Chocolate and losing weight rarely go hand in hand. However, I'm down 2 pounds this morning and craving chocolate like it's going out of style. Maybe I should stop googling chocolate Easter bunnies, but I can't help myself.
No, I'm not channeling Tom Jones, I'm just in a good mood since I got my hair cut yesterday. It's good stuff - back to being swingy and flirty and fun. Long straight hair really only works when it's got layers to give it movement and life. (Yes, I know the profile pic of me shows curly hair - that was strictly hot roller induced madness.)
I feel good. And all because of a haircut. Amazing, isn't it?A writer friend of mine is going through a spell of lack of confidence. What's your best advice on regaining your confidence or dealing with this when it happens?
I'm crunched for time. At least, I have been lately. See, spring is conference season for most writers - which isn't to say there aren't great conferences that happen in the fall and winter, but spring really kicks the whole conference season into high gear. I've been planning a fabulous Super Saturday for my chapter (think mini one-day conference) and now that the bulk of that planning is done, I can breath a small sigh of relief.
Still, there is much ahead of me. Romantic Times is coming up (and I've yet to start on my fairy costume even though I've had the fabric since Dec.). Before that is a one day conference in Volusia County. Then, before you know it, RWA Nationals will be here. I've been hard at work finalizing plans for the Romance Divas 3rd Annual Diva Dinner. No small task, I assure you. But, at last, that too is coming together.
So far today, I've written up some promo stuff, written and/or edited three reviews for RD, posted a book for review at RD, chatted with authors about upcoming events at RD, had a pedicure, gotten my legs waxed, done some laundry and dishes, and given serious thought to my diet. Or lack thereof.
I think it's time for a dip in the pool. Just as soon as the A/C guy leaves. Then maybe I can squeeze in a few pages on the book I'm supposed to be finishing. What do you think? Sounds like a plan to me.
I've started swimming laps. I figure, we have a pool, why not use it? (I know, I know, my genius astounds you.) So for the last week or so, I've been faithfully jumping in and swimming laps, throwing in some extra leg-kicking by holding on to one of the underwater benches. Some days twice a day! Not only am I hoping to tone up a bit with this non-icky exercise, but I'm also hoping to get a little bit of color so I don't look like I live underground. It's tough living in FL. People expect you to be tan. Whatever. I'm a writer. You're lucky I'm wearing a bra, don't push it.
(unless you count the 20 minutes per side when I'm just drying off in the sun while slathered with the brown-sugary, coffee-scented glaze that is Maui Babe), I'm just getting some residual sun while swimming. And floating. Which brings me to the point of this post.I'm so close to finishing my fifth book, Date With The Devil, and yet the more I write, the farther away it seems. I know what happens in the rest of the book, it's just a matter of putting it down on paper (or word doc, as the case may be). Sounds easy enough, right? Except little things keep happening between the hero and heroine. Things that move me toward the end much more slowly. In fact, I came up with an interesting plot twist yesterday. But it would probably add 100 pages to the book and I don't think a 460 page semi-light-hearted paranormal romance would fly.
Do you ever have this problem? Of having too much story to tell? It's never happened to me before so I'm not sure what to do with it. Any advice? Do I just need to grab these characters and tell them I'm the law or do I let them go and see what happens like I am now?
Help?!
Thank you to all you wonderful people who stopped by yesterday to offer congratulations on my Golden Heart final! I really appreciate it, especially since Hotrod is off on business at the moment and it's hard to get the kittens to wear party hats. I did bake myself a chocolate-coconut cake, then ate a slice with ice cream and whipped cream. Of course, I felt sick immediately afterwards but I think it was worth it.
I guess this proves 2005 wasn't a fluke. I've finaled in the paranormal category of the Golden Heart with my manuscript, All Fired Up!
Party in Dallas!!!
Please help spread the word by passing this on to any relevant loops you're on:
Once again, Melynda Beth Skinner will be hosting her Unofficial List of Golden Heart® and RITA® Award Finalists at http://www.melyndabethskinner.com/finalists.htm on notification day, March 25th, 2007. She updates the list every few minutes throughout the day. There's also a bulletinboard/chat room, and great fun is had by all. If you'd like to help, send names of finalists, their entries' titles, & the category(ies) entered to melynda (at) melyndabethskinner.com.
