Just a quick note from upstate New York, where I am visiting family and loving the fact that fall turns the landscape this amazing array of colors. It's been a good one for color, this fall, though it seemed as though I woke up one morning and suddenly everything had changed from luscious green to orange and red in a single day. Brr! The wind set in today too, reminding me that any hope for Indian summer is probably long gone. Ah, well. I can sit inside under my toasty blanket and admire the colors from afar.
Do you have a favorite season to write about? Do you tend to set your stories at a particular time of year? Of course we know that weather can be a great external conflict no matter what our story (if you need a little conflict between characters, throw in a storm or two, right?). But do you ever deliberately choose a season for the very reason that it frames your story? Or do you rely on a rather general anytime of year?
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Sort of Like Running
So I've been feeling sort of sorry for myself lately, frustrated with my attempts to publish which seem to go nowhere while wondering if all the time spent at the keyboard is worth it. I took a week off. I traveled. I watched TV. I visited with some old friends. I went for a run, or two or three.
And then I realized something.
It's sort of like running. Writing, that is.
When I was living in Cleveland during graduate school, in my early 20s, I turned on the TV one Sunday morning to catch the end of a marathon that's run every spring through the streets of downtown Cleveland. They run a 10K, too (that's 6.2 miles). I was fascinated. And so I decided that the following year, I'd run that race too. Something inside me wanted to be the one doing, not the one sitting at home watching.
You know where this is going, right?
I hadn't run farther than 2 miles in my life, but I changed. I ran 2. After a couple of months, I ran 3. Then 4 every so often, and eventually I worked my way up to 6. I ran that race, the following year, and though I finished in the middle of the pack, here's the thing: I finished. I did it. I ran through the streets of Cleveland alongside 5000 other runners and thought to myself how I glad I was that I wasn't sitting in my living room that morning.
Since that first race, I have run countless others. Mostly 5Ks (they're shorter), but a lot of 10Ks too. I even have one half-marathon and one marathon under my belt.
Why do I run? Well, I'm not particularly fast. I've never actually WON a race of any kind, though I've placed in my age group. I don't even actually enjoy running, when it's too hot or pouring rain or my legs don't want to move. I've taken time off. I've taken years between races.
But here's the thing: running has definitely become a part of who I am. I know I am stronger, physically and mentally, than I was before I began running. I am in shape. I am healthy. I have the blood pressure and the pulse of someone half my age. And some days, there is nothing better for escape and conquering frustration (or writer's block) than putting on my running shoes and heading out the door.
So yes, I guess I've figured out in the last week that writing has become sort of like running for me. I've only been writing seriously, on any kind of regular basis, for 5 years. 5 years! And I've finished 4 novels, all of which have made their way to agents' desks. So why should I be down on myself? I'm doing. I'm not sitting in front of the TV wishing. And if I don't ever publish, then it's not the end of the world. I won't ever run a 20-minute 5K either, and I've come to terms with that. I don't think I could go back to life without writing, though.
That's a good thing to realize.
And then I realized something.
It's sort of like running. Writing, that is.
When I was living in Cleveland during graduate school, in my early 20s, I turned on the TV one Sunday morning to catch the end of a marathon that's run every spring through the streets of downtown Cleveland. They run a 10K, too (that's 6.2 miles). I was fascinated. And so I decided that the following year, I'd run that race too. Something inside me wanted to be the one doing, not the one sitting at home watching.
You know where this is going, right?
I hadn't run farther than 2 miles in my life, but I changed. I ran 2. After a couple of months, I ran 3. Then 4 every so often, and eventually I worked my way up to 6. I ran that race, the following year, and though I finished in the middle of the pack, here's the thing: I finished. I did it. I ran through the streets of Cleveland alongside 5000 other runners and thought to myself how I glad I was that I wasn't sitting in my living room that morning.
Since that first race, I have run countless others. Mostly 5Ks (they're shorter), but a lot of 10Ks too. I even have one half-marathon and one marathon under my belt.
Why do I run? Well, I'm not particularly fast. I've never actually WON a race of any kind, though I've placed in my age group. I don't even actually enjoy running, when it's too hot or pouring rain or my legs don't want to move. I've taken time off. I've taken years between races.
But here's the thing: running has definitely become a part of who I am. I know I am stronger, physically and mentally, than I was before I began running. I am in shape. I am healthy. I have the blood pressure and the pulse of someone half my age. And some days, there is nothing better for escape and conquering frustration (or writer's block) than putting on my running shoes and heading out the door.
So yes, I guess I've figured out in the last week that writing has become sort of like running for me. I've only been writing seriously, on any kind of regular basis, for 5 years. 5 years! And I've finished 4 novels, all of which have made their way to agents' desks. So why should I be down on myself? I'm doing. I'm not sitting in front of the TV wishing. And if I don't ever publish, then it's not the end of the world. I won't ever run a 20-minute 5K either, and I've come to terms with that. I don't think I could go back to life without writing, though.
That's a good thing to realize.
Monday, October 09, 2006
First Draft in 30 Days
This is the title of a book I recently picked up. Sounds interesting, right? And it is...sort of.
It's also a little intimidating. The author is a woman who's developed this system where you basically write a really detailed outline in 30 days that then allows you to write the novel from it in 2-3 months. Well, I leafed through her book today. She has some good tips, especially about brainstorming, and some helpful worksheets in the back, but wow!
It's a little too micro-managing even for me, who tends to be sort of over the top when it comes to organization and making lists and timelines and such. Every day is broken down into specific goals, and within those goals are another 3-7 things you're supposed to accomplish. My outlines never get as detailed as she recommends. Maybe they should. But I guess I'm still the kind of writer who sketches things out and then writes through an entire first draft, letting plotlines and characters change and develop as I go.
