giveaway: Cynthia Borris!

Hope you’re all enjoying this first day of March (is it here already??)

For a little something different, I thought I’d post an excerpt from my WIP Lost in Paradise, which is in its umpteenth revision since being pulled from Virtual Tales. It’s also being read as a partial right now by The Wild Rose Press, so fingers crossed.

Here, the hero and heroine reunite after a fight…

“Ash?”
She’d almost made it to the stairs by the time his door swung open. Eddie stood on the other side, bare-chested and dozy-eyed. He wore a pair of cut-off sweats and nothing else.
She forgot how to breathe.
“What time is it?”
“I’m sorry.” The words came out in a rush. “I shouldn’t have--were you sleeping?”
He shook his head and ran one hand over his hair, standing it up on end. “Watching TV.” He paused for a moment, then pushed the door open all the way. “Want to come in?”
“Okay.”
The living room smelled of him, that complicated scent she associated with baseball games and late nights on the porch and winks in the bar as he sat and watched her count tips. Ash stopped near the recliner and looked around. The kitten, now a few pounds rounder in the belly, slept on a towel Eddie had tucked into a cardboard box.
“You ever give it a name?”
He closed the door and stepped beside her, breathing the words into her ear. “Call ‘im Tiny. Seems to like it.”
She smiled. “Fits him.”
He sat on the edge of the couch. “So--”
“I’m sorry,” she said again. Second time in less than five minutes, she thought. Why don’t I just apologize my way into tomorrow? But there didn’t seem to be any other words to fit the enormity of what she needed to say.
“Sit.” Eddie cocked his head at her. “Stop being so god-damned nervous and tell me what’s going on.”
“It’s complicated.” She worked her way toward him. “I’m not--”
“So, start with something small.” He leaned back as she edged onto the couch. “Start with--I don’t know. Why you decided to leave Boston.”
Ash laughed. “I wouldn’t call that something small.” That’s the biggest part of what I need to say, she thought. And the hardest.
He didn’t say anything after that, didn’t press, didn’t keep questioning. He just studied her with that intent gaze of his, until she felt sure that he had stripped off every last stitch of clothes she wore, skin too, and saw through to the heart that beat erratically under her skin.
One hand worked its way across the cushion, until it rested on his bare leg. “What happened the other night--”
“Was nice. Was good. Should happen a lot more.”
She let out a long breath. “Yeah.”
Eddie’s hand reached for hers, five fingers twining their way around her own. Ash let her gaze move across his chest, over the pale fuzz that spread there. Up to the tattoo on his triceps. Over to his square chin, that bobbed when he spoke too fast or got too excited. Down, just for an instant, to the waistband of the cut-offs that dipped below his navel. Then up, where blue eyes met hers and a mouth looked as though it was waiting for her to make up its mind.
“There’s so much I need to tell you.”
“Okay.” Eddie pulled her toward him, working his hand from hers, slipping it around her waist and drawing her across the pillows so that her curves melted into his.
“Eddie--” But there was nothing she wanted to say. Nothing she wanted to explain. A dizzying rush of desire came over her, so strong and so sudden that she felt as though all the air had been sucked out of the room.

Sex and the Story

"There are three possible parts to a date, of which at least two must be offered: entertainment, food, and affection. It is customary to begin a series of dates with a great deal of entertainment, a moderate amount of food, and the merest suggestion of affection. As the amount of affection increases, the entertainment can be reduced proportionately. When the affection is the entertainment, we no longer call it dating. Under no circumstances can the food be omitted. "
~Miss Manners' Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behaviour

There was a great discussion on Romancing the Blog yesterday about all the sex in today’s romance novels, and the fact that readers can’t seem to find a romance that isn’t either filled with sex or--opposite end of the spectrum--a “sweet” story with a sugary hero and heroine who wait until marriage to do anything more than hold hands.

But most of the posts seemed to agree that publishers (and agents) are wary to sign anyone who doesn’t fit into one or the other. There is, it seems, an absence of the good old-fashioned contemporary love story, which focuses on the emotional relationship and not the bedroom. And surprisingly, that’s what a lot of readers are looking for.

This was refreshing to me, especially, because in my mind, that’s exactly what I write: contemporary love stories. Novels about men and women who meet and fall for each other and then have to deal with the messes that life throws in their way. I don’t write sex. It just doesn’t interest me within the pages of my novels. But I’m wondering how to market myself, both in the publishing world and to my friends and family. (I have quickly discovered that “romance novelist” translates to “porn writer” in most of their minds).

So what do you think? Take a look at the posts from yesterday, then come on back here and let me know.

