Writer's Digest Tips

"I keep six honest serving men They taught me all I knew; Their names are What and Why and When and How and Where and Who." ~Rudyard Kipling

Happy weekend! Thought I'd share a couple of interesting tidbits from the latest issue of Writer's Digest...

"Romance Gets Real" is an interesting article about Harlequin's latest imprint, a non-fiction line that's currently acquiring in the areas of self-help, relationships, health, sex, diet, fitness, and beauty. Looks like the economy is forcing everyone to be promo-savvy about what the customer is looking for.

"(Over)Exposing Yourself" is a helpful article about how to create good publicity for yourself and when to stop from going too far. The tip I liked best in this one was #6, Make a Sincere Effort. If you're an author who's approaching a bookseller about carrying your titles, make a good-faith effort in the store and buy a book. Easy tip, but I bet a lot of authors don't bother.

And a great writing prompt, if you need to break away from your current WIP and get the creative juices flowing: A 20-something man is sitting in a taxi outside of his parents' house, trying to find the strength to tell them that he _____________________

Have fun!

Promo Possibilities Everywhere...Who Knew?

"Good as it is to inherit a library, it is better to collect one." ~Augustine Birrell

A few days ago, I mentioned this new site, PaperBack Book Swap, as a cool place to exchange the books you've read for ones others have posted.

I've already sent and received one each, which is pretty neat, but - guess what? If you're an author, I think this might be a place for a little self-promo. I was Googling myself yesterday and got a hit on this very site for Lost in Paradise. It's on 2 people's Wish Lists! So...think I'm going to "swap" them a copy...with a little bookmark/excerpt booklet/info about my upcoming releases inside. I mean, who doesn't like an autographed copy and a free bookmark, right?

Authors, check and see if your books are listed there...it might be a chance to make a personal connection with a new reader! (Diane, I know 2 of yours are...)

Presenting at the EPPIEs!

"Real success is finding your lifework in the work that you love." ~David McCullough

Less than 2 weeks until the EPPIE awards banquet, and I'm getting pretty excited...

Interestingly enough, a call for presenters came out on the EPIC loop the other day, and I figured since I was going to be there anyway, I'd volunteer. Turns out they still needed people, so I'll be presenting the finalists/award winner for the Non-Fiction category. Heck, I'm pretty excited for that too.

Anyway, this is cool: the presenter for my category, Contemporary Romance, is a member of my local RWA chapter and critique group. She asked to present this one specifically because both I and another member of the chapter are finalists. We're a very small chapter (less than 30 people), so to have 2 finalists in the same category is neat and a true accomplishment for us!

Can't wait to tell you all about it...

Writers' Wednesday: An Interview with Valerie Patterson

Welcome to Writers' Wednesday! Say hello to Valerie Patterson...

Valerie, I know you've just had a new book released. Congrats! Can you tell us about it?

Gee Whiz Meets SHAFT was released February 14th by Asylett Press. It's such a fun book. I had a lot of fun writing it. It's a little bit of everything. It's a comedy--a spoof on spy thrillers with some espionage thrown in--with a thread of romanceto tie it all together in a neat little package.

Sounds like fun! How do you go about developing your characters?

It all starts with a name! When I start a new manuscript, I select my characters' names and build from there, fleshing ou tphysical attributes and moving on to personality traits before rounding it out with career choices. I have to be able to havea solid mental image of my characters in order to establish how they would speak, act, react, think, and even move through scenes. For me, selecting a name first allows me create a character that comes to life in my thoughts. If I can see and 'hear' my character, then I believe my readers will be able to as well. Iwant my readers to relate to this character, obviously, but I also want them to come away from the book with a strong mental image of who the character was. For me to make that happen, it all begins with the name.

What advice would you give to new writers just starting out?

