The Mood Ring Is Blue

January 22, 2008 | Writing

I found my old mood ring from when I was in college the other day. Right now it is a brilliant indigo color, telling me I’m either in a great mood or my hands are hot. Hmm, the latter I think. I’m also drinking coffee at seven thirty at night. That means I probably won’t get to sleep until past midnight. But I just can’t help myself.

Today was fairly productive. First, I got my thousand words done on the WIP. Very happy about that. Second, finished rewriting chapter 14 for Blood and Bone and posted it with my crit group. This week, I am determined to finish tying those last loose ends with The Witch’s Stone, getting my thousand words done every day and posting every other day here on the blog.

Wish me luck.

Mood: Good–according to the ring.

Hump Day

January 16, 2008 | Writing, life

Progress this week has been sporadic. DS has been home with the flu since Monday. I thought he’d be ready to go back to school today, but he’s claiming his stomach is still hurting. I must admit, I suspect I’m being conned here. But even when I told him no video games, he stuck to his story.

WIP is coming along really well. I’m almost afraid to say so in case I jinx myself. I think I’ll be finished it by the end of the month. I wish I could say the same for my rewrite of Blood and Bone. This book is just dragging. I know a big part of that is because of having to set it aside while I rewrote The Witch’s Stone after my computer crashed, but I was still hoping to have it ready to begin submitting to agents this month. Not going to happen.

For this week: another 4k words on WIP
Make a list of what I need to do on Blood and Bone
Tie up loose ends with The Witch’s Stone.

There’s more stuff, but those are my top three.

Monday’s Rambling

January 7, 2008 | Reading, Writing

Happy New Year!!

Well, the holidays have come and gone. DS is back in school, DH back at work and hopefully all the decorations will be taken down this weekend. (Though since I have a chapter meeting and family birthday party this weekend, I won’t hold my breath.) The point is, it’s time to get back to work.

As I do every January, I have made a list of my long term goals followed by a list of short term goals that will, in theory, help me to reach the long term ones. Don’t worry, I won’t bore you with them here. Besides, I’ve learned over time that goals are often revised throughout the year. What needs doing in January may not be such a priority come July. Never consider that your goals are written in stone. A year is a long time and a lot can change.

That said…

With my goals in mind, I should have been buckling down today now that DS is back at school. Instead, I went book shopping and to lunch with my mother. Which is why I’m just starting my writing day at 9pm. Actually, that’s not entirely true. I did manage an hour or so on the WIP this morning, getting a little more than half way to my daily count. That’s something at least.

At the book store, I bought three new paperbacks and an overpriced journal, but the latter was such pretty shade of turquoise. And for some reason I like to begin a new journal with the new year . Maybe its the idea of starting the year with a fresh slate that appeals. I also probably didn’t need to buy any new books since I still haven’t read the pile from my last sojourn to the book store. But I can’t go to a bookstore and leave empty handed. It’s a sickness really.

Mood: Mellow

Detours

December 5, 2007 | Writing

So there I was, all ready to write the first kiss scene when something unexpected happened. Usually, scenes like this are fun to write, and because they’re fun, they tend to be easier to write than say the less than fun scenes. Also, I had pictured the next few scenes in my head, had a pretty decent idea of what would happen next. It should have been a breeze. As the chapter closes, he leans in, then a new chapter, switch to her POV… and I go blank.

Well, not entirely blank. There’s a few sad attempts to force the scene into submission, but my heroine has dug in her heels and stopped cooperating entirely. Then it hits me, I’ve made classic blunder. I’m trying to force her to do something she really wouldn’t for the sake of moving the story forward, and in doing so, I’m making her appear like a brainless twit. Since this is the last thing I want, I’m grateful for her intervention.

So now I’ve backed up and gone looking for where I went wrong. Part of the problem is the pacing. I’m rushing things. Detours like these are frustrating, but unavoidable. It’s all just a part of the process. I do find myself wondering if the plotters of the world find themselves in this situation more often or less often than those of us who just sit down and write.

Snowed In

December 2, 2007 | Writing, life

Last night we got a good dumping of snow, then this morning the mounds of snow were coated in a layer of freezing rain. Today is one of those days where it’s just nice to be at home, all cozy and warm, with a hot drink. In my case, cranberry tea. We put up our Christmas tree yesterday so I’m feeling somewhat festive.

I must admit, I’m one of those strange people who love winter. And not because I enjoy participating in winter sports like skiing–in fact, ick! It’s such a pretty time of year. And I don’t know why, but I love writing on snowy days. I like writing on rainy days too. Must be something about precipitation that I find particularly inspiring.

Once I finish up here, I’ll return to Andy and Claudia. I’m about to write the first kiss. So much fun to write on a snowy evening.

I’d Rather Be in the Attic

November 28, 2007 | Business, Writing

So today I’m starting to put together some marketing ideas for me and Living Lies. While the book will not be released until next year, (probably late spring, early summer unless something changes) I want to be prepared. A big part of this need to feel like I have all my ducks in a row I think stems from the feeling that I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. I’m a control freak so that kind of uncertainty completely throws me off.

Yesterday, I pulled out every writing magazine and newsletter I had stashed away in my office. The number is considerable. (I have a theory that all creative people fight a constant internal battle between their inner pack-rat and the annoyance of too much clutter.) Then I marked any articles that had anything to do with PR or marketing and began making notes.