And on this subject, I discovered a new author at Samhain who, unlike most of their authors, doesn’t write steamy/sensual/erotica.

Her name is Kate Johnson, and she writes romantic comedy. I knew I had to take a closer look when I read the disclaimer on her newest novel: Warning, this title contains guns, swearing, dark thoughts about cheerful people, incomprehensible Britishisms, and painful sarcasm.

I downloaded her short story “The Twelve Lies of Christmas” and will give you the low-down when I’m through…

P.S. - Last day to sign my guestbook and qualify for the February giveaway! What are you waiting for???

What's On The Tape??

That, of course, is the all-important question after last night's Prison Break episode. It was another good one, lots of conflict and tension and near-misses...but they also killed off another main character (or at least it appears they did. I'm still hoping he'll be alive next week).

Which leads me to wonder if the rumors are true: is this show near its end?

I suppose the Scofield brothers can't be on the run forever. And there are only so many times they can avoid either death or capture, what with clever FBI Agent Malone on their tails. Still, if this show does wrap, I'll miss it.

I continue to think the writing is tight and the characters well-developed. And I'm glad that, in these last few episodes, Michael and Sara have finally gotten together. ;)

Still, I always thought they should have spent more time breaking out of prison. That first season was filled with such great episodes and interesting character interactions. So in honor of the early days, here's a Fan Vid from Season 1. Enjoy.

Where Do You Find Your Ideas?

"If not for heart and imagination, the world of fiction would be a pretty seedy place. It might not even exist at all."

~Stephen King ("On Writing")

Where do you get your story ideas?

When I first started writing, I felt as though I had about 3 (yes, 3) good plots inside my head, and after I used them up, I would never be able to think of another interesting, original story.

Really.

I struggled with it. I’d jot down ideas only to realize the next day they were tired and old. Then thing started to change. I‘m not sure why, but occasionally (usually at those weird times, like in the shower or at 3 am or when I’m supposed to be grading papers) a crazy little sliver of an idea would spring up, and I’d grab the closest thing that resembled a piece of paper and write it down.

After a while I retyped them all into one computer file, which is where I still store new ideas. Last time I opened that file, I had about 10 or so. Not a lot, but enough. And finally, the finding of the ideas has become easier.

I get ideas from articles I read in the newspaper or tabloid headlines in the supermarket. I get ideas from songs and TV shows. I get ideas from watching people in Borders and Target. And I get ideas from talking to people. It’s great.

Last Friday, hubby and I went out with another couple we work with--great new bar for happy hour, great new restaurant for dinner. And we all told stories. The terrific thing is that our friends are about 20 years older than we are, and former hippies, so they have the best stories in the world. I’m serious. My mind was cataloging great characters and great situations all night long.

For example: they moved to a Idaho town (population 500: 498 cowboys and hunters, and our friends) right after they got married, since he was going to school out there. One day the woman, who’s a liberal NYC girl, activist, pacifist, and vegetarian, goes downstairs in her apartment complex to do the laundry, and there’s an entire gutted deer hanging there, in the laundry room.

How great a moment is that?! Can’t you just picture working that scene into a story?? Talk about multiple conflicts, and a terrific opportunity for character development, and a perfect way to suggest the setting of the town.

So I’m a little less worried these days that the Idea Well will run dry, that it’s a finite collection of plots and characters out there for me to work with. Now, I can’t wait to go to the mall, or the grocery store, or the gas station. Who knows where I’ll find my next hero or heroine?

What about you? Where do you find inspiration for your writing??

You Just Never Know...

"People die in front of us everyday. But I believe Meredith will survive this. I believe, I believe, I... I believe in the good. I believe that it's been a hell of a year and I believe that, in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, that we will be okay. I believe a lot of things. I believe that... I believe that Denny is always with me... and I believe that if I eat a tub of butter and no one sees, that the calories don't count. And I believe that surgeons who prefer staples over stitches are just lazy. And I believe that you are a man that made a terrible mistake marrying Callie and I believe that because I'm your best friend I can tell you this and we can be okay. I believe that even though you made this mistake you will be okay. I believe we survive, George. I believe that believing we survive... is what makes us survive."
~from "Grey's Anatomy"


Update: I sent a query for the newly re-titled Lost in Paradise to The Wild Rose Press yesterday morning, and by the afternoon I had received a request for the partial. So that’s encouraging.

What was even nicer is that the editor remembered me (I had submitted One Night in Boston to her as well, back when I was querying a few places simultaneously). She congratulated me on the upcoming publication with Samhain and welcomed a look at my new work.

I sent off the partial…now we’ll wait and see!