Do not submit the first thing you've ever written unless you've gotten a ton of feedback from peers--not just family and friends--from people who are not afraid to tell you what's wrong with the plot, what doesn't ring true with your dialogue, and why they dislike your hero/heroine. Always keep in mind that your words are not valuable little pearls tied together with unbreakable twine. You have to be able to rewrite and revise and bullet-proof your work. You have to be able to take criticism without it drawing blood and shattering your confidence. And then remember that not everyone on the planet is going to like what you've written. Accept that people have different tastes, listen to their comments and then move on, using what you can to make your work stronger and chucking the rest. Above all else, never give up. If a door closes, look for a window and then crawl through it. If writing is your passion, don't give up on it. Pursue the dream until it's a reality. Anything worth having, is worth the time it takes to achieve it.

That's such great advice...So, what do you find most difficult about writing?

The middle! When I start a new project, I generally have the beginning and the ending all worked out, so it's the middle that gives me problems. I'm all excited about starting, so I jump right on chapter 1. And then I've got the ending formulated and want to jump on that. Since a book generally requires more than a beginning and an ending, I find the middle to be the most challenging.

I can appreciate that - I have trouble with the middles myself. What do you find most exciting or rewarding about writing?

You'd think it would be the beginning or the ending, right? Nope. It's the complete package from start to finish. When I type THE END on a manuscript, I'm immediately ready to read the whole thing to see how it reads. I read it through once and then I break it down by chapters, reading each one out loud. When we read silently, our brains compensate for missing letters andsometimes missing words. By reading a chapter out loud, I'm able to identify any sentences that aren't quite right, pick up on missing words, and catch problem words like They're/Their and Your/You're. For me, the entire process of creating a written work is very rewarding. I imagine--for me--it's akin to an artist just finishing a painting.

How do you balance writing with the rest of your life?

In all honesty, writing actually balances my life! I use writing as an escape. Getting lost in a new work-in-progress allows me to take the stress of the day and pound it out on my keyboard. I like nothing better than to come home from the office and sit down at the computer and develop a character, flesh out a plot,or work on a chapter until I feel human again! Writing not only keeps me stress-free, it keeps me sane!

Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?

I've had small bouts of writer's block that barely qualify as writer's block because I just edit through them, meaning I workon editing a piece until the creativity flows again. However,there was one point in my life where I was unable to write for more than a year. My Dad died somewhat young and very suddenly in November 2001, just about a week before I received a contract for my first book. I never got to share that joy with him, and it bothered me greatly because my dad was a HUGE supporter of my writing. I did the revisions on the piece that the editor asked for, but I didn't write a single word of a new manuscript or a work-in-progress for over a year. I just couldn't. Nothing was there.

I began writing again by writing a piece about my dad. It seemed that singular piece opened the flood gates and words just poured out of me. It was a very emotional process that not only brought writing back into my life, but helped me through the grieving process. If you're faced with seemingly unending writer's block, just sit down and write something--anything--so that the process begins again. Who cares if that very first piece is any good? Chances are whatever pours out next will be!

Valerie, thanks so much for sharing your writing journey here today. Readers, you can find out more about this author and her works right here.

A Inside Look: What an Editor Wants

The other day, my Samhain editor posted a brief note in our Yahoo author group about referring authors to her. I thought her response was an interesting look at what one editor, anyway, is looking for in new authors:

If you are familiar enough with the author's writing, professionalism and promotional savvy to give them a personal recommendation, you may give them my direct email address and have them submit the standard submission package directly to me...However, please don't be disappointed if I reject your friend/acquaintance, as of course I do reject the great majority of submissions that I read.

I am less receptive to sci fic/futuristic, western romance, or American-set historicals than other editors. At the moment I am actively seeking red hot Regency/Georgian/Victorian/Edwardian historicals, m/m, paranormal, and mystery/suspense and am always looking for well-written fantasy and romantic comedy.

