I just popped over to eharlequin for a dose of blog hopping and found a social forum dedicated to the submission process and waiting. After scanning through 400 plus posts, I began to get that panicky feeling that I've successfully squashed for the last month. It was a dose of reality that I'm not sure I needed. It reminded me just how many people are out there trying to get published and how incredibly difficult this process is and how long it takes. Writing a good book isn't enough. You have to capture the attention of the right editor and somehow make it off their TBR pile. Oh, and then they have to love you and have a slot for your book. You have to be unique and exactly what the line is looking for. So, when I saw a GH finalist that hadn't heard a word on a submission for almost a year, it's a little disheartening.
On the other hand, who am I to lose faith? I have submitted one book and gotten one rejection (well technically one book submitted twice). I have lots of work to do on 3 others that have been requested. There are people on that forum who have never had a full requested and they've been at it for years. I am grateful for the opportunities I have been granted. I will continue to bust my butt and make more opportunities. There are contests to enter and books to finish.
Thanks for listening to me freak out. Now you know why I write escapist fiction. I don't do reality well.
Today's Goal: 2 pages on chapter 9 (getting closer to that black moment...)
Yesterday's Accomplishments: Sketched out black moment.
What I'm Grateful For: Newly learned skills to defeat the black monster of doubt
Affirmation/Quote: My success is measured by my willingness to keep trying
Is smooth bad?
I don't know why the edits on my current WIP are going better than the last book. By smoother I mean, I'm actually excited to work on it. The last book was such an drain to finish I had to take an entire month off to recooperate. I'm not sure if my doubts came into play last time. I had already had the book rejected by Silhouette once this year. I lived in fear that I couldn't fix what was wrong or that in fixing what was wrong, I created other problems.
This time around, after a rough patch in chapter 5 that took way too long to edit/rewrite, I'm speeding through the rest of the chapters. Some of what helps is I'm not actually rewriting the last 3/4 of the book. I've rearranged a few scenes, to take advantage of the emotional arcs of my characters, but I'm not writing all new scenes and trying to blend them with what was already there.
So, I'm left to wonder, if this book isn't wringing me out, am I missing something? Am I glossing over the strong, emotion packed scenes needed in a passion filled love story? If it's easy for me, is it too easy for my characters? Or do I have a better sense of where they are going and how they are going to get there than with my last story?
So, in the style of Carrie in Sex in the City, I'll pose a question: When your writing is going smoothly, is it a bad thing?
Today's Goal: 2 pages chapter 9 edits, get to the post office for stamps to mail Fire and Ice Contest Entry
Yesterday's Achievement: I finished ch 8 edits on time. Added 1000 words to my 2nd HP Instant Seduction contest entry.
What I'm Grateful For: I'm writing with joy!
Affirmation/Quote: "The worst writers are the lazy ones, the self-congratulatory ones. All the good writers I know are nervous wrecks." --Carl Hiaasen
This time around, after a rough patch in chapter 5 that took way too long to edit/rewrite, I'm speeding through the rest of the chapters. Some of what helps is I'm not actually rewriting the last 3/4 of the book. I've rearranged a few scenes, to take advantage of the emotional arcs of my characters, but I'm not writing all new scenes and trying to blend them with what was already there.
So, I'm left to wonder, if this book isn't wringing me out, am I missing something? Am I glossing over the strong, emotion packed scenes needed in a passion filled love story? If it's easy for me, is it too easy for my characters? Or do I have a better sense of where they are going and how they are going to get there than with my last story?
So, in the style of Carrie in Sex in the City, I'll pose a question: When your writing is going smoothly, is it a bad thing?
Today's Goal: 2 pages chapter 9 edits, get to the post office for stamps to mail Fire and Ice Contest Entry
Yesterday's Achievement: I finished ch 8 edits on time. Added 1000 words to my 2nd HP Instant Seduction contest entry.
What I'm Grateful For: I'm writing with joy!
Affirmation/Quote: "The worst writers are the lazy ones, the self-congratulatory ones. All the good writers I know are nervous wrecks." --Carl Hiaasen
I love category romance
This week, I read Fay Weldon's article in the Telegraph, and it bugged me. I write category romances. The sorts of stories that I hope will someday land me on the shelves amongst some very talented writers. Now, I’ll be the first one to say that we’re not writing Nobel or Pulitzer prize winning fiction. Frankly, I would be so depressed trying to write that sort of literary work that I’d be suicidal most days. I like my happy endings, my spicy sex scenes, and that little jolt I get when the hero finally figures out/admits that he loves the heroine.
“I daresay it is true of Mills & Boon tales that they perpetuate female folly by suggesting that love and marriage is the answer to a woman's problems, and not the beginning of them, but I hardly think it is any worse than that. Are we not entitled to a little wishful thinking?”
