Monday Randomness

February 8, 2010

Sorry I dropped off the face of the planet last week. My strep throat came back. It was my own fault, really. I stopped taking the antibiotics after only a few days (they were killing my stomach) so not surprising, the strep returned. So now I’m on something else, and so far so good. (Touch wood.)

It’s been a while  since I last posted, and I still don’t have a whole lot write about. So here’s a what’s new with me.

What I’m working on: The Devil’s Eye, WIP. I’m aiming to add another 10K by Friday. Blood and Bone – Rewrites. Getting the first three chapters to final draft, and posting later chapter with crit groups.

What I’m Reading: The Edge of Darkness, Barabra Erskin. Sleeping with Skeletons, Doralynn Kennedy (on the ereader). Dead Until Dark, Charlaine Harris.

What I’m Watching: Lost. Yay, it’s back. The Vampire Diaries. It’s my new Buffy.

I think that’s it for now. As mentioned, I have a lot I want to get done this week.

Mood: Tired. 

Monday Monday

February 1, 2010

I hope everyone had a good weekend. I did. After all, it was off  to a great start when I discovered this review for The Curse of Culcraig at Nights and Weekends. “Mystery, intrigue, and spine-chilling suspense make The Curse of Culcraigone fabulous romantic thriller…Ms. Brown brings the folklore of Scotland to life and mixes it with modern-day murder, and the result is a transfixing read that’s impossible to put down…With a perfect blend of their pasts and presents, both Hillary and Caid are strong characters with a lot of depth. Throw in a well-developed plot that will often give you the shivers, and you have yourself a near-perfect read.”

I ran into a stumbling block with the WIP last week, but I think I’ve solved the issue. So this week I’m having to rework the opening to reflect the change. I’m hoping to hit 50K by the end of the month. Fingers crossed.

I’m also hoping finish cleaning up Blood and Bone by the end of next week. Though, I may make a significant change to the ending, so it may take me a little longer. It’s amazing what you can see while reading through the entire manuscript at once.

Well, I suppose I should get to it. Happy Monday everyone.

Mood: Good

Book Hoarding

January 29, 2010

So a few nights ago I happened to catch that show Hoarders. I normally wouldn’t have watched it, but HellHound had stolen the remote and I couldn’t be bothered to a. go looking for it, or b. get up and change the station on the box. Anyway, for those of you who have never watched the show, it’s basically about people who collect all kinds stuff that they can’t bring themselves to part with until they can barely move inside their homes, and their battle to overcome the compulsion. What shocked me, however, was level of anxiety these people suffered when their stuff–much of it would be considered garbage to most people–was thrown out.

By the time the show was over, I was fighting my own compulsion to clean out the basement at eleven o’clock at night. But it also got me thinking, could I ever hoard? My initial response was no. I dislike clutter too much. Then I noticed the stack of novels on the table beside me…and the books stacked on the shelves of the coffee table. I thought of the books jammed tight on my shelves. Tucked in the drawer on my night table. Many I haven’t even read yet, but I know I will likely buy more before I do. Gasp. I hoard books.

Granted, my book collecting is not quite to the same degree as these poor people I saw on T.V.,  but I’ve been inspired to get rid the books that have not made keeper shelf, and I’m going to make a serious effort to read a few of the books already on my self before buying anything new–this includes the e-reader.  So am I the only person who suffers the particular vice?

 Mood: Thoughful

Music: I Feel It All – Feist

The Query Letter

January 27, 2010

Well, I’m hard at work getting Blood and Bone ready to submit, and so I am also starting to write my query letter. Hearing about huge slush piles, it can be tempting to do something gimmicky to try and make your submission stand out. Don’t do it.  All you need is a professional, coherent letter to tell the agent/editor a little about you and your book.  

This is what works for me. I open the letter with my story’s hook. This is the inciting event, or that moment that makes the rest of the book happen.  Next. I introduce myself and the story, including title, word count and genre. After, I usually have two paragraphs introducing the hero and heroine and their goal, motivation and conflict, followed by a paragraph with information about me as writer. This is where you would include publishing credits or anything that you feel might be relevant. If you don’t have publishing credits, don’t worryabout it. Maybe mention what it is about your writing that will stand out in today’s market. Also include what attachments, if any, you are including. (Synopsis, SASE, chapters.)

A couple of tips. The first, follow agent/editor instructions. Do not send chapters if they’re not requested. Do not send your romance query to an agent looking for non-fiction. Doing so is a waste of time and postage.  If chapters are requested, remember to write ‘Requested Material’ on the envelope so it won’t wind up in the slush pile. Also, I’d stay away from drawing comparisons between your work and other authors. Saying that your writing is like Nora Roberts only better, makes you sound obnoxious. Or saying you’ve created a series similar to Laurel K. Hamilton’s might have an agent/editor question why they’d want to look at your work when that series is already out there. Let your work stand on it’s own.

Anyway, that’s what works for me.  

Mood: Mellow

Music: Rose Coloured Glasses – Blue Rodeo

Another Review For The Curse of Culcraig

January 25, 2010

The Curse of Culcraig recieved four cups from Coffeetime Romance Reviews.

“Romance and suspense are a plus in my book. Add to that a hunky man with an accent and ta da, you have The Curse of Culcraig. Fast paced excitement, not to mention steamy and sexy as well. Great characters balance this out into one read you should try.”

You can read the the entire review here.