What about you? Do you stick to a very strict timeline when you're tackling a piece of writing? How detailed is your outline? And how long, really, does it take you to finish a complete novel, those of you who have? My average seems to be about 9-12 months. This author writes 3 novels a year. Maybe I should follow her system after all.
What do you think?
It's also a little intimidating. The author is a woman who's developed this system where you basically write a really detailed outline in 30 days that then allows you to write the novel from it in 2-3 months. Well, I leafed through her book today. She has some good tips, especially about brainstorming, and some helpful worksheets in the back, but wow!
It's a little too micro-managing even for me, who tends to be sort of over the top when it comes to organization and making lists and timelines and such. Every day is broken down into specific goals, and within those goals are another 3-7 things you're supposed to accomplish. My outlines never get as detailed as she recommends. Maybe they should. But I guess I'm still the kind of writer who sketches things out and then writes through an entire first draft, letting plotlines and characters change and develop as I go.
What about you? Do you stick to a very strict timeline when you're tackling a piece of writing? How detailed is your outline? And how long, really, does it take you to finish a complete novel, those of you who have? My average seems to be about 9-12 months. This author writes 3 novels a year. Maybe I should follow her system after all.
What do you think?
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Going Home
So I went back to my college alma mater for alumni weekend, the first time since I graduated over ten years ago.
First, let me just say that I loved college. Every single minute of it. Even the boring classes, with professors who droned on and on. Even staying up all night to finish a paper. Even wading through 6" of snow to get to the dining hall. Even drinking too much really, really bad fraternity party beer and suffering the consequences the morning after. Even having my heart broken by the first boy I ever loved.
Still, though, I was apprehensive about this weekend. I mean, what's a 30-something grl to do on a college campus?
Well, people-watch, first of all. I couldn't believe how young all the students looked! And I had to laugh at the parents who were in town as well, posing their children for picture while the poor kids rolled their eyes and tried not to look too embarrassed. I mean, here they are, on the cusp of adulthood, figuring out their own grown-up identities, and Mom and Dad are still buying them t-shirts at the bookstore and making sure they have the right books for class and...
But the best part of the whole weekend was seeing my old college friends. It's funny how we haven't really kept in touch. Most of my closest friends from those days live scattered across the country. We try and call or email, but you know how that goes. One month turns into six and then a year or two has passsed before you finally catch up again.
How wonderful, then, to find that underneath it all, beyond the stress and responsibilities of job and family, we are really still the same people we were when we were 18 and trying to negotiate the world. There is something powerful about reuniting with the people who knew you when you were young and skinny and naive and sad and scared and brave and successful and trying to forge your own identity alongside everyone else in that dormitory.
I always tell my students that they should go away and live on campus when they go to college, because class is just one part of the college experience. And to be honest, I don't even think it's the most important part (sorry, Mom and Dad - I know you paid a lot for my "education"). To learn who you are, in a place that's brand new, surrounded by people of all walks of life, is powerful stuff.
It was good for me to be reminded of that part of my life, of those people who knew me way back when.
Think maybe I'll go back next year too.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Do You Ever Think About...
quitting writing?
just stopping altogether?
saying, well, that was fun, but it really isn't going anywhere, and I have 10 other things I could be doing with my time, so...
Sorry. This isn't going to be a very uplifting, rah-rah blog today, because I'm feeling rather blue. I sent out 15 or so queries and have heard back from 5 of them. It's only been a couple of weeks, so I know that isn't unusual. And of the 5, 3 asked to see partials. So I know that's good too.
Here's the problem. I've been here before. 3 times. Had a partial requested. Had a full requested. And then was turned down.
I know my skin is thicker than it used to be. I don't take it personally, anymore. And I know it's a tough, tough business. And I know that even getting that many requests for full manuscripts is something many other writers don't come close to.
But how long do you go down that road and come back empty-handed? How many times do you start again? I know there are authors who do it, who write 5 or 10 or 12 manuscripts before they finally publish one. God bless them. I'm just not sure I have it in me.
Maybe I really shouldn't care so much about the end result. Maybe I shouldn't care if I ever publish a thing. Except somehow, that validates one's efforts, doesn't it? Publication makes one worthy. It means you haven't wasted all that time, writing away at the keyboard, while other things get put aside.
I'm taking a break this week, just a little one, to see if staying away from my computer either makes me miss writing or makes me think about whether I really want to pursue publication the way I have been in the last few years.
I'll keep you posted.
just stopping altogether?
saying, well, that was fun, but it really isn't going anywhere, and I have 10 other things I could be doing with my time, so...
Sorry. This isn't going to be a very uplifting, rah-rah blog today, because I'm feeling rather blue. I sent out 15 or so queries and have heard back from 5 of them. It's only been a couple of weeks, so I know that isn't unusual. And of the 5, 3 asked to see partials. So I know that's good too.
Here's the problem. I've been here before. 3 times. Had a partial requested. Had a full requested. And then was turned down.
I know my skin is thicker than it used to be. I don't take it personally, anymore. And I know it's a tough, tough business. And I know that even getting that many requests for full manuscripts is something many other writers don't come close to.
But how long do you go down that road and come back empty-handed? How many times do you start again? I know there are authors who do it, who write 5 or 10 or 12 manuscripts before they finally publish one. God bless them. I'm just not sure I have it in me.
Maybe I really shouldn't care so much about the end result. Maybe I shouldn't care if I ever publish a thing. Except somehow, that validates one's efforts, doesn't it? Publication makes one worthy. It means you haven't wasted all that time, writing away at the keyboard, while other things get put aside.