While I appreciate her second sentence was supposed to take the sting out of the one before it, I have to ask myself if I’m perpetuating female folly that love and marriage are the answer to a woman’s problems when I write about two people falling in love. 78% of the women reading romance are over 24. Am I then to understand that women over 24 live in hope that just over the next hill is some wealthy alpha hero who will sweep them away with passionate kisses and the promises of love everlasting? Seriously?
And if the answer to a woman’s problems is love and marriage then why are the heroes such a pain in the ass through 90% of the book?
I don’t think readers of category romance believe love and marriage is going to solve all their problems any more than they believe they will stumble across a dead body and solve the crime before the police do, or that there’s a school for wizards in England. We’re writing fantasy stories. Not non-fiction.
Last night I went to see 27 Dresses. It’s a romantic comedy about a woman who spends her freetime planning and attending other people’s weddings. She has issues about taking care of people and doesn’t pay attention to her own needs. Our hero is a cynic who also happens to be stuck writing (beautiful) stories about weddings. He picks on the heroine’s closet full of bridesmaid dresses and rants about the way society has been manipulated by corporations when it comes to spending money on weddings.
As the movie progresses, she deals with her need to nurture. He confronts his cynical nature.
After ¾ of this, we come to a pivotal moment where he whispers to the heroine that he cried at one of the weddings he reported on. BAM! The skeptic is revealed to have a softer side. And isn’t that what romance novels are supposed to do? Bring out our hero’s romantic nature?
Why do I bring this movie up? Because the movie could have a category romance. So why is 27 Dresses acceptable, but category romances are criticised?
“The Mills & Boon novel takes a peculiarly narrow slice of female life, and so tends to get despised.” Is it just me or is despised a strong word with a lot of energy behind it? Who's doing all this despising?
I know I probably should have let this article pass unremarked. To write about it only perpetuates the negative view of category romance. But every time someone says Harlequin in that scathing tone (both readers of the books who are embarrassed to admit they enjoy them and others), it bugs me.
I know that hoping to see a completely positive story on romance books in a major newspaper is my folly. But see, I believe in communication both in real life and in my books. She got her say. I got mine.
Today's Goal: Finish ch 7 edits
Yesterday's Achievement: Snuck away to see a movie
What I'm Grateful for: I won a book from Kate Walker Harlequin Presents author YEAH!
Affirmation: "True courage is like a kite; a contrary wind raises it higher"
--John Petit-Senn
“I daresay it is true of Mills & Boon tales that they perpetuate female folly by suggesting that love and marriage is the answer to a woman's problems, and not the beginning of them, but I hardly think it is any worse than that. Are we not entitled to a little wishful thinking?”
While I appreciate her second sentence was supposed to take the sting out of the one before it, I have to ask myself if I’m perpetuating female folly that love and marriage are the answer to a woman’s problems when I write about two people falling in love. 78% of the women reading romance are over 24. Am I then to understand that women over 24 live in hope that just over the next hill is some wealthy alpha hero who will sweep them away with passionate kisses and the promises of love everlasting? Seriously?
And if the answer to a woman’s problems is love and marriage then why are the heroes such a pain in the ass through 90% of the book?
I don’t think readers of category romance believe love and marriage is going to solve all their problems any more than they believe they will stumble across a dead body and solve the crime before the police do, or that there’s a school for wizards in England. We’re writing fantasy stories. Not non-fiction.
Last night I went to see 27 Dresses. It’s a romantic comedy about a woman who spends her freetime planning and attending other people’s weddings. She has issues about taking care of people and doesn’t pay attention to her own needs. Our hero is a cynic who also happens to be stuck writing (beautiful) stories about weddings. He picks on the heroine’s closet full of bridesmaid dresses and rants about the way society has been manipulated by corporations when it comes to spending money on weddings.
As the movie progresses, she deals with her need to nurture. He confronts his cynical nature.
After ¾ of this, we come to a pivotal moment where he whispers to the heroine that he cried at one of the weddings he reported on. BAM! The skeptic is revealed to have a softer side. And isn’t that what romance novels are supposed to do? Bring out our hero’s romantic nature?
Why do I bring this movie up? Because the movie could have a category romance. So why is 27 Dresses acceptable, but category romances are criticised?
“The Mills & Boon novel takes a peculiarly narrow slice of female life, and so tends to get despised.” Is it just me or is despised a strong word with a lot of energy behind it? Who's doing all this despising?
I know I probably should have let this article pass unremarked. To write about it only perpetuates the negative view of category romance. But every time someone says Harlequin in that scathing tone (both readers of the books who are embarrassed to admit they enjoy them and others), it bugs me.
I know that hoping to see a completely positive story on romance books in a major newspaper is my folly. But see, I believe in communication both in real life and in my books. She got her say. I got mine.
Today's Goal: Finish ch 7 edits
Yesterday's Achievement: Snuck away to see a movie
What I'm Grateful for: I won a book from Kate Walker Harlequin Presents author YEAH!
