Since it's a day all about love, here's my love fest, all about things I love, but no romantic sweetie. Plenty of other sweeties though.
I love:
My children, who actually put up with and even like my writing.
My mother who loves me no matter what.
My brave-in-the-face-of-cancer sister, one of only two people left who knew me as a young woman or child.
My Cuchara girlfriends-we take care of, cry over or for each other and share triumphs.
My Ink friends who pay attention to each other and our writing.
Creating new stories with more fun characters and seeing where they will lead me.
My name on the cover of my books.
My wonderful publisher, Eternal Press and editor Deborah Nemeth, who loves my writing.
Being home with a cup of hot tea or hot buttered rum, a good movie on TV and a good book in my hand (Boy am I exciting.)
My cats, Punky and Poppi who love to purr.
Colorado in the summer.
Books-more kinds than I can mention.
Movies, especially the old black and whites like the Ghost and Mrs. Muir, The Spiral Staircase, The Portrait of Jenny, The Enchanted Cottage, anything Jane Austen.
Chocolate truffles, especially Godiva, chocolate anything.
Babies and small children.
Sushi-especially California Rolls.
Chinese food and Mexican food.
Now I'm off on food so I'd better stop. What do you love? Post a comment for a chance to win a copy of Fairy Dust-my new short urban fantasy. The deadline is midnight February 15th.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Orchestration
On the way to work today I heard the Tocata and Fugue by Bach? Anyway, I'd always heard it played on the organ and associated it with Phantom of the Opera when he sits at the giant organ and throws back his head and crashes the keys in the old movie. Always loved it. I don't remember the orchestrated version before, and it's night and day. The orchestra version is so rich and full, its wonderfu.
It's exactly what we do, or want to do, with our writing. The first draft is the solo piece on the organ, one person playing. When we subtract all the extraneous words and build in the details. The smell of the woods, the weather, any creatures, birds, sensory details, seasonal sounds, weather effects, scents like cooking. Then the orchestra can chime in, become rich, full and inspiring.
It's exactly what we do, or want to do, with our writing. The first draft is the solo piece on the organ, one person playing. When we subtract all the extraneous words and build in the details. The smell of the woods, the weather, any creatures, birds, sensory details, seasonal sounds, weather effects, scents like cooking. Then the orchestra can chime in, become rich, full and inspiring.
Monday, February 11, 2008
All day chat
Everyone run over to http://authorislandchat@yahoogroups.com join, and win prizes at the all day chat today. Fun and games and even recipes are happening. I'll be popping in a couple of times with excerpts.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Contests Again
I know you're tired of hearing about contests. But, writers, pay attention. When you enter a contest or sending something to an editor, this is the equivalent of a face-to-face job interview. What if a contest judge turns out to be the editor you wish to submit work to at a later date? Would you go to an interview with your hair a mess, no make-up, no shave, what-ever grooming ritual you usually perform?
And yet, I see entries that ignore guidelines completely, no doubt thinking the brilliance of the writing will over shadow the first impression. But if the first impression is that of sloppy work, the judge or editor may read no further. If you can't do the basics, if you ignore font size, line spacing, hand write corrections in this age of computers, leave off the synopsis or even the required cover sheet, then you most likely can't tell a story so well that the editor/judge will be willing to correct everything else for you. If you are not smart enough to follow simple directions then how can you possibly follow the professional editor's directions later?
I heard of a contestant once who said they were busy with another project and didn't have time to read the guidelines. If the writer doesn't feel the current project is important enough to deserve full attention, why should the judge/editor give any of their valuable time to that manuscript?
My advice, put you best manuscript forward, no matter where you submit it or it could come back to haunt you. It doesn't matter whether or not you are a newbie or multi-published author, always put your best work out there. When you don't, someone, somewhere will figure it out. They come back.
And yet, I see entries that ignore guidelines completely, no doubt thinking the brilliance of the writing will over shadow the first impression. But if the first impression is that of sloppy work, the judge or editor may read no further. If you can't do the basics, if you ignore font size, line spacing, hand write corrections in this age of computers, leave off the synopsis or even the required cover sheet, then you most likely can't tell a story so well that the editor/judge will be willing to correct everything else for you. If you are not smart enough to follow simple directions then how can you possibly follow the professional editor's directions later?
I heard of a contestant once who said they were busy with another project and didn't have time to read the guidelines. If the writer doesn't feel the current project is important enough to deserve full attention, why should the judge/editor give any of their valuable time to that manuscript?
My advice, put you best manuscript forward, no matter where you submit it or it could come back to haunt you. It doesn't matter whether or not you are a newbie or multi-published author, always put your best work out there. When you don't, someone, somewhere will figure it out. They come back.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Growing Pains
What does that mean, especially for writers?
Growing pains mean change, a caterpillar growing wings, a child riding his first two-wheeler, flowers coming up in Spring, a country starting to choose a president.