I think it's really worth noting the sorts of things she considers. Professionalism. Promotional savvy. Those things - your behavior on loops, the reputation you develop at conferences or signings or other appearances, your willingness to promote yourself whenever possible - they do make a difference in the long run. There are so many talented authors, so set yourself apart in additional ways. And remember that the publishing world is not that big (people talk), and your behavior on the Internet will circulate faster than you might imagine.

Just thought I'd share.

Hooray!

"It is written." ~Slumdog Millionaire

I stopped watching the Oscars 3 years ago, after "Brokeback Mountain" won Best Director but not Best Picture because, Academy members later revealed, they couldn't bring themselves to vote for a film about gay cowboys (as if it wasn't about anything else...)

And I didn't watch last night except for the first half-hour or so, because I thought the same thing would happen with "Slumdog Millionaire." I mean, who would vote for an independent film about India with no-name stars, that's partially subtitled, when you have Brad Pitt on the ticket?

But sometimes the right thing really does happen. Slumdog picked up 8 total awards last night, as it should have, and was the darling of the Oscars this year - as it should have been. I hadn't realized how close the movie came to not even releasing in this country; it almost went straight to DVD. Now it's the Best Picture of 2009!

I have had people say to me that this film is violent. I didn't walk away the first time thinking that. I tried to understand, the second time I saw it. Yes, there is violence in the movie. It is part of the plot, part of the point, that half this world lives in extreme, unpleasant conditions -- and yet hope and love can triumph there as well. The violence is not in this film for gratuitous reasons. It's there so that the happy ending is that much more sweet when we get to it.

Anyway, I'll step off my soapbox now. Anyone else watch the awards show? Did you make it through the whole thing? Whose dress was the best?

Oscar Movie Marathon: The Review

"The length of a film should be directly related to the endurance of the human bladder." ~Alfred Hitchcock

Whew! Actually made it through all 5 movies yesterday without losing my eyeballs or falling asleep! The theater was almost full, so I wasn't the only crazy person, and everyone there was having a good time, being in the same boat and all. The staff even came in between movies and did trivia for prizes (no, I did not win any...)

So here's my roundup:

Milk - Wow. This movie was more amazing than I expected. Sean Penn plays Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in this country (San Francisco late 1970s). The whole movie is powerful, funny, and heartbreaking at the same time, since it's the story of a gay rights movement which really hasn't come all that far in the 30 years since. Very, very moving and GREAT acting (James Franco is great as Penn's lover). I'm pulling for Slumdog to win the Oscar, but this is a close second. And Sean Penn is just terrific.

The Reader - Um. Hmm? Not sure this one should be in the running for Best Picture. It's well-acted, but it isn't one of those movies that will stick with you for days. Plus it is incredibly depressing and beyond that, seemed to wander, especially in the second half. Kate Winslet plays a German woman who seduces a 16-year old boy...but he later finds out she's being put on trial for her actions as a Nazi guard years earlier. It seemed to have potential but didn't do it for me. The acting is good, though, and Kate Winslet has a good chance of getting the Oscar for Best Actress. She looks horrific - no makeup and she ages 40 years in the movie - I think the Academy likes that sort of thing.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Much better than I expected. Even though it's the longest (almost 3 hours), it didn't feel that way. The makeup (and the acting) of Brad Pitt is amazing, as he ages backwards from an old man to a teenager. And how is it possible that Brad Pitt can still look 19 in the right makeup?? Anyway, it's one of those sweeping life sagas, complete with a love story (his great love is played by Cate Blanchett), and it's quite moving. Sad, though, very very sad - especially at the end.

Slumdog Millionaire - Well, I've already seen this one, and it's still my favorite. I just love the originality, the acting, the story that is part-adventure, part true romance, and the fact that it exposes a world of violence and poverty that at least half our world lives in. I think this was the crowd favorite last night, too.

