What I've Learned

My blog has been neglected lately. I have no excuses because every single writer that I know has an insanely busy and chaotic life. You have my permission to call me lazy.

Over the past several months I have taken tons of workshops, along with dealing with a son having ACL surgery, painting several rooms in the house (including my den where I do everything), and drama with a friend. So, what have I learned along the way?

• I definitely need more practice painting or I need to just let my husband do it.

• When you know that a friendship is over, let it die a natural death. Even if the other party keeps trying to prolong the agony.

• When you have a son that is having his "First. Surgery. Ever. mom", even if it is the third surgery of the same type in your household, don't act like it's routine. 

Oh, wait...you wanted what I learned about writing? Hmm, well okay...

•  The internet is evil. Mostly.

• I really need to stop procrastinating and just write.

• Fear only has as much power as I give it.

• I don't know nearly as much about writing as I thought I did.

• You can never do enough research. So stop researching, thinking that you'll get to that point where you have enough, and just write.

• Nobody, not even published authors, write a good first draft. 

• Just get it down. Stop letting the fear control you.

• Deep POV is harder to write than you would think when you've grown up reading something different. The more you do it, the easier it gets. Same with show vs. tell.

• Even published authors struggle and doubt.

• The writing community is the most supportive and greatest that I have ever found. I need to let new experiences cast out the old. 

• Being busy is just an excuse. Stop making excuses. Everybody is busy.

 So that's what I've learned. Now I just have to learn to implement all these little nuggets of wisdom into my daily life. :)

What's the most useful thing you've learned on your path to writing (or being published)?

Happy Easter to everyone!

How do they do it?

A few weeks ago I applied for my first paid freelance writing gig. You all were witness to the sample article I had to submit. The good news is....I got the job! Yay me!

The bad news? Is that I missed out on the Winter Writing Festival because I had NO time to keep up with keeping track of everything. I have been writing though.

The other bad news? Is that suddenly I find myself busy as hell. Seriously. It's craziness. Between my regular paying job, reading books to review, writing articles, doing some research for the local stuff that I have to write about with the article, trying to write my own stuff, Digi-Con (which was awesome), workshops that I paid for, trips to the chiropractor/physical therapist three times a week and normal family stuff? I am exhausted.

It's a good thing I have an incredible husband that cooks and cleans. Otherwise, I might end up being featured on an episode of Hoarders or something.

To all you published authors out there that hold down regular jobs while writing, meeting deadlines and marketing yourselves on the web? Mad, crazy props to you. You have my utmost respect.

I just have one question.

When do you sleep?

My first noteworthy article was a review of Terry Campbell's book "Craigs' Legacy", followed by an interview with her. Next up will be Wayward Soul by Kim Bowman. Which will hopefully be up in the next day or two.

Want to read it? You can go here.

Oh and ...please go read it. Or just click on the link. I need the page hits. Those are what get me paid. And I'd really like to go buy an ereader so I'm not glued to the computer to read the books I'm reviewing. :D

One word of advice though? Add the site to your pop-up blocker.

The World As I Know It

As a little girl growing up, one of my dreams was always to become a published author. I used to imagine the day that I would see my book in a book store with my name on the cover. Oh, that day would be fabulous! I would dance in the aisles and declare to everyone within shouting distance that "Look! That's meeee!".

But the world has changed. Technology came along. And not only did it come along, but it accelerated at an alarming rate. Now, the chances are good that  if  when I get published it it will be with an e-Publisher. Does that make my dream any less exciting? Does it take away something from that original dream? I don't think so. And I don't think any of my friends that have already been published with an e-Publisher think so either.

Sure, I think most of us still have that dream of having a solid, paper book in our hands with our name on it. I think we still strive to reach that goal. Getting a book published is a huge accomplishment, regardless of the format, and with the popularity of Kindles and Nooks we can still point to a cover and declare our ascension to writer's paradise.

And, if we have to run about with an electronic gadget in our hands instead of a paper book while we do it? Who cares.

Image obtained here

I Need A Man!!!!

Any man will do.

In fact, several would be great!

You don't even have to look like the picture. I'm not picky.

I'm having trouble getting to know the hero of my story. I can't get in his head.

Oh...I probably could, and I'm trying, but right now I'm questioning whether I'm inventing or it's really him. (I know that sounds crazy since I'm actually the one creating him, but writers will know what I mean.)

I've tried using my husband as a role model - naturally my hero is partly my husband. But not all him.

I can picture him. I know what he looks like. I know how sexy he is. I know how he feels about my girl. I just can't get really deep in his head. He did enlighten me about a couple of things that totally surprised me but for the most part he's being really uncooperative, the sexy bastard.

I've tried character sheets. That's actually where I start questioning whether it's me or him.

And for my Savvy friends, yes I am aware that Savvy will soon be having a workshop on this very thing. I may very well take it, I don't know yet. But Savvy has workshops on everything and I can't afford them all. (I wish I could!) I have to be choosy.

I know that locale makes a difference. A man born in raised in the deep south thinks and reacts to things differently than a man born and raised in California. At least I would assume so. I think certain traits are inherent in all men though.