I'm taking a break this week, just a little one, to see if staying away from my computer either makes me miss writing or makes me think about whether I really want to pursue publication the way I have been in the last few years.
I'll keep you posted.
Monday, October 02, 2006
The Land of In-Between
The nice thing about having 1 or 2 stories to work on, of course, is that while one is simmering or out there swimming around in the land of finding-an-agent-or-publisher, you can focus on the other one.
That's what I've been doing the last 2 weeks. I sent out my latest WIP, One Night in Boston, to a handful of agents, got a couple of requests and am waiting on other responses. Not much else to do with that one but wait. In the meantime, though, Virtual Tales had requested a partial of an earlier work I had resurrected, Paradise, USA, so I was furiously polishing that. Finished the section they needed to see and emailed it Saturday.
Now, all of a sudden, I find myself ground to a halt. I finished the 2 priorities I had set for myself in September (which is a cause for celebration, I think, so I danced around my office a a little bit until my hubby wandered in). So I'm trying to figure out which direction I want to go next.
Really, I should finish up the novel I'm revising for VT, because even if they ultimately reject it, I've discovered that I like the characters and their new storyline so much that I might tackle turning it into a full-length novel (right now it will probably end up around 55K words, which is OK for VT but not so much for a mainstream target). Or I could do a little brainstorming about the next couple of works I'm thinking about tackling. There's a novel I wrote a couple of years ago, Summer's Song, which made it through quite a few reads at New American Library before a top editor turned it down. It needs work but I do like it a lot. Or I could always work on a short story or two, enter a contest to get my name out on the Web a little more.
Hmm. I thought I was at a sticking point but apparently I'm just at a turning point. What about you? How do you decide which direction to go, once you've finished one goal? Do you have a list of things to accomplish? Do you just close your eyes and pick one?
And by the way, big congratulations to my writing friend Marianne Arkins, who won my September Giveaway. She's getting Bob Mayer's book The Novel Writer's Toolkit. Anyone who's interested in entering the October Giveaway, stop on by www.allieboniface.com !
That's what I've been doing the last 2 weeks. I sent out my latest WIP, One Night in Boston, to a handful of agents, got a couple of requests and am waiting on other responses. Not much else to do with that one but wait. In the meantime, though, Virtual Tales had requested a partial of an earlier work I had resurrected, Paradise, USA, so I was furiously polishing that. Finished the section they needed to see and emailed it Saturday.
Now, all of a sudden, I find myself ground to a halt. I finished the 2 priorities I had set for myself in September (which is a cause for celebration, I think, so I danced around my office a a little bit until my hubby wandered in). So I'm trying to figure out which direction I want to go next.
Really, I should finish up the novel I'm revising for VT, because even if they ultimately reject it, I've discovered that I like the characters and their new storyline so much that I might tackle turning it into a full-length novel (right now it will probably end up around 55K words, which is OK for VT but not so much for a mainstream target). Or I could do a little brainstorming about the next couple of works I'm thinking about tackling. There's a novel I wrote a couple of years ago, Summer's Song, which made it through quite a few reads at New American Library before a top editor turned it down. It needs work but I do like it a lot. Or I could always work on a short story or two, enter a contest to get my name out on the Web a little more.
Hmm. I thought I was at a sticking point but apparently I'm just at a turning point. What about you? How do you decide which direction to go, once you've finished one goal? Do you have a list of things to accomplish? Do you just close your eyes and pick one?
And by the way, big congratulations to my writing friend Marianne Arkins, who won my September Giveaway. She's getting Bob Mayer's book The Novel Writer's Toolkit. Anyone who's interested in entering the October Giveaway, stop on by www.allieboniface.com !
Saturday, September 30, 2006
I Love When They Do That!
Okay, I just love when characters solve their own problems. Granted, this doesn't happen to me very often. Usually I'm trying to wrangle them into the right place to move the plot ahead, often getting stuck in various places along the way.
But every once in a while, the characters just write themselves into exactly the right place. And I love that.
Happened this week, with a new revision of an old work. I needed the hero and heroine to have their first big fight. Knew generally when and where it was going to happen. Wasn't exactly sure, yet, the trigger for it. And then there I was, typing along, and the heroine, bless her heart, picked up a notebook and started making a list of all the reasons for and against falling for the hero.
Well, since the hero was scheduled to arrive at any minute, I thought that was pretty smart of her. Because of course now she's going to hide the list, but he's going to find it...and that will lead them straight into the fight I had planned for them all along.
Does that happen to you? Do your characters go off in different directions? (Well, I'm sure they do. Whose don't?) But do you have those moments when they do or say something you hadn't planned and make you think, "Wow, that's exactly right"??
I just wish it happened more often...
But every once in a while, the characters just write themselves into exactly the right place. And I love that.
Happened this week, with a new revision of an old work. I needed the hero and heroine to have their first big fight. Knew generally when and where it was going to happen. Wasn't exactly sure, yet, the trigger for it. And then there I was, typing along, and the heroine, bless her heart, picked up a notebook and started making a list of all the reasons for and against falling for the hero.
Well, since the hero was scheduled to arrive at any minute, I thought that was pretty smart of her. Because of course now she's going to hide the list, but he's going to find it...and that will lead them straight into the fight I had planned for them all along.
Does that happen to you? Do your characters go off in different directions? (Well, I'm sure they do. Whose don't?) But do you have those moments when they do or say something you hadn't planned and make you think, "Wow, that's exactly right"??
I just wish it happened more often...
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
How Do You Find The Time?
This is the question my mother asked me last weekend.
"How do you find the time to write novels? I mean, with a full-time job, and a husband, and..."
"No kids," I finished for her. That's my standard answer, anyway. Without children, I'm fully aware that I should have oodles more time in my day than people who are working full time, raising a family, and still finding time to churn out books.