Frost/Nixon - If there's a dark horse in this Oscar race, it's gonna be this movie. Even though it was the last one of the night, and even though it has less action and more conversation and intellectual plotting, I was mesmerized from beginning to end. First, the story itself is fascinating: a playboy Australian talk show host gets an interview with Richard Nixon after he resigns the Presidency. The host is WAY in over his head, and Nixon is determined to exonerate his name, and so it's a battle of wills and personalities that is INCREDIBLY acted. These two actors played the same roles when it was on Broadway, and you can tell they've been living with these characters for a while. The subtleties of each give a terrific insight into what was happening in those months and years after Watergate (and I imagine this would be even more powerful for those who remember the time, as I don't). If you get a chance, rent this one - don't think because it doesn't have constant physical action that it isn't absolutely compelling. I wouldn't be surprised to see this one win, either.

So there you have it...I don't know if I'll actually stay up to watch the awards show tonight. I'm still pretty tired, and the show itself is so drawn out. But at least I can talk about the movies tomorrow!

An Oscar Movie Marathon!!

"Cinema should make you forget you are sitting in a theater." ~Roman Polanski

Well, I am spending the entire day in a dark place with strangers...

...at an Oscar movie marathon where they're showing the 5 nominated Best Picture movies, back to back. We start at 10:30 am, and the last one begins at 9:45 pm. Am I crazy? Will I actually make it? Check back here tomorrow to find out! In the meantime, here are the 5 movies:

Milk

The Reader

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Slumdog Millionaire

Frost/Nixon

I'll see you here tomorrow with my opinions and award predictions~

Pee in Dangerous Places

I was reading the latest issue of Writers' Digest last night and came across this excerpt (from Pep Talks, Warnings and Screeds: Indispensable Widsom and Cautionary Advice for Writers by George Singleton) which I just loved. So here's your Friday word of advice:

I fear that there's not enough danger in everyday life. I'm not talking about gang-related violence and how the ease of buying handguns in America causes everyday danger. I'm talking about public restrooms. In the old days, there weren't fast-food restaurants at every intersection. In the old days, if a traveler had to use the restroom, he had to go into strange Texaco and Gulf stations or roadside rest areas. There was always graffiti in these places that read something like, "Want to have a good time? Meet me here at 4:30." Then the traveler would look at his watch and see that it was 4:28 or thereabouts.

Such anxiety and tension causes good fiction. It's a different kind of tension than when the automatic hand dryer is broken. So my advice for beginning writers is to pee in dangerous places, always. Then give your characters that feeling of imminent danger.

Today's Featured Author: Barbara Levenson

Welcome everyone...it's Writers' Wednesday on Thursday this week! Today I have the pleasure of interviewing mystery writer Barbara Levenson, whose novel Fatal February just released. At the end of this interview, Barbara will be sharing how and where you can win a signed copy of her book, so pay close attention. And enjoy the chat!

Barbara, thanks so much for being here today. Can you tell us a little about your background?

I began my legal career as a prosecutor in the office of the Miami-Dade State Attorney. My first boss was Janet Reno, who later became the Attorney General in the Clinton administration. This was in the wild 1980’s, the era of the “cocaine cowboys.” I was promoted rather quickly to the narcotics division. We were facing well known criminal defense attorneys, so I learned to litigate under fire.

After a few years, I opened my own law office, specializing in criminal defense and civil rights litigation. I had many interesting clients including representing several people who had their boats confiscated under the “Zero Tolerance” policy of the Reagan administration. Guys out for a Sunday fishing outing were hauled over and told miniscule seeds of marijuana were found on the deck, and the boat was then seized. These cases became famous enough to land me an interview on Night Line and several NPR reports.

One day my husband looked at me and said, “Why don’t you run for a judgeship?” I thought he was crazy. There were only a few women serving as judges at the time, and the election campaign would involve the entire Dade County which is larger than the state of Delaware. But we like a challenge in our family. I served on the bench for twelve years and now still sit occasionally as a senior judge.

Wow, sounds like an exciting time! But when did you first begin writing? Was there an event that triggered a desire to write?

I began writing in elementary school. I wrote stories to entertain my friends. It was in junior high school that I realized that my humorous stories made my peers smile and the scary ones made them plead for more. I was hooked.