Permission is hereby granted by Melynda Beth Skinner to forward this paragraph.
I sold another writing article! I'll be rolling in it now. So long as they pay me in dimes. But hey, I'm just thrilled to have sold the article and to have sold it to a magazine that pays. My article on attending the RWA National conference will be published in the June issue of the RWR (Romance Writer's Report)!
What's your good news?
I'd like to talk to you as readers, not writers today. I'm imagining that's the bulk of who reads this blog - my fellow writers - and that won't change until I've got an actual published book to pimp, so I'm okay with that. I love my fellow writers. No one understands me better. But I digress.
Recently on Romancing the Blog, Barbara Samuel posted about the RITAS (the romance novel world's Oscar equivilent basically, for those of you who might not know) and asked if readers should care about them. (Personally, I think not so much. It's more of an interior award, writer to writer, as opposed to something awarded by readers who are solely readers.) In the comments section of that post, a great discussion arose about the judging and how romance writers are overly taken with craft - more so than writers of other genres.
So, my questions to you are these - as a reader, what really pulls you out of story? What would make you put the book down? What are willing to overlook if the story is compelling? Are there things an author does that make you cringe? Have you ever given up on an author completely because of something that he/she did in a book? If so, what?
Yeah, I know I missed it. (See the use of the word belated?) But I'm also not a even a tiny smidge Irish, so deal.
Why is St. Patrick's Day such a big to-do anyway? It's not like people of any nationality in this country need another excuse to drink.
I did get a kick out of seeing tons of people (whole families in some cases) dressed in green. Talk about funny!
On a side note, Hotrod and I went to see 300 last night. Bloody, not much story, but oh those abs!
You're thinking, why is she posting after winning that fabulous Nigerian lottery?
Woohoo! Thanks to a very interesting piece of email this morning, it seems I am about to become too wealthy to continue blogging. I'll be spending my days soaking up the sun and indulging in frozen grape foot massages instead. And all thanks to the people of Nigeria who have apparently chosen me as the winner of their lottery!
I'd like to thank all the little people who made this possible.
Of course, I know you're all going to come begging for funds to support some sick relative or some such nonsense. If you really want some of this loot, you'd better come up with something better than grandma's got the tsetse fly sleeping sickness.
Now, if you'll excuse me, the elephant I ordered is here and I must go sign.
Yesterday, Hotrod and I took his college-age visiting cousins to Universal and Islands of Adventure. It had been a while since he and I had gone, something we used to do quite frequently being as we live under an hour away. We decided to buy annual passes, thinking it would motivate us to go more - plus they give us discounts on stuff within the Universal realm and concert tickets. (We saved $16 on parking almost immediately.)
That things had changed became obvious right away. The Express pass system we'd used before (kind of like making a reservation to ride an attraction at a certain time - gets you through the line in usually less than half the time) was no longer free. To have that option available for both parks was an additional $35. Keep in mind a two park, one day ticket is already costing you $77 (I believe that's right, we already had tickets for the cousin purchased on the military base with Hotrod's ID). So that's $112 for ONE person for ONE day. Add 1/4 share of parking ($11 for standard, $16 for preferred), food (two meals, minimum $9 each just for junk off a cart - hotdog, chips, drink, $20 if you're eating anything nicer), a slushie ($3.49 for the SMALL), and one random souvenier (Spiderman coffee mug - $10 - probably the bargain of the day) and you're in for another $35 bucks.
Holy crap! When did fun get to be so expensive?
Now, after that diatribe let me just state that we did manage to ride everything they wanted to ride and had a nice sit down meal at Fisherman's Wharf (my favorite Universal restaurant, Mythos is my favorite Islands of Adventure restaurant), got some photos with Spiderman, Captain America and so on, then finished the day with dinner at Margaritaville in Universal Citiwalk - all in all a great day. I'm just shocked at what a vacation must cost a family of four.
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I love my Halloween fangs. Shame I can only legitimately pull off wearing them twice a year. (Halloween and the *insert theme here* Vampire Ball at Romantic Times)
What brings you to my blog today? Could it be the passion fruit body spray I spritzed on this morning? Or perhaps my sparkling personality? My undeniable charm? Or are you just avoiding work?
Shower Slate
Seems like every little thing brings forth new story ideas in me lately. A random snippet of a song, a bit of overhead conversation (I am a major eavesdropper, you just never know where a golden line might come from), an evocative picture in a magazine.