Of course, I'm also a high school English teacher, so I'm spending a decent part of any given night returning students' emails or phone calls, answering questions about their writing, and trying to grade the stacks of papers I take home with me every week.
But still, I do find the time. I tried to get up early, before work, the way a lot of authors do, but 5:45 comes quickly enough. I can't do earlier than that. So I usually write for a couple of hours a night, after dinner. My hubby is wonderfully supportive and doesn't mind too much if I'm holed up in the office. I'm also trying not to watch any new TV shows, other than the 4 I'm already addicted to, because that's a huge drain on my time.
But I'm interested in what other people do. When do you find the time to write? What other commitments do you have to juggle? Do you write at the same time every day, or whenever you can catch some spare minutes?
"How do you find the time to write novels? I mean, with a full-time job, and a husband, and..."
"No kids," I finished for her. That's my standard answer, anyway. Without children, I'm fully aware that I should have oodles more time in my day than people who are working full time, raising a family, and still finding time to churn out books.
Of course, I'm also a high school English teacher, so I'm spending a decent part of any given night returning students' emails or phone calls, answering questions about their writing, and trying to grade the stacks of papers I take home with me every week.
But still, I do find the time. I tried to get up early, before work, the way a lot of authors do, but 5:45 comes quickly enough. I can't do earlier than that. So I usually write for a couple of hours a night, after dinner. My hubby is wonderfully supportive and doesn't mind too much if I'm holed up in the office. I'm also trying not to watch any new TV shows, other than the 4 I'm already addicted to, because that's a huge drain on my time.
But I'm interested in what other people do. When do you find the time to write? What other commitments do you have to juggle? Do you write at the same time every day, or whenever you can catch some spare minutes?
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
To Blog or Not
So today's blog on Romancing the Blog's site is about whether or not it's really worth it.
To blog on a regular basis, I mean. The author talks about the sometimes-hassle of coming up with witty things to say and share day after day, and she questions who really reads blogs and for what purpose. All good points.
I also recently read a blog by a published author that suggested that most new authors don't know the best ways to market their books. He pointed out that everyone seems to say you MUST inhabit the internet, ideally with a website, a blog, and a MySpace account. But do you really? How many people are really stumbling across your virtual presence and, as a result, making a conscious decision to buy your book?
I put together my author website and this blog because I thought I'd better join the e-world. I wanted prospective agents/editors to be able to easily pop online and see who I am. Is it worth it? Don't know. Do I enjoy reading other people's blogs? To be honest, I read 2-3 on a daily basis. With the thousands that are out there, I'd spend way too much time if I tried to visit any more than that. So I don't hold out hope that other people are doing the same thing with mine.
I'm not sure I'll give up my toehold on the Internet world just yet, but I have to admit that on most days, I'd rather spend my keyboard time working on a novel or a story.
On days I have something to say or share, I don't mind blogging. Which reminds me: Kristin Nelson just requested a partial, which made my day. 4 queries to her over the last 5 years, and finally, a positive response. So today, I guess my blog is about celebration. And persistence.
Speaking of which, now it's back to my next WIP.
Anyone else? Thoughts?
To blog on a regular basis, I mean. The author talks about the sometimes-hassle of coming up with witty things to say and share day after day, and she questions who really reads blogs and for what purpose. All good points.
I also recently read a blog by a published author that suggested that most new authors don't know the best ways to market their books. He pointed out that everyone seems to say you MUST inhabit the internet, ideally with a website, a blog, and a MySpace account. But do you really? How many people are really stumbling across your virtual presence and, as a result, making a conscious decision to buy your book?
I put together my author website and this blog because I thought I'd better join the e-world. I wanted prospective agents/editors to be able to easily pop online and see who I am. Is it worth it? Don't know. Do I enjoy reading other people's blogs? To be honest, I read 2-3 on a daily basis. With the thousands that are out there, I'd spend way too much time if I tried to visit any more than that. So I don't hold out hope that other people are doing the same thing with mine.
I'm not sure I'll give up my toehold on the Internet world just yet, but I have to admit that on most days, I'd rather spend my keyboard time working on a novel or a story.
On days I have something to say or share, I don't mind blogging. Which reminds me: Kristin Nelson just requested a partial, which made my day. 4 queries to her over the last 5 years, and finally, a positive response. So today, I guess my blog is about celebration. And persistence.
Speaking of which, now it's back to my next WIP.
Anyone else? Thoughts?
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Do You Dream About Them?
Do you ever dream about your stories? Do you ever wake up and realize your characters have been hovering there in the night?
Man, I've been doing that a lot lately, and it's freaking me out a little bit. I mean, yeah, I spend a lot of time with them, esp. since I'm polishing two separate works and feeling a little schizophrenic lately, but in my sleep?
Most of the time they're not even doing anything productive for me, either. They're not coming up with brilliant dialogue, or a way to solve that plot problem in chapter fourteen, or anything remotely helpful. They're just going along, living and interacting and generally minding their own business.
Hmm.
I suppose it's kind of cool to realize that, at least in your own mind, you've made them real enough to exist, multi-dimensional enough to show up in your dreams. Still, sometimes I need a little time away.
Do you ever dream about your own characters? Or do they invade your waking moments, too? Do you ever find yourself working through their dilemmas when, really, you should be doing something else altogether?
Man, I've been doing that a lot lately, and it's freaking me out a little bit. I mean, yeah, I spend a lot of time with them, esp. since I'm polishing two separate works and feeling a little schizophrenic lately, but in my sleep?
Most of the time they're not even doing anything productive for me, either. They're not coming up with brilliant dialogue, or a way to solve that plot problem in chapter fourteen, or anything remotely helpful. They're just going along, living and interacting and generally minding their own business.