What are your latest writing projects?

Fatal February has just been published. It is the first in a mystery series whose protagonist is Mary Magruder Katz, a Miami criminal defense attorney. She is the epitome of the real Miami. She is half Jewish and half Southern Baptist. Her hot Latin boyfriend is half Cuban and half Argentine. The real Miami’s melting pot usually begins in the wedding chapel. This series of books takes readers into the way life is lived in Miami; not the usual South Beach tourist picture. The second book in the series, Justice in June, will be published in June, 2010. (Oceanview Publishing). I am also working on a book for middle school boys who seem to be left out of the mystery genre.

I think the idea of targeting middle school boys is a terrific one! Now, what advice would you give to new writers just starting out?

The first piece of advice is one a writing teacher gave to me. If you want to write, sit your behind in the chair and write. Do not stop in the middle of your book because you don’t know how to finish it, or you are bored. Don’t be one of those people who tell you, “I was writing a book but I didn’t have time to finish it, or I have too many other commitments now, but I’ll do it later.”

My second piece of advice is to write about things you know about or have thoroughly researched, and write what you like to read. Then you will find your own authentic voice. Finally, go to seminars, conferences, and join organizations where you will network with authors, publishers, book sellers. Learn everything you can about the publishing industry. For me, writing a book is the easy part. Knowing how to sell it is much harder.

Describe your writing space.

I live in two houses. Miami is home base for the last 33 years, and the Miami house is the house we have lived in for 33 years. Now that our children are grown, I have a small study on the second floor. I always have my computer (I always write on a computer) facing a window. What I see from the house in Miami is a landscape of trees, with something in bloom all the time, birds including wild parrots that scream to each other in their own language, and the South Florida sky that is a blue that cannot be duplicated.

Now that I am not confined to full-time judging, in the summer and fall, we retreat to a house in Vermont. The house is built on a hillside. My writing space is in the lowest level where I look out of two sets of sliding doors. Here I can see woodlands and mountains in the distance. One day a family of wild turkeys trotted down our walkway and peered at me through the glass. They were a great audience as I read aloud from the scene I was working on. They didn’t offer one criticism.

Miami and Vermont - what a great combination! What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

My husband and I bred and showed German Shepherd dogs for many years. We still have two German Shepherds. We did all the training and traveling with them and finished eleven champions in the show ring. Now, with only the two aging dogs, I like to just have fun with them. Fatal February has a German Shepherd named Sam who is based on my male dog, Ned. Sam is Mary’s constant companion and stress-reliever.

My other passion is ice hockey. We have a National Hockey League in South Florida and we go to as many home games as possible. You can’t think about any problem when you are totally into the fast action of a good hockey game. I am also involved in many activities at the University of Miami where I went to law school. We live near the campus. I have become acquainted with the members of the women’s basketball team and have them all over for dinner once each season, for some home cooked food and home cooked conversation. Some of them are very far from home for the first time. This year one is from Alaska, and one from Eastern Europe.

Barbara, thanks so much for sharing your story with us today! OK readers, here's the skinny on how to win her book:

Barbara Levenson is giving away a signed copy of her book, Fatal February, to one lucky tour visitor. Go to Barbara’s book tour page, http://barbara-levenson.omnimystery.com/, and enter your name, e-mail address, and this PIN, 8181, for your chance to win. Entries from Allie's Musings will be accepted until 12:00 Noon (PT) tomorrow. No purchase is required to enter or to win. The winner (first name only) will be announced on Barbara’s book tour page next week.

Thanks for joining us...and have a great day!

The February Samhellion is Up!

"Make a list of important things to do today. At the top of your list, put "eat chocolate." Now, you'll get at least one thing done today." - Gina Hayes

Hey all, the February issue of The Samhellion is up, with all things romance and Valentine's Day...including a yummy recipe sent in from Yours Truly. Give it a look!