Yesterday was a loooooooooooooong day. But I survived and looked cute doing it.
More later. After another pot of coffee.
I know you're wondering about the golf pic, but hold your horses and I'll get there.
I didn't accomplish all my February goals. I'm still 96 pages from finishing Date With The Devil. I blame my family's two week stay for about 70 pages of that not getting written. Then I decided to redecorate the master bath. That was good for another 20 - 30 pages, so you can see the goal was achievable, just didn't happen.
I did sell a short story, which was not one of my goals, so that goes under little surprises. Also, instead of developing the YA idea I had, I ended up getting two more potentially great YA ideas and playing around with them. So far though, none is as complete as the first.
March is going to be a busy, busy month.
1. Finish DWTD
2. Expand ONE YA idea, pitch to agent
3. Write article for RWR (due April 5th)
4. Design and sew at least part of dress for Faery costume ball at RT.
Besides that, there are chapter tasks to accomplish and, lo and behold, another family visit. This time on Hotrod's side. And on Friday, joy of joys, we're headed to the Honda Classic to watch a round of PGA golf. I'm all aquiver. Actually, if it weren't for the fact that I get to buy a new golf-watching-appropriate outfit, I'd be digging my heels in. I have stuff to do, for pete's sake!
Gotta keep Hotrod happy, though, you know? He is the reason I get to write full-time after all. I do love a man who lets me spend his money.
Yes, that's right. I suffer from OBS. Overactive Brain Syndrome. This ailment is common in many writers.
He who is being referred to knows who he is. For you, the full color profile pic:
NOW you may put on your natty tie.
Movies I want to see:
Blood and Chocolate
Ghost Rider
Music and Lyrics
300 (maybe - might be a bit too graphic for me)
Have you seen any of these? Can you give me a yea or nay? Don't spoil anything, though, or I'll hunt you down and make you pay. :o)
Commitment-phobic bomb technician, Sabrina Morgan, flies unexpectedly into the arms of firefighter, Jake Donovan, seconds before a bomb explodes. This was her first failure, and in Jake's sizzling embrace, Sabrina is grateful for his comfort in helping her hide her secret fear of explosions.
Jake falls in love with the passionate but emotionally wounded Sabrina. He thinks she is perfect for him. Also, who better than a bomb technician will understand and support his dangerous career as a firefighter? Looking to settle down and start a big family like the one he grew up in, Jake pursues Sabrina, who can't tell him her other big secret: she can't have children.
Sabrina negotiates a tenuous affair with Jake as she tries to stop a serial bomber from detonating any more bombs in their small city outside of Boston. Her enemy's ultimate goal is to kill her for surviving a tragedy in her past.
This is a hot read...and I'm not just saying that because I made the book trailer.
Today begins RITA winner Linnea Sinclair's workshop at Romance Divas. To participate, you just need to register in the Forum section of the website. Registration cost the same as the workshop - nothing! Here are the details on the workshop this fabulous author will be presenting:
Feb 19th - 23rd
CHARACTER TORTURE 101
Writing Guru Dwight Swain said that it's the author's job to manipulate the emotions of the reader. There's no better way to do this than for the author to put his characters through one roller coaster episode after another, taking the reader along for the ride. But how much conflict, how much character angst is too much? How can an author keep the action from becoming cartoonish? Bantam Spectra author Linnea Sinclair answers those questions and more in this fun and fast-paced (because torturing students is good, too!) workshop that explores the importance of conflict in today's commercial fiction novels.
I got a lot done today. Ran errands with my folks, went out to lunch with them, then came home and with their help, made up three pots of geraniums and ivy for the entryway (2) and lanai (1) and one pot of pathos for the shower ledge, did the touch-up painting through out the house, cleaned the baseboards, vacuumed (including the four-story cat condo that was furry enough to be scary), swept the tile, Turtle Waxed the glass shower and bathroom mirrors (have you ever tried that? Keeps them cleaner longer), bought and hung a big bronze sun face out on the lanai (we actually had masonry bits on hand for the drill - who knew?), cleaned the rest of the master bath and staked my amaryllis.
Sounds good, right? Except writing-wise, I've written about three sentences. Somedays, it's all or nothing. Let's hope this isn't one of those days. I'd love five pages. Be happy with three.