I need a man. One that is willing to let me pick his brain. And won't laugh at my random, off the wall questions.

Barring one of the species that possess the dangly bits coming forward and volunteering, do any of you other writers out there have any advice on how to get into a man's head?

public declaration

As I mentioned in a previous post, I have joined the Winter Writing Festival and we had to declare our goals. So I figured I would declare them here as well.

My goals:

• 500 words per day on any one of the 4 story ideas

OR

• 1 hour research

OR

• 1 hour plotting/character development/etc.

OR

• Writing at least one blog per week.

• I give myself permission to take Friday OR Saturday off since those are my husbands days off and I give myself permission to take Tuesdays off as those are deadline days for me with my day job and extremely busy (so two days off per week).

• I will not revise or edit until I have whatever I’m working on at least half done or I will get too caught up in details and get derailed.

 Each time we meet one of our goals we get to give ourselves a point, including one for signing up. So far, I've written two blog posts (three if you count this one). And if we go above and beyond we still get to give ourselves points for it. So four points so far. Uh huh, that's right, count 'em - that's four, on day three. I am doing good!

Ok, suuuuure, so technically it's not actually working on any of my stories, but it's a step. Don't be so picky. I'm writing!

Image obtained here

full circle

And here we are again.

Well, we bought our house and moved. And I could come up with a whole list of excuses as to why I haven't been here or why I haven't written, but what's the point. The main reason is fear. I've admitted that before I just haven't done anything to overcome it. I think I finally have figured out where it stems from at least. Several years ago I was in another writing group where one of the ladies in the group (a published author) totally trashed my writing. She basically told me that I had no talent and that my stories were too character driven and that character driven stories are no good, don't sell and are basically a cop out for untalented writers. That's about when I stopped writing.

Now, just because I've stopped writing doesn't mean that the people in my head have stopped bugging me. To be honest, it's driving me a little batty. So I need to remedy this. Every minute of the day I'm eavesdropping on conversations in my head. I'm seeing scenes that need to be put on paper. Seriously. Every minute. Try doing that for a day. Then try doing it for an infinite period of time. White jacket anyone?

Recently, my friends over at the Savvy Authors website sent me an invitation to join the yahoo group. It has many of the same people but now it's in my face in my inbox every morning. Staring back at me. Saying "what the hell, woman??? Why aren't you writing?? All these other people can do it, so can you!"

I signed up for a class on how to get inside a criminals mind so that I can better understand my villain. The class is fascinating. I've read their blogs. I've read other blogs on that some of these same people have written about writers block and how to overcome it. I've tried a couple of their methods. And I'm working on it.

I have a new mantra. I repeat to myself in the mornings. "I am a writer."

I joined the Winter Writing Festival over at Ruby Slippered-Sisterhood website. I have set goals for the next two months or so and I'm sticking to them. Heck, I could even win a prize if I stick to them. What better motivation?

I hate being so unsure of myself. In any aspect of my life. If you knew me, you would know that me being unsure about anything is so not me. I'm a fairly confident, opinionated person. And I'm not afraid to be the one to stand up and act silly. My philosophy is all about enjoying life. Except this part, apparently.

I'm working on it.

Have you ever had writer's block? What did you do to overcome it? Do you really think that it was a "block" or was it fear or procrastination? Or something else entirely? Share...maybe it will help....

Image obtained here

The almost reality that wasn't

For the past few weeks I have been forced to come to terms with the possibility of a long term future without Romeo. And I wasn't dealing very well with it. On the surface, nobody but me (and maybe my closest friends) had any idea of the inner turmoil that I was dealing with. I'm good at hiding things emotional things, usually. Unless it's a really sad movie, or commercial or something, then I struggle a bit.

Sure, Romeo and I have had our problems in the past. We've even split up a couple of times and been THISCLOSE to divorce. And yet, we still managed to pull through those times and our relationship is stronger and closer because of it. We truly have found our soul mates in each other, as cheesy as that may sound to some. We have been together since we were teenagers and the thought of even contemplating a future without him is horrible. The man is truly the love of my life.

Romeo has had some health issues for the past couple of months that they were trying to figure out what it was. A few weeks ago he had a CT scan done that came back a little abnormal. He was sent to a specialist who told him that it might be bladder cancer. So, it was schedule more tests, wait for appointments, wait for results and all the fun that all of those things entail.

The thoughts that go through your head while waiting for results like that are scary. The futures that you envision for yourselves during that time and the uncertainty of a future that you thought was certain is mentally and emotionally draining.

All of this while in the midst of buying a house. As in, already in contract, just waiting on everything to get done to close.

Finally got the results of the testing back, and good news! No cancer! Yay! They said that he may have had some sort of stones that were already passed or something of that nature.

Closing on the house is supposed to happen next Monday, but who knows. It's a bank owned property and banks seem to be on their own time schedule. Then we'll be moving.

So needless to say, I haven't been writing much lately. In the new house I will have my own office though, complete with a door that I can close when I need to! So hopefully that is something that will be remedied relatively soon! :)

Off to work.