Do You Read Your Own Books?

"I see the notion of talent as quite irrelevant. I see instead perseverance, application, industry, assiduity, will, will, will, desire, desire, desire." ~Gordon Lish

Back at the Borders signing a couple of weeks ago, a fellow author asked me if I had read my own books. I blinked, thought about it, and then realized...No.

Here's the thing: you write a book. You edit it a couple (or 10) times. Your editor sends it back with suggested changes, which you make. Your editor sends you 1-2 rounds of edits, which you make. Your editor asks you to read it through one more time before the FLE (Final Line Editor) gets it. And then before the print release, you read through the galleys one more time to catch any glitches.

So once those books come out in print, I for one am not at all interested in picking them up and reading them yet again. I've read interviews with movie stars who say they've never seen the complete movie they just filmed, and I always thought that was strange. Not anymore. (OK, this is not to say I'm comparing myself to Reese Witherspoon or anything...just the similar abstract concept...)

It's a weird sort of phenomenon. And having just finished the 2nd round of edits for One Night in Napa, I will say I feel the same way this time around. I still love the story, but I don't think I'll be picking it up in print and reading it page by page.

Hey, authors out there - what about you? Have you read your own books?

Two New Websites

"All good things are wild, and free." ~Henry David Thoreau

Hey readers, here are 2 websites I recently discovered that might interest you:

For readers: PaperBack Swap Book Club is a website where you can list the books you own -- and browse the books that others own -- and then swap them by mail if you'd like! Instead of dropping off the books you've read at a library or used bookstore, you can get credits and swap them with other readers, for books you'd like to have. Seems like a pretty neat concept -- I'll be trying it out later today.

For writers: Blazing Trailers is another place to upload your book trailers. Looks like it's similar to Preview the Book, and it's FREE! So check it out -- another place to spread the word about your books.

A Release Date!

"The difference between involvement and commitment is like ham and eggs. The chicken is involved; the pig is committed." ~Martina Navratilova

Well, I think I have an official release date, anyway, for One Night in Memphis (print). Originally, when I got the galleys to proofread, Samhain told me May 26th. I wrote back asking if it could be pushed up at all, since I have a signing at my local Borders scheduled for May 16th. I never heard back, so I figured that was a No. I mean, I know they have their schedule pretty much set, week by week.

But...it's available for pre-order right now at Amazon, with a May 1st release date listed, so I'm hoping that's the true, new one.

Exciting! (And if you pre-order it now, it's on sale...)

Happy Valentine's Day!

I know, I know -- much about this day is overblown and commercialized. I mean, why can't we celebrate our love for others with cards and flowers and kind words and yummy dinners and decadent chocolate the other 364 days of the year (oh wait -- I definitely do the chocolate thing more than once a year!)?



Valentine's Day is still a great day for romance, though, so here are a few memorable movie kisses to warm your heart and remind you why love stories are such wonderful things...

And This Weekend I'd Like To...

"Easy reading is damned hard writing." ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

The beginning of a 4-day weekend ~ what a glorious thing!

Writing goals for this weekend:

1. Finish edits for One Night in Napa.

2. Finish reading through Summer's Song for the umpteenth time.

3. Write a query letter and synopsis for the above and send it off.

4. Write 2 reviews for The Long and the Short of It.

Whew! Think I can do it??

((And a shout-out to my sister, who's celebrating her birthday today!))

The Dirty Little Secret

"What we do not see, what most of us never suspect of existing, is the silent but irresistible power which comes to the rescue of those who fight on in the face of discouragement." ~Napoleon Hill

I was talking to a fellow writer in my local RWA chapter last night, and the topic of revising came up. Turns out she spent all of January rewriting a book for her publisher, Harlequin. Now, she's multi-published with them, so when I found out that her editor had asked her to rewrite nearly this whole story before they would accept it, I was shocked.

I mean, I sort of thought that once you've established your name with a major publisher, you can pretty much write the story you want and they'll take it.