What did you do today?
It's Valentine's Day. Big deal. It's also Hotrod's birthday. Guess which takes precedence? And actually, I'm okay with that. I'd rather celebrate Hotrod being around another year than some murky saint. (What? Is that sacrilege for a romance writer to say? Who cares, I love Hotrod more than a velveteen heart filled with truffles or a bundle of roses.)
But I encourage you to celebrate - the world needs more love. In fact, I challenge you to hug a stranger today. Seriously. Anyone who gets punched will receive two additional points. :o)
In other news, I don't know what your weather is like but we had a lovely evening swim last night. Is there a better way to see the stars than floating on your back beneath them? I think not. AND wonder of all wonders, I managed five pages yesterday despite my house guests.
Live is good. I love all of you. ;o)
Thanks for coming to my pity party yesterday. Sorry I didn't have cake. I find cake to be exceptionally helpful in that regard. So...I think it's time for some cake pictures. It's been a while - and you know how I adore cake!
Chocolate Cognac Cake
It's raining here today and the weather suits my mood. I really shouldn't be in a crappy mood. I have a great life. A wonderful family. An adoring husband. My health. No real financial worries to speak of. Three kitty cats who make me laugh. A three year old nephew who thinks it's amusing to jump on me when I'm sleeping.
But I'm having one of those moments as a writer where I'm ready for my ship to come in. I'm tired of waiting. I want a sale and I want it now. I want two or three sales, really. Multi-book contracts with several houses. My name in print. Etc. Etc.
Obviously, that isn't about to happen today. So I push on, keep writing the best story I can and produce work that is at the top of my game. I can't site one particular incident that brought me to this point - it's been a combination of things. As writers, I imagine we all feel this way once in a while, right?
Tell me I'm not alone.
PS. My family, upon seeing the horrid weather forecast for their return home, has extended their stay by a week. Tough love begins today when I shut myself in my office to write and ignore them until I'm ready to rejoin the general population.
Upon viewing a drawing I did for him (he made me draw construction vehicles most of last night), he replied, "That's a mess."
Gee, thanks.
When I went to help with a few things for dinner, then came back, he looked up at me with these big sad eyes and said, "Why you no play with me?"
Because obviously I don't have enough guilt in my life.
During dinner, he started climbing on me, hanging on me and finally, crawled into my lap. I asked him what he was doing. His response? "I'm trying to love you."
All together now...Awwwww.
1. The shriek of a three-year-old can take the skin off a cat.
Today's list of activities include:
The Dentist.
The Zoo.
A Trip To The Playground.
The Pool (perhaps).
Which one of these things is not like the other?
Just to keep you in the loop, tonight's dinner is Thai. We're making red curry shrimp with coconut ginger rice and a lovely assortment of stir-fried veggies (baby corn, snow peas and carrots).
For dessert, blue Jello. That's what happens when you let a three-year-old help with the menu.
And surprise of all surprises, I've actually managed to get some writing done today! Naps are a wonderful thing for children, don't you think?
I thought I blogged this morning. Apparently not. Oops.
Saturday should be the kind of day that lets you lay around. This isn't one of those Saturdays. Being under the weather put me behind on my week's page count, so I need to write. At least five pages. That would be great!
I've also got to clean the house - not massively, just some general stuff. My parents arrive tomorrow night, my sister-in-law, the 5 month old niece and the 3 year old nephew the following day.
Then watch how little writing I get done. Hah! At least I don't have to cook today. I've got a huge pot of chili just waiting to be devoured. And it's a bit overcast today - perfect chili weather, especially for Florida!
What are you doing today?
I think I've said what I needed to say about POV. If you have questions, feel free to post them.
If you're writing romance (or most other genres) there are two main characters you'll be dealing with - the hero and the heroine. That simple fact leaves you with a choice. Whose POV do I write in? Who gets what scene? How do I divide the book?
Sometimes the targeted publisher will help you answer those questions. Certain category lines (Harlequin/Silhouette) want the bulk of the book in the heroine's POV - and don't really allow for POV's beyond the hero and heroine.
Sometimes the style dictates. If you're writing women's fiction in first person, chances are you'll stick with that the entire book. There are always exceptions, some first person books have chapters of third person from another characters POV. Only you can make that decision.
But when you're writing single title, you may have numerous POVs - the hero, the heroine, the villain, a secondary character you hope to spin off as the heroine in book 2. Lots of option.