Any Grey's Anatomy fans out there? What did you think of last night's episode? A tear-jerker, for sure, but I sort of felt manipulated....like, here's another week where Meredith whines about her "awful" life. This time we had to spend an entire hour watching her discover that, really, dating McDreamy and having good friends and a challenging career isn't the most terrible thing in the world. Does anyone else want to tell her to get over herself?

Best part of the whole show. by far: seeing Denny again, especially the moment when he and Izzie touch at the end. Magic.

Happy weekend!

Don't Let the Door Hit You on the Way Out...

"It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power."

~Alan Cohen

So I made the decision to terminate my publishing contract with Virtual Tales.

There were a few reasons, really, one of which was that, despite the fact that they don’t have many stories up for sale on their site (they’re relatively new), it was taking them *forever* to draft me a cover or send me my first round of edits. And believe me, I know how slow the publishing process can take, but I’ve been lucky enough to have some experience now with Samhain, and it’s just a completely different story.

I also want to market my story in more ways than just an e-serial, and I wouldn’t have been able to do that with the electronic rights tied up at VT. Honestly, when I first queried them, I didn’t think the story would develop as much as it did. I thought I’d end up with 30K words, tops. Now I’m at 55K and I love it, I want more, I want to see it in print.

The nice thing is that the publisher let me out of my contract without any problem and waived the 90-days notice as well, so I have all my rights back ASAP.

The funny thing is that it took him less than 8 hours to remove everything from the website: my bio, my promo page, my name under the authors’ listings. And we're talking an overnight wonder: I emailed him at 10:00 pm (my time; I think he's on the West Coast), and when I checked at 7:30 the next morning, it all was gone. Maybe if they’d moved that fast with everything else, I’d still be working with them!

Oh, well. I know it’s the right decision. But now I’m back to the beginning with marketing Paradise, USA--which I thinking of renaming Lost in Paradise, by the way. What do you think?

A Very Blah Day

I have nothing the least bit interesting to say today, other than to tell you that I’m struggling with a decision to terminate one of my e-pub contracts. It’s a long story, and I’ll fill you in sometime when I have the energy.

I watched all 2 hours of American Idol last night because I was too tired to do anything else (and I hate wasting time like that, but sometimes it happens)…and was anyone else bored? Tip to the guys, no matter how good-looking you are: don’t pick a love song and then come out so frozen by nerves that no one can hear you sing the lyrics.

(It’s fun being an armchair critic, isn’t it??)

Here's a meme for you...play along!

Hypotheticals: If you could bathe in a vat of any drink or food item, what would you choose? Chocolate, no question.

Anything Goes: What world-changing event would you like to take credit for? Women's suffrage. I think Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton are the bomb.

No-Brainers: What song do you keep hearing over and over again? For some reason, "Not Ready to Make Nice" by the Dixie Chicks.

Personals: What are you most proud of? Oh gosh, two things: my teaching career and the fact that I have amazing relationships with so many of my former students; and my writing career and the fact that it's progressing toward publication.

The End...Or Is It??

“Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self.”
- Cyril Connolly

Story endings: I find them incredibly difficult.

Some of my writing friends love them; they claim that the ending is sometimes the only thing that’s absolutely clear in the whole novel-writing process.

Not me.

I mean, sure, I have a general idea of where I want my characters to end up, but I stumble over the wording when I get there.

This weekend, for example, I was revising an ending for a novel that’s been about 4 years in the making. I finally got all the plot points worked out, but then I couldn’t decide if I wanted a flip, upbeat ending, or a more serious, God-I-can’t-believe-how-much-I-love-you ending. Either one would work with the tone of the novel, I think.

What do you think makes a good ending, especially in a love story? Do you like to see everything revealed and tied up neatly? Or is it okay if something’s left to the imagination?

Are there any stories you can think of where the ending stayed with you because it was so memorable, or so well done? Or, are there any stories where you felt supremely let down by the ending? (Yes, Marianne, I know: every Nicholas Sparks book. :) )

Oh, and in honor of last night’s new Prison Break episode, a yummy picture of the brothers to enjoy all day long:

My Schizophrenic Weekend

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read."
- Groucho Marx

Hubby and I love to travel, but we spent this Presidents’ Weekend at home this year, working around the house (him), writing (me), and doing our taxes (both).