Hmm.
I suppose it's kind of cool to realize that, at least in your own mind, you've made them real enough to exist, multi-dimensional enough to show up in your dreams. Still, sometimes I need a little time away.
Do you ever dream about your own characters? Or do they invade your waking moments, too? Do you ever find yourself working through their dilemmas when, really, you should be doing something else altogether?
Friday, September 22, 2006
Anatomy of a Romance
Finn or Derek?
Nice guy with his heart on his sleeve, or married guy who doesn't know what he wants but is, apparently, great in the sack?
This, of course, is the dilemma facing Meredith on Grey's Anatomy. Forget the fact that her friend is lying catatonic on the floor in a prom dress. Or that she's supposed to be a surgical intern saving lives. Or that the hospital is under quarantine for possible exposure to the plague.
No, we're fascinated with the romance here. The gut-twisting, agonizing, on-again, off-again attraction between all the characters.
Most of my girlfriends vote for Meredith to be with McDreamy. Why? He's gorgeous, sufficiently flawed, and (as of last night) able to profess his love for her while taking the terribly chivalrous position of telling her to take her time making her decision.
A few of my friends think he's creepy. I mean, he is still married. If he really loved her, they say, he would let her move on, be with Finn, not chase her down and make love to her in an exam room.
And what about Finn? He's certainly likable enough, the sad guy who's just learning to open his heart again. He's cute, talented and (as of last night) strong enough to tell Meredith he's not giving up on the fight. Who wouldn't want him to win?
So who do we cheer for? Who do we want her to end up with? Why is it so hard to make that choice?
Nice guy with his heart on his sleeve, or married guy who doesn't know what he wants but is, apparently, great in the sack?
This, of course, is the dilemma facing Meredith on Grey's Anatomy. Forget the fact that her friend is lying catatonic on the floor in a prom dress. Or that she's supposed to be a surgical intern saving lives. Or that the hospital is under quarantine for possible exposure to the plague.
No, we're fascinated with the romance here. The gut-twisting, agonizing, on-again, off-again attraction between all the characters.
Most of my girlfriends vote for Meredith to be with McDreamy. Why? He's gorgeous, sufficiently flawed, and (as of last night) able to profess his love for her while taking the terribly chivalrous position of telling her to take her time making her decision.
A few of my friends think he's creepy. I mean, he is still married. If he really loved her, they say, he would let her move on, be with Finn, not chase her down and make love to her in an exam room.
And what about Finn? He's certainly likable enough, the sad guy who's just learning to open his heart again. He's cute, talented and (as of last night) strong enough to tell Meredith he's not giving up on the fight. Who wouldn't want him to win?
So who do we cheer for? Who do we want her to end up with? Why is it so hard to make that choice?
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
A Few Little Nibbles
So I've started sending out a few queries on my latest work, One Night in Boston, and to my surprise, have gotten a few requests back already, which thrills me to death. Of course, I've been down this road before, and the requests didn't amount to anything, but still. It's nice to at least know that my letter and general concept seem decent.
I actually got a telephone call from an agent yesterday...who only wanted clarification on a couple of things on my website and in my letter. The vibe I got was actually a little weird, so if she doesn't ask to see anything more I can't say I'll be heart-broken.
After that somewhat awkward conversation, though, I came home to find two other requests for partials, so that cheered me up. One is from a pretty big name, though I hesitate to mention her specifically only because her assistant also sent me this 2-page release form to fill out and send in with my sample material waiving any obligation on their part etc. etc. I'd never seen anything like it before but it's a big agency (Trident Media) so I read it over about 3 times and will probably go ahead and send it in.
Otherwise, still trying to move ahead with my serial work for Virtual Tales (I really do owe them about 30,000 words by the beginning of next week) and figuring out what other agents I want to query in the next few days.
Grey's Anatomy last-season finale tonight! Gotta go!
I actually got a telephone call from an agent yesterday...who only wanted clarification on a couple of things on my website and in my letter. The vibe I got was actually a little weird, so if she doesn't ask to see anything more I can't say I'll be heart-broken.
After that somewhat awkward conversation, though, I came home to find two other requests for partials, so that cheered me up. One is from a pretty big name, though I hesitate to mention her specifically only because her assistant also sent me this 2-page release form to fill out and send in with my sample material waiving any obligation on their part etc. etc. I'd never seen anything like it before but it's a big agency (Trident Media) so I read it over about 3 times and will probably go ahead and send it in.
Otherwise, still trying to move ahead with my serial work for Virtual Tales (I really do owe them about 30,000 words by the beginning of next week) and figuring out what other agents I want to query in the next few days.
Grey's Anatomy last-season finale tonight! Gotta go!
Monday, September 18, 2006
Prison Break
I'm addicted to this show. Well, this and Grey's Anatomy, but GA is at least in the ballpark of my writing style, whereas PB is nowhere near. And yet still I love it. Can't be the testosterone, though I'll admit I started watching because I liked the looks of Wentworth Miller. (Still do).
But when it comes to creating compelling characters, the producers of this show have hit a grand slam. They're all terrific, multi-faceted, flawed (well, of course; most of them are felons), stomach-turning, and yet somehow so fascinating that at times you're cheering for them all the same.
The best character? By far, it's T-Bag. You hate him - he's disgusting, he's a pedophile, he's manipulative and evil and doesn't have a decent bone in his body. But he is absolutely riveting to watch. If nothing else, every Monday night I am reminded about the intricacies of character development.
On the writing front, it's query time again! I have a list of about 25 agents that I'm targeting for this go-round. Half of them are e-queries, which is really helpful. My goal is 5 a day for the next week or or so and then we'll see what the feedback is.