Nope.

She said the new story is a totally different book. It has the same first and last chapters as the original, but that's it. Then, once she sent that one in, she got the edits for another book she'd proposed. This one had fewer requests, but it had them in tricky one-liners, like "Don't let the secondary characters take over," "The hero and heroine are apart for 50 pages. Please address," and "Please take out X amount of scenes with the villain." Those aren't necessarily things you can fix in an hour or two.

And I said, "Wow, that's the dirty little secret about publishing that no one tells you when you're unpublished, huh?" You're led to believe that once you write a book, if a publisher/editor likes it, they'll take it, tweak some sentences here and there, and that's the end of the story. You don't realize that it might just be the beginning, and that you might be asked to substantially revise portions of the book -- even the portions you love and agonized over.

She said, "It's a good thing unpublished writers don't know that! If they knew it got harder instead of easier, they'd probably get so discouraged they'd stop trying altogether." Pause. "Then, of course, they wouldn't be any kind of competition for us, so maybe we should tell them..."

LOL. She's funny that way.

It's an interesting thing to realize, though -- you may be a terrific writer, you may be on the NY Times best-seller list, you may have an agent...but you may still have to do major revisions of a book before your editor will agree to contract it.

Don't be discouraged. Just be aware.

Writers' Wednesday: An Interview with Shelley Munro

Welcome to Writers' Wednesday...are you getting ready for Valentine's Day?? My featured author today is Shelley Munro. Enjoy!

Hi, Shelley! Can you tell us a little about your background?

My name is Shelley Munro. I live in New Zealand with my husband and a bossy wee dog called Scotty. My favorite hobby is travel, and luckily, my husband shares my love of exploring the world. We’ve visited lots of different countries and continents including Africa, Europe, Asia, America and Central America. I enjoy reading, all sorts of books and genres, and of course, writing. When I’m not writing I enjoy walking, running and cycling.

When did you first begin writing? Was there an event or moment in your life that triggered your desire to write?

I’ve always read a lot and the desire to write followed quite naturally. I wanted to write romance, inspired by New Zealand writers Robyn Donald, Daphne Claire and Susan Napier. Although I started writing a couple of times, I never finished anything. Then I discovered boys and that was it for a while. I found one I really liked and married him. We decided we’d go to Britain on a year long working holiday. We enjoyed the travel so much our trip lengthened into six years. Eventually we returned to New Zealand, and I started thinking about writing again.
I remember waking up one morning and thinking if I wanted to write a book and sell it, I should start straightaway or I’d run out of time. I think the stars were in alignment that week because I came across an advertisement with details of an Auckland University course on writing romance. I enrolled straight away. One of our local ladies’ magazines mentioned Romance Writers of New Zealand. I sent off my check to join the group and started my writing journey.

Exciting! So tell us about your latest writing project or published title.

I’m currently working on stories in my Middlemarch Mates series, stories about black leopard shifters who live in the small New Zealand town of Middlemarch. Cat Burglar, book six came out on 31 Dec 2008 and Leticia’s Lovers is due out in 2009. Cat Burglar features two new characters and introduces the local cops. Leticia’s Lovers features Leticia, with brief appearances from her brother Lucas and his partner Saul introduced in an earlier Middlemarch Mates book called Stray Cat Strut. I’m working on book eight and intend to introduce some new characters to the town. Of course, there will be cameo visits from some of the old characters as well. They give me problems if I try to leave them out!

How do you go about developing your characters?

Generally I start off with an idea for a scene or a snippet of conversation or a line of dialogue. If it’s a new book I’ll mull it over in my head, pulling the idea this way and that until my characters take on substance and become real to me. Sometimes I’ll take months to think about things, and other characters come together more quickly. I’ll think about possible conflicts and flesh out a background for my character. I don’t plot as a rule, but once I have all my main character conflicts sorted out, I can start writing.

What advice would you give to new writers just starting out?