Affirmation: "True courage is like a kite; a contrary wind raises it higher"
--John Petit-Senn
Loving the process
Today, I have to come clean and say that last week didn't go so well for my defeating self-destructive behaviors. I'm not exactly sure what led to my backsliding. In part, I think I got off track Wednesday when I didn't have time to do my 2 page edits. Then on Thursday, I lost half of the edits I'd accomplished on Tuesday, so instead of having a net 4 pages, I had a net 3.5 and I began to think that I was falling behind because I'd only done 3.5 pages in 3 days. I was so tired after a long week and a couple nights with less than optimal sleep that I didn't do anything on Friday. By the time Saturday hit, in my mind I was playing catch up.
Because in my mind (notice how I keep saying that?) I was behind, I stopped wanting to work because I became overwhelmed by how much I had to do to stay on my time table. Now, here's where it gets interesting. Instead of marching ahead with the book that I'm editing, I got sidetracked on a new project for the HP contest. At some point last week, I got a great idea that just had to be committed to paper. It wasn't what I was "supposed" to do, but at least it was something. So, I have a rough synopsis and 1st chapter instead of the edits for chapter 6.
I'm already feeling panicky that I'm behind this week. I think to go forward I need to give myself a clean slate each Monday. I'm having a little trouble getting my mind around that.
Oh well, maybe I'll just go sit it the hot tub.
Cheers from Minnesota!
Today's Goal: 2 pages ch 6 edits
Yesterday's Achievement: Finished ch 1 new "boss" story
What I'm Grateful For: Whiteboards
Affirmation: "Failure is the opportunity to begin again, more intelligently" --Henry Ford
Because in my mind (notice how I keep saying that?) I was behind, I stopped wanting to work because I became overwhelmed by how much I had to do to stay on my time table. Now, here's where it gets interesting. Instead of marching ahead with the book that I'm editing, I got sidetracked on a new project for the HP contest. At some point last week, I got a great idea that just had to be committed to paper. It wasn't what I was "supposed" to do, but at least it was something. So, I have a rough synopsis and 1st chapter instead of the edits for chapter 6.
I'm already feeling panicky that I'm behind this week. I think to go forward I need to give myself a clean slate each Monday. I'm having a little trouble getting my mind around that.
Oh well, maybe I'll just go sit it the hot tub.
Cheers from Minnesota!
Today's Goal: 2 pages ch 6 edits
Yesterday's Achievement: Finished ch 1 new "boss" story
What I'm Grateful For: Whiteboards
Affirmation: "Failure is the opportunity to begin again, more intelligently" --Henry Ford
Going Up
Well, as expected, it’s happening. I think I’ve mentioned previously that I swing from productive to unproductive and back again. I’m on the upswing from feeling tired all the time and reluctant to write, to bursting with ideas and unable to sleep. I’m not really sure if this is a biorhythm thing or a chemical imbalance. I’ve been working on goals, task lists, etc. to keep me motivated, but I think the credit goes to the fact that I have some traces of bi-polar at work in my psyche.
What this means is that I’m eager to reach out more instead of shutting myself off from the world and hibernating. I’ve got more energy to write and could use more freetime to develop all the ideas that come to me. What do I do with it? I run with it, draining myself of all the great ideas by writing them down, I reconnect by blogging, I clean my house, do laundry, fix meals, balance by checkbook. Yesterday I said I was going to do less when I felt this way. Today, I'm going to make hay while the sun shines.
I got a new idea for a book. Well, technically it’s an old idea, one that I wrote and had rejected from Silhouette because I didn’t do a good enough job with pacing and conflict. I rewrote the story, keeping the characters while taking out a bunch of elements that I really liked, but that weren’t needed in the new version. So, now I gather up those discarded elements in order to write a new story with new characters, but the same conflict—a bigger, better conflict because I’ve learned much in the last six months.
Anybody got new ideas percolating when they should be hard at work on current WIP?
Today’s Goal: Meet friends to discuss our bookclub selection.
Yesterday’s Achievement: 2 pages of ch 5 edits done.
What I’m Grateful For: That deep well of inspiration where ideas come from.
Affirmation: Rules Are Good. Break Them!
What this means is that I’m eager to reach out more instead of shutting myself off from the world and hibernating. I’ve got more energy to write and could use more freetime to develop all the ideas that come to me. What do I do with it? I run with it, draining myself of all the great ideas by writing them down, I reconnect by blogging, I clean my house, do laundry, fix meals, balance by checkbook. Yesterday I said I was going to do less when I felt this way. Today, I'm going to make hay while the sun shines.