Meanwhile, still working on my serial novel that Virtual Tales wants to look at - trying to have the first 30,000 words polished up in the next week also. It's been workshopped a bunch of times in the past, so I feel OK about it. We'll see. Those OK feelings tend to change without warning.
Luckily, no must-see TV in the next couple of days, so I can tie myself to the computer (well, not literally. Might be a little tough to get much accomplished) and produce. I hope.
But when it comes to creating compelling characters, the producers of this show have hit a grand slam. They're all terrific, multi-faceted, flawed (well, of course; most of them are felons), stomach-turning, and yet somehow so fascinating that at times you're cheering for them all the same.
The best character? By far, it's T-Bag. You hate him - he's disgusting, he's a pedophile, he's manipulative and evil and doesn't have a decent bone in his body. But he is absolutely riveting to watch. If nothing else, every Monday night I am reminded about the intricacies of character development.
On the writing front, it's query time again! I have a list of about 25 agents that I'm targeting for this go-round. Half of them are e-queries, which is really helpful. My goal is 5 a day for the next week or or so and then we'll see what the feedback is.
Meanwhile, still working on my serial novel that Virtual Tales wants to look at - trying to have the first 30,000 words polished up in the next week also. It's been workshopped a bunch of times in the past, so I feel OK about it. We'll see. Those OK feelings tend to change without warning.
Luckily, no must-see TV in the next couple of days, so I can tie myself to the computer (well, not literally. Might be a little tough to get much accomplished) and produce. I hope.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Juggling Too Many Balls
Have you ever found youreself in a place where you have all these ideas, all these storylines that desperately want and need attention, and so you're splitting your time trying to juggle them all?
It's funny. I've been working on my current WIP for the last 9 months or so, and just this morning finished the third revision. Yay! Feeling really pretty good about it. I have a query letter worked out, a 2-page synopsis (and no I'm writing any other version unless someone specifically asks for a 10-page one. Hate writing them at all), and a list of about 20 agents I'm going to start querying this week.
I also have the re-visited novel that I mentioned last post, the serial novel that Virtual Tales wants to see more of, so now I have to scurry around and work on the later chapters of that.
My website needs updating.
I need to decide if I'm going to enter anything in the Golden Heart contest this year.
I really should read and review some pieces I've been neglecting at one of my writer's groups.
My gardens need weeding and the pool needs closing and the lawn needs mowing and the outdoor furniture needs to be put away.
A stack of papers needs grading.
And the house could really use a good vacuuming.
How do people do it, who work full-time and put out 1 or 2 or 3 novels a year? I guess they don't sleep more than 5 or 6 hours a night. Or maybe they write faster than I do. Or maybe they don't have an addiction to Grey's Anatomy. Or spending hours online reading blogs and writing their own.
Gotta go. Have a terrific day.
It's funny. I've been working on my current WIP for the last 9 months or so, and just this morning finished the third revision. Yay! Feeling really pretty good about it. I have a query letter worked out, a 2-page synopsis (and no I'm writing any other version unless someone specifically asks for a 10-page one. Hate writing them at all), and a list of about 20 agents I'm going to start querying this week.
I also have the re-visited novel that I mentioned last post, the serial novel that Virtual Tales wants to see more of, so now I have to scurry around and work on the later chapters of that.
My website needs updating.
I need to decide if I'm going to enter anything in the Golden Heart contest this year.
I really should read and review some pieces I've been neglecting at one of my writer's groups.
My gardens need weeding and the pool needs closing and the lawn needs mowing and the outdoor furniture needs to be put away.
A stack of papers needs grading.
And the house could really use a good vacuuming.
How do people do it, who work full-time and put out 1 or 2 or 3 novels a year? I guess they don't sleep more than 5 or 6 hours a night. Or maybe they write faster than I do. Or maybe they don't have an addiction to Grey's Anatomy. Or spending hours online reading blogs and writing their own.
Gotta go. Have a terrific day.
Friday, September 15, 2006
Good News in a Funny Package
A couple of weeks ago, I was needing a break from my current WIP, so I sifted through some old stuff and found the very first novel I attempted. After cringing a bit at the plot - or lack of - I remembered how much I liked the characters, so I decided to give them a different life.
Around the same time, I found this website that publishes serial online works, Virtual Tales. You can order so many issues or chapters of a story and download as you read. They're looking for romance, among other genres, so I sent in a query.
Today I heard back from them - they want to see more. (One nice thing is that you don't have to have a finished manuscript. They'll read what you have and ask when they can expect the next series of chapters, etc.)
So hooray! Sort of. The way the email was phrased was so odd:
Our editors have evaluated your story and believe it is worthy of a more serious look.
So the first look was not a serious one? It was a hey, let's have some laughs one? I suppose that's what editors and agents have to do to wade through all the queries they receive. I can imagine them sitting back with their cup of coffee (or bourbon), skimming the letters and partials, laughing, crumpling up the bad ones and chucking them in the direction of the garbage can, calling their friends to read out loud the worst ones of all.
Don't get me wrong - I don't really care how they phrase it, if they want to see more. I just thought it was a funny, if rather honest, way of doing it. And this time, with our serious faces on, we'll take more than sixty seconds to read it over...
Guess I'd better get back to work.
Around the same time, I found this website that publishes serial online works, Virtual Tales. You can order so many issues or chapters of a story and download as you read. They're looking for romance, among other genres, so I sent in a query.
Today I heard back from them - they want to see more. (One nice thing is that you don't have to have a finished manuscript. They'll read what you have and ask when they can expect the next series of chapters, etc.)
So hooray! Sort of. The way the email was phrased was so odd:
Our editors have evaluated your story and believe it is worthy of a more serious look.