So who gets the scene? My rule of thumb is the POV belongs to the character with the most at stake. However, remember I said there were exceptions? Here's one - if the character with the most at stake also has information you're not ready to share with the reader. Then writing from their POV will seem false, because you'll be tip-toeing around the thoughts that would give that info away. The reader will pick up on it and the scene will fall flat. (Unless you're exceptionally skilled, etc.)
Don't be afraid to rewrite scenes that aren't working into the opposite characters POV. Sometimes doing that makes all the difference. Making that change in my third book is part of what helped me land my agent. The heroine, bitter after the death of her 2nd husband, came off too bitter while in her POV. Putting the scene in the hero's POV let us see her with sympathetic eyes. It worked. She became likable. (And my agent saw I was capable of making big changes without whining about and dragging my feet.)
Do what works, but when it comes to POV, be willing to try several roads. The final destination will be worth it.
I was hoping to get a few examples of writing I could use to demonstrate how to get into deep POV, but no one sent anything SO I'll just talk about it a bit.
Deep POV helps a reader further connect with the character whose POV you're writing in. It makes the action and emotion immediate. I'll provide my own examples here.
Shallow POV:
She watched the handsome stranger approach her, feeling short of breath and wishing she had that same kind of courage.
Deep POV:
The handsome stranger approached. Her breath caught in her throat, thick and unsure. Why didn't she have that kind of courage?
Do you see the difference? Words like watch, saw, feel/felt, wish, thought, hope - those words create distance because you're telling the reader what's going on instead of letting them experience up close and personal. Show them by putting them in the head of the main character.
There are lots of distancing words. Many ways we tell instead of show. I challenge you to go through your current WIP and eliminate as many of these instances as you can.
What is Point of View? POV is the perspective from which a story is told. There are several types, but for romance, mulitple third person is most common, with first person being used more frequently for Young Adult, Chick Lit style stories and some women's fiction.
1. Omniscient Point of View:
The story is told by the author, using the third person, and his knowledge and prerogatives are unlimited. He can interpret the behavior of his characters; he can comment, if he wishes, on the significance of the story he is telling.
It offers a constant danger that the author may come between the reader and the story, or that the continual shifting of viewpoint from character to character may cause a breakdown in coherence or unity. Used skillfully, it enables the author to achieve simultaneous breadth and depth. Unskillfully used, it can destroy the illusion of reality which the story attempts to create.
2. Limited Omniscient Point of View (or Third Person):
The author tells the story in the third person, but he tells it from the viewpoint of one character in the story. He tells us what this character sees and hears, and what he thinks and feels; he possibly interprets the character's thought's and behavior. He shows no knowledge of what other characters are thinking or feeling or doing--except for what his chosen character can infer.
The limited omniscient point of view, since it acquaints us with the world through the mind and senses of only one person, approximates more closely than the omniscient the conditions of real life. At the same time, it offers a limited field of observation, for the reader can go nowhere except where the chosen character goes.
3. First Person Person Point of View:
The author disappears into one of the characters, who tells the story in the first person. The first person point of view shares the virtues and limitations of the limited omniscient. It offers, sometimes, a gain in immediacy and reality. We get the story directly from a participant. The author as a middleman has been eliminated. It offers no opportunity, however, for direct interpretation by the author. In such stories the author offers an interpretation of his material indirectly, through the use of irony.
4. Stream of Consciousness:
The stream of consciousness point of view is an extension of the first-person point of view, but it involves an unusual technique. Stream of consciousness is an attempt to reconstruct the mental processes of a character on a page, to show how his or her mind actually sound inside. The idea is not simply to capture the conscious and rational side of a character's mind, but to plumb the unconscious and irrational side of it as well.
Stream of consciousness writing typically abandons traditional grammar and sentence structure on the assumption that these are superficial devices not observed by the mind in the thought process.
A story written from a stream of consciousness point of view cannot be read literally. Such a point of view does not attempt to be factual nor rational since it is based partly on the Freudian notion that the mind is subjected to irrational and absurd forces. You have to infer about the character, rather than simply accept what he says literally.
5.Objective Point of View:
The author disappears into a kind of roving sound camera. This camera can go anywhere, but can record only what is seen and heard. It cannot comment, interpret, or enter a character's mind. The purest example of a story told from the objective point would be one written entirely in dialogue.