I'm published with a new publishing company, which means growing pains as they find the right outlets to sell books, the marketing plan that will promote the company the best, the top management that will represent the writers the most effectively and a stable of writers who will be just as dedicated to promoting the company. It's worth the pain because the company has made such strides in the less than six months of their existance.
For a writer, its the constant growing we do as we write, rewrite, finish a second book, a third and learn our craft. If we stop learning, if we ever make the mistake of thinking we know everything, we're dead, because this business changes on a day-to-day basis. We have to stick to what we do best, what we enjoy writing and then make it so good we can sell it and find a market that works for it. We have to write what we love, if we try to write for a market because it's popular and not because we love it, the readers can tell.
When we do stop to read, reading in our own genre isn't a bad idea but also, we should read those who write other things and broaden our thinking, add dimension to our own writing. And if you're lucky, you'll find a writer who can get past the thing that you are a writer and will pay attention to technique and suck you into the story in spite of yourself.
Growing pains mean change, a caterpillar growing wings, a child riding his first two-wheeler, flowers coming up in Spring, a country starting to choose a president.
I'm published with a new publishing company, which means growing pains as they find the right outlets to sell books, the marketing plan that will promote the company the best, the top management that will represent the writers the most effectively and a stable of writers who will be just as dedicated to promoting the company. It's worth the pain because the company has made such strides in the less than six months of their existance.
For a writer, its the constant growing we do as we write, rewrite, finish a second book, a third and learn our craft. If we stop learning, if we ever make the mistake of thinking we know everything, we're dead, because this business changes on a day-to-day basis. We have to stick to what we do best, what we enjoy writing and then make it so good we can sell it and find a market that works for it. We have to write what we love, if we try to write for a market because it's popular and not because we love it, the readers can tell.
When we do stop to read, reading in our own genre isn't a bad idea but also, we should read those who write other things and broaden our thinking, add dimension to our own writing. And if you're lucky, you'll find a writer who can get past the thing that you are a writer and will pay attention to technique and suck you into the story in spite of yourself.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Underdogs
The under-dogs won the superbowl. Yay for the Underdogs. I love it, not that I have strong feeling about NY or Boston, but I like underdogs.
Maybe because writers are underdogs when we go up against the big houses and their establishment and try to get agents to represent us, even read our work. We are in an uphill battle no matter what direction we take with our writing, New York, small press, ebooks, they all have their inherent problems.
But then look at Jane Austen. She's one of the most popular romance writers of all time, she didn't make a living from her books, her brother and sister were her only support. Her sales were good but the publishing company took most of the money (gee, sound familiar?) Her mother never forgave her for not marrying into money when she had the chance. Jane held out for love, died at a much too early age and never made a decent living from her writing, but she wrote anyway, as we all do, because we are called to and would even if we weren't published, do even if we are never published.
Oops. The World of Myth store has the World of Myth anthology available for pre-order. My story, "Mam" is in there as well as a story by Sarah Wilson-who has written many stories for World of Myth and has her second vampire book coming out. Visit World of Myth and go the the store to check it out.
Maybe because writers are underdogs when we go up against the big houses and their establishment and try to get agents to represent us, even read our work. We are in an uphill battle no matter what direction we take with our writing, New York, small press, ebooks, they all have their inherent problems.
But then look at Jane Austen. She's one of the most popular romance writers of all time, she didn't make a living from her books, her brother and sister were her only support. Her sales were good but the publishing company took most of the money (gee, sound familiar?) Her mother never forgave her for not marrying into money when she had the chance. Jane held out for love, died at a much too early age and never made a decent living from her writing, but she wrote anyway, as we all do, because we are called to and would even if we weren't published, do even if we are never published.
Oops. The World of Myth store has the World of Myth anthology available for pre-order. My story, "Mam" is in there as well as a story by Sarah Wilson-who has written many stories for World of Myth and has her second vampire book coming out. Visit World of Myth and go the the store to check it out.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Politics and football
I'm not a political animal, however, watching the primary race has been interesting, especially now as Obama and Clinton seem to have realized that they need each other, because together, on a ticket featuring Clinton/Obama or vice versa, they have the potential to win. A white female and a black male with an doable bid for the White House. Talk about a moment in history. Even I will be following this race, especially since I'm so tired of the Ultra Conservative right, who talks morals, but doesn't particularly live by them. Hell, the Democrats don't even pretend to be holier-than-thou so when they have the affair with the White House Aide, you think, "He's an Idiot." but you don't rush to impeach.
Then there's the Super Bowl, with two super-stars to watch. We have a busy weekend in front of us which will make it difficult to get any writing done, but march on and keep writing anyway.
Then there's the Super Bowl, with two super-stars to watch. We have a busy weekend in front of us which will make it difficult to get any writing done, but march on and keep writing anyway.
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