So the first look was not a serious one? It was a hey, let's have some laughs one? I suppose that's what editors and agents have to do to wade through all the queries they receive. I can imagine them sitting back with their cup of coffee (or bourbon), skimming the letters and partials, laughing, crumpling up the bad ones and chucking them in the direction of the garbage can, calling their friends to read out loud the worst ones of all.
Don't get me wrong - I don't really care how they phrase it, if they want to see more. I just thought it was a funny, if rather honest, way of doing it. And this time, with our serious faces on, we'll take more than sixty seconds to read it over...
Guess I'd better get back to work.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Loving the Conflict
So I am at the point in my WIP, about 3/4 of the way through, where the conflict is taking off and the Big Black Moment is just around the corner. And I'm loving it. Not that I love watching my characters suffer, poor things, but I know what's in store for them a few chapters down the line, and I can't wait for them to get there.
In some of my earlier works, readers would always say, I love the characters, great voice, but not enough conflict. I got so frustrated. Not enough conflict?? Why does everything have to be so difficult? Can't two people just fall in love and spend the rest of their lives together?
Of course not. Not in fiction, anyway, where conflict is everything. This is what I've discovered: external conflict is key to any story. But that finicky, difficult-to-develop inner conflict makes my stories that much richer. I still struggle with it but I think I'm making progress. I looked back at an earlier version of my current WIP and realized how much was lacking.
OK, enough rambling. Back to my WIP. I left my hero at the scene of an accident in which he is about to realize that the woman he loves may not make it through the night...
In some of my earlier works, readers would always say, I love the characters, great voice, but not enough conflict. I got so frustrated. Not enough conflict?? Why does everything have to be so difficult? Can't two people just fall in love and spend the rest of their lives together?
Of course not. Not in fiction, anyway, where conflict is everything. This is what I've discovered: external conflict is key to any story. But that finicky, difficult-to-develop inner conflict makes my stories that much richer. I still struggle with it but I think I'm making progress. I looked back at an earlier version of my current WIP and realized how much was lacking.
OK, enough rambling. Back to my WIP. I left my hero at the scene of an accident in which he is about to realize that the woman he loves may not make it through the night...
Monday, September 11, 2006
5 Years
There have been a lot of television programs and even big-screen productions of the 9/11 events in the last six months. And today, of course, it's been 5 years. It is difficult for me to think back to life before, to, as our local paper calls it "the last normal days we ever knew" - perhaps this is because I live 60 miles outside of NYC, perhaps because more than half the people I know and live and work with lost someone that day, perhaps because I too lost a friend on Flight 93, whose daughter is entering kindergarten this fall. 5 years.
This I do know: 5 years ago, I decided to start writing in earnest. I had been playing around with it for a long time, since I was a child really, but in the weeks after the terrorist attacks, I began to put together an essay on how it affected me and the students I teach.
It was the first thing I ever published.
Since then, I've become a lot more serious in pursuing publication as a novelist. I know that I've grown tremendously, polishing the craft in ways I never thought possible or necessary before.
I've often wondered why I found my niche in romance. I don't particularly favor the genre, not above any other, really. I guess maybe it's because there is (almost) always a happy ending. I've always been drawn to the power of human connection, to the mysteries of what can happen between two people against all odds. Maybe that's why 9/11 inspired me to write. Maybe I needed to make sense of things. Maybe I needed to convince myself that happiness could still be possible, even after so much agony and loss.
Today I may go to a memorial service. Or I may not. I may pay respects and remember in a different way. I may say a prayer or two. I may weep. But I do know this much: today I will write. I will sit down at my keyboard and compose. I will revisit the characters I have come to know and love. I will give them life and love and happy endings.
This I do know: 5 years ago, I decided to start writing in earnest. I had been playing around with it for a long time, since I was a child really, but in the weeks after the terrorist attacks, I began to put together an essay on how it affected me and the students I teach.
It was the first thing I ever published.
Since then, I've become a lot more serious in pursuing publication as a novelist. I know that I've grown tremendously, polishing the craft in ways I never thought possible or necessary before.
I've often wondered why I found my niche in romance. I don't particularly favor the genre, not above any other, really. I guess maybe it's because there is (almost) always a happy ending. I've always been drawn to the power of human connection, to the mysteries of what can happen between two people against all odds. Maybe that's why 9/11 inspired me to write. Maybe I needed to make sense of things. Maybe I needed to convince myself that happiness could still be possible, even after so much agony and loss.
Today I may go to a memorial service. Or I may not. I may pay respects and remember in a different way. I may say a prayer or two. I may weep. But I do know this much: today I will write. I will sit down at my keyboard and compose. I will revisit the characters I have come to know and love. I will give them life and love and happy endings.
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Telling a Good Story
The other day someone asked me about my favorite books. So I tried to think of a top 5. And when I looked at what I had come up with, I couldn't believe how different they all were. To look at them, you'd think I have absolutely no genre preference at all.
It, by Stephen King
Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith
The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, by Mark Haddon
Close runners-up would probably include The Pact (Jodi Picoult), The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas), The Dogs of Babel (Carolyn Parkhurst), and The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini).
See what I mean?
But then I thought about it, and I realized that every one of these stories I love, for the most part, because it tells a fascinating story. I care about the characters. I want to hang out with the characters. I feel for them, cry with them, cheer for them. And I'm sad when the story's over. Ayn Rand I also like because of her views on the individual-vs-society. And Sebold, Picoult, and Parkhurst do some beautiful things with language.
King, of course, rocks as one of the best story-tellers of all time. Plus his book On Writing is brilliant too.
But back to the story. That, I guess, is everything. Of course.