And for some reason I decided I would tackle every writing project that’s on my four burners right now. Though I felt at times as though I had major mulitple personality disorder, I did get some good writing accomplished. Just to bring you up to date, here’s what on my plate right now:

Paradise, USA - This is the serial novella that’s been contracted by Virtual Tales. I’ve been emailing back and forth with my editor about the cover, which I think should be in the last stages of completion. I also worked on revising the last half of the story, since she only has the first half because that’s how this publisher works. I still love this story; I love the characters and I love what happens to them. I did run into a little snag near the HEA, only because I'm not happy with how the last few pages unfold, but I'll get it.

One Night in Boston - This is the full-length "24 hour romance" novel that’s been contracted by Samhain Publishing. I haven’t gotten the edits back from this editor, so the only thing I had to do was finalize the promotional blurb for her. That will probably be up on their website in a few weeks. Oh, you can also take a peek at my author's page, here.

One Night in Memphis - This is another full-length, “24 hour” romance that I’m really pushing to finish by June 1 to submit to Samhain. I would love another contract with them and am crossing my fingers that the 24-hour concept will catch on among readers. I’m about 1/3 of the way through this one, though I have an earlier draft (from a couple years ago) that I’m working with, so it’s not all brand new. Just most of it!

Summer’s Song - Finally, this is a single title romance that I wrote about 4 years ago. I shopped it briefly and had some interest from a couple of publishing houses, but no offers. I still really like this story and think I’ve figured out a way to make it stronger, so I spent some time this weekend working on the outline and the characters. I plan on shopping this one to traditional print houses and would love to have something complete by the fall.

So…that’s what I did this weekend! I feel good about my progress but, again, more than a little split between projects. I'm not really good at it, nor do I like it. I'd rather focus on one thing at a time. But that's not always possible.

What about you? If you're a writer, are you able to shift between projects? Or do you need to finish one before moving on to another? And if you're a reader, can you read multiple books at onc? Do you have a novel in the bedroom, one in the living room, and another in your bathroom? Do you have any problem picking up and moving from storyline to storyline?

One Last Love Story

"The best love is the kind that awakens the soul, that makes us reach for more, that plants the fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds."

~from "The Notebook"

So with all this talk on my blog this week about romantic movies and love and Valentine’s Day, I can’t believe I forgot to mention The Notebook. This is probably the only story where I actually preferred the movie to Nicholas Sparks’ book.

Talk about true love! If you haven’t seen this one, I definitely recommend it. (It turned me into a huge Ryan Gosling fan, too).

And so here’s a little something for your viewing pleasure. Happy weekend!

Why I Run

"It doesn't matter how slow you go, as long as you do not stop."
~Lao-Tzu

Many of you probably know that I’m a runner. The definition of that varies day to day, from “person who jogs a few miles after school to clear her head” to “person who ate too many cookies over the weekend and needs to burn off some calories” to “person who is more than slightly insane to take on the elements on days when no one else is outside.”

This past weekend I fell into the third category. I ran a 5K (that’s 3.1 miles) with about 220 other insane people in temperatures that hovered around 20 but felt more like 5 with the wind chill. And as I headed up the last hill, lungs frozen and breath catching in my throat and legs feeling about one hundred pounds each, that familiar thought popped into my head: Why I am doing this?

Fortunately, that thought shows up quite a bit but never stays around long, because I know the answer.

I run because I always feel better when I finish. Maybe not always physically (though I’d say 80% of the time I do), but mentally and emotionally? Always. I know there’s a physiological explanation for it: the endorphins shoot off inside my brain like little drugs and give me some kind of high. But it still amazes me that the simple act of moving can change my mood 180 degrees.

It amazes me that when I cross the finish line of whatever race I’m running, whether I’m first in my age group or somewhere in the middle of the pack or near the end, I feel such a sense of accomplishment. It amazes me that I feel most beautiful when I am sweaty and flushed, with my hair stuck to my face and a t-shirt stuck to my back.

I wish more people could experience it. I hope, if you’re not a runner, you have something that revs you up, that chases away your blues, that inspires your creative juices, the way running does for me.

It’s so simple: put on a pair of running shoes and step outside. Yet it’s so complex: it changes your body, your mind, your spirit. Because if you can run ______ (fill in the blank here: to the mailbox, down the street, a mile, a 10K, a marathon), imagine what else you might do.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

"You have to walk carefully in the beginning of love; the running across fields into your lover's arms can only come later when you're sure they won't laugh if you trip."

~Jonathan Carroll, "Outside the Dog Museum

Hey, everyone, I'm blogging today at Romancing the Blog...drop by and leave a comment!

Well, it finally arrived: the winter storm that's been blasting the rest of the country, and just in time to deliver a lovely Valentine's Day gift: a snow day from school for hubby and me! Now, if you're an educator (or even if you remember those blissful days from childhood when the radio crackled the school closings while you waited at the breakfast table with crossed fingers), you know the treat that early morning phone call brings.