They should read widely across all the genres and look at the way other writers do things. If a book works for you, great. Once you’ve finished reading it, go back and work out why you enjoyed the book so much. If you hated a particular book, look closer to see which things didn’t work for you. Use all the books you read as text books.

The other thing I’d suggest is to get into the habit of writing every day. It will stand you in great stead for later when you’re published.

What do you find most difficult about writing? What do you find most exciting or rewarding?

It’s always difficult to face rejection, which comes with the territory. Writing is a solitary profession. A writer needs to sit in front of a computer and write. It’s not always easy to forgo family, friends and special interests to write.

One of the most rewarding things about writing is the contact with readers. I treasure the notes and emails I’ve received from readers.

Thanks for a great interview today, Shelley! Anything else you’d like to mention?

You can find me at my website http://www.shelleymunro.com/ or my blog www.shelleymunro.com/blog
I also have a monthly newsletter that you can join from my website. Members of my newsletter receive special excerpts, have the chance to enter member-only contests and hear all my news first. A sign-up form is on the sidebar of my blog. And finally, I have a MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/shelleymunro

Thank you!

Okay, Now I'm Nervous

"The test of literature is, I suppose, whether we ourselves live more intensely for the reading of it." ~Elizabeth Drew

I mentioned yesterday that I'll be presenting a workshop at the CTRWA's Fiction Fest 2009 Conference in May - I had agreed to do one after one of the officers sent out a plea back in January. And if you read yesterday's blog post, you know I rarely turn down a chance at promotion or networking).

Anyway, I finally saw the offical schedule for the conference - and now I'm nervous. See, most conferences I've been to (not that many, but still) have a variety of workshops to choose from each session. You know, like 3 or 4 at least. I was even a little worried that no one would come to mine (it's called "Cutting Deadwood: Tightening and Trimming Your Writing").

Now I find out that there are 4 separate sessions, and only 2 workshops each session. Yikes! That means that everyone who goes will be choosing between mine and only one other "(The Author/Agent Relationship"). These two are during the last session of the day, so I suppose a few people might skip out early. And the other workshop is being given by a NY Times best-selling author and her agent, so I'd think that's a pretty big draw. But what if a few people stick around and decide to give mine a try?

Gulp...

Take That Step out the Door and Network!

"All books are either dreams or swords,
You can cut, or you can drug, with words." ~Amy Lowell

So...the signing at Borders...

There were 13 authors, some big name, some (like moi) not. Varying genres. Most of us brought gift baskets to give away, which we did every half-hour to customers who filled out entry cards and hung around to hear some of us read from our books. We had probably 6-8 people who stayed a couple of hours, and then probably 15-20 more browsers.

I sold 2 books, certainly not great, but average for most who were there, with the exception of Kristan Higgins, who's a pretty big new name. But even she sold maybe 10 at the most.

Better than the sales, though, was the chance to network with other authors. Kristan, especially, was great fun to chat with (really, she's hilarious - I can't wait to read her books). She also gave me a lot of good advice and said the #1 reason that manuscripts get rejected is because of length. If you're pitching a single title, it has to be 90K words. 100K is better.

She's also the president of the CTRWA and presenting a workshop at the Fiction Fest 2009 Conference (I'll be there too - more on this tomorrow), and spending 3+ hours sitting next to her at a signing, I gotta believe, might be a nice connection at some point down the road. At the very least, we had fun:




Hubby and I also stayed over at a local B&B afterwards, and when the owner found out I'd been in town for a book signing, she gushed and pulled out her checkbook so that she could buy a signed copy of both of mine, for their library! (Another reason to always carry a few extra in the trunk of your car) She also took bookmarks and excerpt booklets to put in every guest room, because "Guests love when they hear that an author stayed here!"

So, as I've said here many times before, if you have the chance to do any kind of public appearance with your books, or even have the chance to talk about them with someone new, DO SO! You never know who you'll meet and what doors it might open for you down the road.