The objective point of view has the most speed and the most action; also, it forces the reader to make his own interpretations. On the other hand, it must rely heavily on external action and dialogue, and it offers no opportunities for interpretations by the author.
The objective point of view sometimes referred to as the Dramatic point of view.
This week, I'm going to discuss POV. What's it mean, how's it work, when to shift, when not to shift, getting into deep POV - all that fun stuff. If you have any questions about POV, ask them in comments.
If you think you have issues with getting into deep POV and would like to give me a sample of your writing (no more than two pages or 500 words) to use on my blog and demonstrate how to get into deep POV, email me at kristen@romancedivas.com.
I can't promise to critique every piece sent to me, but I'll do what I can.
Okay, this is a biggie. Your critique partners - who they are as writers - can make or break you. I firmly believe that. Why, you ask? I'm so glad you did. Let me tell you...
Your critique partners are like mini-agents. They should be able to get behind what you're writing (I'm not saying they need to love it, worship it or want to marry it) in such a way that they can be enthusiastic about it AND should the occasion ever arise that they are seated next to an editor at a conference who just so happens to be looking for a vampire cowboy story, be able to talk about YOUR vampire cowboy story with reasonable intelligence.
Your CPs should also be either a.) more advanced writers than you or b.) be stronger in certain areas than you. Having CP's who are at your same level is okay too, so long as your level isn't beginner. A bunch of beginners critiquing each other's work is an effort in futility. You need someone to show which direction to go in.
My CP's are all about my level and many have strengths in areas I don't. I like to think I bring an equivalent portion to their tables as well.
Be careful who you partner with, but don't be afraid to dissolve the relationship if it's not working. Your CP's are integral to your success. And this is a business. Making friends is fine, just keep your eye on the prize and focus on what you need to get there.
Of course, great critique partners are worth their weight in published books.
As I see it, there are two ways two work with a critique group - online or in real life. (Ain't I a regular rocket scientist?)
Online:
The easiest way to do this is through a yahoo email loop. This allows you to post chapters via the files section, communicate easily with the other members, even get opinions on author photos or book covers using the photos section.
Using the yahoo groups, your online crit group can be as small or as large as you like.
Another online method is through email. I know of one group that forwards chapters from member to member, each adding their comments as they get it until it finally returns to the originator with everyone's comments.
Real Life:
There are a few ways to do a real life crit group as well. The first way is something we do at my RWA chapter. Once a month at our meeting, two members are selected to participate in the critique. These members bring enough copies of their 15 pages for everyone at the meeting, then with everyone following along, they read their work outloud. The other members may jot notes on the provided pages during this time. When the reading is over, everyone gets a chance to discuss the work - except the author. You only get to listen - no defending your work! Then the pages are gathered up with everyone's comments and returned to the author.
The second way is a weekly meeting where pages are exchanged, critqued during the week, then returned at the next meeting. I participate in a group like this as well and it's been a great source of beta readers for me.
So...what kind of critique group are you in?
Let's talk about two things - when you need critique partners and when your work needs to be critiqued.
When you need CP's:
Personally, I think you need to complete a manuscript before you start rounding up critique partners. Why? Because if you haven't finished that first book, how do you know you will? And if you don't finish, you've wasted your CP's valuable time. Time is a huge commodity in this business. When someone gives you theirs, you need to know it doesn't come cheaply.
Now, if you find someone else working on their first manuscript and the two of you want to critique each other's work, have at it. Just know that's a bit like the blind leading the blind. You're both starting out. How much help can you be to one another?
When your work needs to be critiqued:
Ideally the work you turn over to your CP's should be as clean as possible. That means you don't vomit up a first draft and hand the mess over to them to clean up. A good critique partner (which is what you want to be, right?) goes over their work first, tries to find the missing words, the forgotten commas, the misplaced modifiers, the fact that the hero's name changed from Matt to Mark on page 13.
The more work you do, the less your critique partners have to. This makes their job easier and, lo and behold, the likelihood of them wanting to critique your work increases! A happy critique partner is a productive critique partner.
Lastly, and this is slightly off the "when" topic, but if your CP's point out the same things over and over...get a clue! If they tag you on constantly adverb abuse, police yourself first. A CP who can't learn gets old fast.