And on a Wednesday!

And on Valentine's Day!

And two days before a holiday weekend!

Speaking of the world of education, one of my writing friends sent me a hilarious email yesterday, that I have to reprint here. Hope you'll get a kick out of it. I did.

And if you found your way here from RTB today, thanks for stopping by! Make sure to check out my website and sign my guestbook for a chance at the February giveaway (it involves Lindt chocolates... need I say more??)

Finally, have a WONDERFUL Valentine's Day, wherever you are and whatever you're doing. Cheers!!

NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND---The Football Version

1. All teams must make the state playoffs and all MUST win the championship. If a team does not win the championship, they will be on probation until they are the champions, and coaches will be held accountable. If after two years they have not won the championship their footballs and equipment will be taken away UNTIL they do win the championship.

2. All kids will be expected to have the same football skills at the same time even if they do not have the same conditions or opportunities to practice on their own. NO exceptions will be made for lack of interest in football, a desire to perform athletically, or genetic abilities or disabilities of themselves or their parents. ALL KIDS WILL PLAY FOOTBALL AT A PROFICIENT LEVEL!
3. Talented players will be asked to workout on their own, without instruction. This is because the coaches will be using all of their instructional time with the athletes who aren't interested in football, have limited athletic ability or whose parents don't like football.

4. Games will be played year round, but statistics will only be kept in the 4th, 8th, and 11th game. It will create a New Age of Sports where every school is expected to have the same level of talent and all teams will reach the same minimum goals. If no child gets ahead, then no child gets left behind.

Covers and Things

"Two souls and one thought, two hearts and one pulse."
~Halen

Yesterday I shared 9 “movies about love” that our local paper featured, but I forgot to mention which I’d seen and enjoyed. So here you go:

“Beaches” Saw it and wept. Wouldn’t watch it again.
“Citizen Kane”
“Driving Miss Daisy”
“Field of Dreams” Have seen it multiple times. Definitely a ++ recommendation for anyone who hasn’t seen it (that means you, Judy!)
“Harold and Maude”
“Lost in Translation” Keep meaning to rent this one…
“Mary Poppins” Of course! I knew all the words to all the songs, as a child.
“Pay It Forward” A good one, not a big box office draw but really touching. Sad ending, though,
“Rain Man” Another “of course!” Loved both Cruise and Hoffman in this one.

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Yesterday I saw the “first attempt” of my cover for Paradise, USA (my editor’s wording, not mine). So I’m not really sure if that means I get input on it, or not. But let me tell you, it was so weird to see someone else’s conception of what my main characters look like!

Ash is perfect, just the way I imagined her. But Eddie? My dashing, drop dead gorgeous, sexy, to-die-for hero? So different than the guy who’s been inside my head for the last 5 years. Taller, and thinner, and with much longer hair. Long hair! Where did that come from? He’s got a great six-pack, though, and he’s looking at Ash with one hell of a smoldering gaze, so I can’t complain too much.

I did email my editor back with a couple of thoughts, but we’ll see if anything changes. From what I’ve heard, authors don’t get too much say on their novels’ artwork. I don’t really mind; it has the title and my name on the front: a first-time novelist’s dream come true. What more do I need?

Incidentally, do you let the cover art of a book influence your visualization of the characters, once you start reading? If there’s already a picture of the H/H done for you, do you stick to that artist’s conception? Or do you form your own instead?

A Good Weekend

"I get by with a little help from my friends."
~ John Lennon

So this past Saturday, I hopped into my little salt-covered car and drove about an hour to check out the closest RWA chapter. After getting lost twice, I finally arrived…and really enjoyed myself, overall.

I’ve been lucky enough to develop such good working relationships with online writing friends, that the idea of meeting and discussing and critiquing with people *in the flesh* seemed almost odd.

Not to worry. It was nice to be in a room with 8 other people who write romance and are at various stages in the publishing pipeline. Interesting discussion, honest feedback on ms. pages, and an easy camaraderie that comes from having a common element. I’m hoping this will be the beginning of a good year with this group.

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In our local paper over the weekend was a list of movies to “warm your heart without romance.” ("Each of these stories is about true love, for sure, just not the cliché kind…")

So tell me: which of these have you seen and enjoyed? Which would you recommend to someone else, and which would you watch again?

“Beaches”
“Citizen Kane”
“Driving Miss Daisy”
“Field of Dreams”
“Harold and Maude”
“Lost in Translation”
“Mary Poppins”
“Pay It Forward”
“Rain Man”