It, by Stephen King
Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith
The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, by Mark Haddon
Close runners-up would probably include The Pact (Jodi Picoult), The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas), The Dogs of Babel (Carolyn Parkhurst), and The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini).
See what I mean?
But then I thought about it, and I realized that every one of these stories I love, for the most part, because it tells a fascinating story. I care about the characters. I want to hang out with the characters. I feel for them, cry with them, cheer for them. And I'm sad when the story's over. Ayn Rand I also like because of her views on the individual-vs-society. And Sebold, Picoult, and Parkhurst do some beautiful things with language.
King, of course, rocks as one of the best story-tellers of all time. Plus his book On Writing is brilliant too.
But back to the story. That, I guess, is everything. Of course.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
First Sales
I have a confession. Whenever my monthly Romance Writers Report arrives, I always turn to the same section first: the First Sales column. I want to live vicariously through whoever has been fortunate enough to grab her first sale in the romance biz. I want to see what houses are buying, what titles and genres are selling, and inevitably, I want to see how long these people have been struggling before getting their big break.
And that's where I run into a problem. Because I'm happy for all these fellow authors, really, I am. I just can't tell you how amazingly frustrated it makes me when Suzie Smith reports that she's been writing for 2 years, and this was the first manuscript she completed before selling. I mean, come on. Who actually sells their first manuscript, after writing for only 2 years?
Sigh...so let's look at this month's and see if there's room for hope for the rest of us under-achievers.
17 First Sales in this month's column. 8 of those to Triskelion Publishing. They've been buying a lot lately. Hmm.
Moving on...a bunch of 4th and 5th manuscripts sold, and...Hooray! Only one author who sold the first manuscript she ever wrote, and two who sold their second. Ooh, and here's one that's been writing for 13 years. Wow! I'm also loving the woman who sold her 11th complete manuscript, because first of all it takes some persistence to stick it out through that many stories, and second of all, she landed herself a 3-book deal with Avon. Way to go! See, it does pay off.
Okay, enough drooling over other people's success. Time to get back to the keyboard and chug along toward mine.
And that's where I run into a problem. Because I'm happy for all these fellow authors, really, I am. I just can't tell you how amazingly frustrated it makes me when Suzie Smith reports that she's been writing for 2 years, and this was the first manuscript she completed before selling. I mean, come on. Who actually sells their first manuscript, after writing for only 2 years?
Sigh...so let's look at this month's and see if there's room for hope for the rest of us under-achievers.
17 First Sales in this month's column. 8 of those to Triskelion Publishing. They've been buying a lot lately. Hmm.
Moving on...a bunch of 4th and 5th manuscripts sold, and...Hooray! Only one author who sold the first manuscript she ever wrote, and two who sold their second. Ooh, and here's one that's been writing for 13 years. Wow! I'm also loving the woman who sold her 11th complete manuscript, because first of all it takes some persistence to stick it out through that many stories, and second of all, she landed herself a 3-book deal with Avon. Way to go! See, it does pay off.
Okay, enough drooling over other people's success. Time to get back to the keyboard and chug along toward mine.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
The Excitement of Starting...and the Agony of Finishing
Don't you love when you've got a terrific new idea for a story, characters you love (with just the right names and just the right combination of traits that make them utterly believable and likable), and a plot that you can't wait to unfold?
It comes to you all at once, sometimes, a thunderbolt of inspiration, or in a series of dribbles, an idea upon an idea, until you flesh it out and think Great! I love it! You sit down to write, get a few thousand words in...and stumble to a stop.
What a stupid idea. What a lousy plot. What a gaping hole in the main character's motivation. And how am I ever going to get 85K words out of this?
The frustration of the middle can be staggering. You try a plot twist, you add a character, you tweak a conflict, and sometimes it takes shape. Sometimes it gets worse. Hopefully, it gets better. But finishing - that's something I continue to struggle with. Finding just the right way to wrap it all up, finding the perfect words, overwhelms me.
I'm in the middle of a 3rd revision of my latest WIP, and while avoiding working on the final few chapters, I looked through old works. Found a story I loved, with characters I loved, and decided I should dive back in and work on that one.
Changed up the plot, deleted some characters, and now I'm in the honeymoon stage with that one, wanting to move it forward.
Trouble is, I know I should really finish my current WIP. Which brings us back to the agony of finishing. Anyone have any good ideas about motivating myself through the final gates? Procrastination has set in the last week or so, and it's not a good thing. I want to get this finished. I want to send query letters out. I want to move on.
So why am I dragging my feet?
It comes to you all at once, sometimes, a thunderbolt of inspiration, or in a series of dribbles, an idea upon an idea, until you flesh it out and think Great! I love it! You sit down to write, get a few thousand words in...and stumble to a stop.
What a stupid idea. What a lousy plot. What a gaping hole in the main character's motivation. And how am I ever going to get 85K words out of this?
The frustration of the middle can be staggering. You try a plot twist, you add a character, you tweak a conflict, and sometimes it takes shape. Sometimes it gets worse. Hopefully, it gets better. But finishing - that's something I continue to struggle with. Finding just the right way to wrap it all up, finding the perfect words, overwhelms me.
I'm in the middle of a 3rd revision of my latest WIP, and while avoiding working on the final few chapters, I looked through old works. Found a story I loved, with characters I loved, and decided I should dive back in and work on that one.
Changed up the plot, deleted some characters, and now I'm in the honeymoon stage with that one, wanting to move it forward.
Trouble is, I know I should really finish my current WIP. Which brings us back to the agony of finishing. Anyone have any good ideas about motivating myself through the final gates? Procrastination has set in the last week or so, and it's not a good thing. I want to get this finished. I want to send query letters out. I want to move on.
So why am I dragging my feet?
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