Why do you need critique partners? Why do you need anyone other than your mother and your best friend to read your work before you submit it? After all, it's the most amazing story that's ever been put down on paper.
Ahem. Not to be the one to stick a pin in that over-inflated balloon of delusion, but you need to wake up and smell the reality. Unless you're La Nora or SEP or one of those grand dames of romance, you need another set of unbiased eyes on your work.
I'm notorious for missing words (my brain types faster than my fingers) and for forgetting the -ed on action verbs. He crush the letter his hand. Yes, that would be me. My critique partners help me see those things, but they also help me find the bigger issues. Lack of conflict. Gaps in the story. TSTL moments. (Who me? Never!) Unbelievable actions on the part of hero or heroine. Etc.
This is all stuff I'm too close to the story to see. That's why my critique partners are an invaluable tool. If the journey toward publication is a road to be traveled, I'm the driver, my manuscript is the vehicle and my critique partners are my pit crew. Could I get to the finish line without them? Maybe. But it would take a lot longer to get there.
I can't change a tire to save my life.
Apparently, agent Caren Johnson has left Firebrand to start her own agency. This might be a great chance to get in with a new agency for those of you out there looking!
Caren Johnson recently began her own literary agency, Caren Johnson Literary Agency. She began her agenting career four and a half years ago when she started an internship at Peter Rubie Literary Agency. She stayed at the agency for three years, the first year as an intern and two years as an agent. She then left to join Nadia Cornier at Firebrand Literary where she stayed for a year. She recently made the switch to agenting on her own so she could work more closely with her authors in building their careers. She would like well organized, well crafted stories in the areas of romance (particularly romantic comedy in the vein of Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Jenny Cruisie and Kelley St. John; and historical in the vein of Susan Carroll, Diana Gabaldon, and Lauren Willig—high concept only please!), Teen fiction (in the vein of Caridad Ferrer/ Adios to My Old Life, Scott Westerfeld/ Uglies Trilogy) and commercial fiction (in the vein of Christopher Moore/A Dirty Job, Carl Hiaassen/ Nature Girl). For the moment she’s full up with wonderful paranormal romance (Caridad Pineiro, Lee Roland) and romantic suspense (Caridad Pineiro, Dianna Love Snell) authors so if an author submits in this genre, she will be more critical than she normally is. She is only accepting queries via email so send to caren@carenjohnson.com.
Here are some great articles on the "how" of critiquing. I figured I'd post them instead of rehashing all that info. The last one is especially thorough.
http://www.cyberus.ca/~alette/How_to.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Labyrinth/6977/writing11.html
http://www.crayne.com/howcrit.html
I think the most important thing to remember when being critiqued is "I am not my work", and the most important thing to remember when critiquing is "do no (intentional) harm."
Discuss.
Just to see how it goes, I've decided to do some "theme" weeks on my blog - all various topics relating to writing. This week will be critiquing. I'm starting off with this topic since I recently wrote an article on critiquing for the RWR (Dec. '06 issue) and feel like I have a fair handle on it.
If you have any questions or things you'd like to see covered concerning this topic, ask away! Also, if you have an interesting tale to tell about a critique group or partner, share that too. I hope to cover the how, why, where, what and when of it all.
I haven't been faithful with the blogging lately and for that, I apologize. Next week, I hope to be less of a slacker and get back into a more regular rhythm.
Until then, got any good jokes?
Yes, I know I'm the aunt and all that, but doesn't he just steal your heart a little bit? I adore this child! C'mon, you know you want to squeeze those cheeks!
I adore him so much I'm naming the hero in my next book after him - Ben.
I'm finishing up Catherine Spangler's newest book, Touched By Darkness and I hoping to fit in a long reading sessions today because I don't want to put it down!
What are you reading? Is it any good? Any book burning up your TBR pile, something you're just dying to get to?
I make myself laugh. As in, when I'm reading my own work, I laugh out loud. Is that odd? You see, I've been reading through Date With The Devil - this is the book I put down to write a book for Nocturne - to get back into the story and reconnect with the characters so I can finish it.
The first night, I stayed up until almost 1am reading my own stuff. I couldn't put it down! Then the next night, besides laughing out loud, I actually said, "That's good stuff," as I finished a chapter.
Now, you have to understand, it's close to five months since I looked at this story. I've forgotten a lot of what I wrote, especially the little bits.