With my notes before me two things have become perfectly clear. The first, I’m going to have to start scheduling my time better. And the second, I’m going to start putting myself out there more. This last one will be hard for me. I’m actually really shy and total lurker when it comes to listservs and blogs.

So, as I screw up my courage to de-lurk, I have a question for you all five of my faithful readers. (Provided of course you managed to make it to the end of this rather lengthy post) Which marketing techniques worked best for you and at what stages–before, when and after the book was released? I’m very curious.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Hurdy Gurdy Man, Donovan

The Click

November 27, 2007 | Writing

Today my story clicked.

This is my very favorite part of writing , that moment when all the loose ends finally connect and the story just sort of, well, clicks. As I don’t plot before hand, there are times while writing that the book seems to be escaping me. My characters are off doing their own thing, the story is unfolding far removed from my initial idea, then all of sudden I discover that piece to tie it all together. It’s a mighty fine feeling.

I also broke my rule of no coffee past three o’clock. Not only did I have third cup of coffee today at three-thirty, but I also I had a Coke with lunch. I could be up for hours.

Mood: Tired, but oddly energized.
Music: Penny Lane, The Beatles

Good Bye NaNo

November 21, 2007 | NaNo, Writing

So today I decided to give up on NaNo. This goes against the grain for me as I typically don’t like to give things up once I’ve dug my teeth in, but I need to face a few facts. Having written a little over 20K, I doubt very much I’ll be able to reach 50K by the end of the month. And I just have too much happening right now to dig in and get it done.

Sigh.

On the upside, I’ve written about twenty pages more than I normally would have in a month. I will of coarse continue to write said story, but back to my thousand words per day. This will give me time to continue rewriting Blood and Bone, catching up on crits that I owe, (thank you crit partners for being so patient.) fixing the last few chapters of Witch and, blech, bookkeeping. (I may need to face a few facts about that last one, but I’ll wait until the new year.)

On the Living Lies front, I’m just finishing up my book blurb. Writing this has proven not all that dissimilar to writing a query or synopsis–except maybe worse. It’s one thing trying to get your work in front of an editor or agent, but quite another trying to convince a potential buyer to shell out X amount to read your book. Oh, the pressure.

I also received my signed copy of the contract yesterday. I put in my filing cabinet with the printed version of the MS, the CD and all my notes from when I was writing it. Then I stared at it while thinking about writing the first draft nearly seven years ago. It was a real full circle moment.

Mood: Content

Out of Practise

November 6, 2007 | NaNo, Writing

Okay, I’m sucking at NaNo.

I have to admit I’m a little surprised by this turn of events. Usually, I write 1,000 words a day on WIP and get it done in about two hours. I’m a pantser and do all my editing after the first draft is complete so I thought NaNo would be right up my alley.

Huh!

If I’d been writing 1,700 words a day (to get 50k I think you only need 1,667 per day, but I was planning on padding a little in case I fell behind. So much for that.) I should be hitting 10,200 words today. I’m at 6,900. That’s more than a little behind.

I of course have a theory. (Don’t I always? or a plan, or a list…)

I think I’m out of practise. After putting the WIP aside over the summer to clean up after my computer crisis, then waiting for NaNo to start, I think I’ve lost my writing stride. Sure, I’ve been rewriting, but that’s not the same as a first draft, as grabbing hold of all those random ideas and putting them down on paper in some semblance of order now is it?

So today, I locked myself in the attic. (that’s where my office is, not as some kind of self-punishment) Just me, laptop and coffee.–ah, sweet nectar of the Gods. No email, no blogs, no Facebook. And a mere three and a half hours later, I had met my 1,875 word goal for the day.

Yes, 1,875 words is what I have to do everyday now to reach 50K by the end of the month. No padding this time around. Everyday until the 30th.

Mood: To be determined
Music: None-My CD player broke.

The Call

November 5, 2007 | Writing

At long last, I got the call–well actually the email. I’ve sold a book!!!

And actually, I received the email a couple of weeks ago, but was a little paranoid about the jinxing things so I didn’t want to say anything too soon. But I’ve since signed and mailed back the contract so it looks like it’s a done deal. Touch wood!

An interesting side note–well interesting to me–the offer for contract came on the heels of a rejection. All the things the rejecting editor claimed were lacking in my ms, the editor offering me the contract (or my editor as I can say now) loved. Another fine example of just how subjective this business can be.

I’ve made my first sale to Samhain Publishing. The book is titled Living Lies. It’s a romantic mystery with a paranormal twist. Here’s the premise:

Haley Carling’s life changed forever the day her sister vanished, leaving her tied to an alcoholic mother and struggling family business. With the discovery of Michelle’s body, Dean Lawson, the leading suspect in her disappearance, has returned determined to clear his name. Now, Haley must face the frightening secrets within her family, Michelle’s last living days and her own unresolved feelings for Dean. She may come to trust him with her life, but her heart is another matter entirely.

After leaving town more than a decade ago, Dean Lawson believes he has the evidence to prove who really killed Michelle. Aware the shocking truth will hurt Haley and her family, he can no longer live falsely accused. But he hadn’t counted on falling in love with Haley—or on a killer who will stop at nothing to silence them both.

I’m so excited, and will keep you (all five of my faithful readers) updated as I learn more.