Plotting for the Pantser

January 22, 2010

As I’ve been reading through Blood and Bone, I realized that I wasn’t entirely honest when I said I didn’t plot. I guess I do in a way, but rather than list plot points before sitting down to write, I do it after.

Once the story is complete, and as I begin reading through the manuscript, I create a spreadsheet with the following headers: Chapter, Scene, POV, Mystery Plot, Romance Plot, Pace, To Do. (I should also state that I didn’t come up with this method on my own. This spreadsheet is hybrid of similar spreadsheets other writers have used set up to suit my needs. I’d provide links, but honestly, it’s been so long I can’t remember where I read about them.) As the headers would indicate, as I read through, I note the chapter, scene, whose POV the scene is in, and the plot point for the mystery and/or romance as well as whether the scene is slow, medium or fast paced, and what I need to do to fix the scene (i.e. delete, tighten, double check research, etc.)

This set up not only appeals to the Virgo side of my brain, but  allows me to see at a glance if the scene moves the story forward, if I spend too much time on particular plot line or in particular character’s POV and need to add a little variety. Same thing for the pacing. Do I have to many slow  paced scene’s in a row? Too many fast paced? The spreadsheet shows me where I may need to juggle some scenes around, or cut them entirely. A very effective tool when it comes to putting together the final draft.

Mood: Tired.

Music: What is This Love, Blue Rodeo

Catching Up

January 21, 2010

Yeah, so it was strep throat. Blech. Not fun, but I’m much better now. So much so, I’ve finally taken down the Christmas tree. Though, I still haven’t hauled the  boxes down to the basement yet. Sigh. 

In much more exciting news, The Curse of Culcraig received 4.5 from Night Owl Romance . WooHoo! “I thought this was a good story with excellent characterizations. The chemistry between Caid and Hillary was done well and the plot kept on course.” You can read the entire review here.

This week, I’m reading through Blood and Bone. Since I was feeling so lousy last week, I didn’t have the energy or patience to concentrate on it. I’m probably about two thirds through, and I have to say I’m very pleased with it so far. It was struggle getting this one done–especially after having to back burner it so many times–but I’m awfully glad I stuck with it.

Mood: Good

Music: Here Without You, 3 Doors Down

Sick Day

January 14, 2010

I didn’t post yesterday. Actually, I didn’t do much of anything yesterday besides go to the doctor and lay on the couch feeling sorry for myself. Apparently, I might have strep throat. I get the results of my swab on Friday. Right now, my throat feels like it’s on fire. Even my Advil Cold can’t kill the pain entirely, just take the edge off.

So plan for today is to curl up on the couch with a blanket, my laptop and Blood and Bone, and finishing reading it through. Hopefully, by Friday my throat will be better. So until then…

Mood: Yuck

Music: None – My ears hurt too.

The End

January 11, 2010

You know, it’s always incredibly satisfying to type those two little words, but for Blood and Bone, it’s even more so.  Honestly, I had my doubts about this one. I wasn’t sure I was going to make it there, but–aside from some tweaking and trimming– it’s done. Woohoo!

I’ve printed it out and will try to read the entire thing in a day or two so I can see how well the story flows. Make sure all the loose end are wrapped up and all questions answered. Note any scenes that are not pulling their weight and need to be cut. All the things I don’t necessarily notice when I’m in middle of writing. Then comes the query and synopsis (blech). Then I start submitting.

I have a love hate thing happening with the submission process. Rejections are tough to take. There’s no denying it. But when I’m finally at the point of sending out queries and chapters and hopefully fulls, there is a real sense of moving forward. Working on the same manuscript day after day, week after week and month after month can begin to feel a little static. Where as submitting gives me a sense of completion.

The other thing that gives me a sense of completion is finally being able to give something new my full attention. Which I did today. I think I’m going to try my hand at a series. (Can two books be considered a series?) I’ve always shied away from them in the past for two reasons. The first, as I write romantic mystery stories, it’s hard to connect more than one book with the same mystery element and yet still provide a satisfying ending for the individual book. The second, I don’t plot. Creating an arch to span more than one book without plotting first is…challenging. But, as I’ve discovered, not impossible.  I’m really excited about it, and I hope I stay that way.

Mood: Excited.

Music: Free Bird, Lynard Skynard

New Year Goals

January 6, 2010

Ah, it’s that time again, when the new year is spread out before us like a fresh snowfall, smooth and untouched. Anything is possible. It’s time to set goals for the coming year. 

I must admit, 2009 was not terribly productive for me. I didn’t meet nearly as many of my goals as I would have liked, but I’m determined to do better in 2010. So what do I plan to do differently? There’s a few things, really.

First, I’m keeping the number or goals I set under five. I realize this doesn’t sound like a lot, but I feel a small number is easier to focus on, and will keep from spreading myself too thin. I’d rather succeed at achieving five goals than, miss on ten.

Second, I’m writing down each goal and the steps to achieve it. This gives me something to refer back to when scheduling my time, as well as showing my progress. Crossing steps off as you get closer to each goal is extremely satisfying, and can really help create momentum to keep you moving forward throughout the rest of the year.

Lastly, I’m avoiding the time wasters. We all have them. *Cough* Facebook *Cough* Procrastination can be a writer’s worst enemy. When the writing isn’t going well, it’s very tempting to flit around on twitter or play spider solitaire. Don’t do it. It’s amazing how the minutes and hours can be sucked away into that particular black hole.

Anyway, that’s my plan to achieve my goals this year. Good luck achieving yours.

Mood: Excellent.

Music: How Far We’ve Come, Matchbox Twenty