So do you do this when you read your own stuff? Or am I having some sort of bizarre ego trip?
Today is chore day. Blech. But I'm trying to keep a positive attitude and will be playing a CD of island music I picked up in Hawaii while I'm vacuuming, finishing the Christmas undecorating, doing laundry and generally straightening up.
I'm doing pretty good on my edits/read through of the first half of Date With The Devil and am really looking forward to getting back to writing that story - and finishing it!
The Volcano! It's a pretty amazing place - very diverse. From rainforest...(this is on the way to a lava tube)
To the original crater, still sending up plumes of sulfurous fumes in a few places...
To the steam vents...
To the lava slides (there used to be a road under here - note the person in the upper right hand corner to get a sense of how vast this is)...
To the lava flowing into the sea (sorry about the blurriness - the sun was setting and I didn't have a tripod - not that there was a level place to set one in the lava field - and yes, the glowing stuff is real live lava)...
To the sheer power and beauty of its jagged coasts...
To the decadence of the chocolate volcano cake served at the Volcano House restaurant! Mmmm...
Some more pics and a story... 
One of the many beautiful golf courses Hotrod played - this is the same one that had mountain goats all over it.
The lovely little town of Kailua. Doesn't it look like a place you could live? I think I could...
The view from the place we ate breakfast at almost every morning. And yes, those are golf carts. Let's just say Hotrod has an addiction.
The Story:
Okay, we went to dinner at this chic-chic place that turned out to be only so-so (the food was great, the visibility of the sunset was NOT as promised), and while we were waiting for our table, we walked the beach a bit. We came across this pitiful looking honu (See pic below - pitiful, right?)...
We thought he was dead, but then he started drooling (this is also how I know the turtle was boy - girls don't drool when they sleep) and since he was generally looking ill, Hotrod decides we should rescue it and put it back in the water. (How can I not love a man who wants to save turtles?) Just as he's approaching him to pick him up, a woman runs down from the nearby hotel yelling, "No, no!"
Apparently, the turtles come to that beach all the time to sleep on the rocks and absorb their residual heat. And there's a $10,000 fine for touching a honu. We've had some expensive dinners, but that would have topped them all!
I referred to Hotrod as "The Turtle-Toucher" for the rest of the trip. He was not amused.
Here are some pics of our trip! Hawaii is a beautiful island! I'll start with some of the local residents...
Mountain goats were all over the Kona Country Club golf course (mauka side) - they were so cute! You could hear them baa-ing back and forth to one another. Watching the kids jump around on the lava rocks was fun.
We took a sunset cruise and were treated to a visit by some curious spinner dolphins. Love them!
Here's a honu (sea turtle) resting on a black sand beach. They're so beautiful. Maybe tomorrow I'll tell you how a honu almost cost Hotrod $10,000.
Stay tuned...
Isn't undecorating the house and tree the most blechy thing? I'm not looking forward to it, but I really want my house back in order. Ick. Such a bother but it has to be done. Anyone have any secrets for making it less of a chore? I wish I could pay someone to do it.
The holidays are well and truly over and it's time to get back to the reality of the writing life. For me - and I think many of us - this means setting goals for the year to come. And as the lovely Roxanne St. Claire has pointed out to me many times, my goals are really not true goals (things I can actively affect) but rather dreams. Le sigh. Dreaming is great, but you can't do anything that will directly cause an editor to offer you a three-book deal, you know what I mean?
So, with that in mind, I'm trying to think "goals" and "dreams" and list them separately.
Goals:
1. Finish Date With The Devil.
2. Write two new books.
3. Write two newsletter articles.
4. Pitch another idea for an article to the RWR.
5. Do a great job of being Vice President of the Spacecoast Authors of Romance.
6. Develop a novella idea.
7. Rough that novella out.
8. Improve the quality of my first drafts.
9. Be more mindful of the five senses when I write.
10. Develop an idea for a workshop.
11. Pitch that idea for 2008 Nationals.
12. Continue to improve Romance Divas.
Dreams:
1. Sell a book this year.
2. Sell three books this year.
3. Option one or more for a TV or movie deal.
4. Secure a fabulous advance that makes both me and my agent smile a lot.
5. Hit the New York Times Bestseller list.
6. Hit any bestseller list.
How about you? Any goals or dreams you'd like to share?