I got a new idea for a book. Well, technically it’s an old idea, one that I wrote and had rejected from Silhouette because I didn’t do a good enough job with pacing and conflict. I rewrote the story, keeping the characters while taking out a bunch of elements that I really liked, but that weren’t needed in the new version. So, now I gather up those discarded elements in order to write a new story with new characters, but the same conflict—a bigger, better conflict because I’ve learned much in the last six months.
Anybody got new ideas percolating when they should be hard at work on current WIP?
Today’s Goal: Meet friends to discuss our bookclub selection.
Yesterday’s Achievement: 2 pages of ch 5 edits done.
What I’m Grateful For: That deep well of inspiration where ideas come from.
Affirmation: Rules Are Good. Break Them!
Promises, Promises
As part of my goals, I promised myself I would blog twice a week. Well, I meant to last week (and I started and deleted 2 topics), but I didn't follow through. In fact, I missed a few items on my "to do" list. Being motivated on the weekends has become a bit of a challenge for me. I'd much rather watch TV, clicking through channel after channel, eating snack foods, drinking too much pop, than be productive. Last weekend, I fell into that same trap, however on Saturday, I managed to throw down the remote and get a little reading done.
I set myself a goal this year of reading 50 books and 10 new authors. I'm happy to say I've gotten a good start (5 books/3 new authors) and I look forward to reevaluating that goal mid year.
Back to my unproductive weekends. Little by little I'm going to reshape my thinking and alter my bad habits. I have a manic personality. I'm either wound up and working like a woman possessed, or glued to the couch watching the same movies I've seen a dozen times. I'd like to adjust my behavior so that I work less when I feel as if I could take on the world, and work more when all I want to do is zone out. How am I going to do that, you ask? Well, first of all, I'm making a weekly list of goals that I can achieve and ones that might stretch me a bit. Then, each day, I determine how much time I have available to get something done and insert a goal or two into that time frame. To keep me on track, I'm using a weekly appointment book to keep track of each day's activities. So far it's working. I also wrote down my weekly goals and posted them on the wall in my bedroom. I figure the more often I see what needs doing, the less I can avoid it.
How about you, what do you do instead of writing?
Today's Goal: Editing 2 pages of Chapter 5
Yesterday's Achievement: Read Dial M, The Murder of Carol Thompson for bookclub Wednesday night.
What I'm Grateful For: The chance to make someone's day
Affirmation: The Harder You Work, The Luckier You Get!
I set myself a goal this year of reading 50 books and 10 new authors. I'm happy to say I've gotten a good start (5 books/3 new authors) and I look forward to reevaluating that goal mid year.
Back to my unproductive weekends. Little by little I'm going to reshape my thinking and alter my bad habits. I have a manic personality. I'm either wound up and working like a woman possessed, or glued to the couch watching the same movies I've seen a dozen times. I'd like to adjust my behavior so that I work less when I feel as if I could take on the world, and work more when all I want to do is zone out. How am I going to do that, you ask? Well, first of all, I'm making a weekly list of goals that I can achieve and ones that might stretch me a bit. Then, each day, I determine how much time I have available to get something done and insert a goal or two into that time frame. To keep me on track, I'm using a weekly appointment book to keep track of each day's activities. So far it's working. I also wrote down my weekly goals and posted them on the wall in my bedroom. I figure the more often I see what needs doing, the less I can avoid it.
How about you, what do you do instead of writing?
Today's Goal: Editing 2 pages of Chapter 5
Yesterday's Achievement: Read Dial M, The Murder of Carol Thompson for bookclub Wednesday night.
What I'm Grateful For: The chance to make someone's day
Affirmation: The Harder You Work, The Luckier You Get!
It's only 2 pages a day
As I continue to grapple with my procrastination and time wasting tendencies, I've been trying to look at my goals in smaller chunks to make them more approachable.
Faced with a deep edit/rewrite on my current novel, I have been blocked from working by the overwhelming size of the project. When you write a book, you can say to yourself, I'm going to write two pages or I'm going to write two thousand words. When I edit, I find that I might delete and rewrite as many as a thousand words from a chapter and net what appears to be nothing. And that may have taken me three hours to do. So, I'm still on page 35 and I don't have anything I can track that I've accomplished. So, how am I supposed to set goals when I don't know how long something will take.
Then today I had a brainstorm. Two pages a day (or night in my case). That's what I'm going to do. Ninety single spaced pages divided by two is 45 days. I'm going to edit my book in 45 days. Now, I'm not sure if this will work, but at least I can say to myself every day that I'm going to edit two pages. Anything more that gets done is gravy. Anything less and I track how long those two pages took so I can make adjustments down the road.
So now my task doesn't feel quite so daunting and I'm eager to get at it. I'll keep you updated as to my progress and how my process is working.
Today's Goal: 2 pages of editing on Chapter 3
Yesterday's Accomplishment: I submitted my entry to Harlequin Presents Instant Seduction Contest
What I'm Grateful for: My new Change Coach, Karen Hughes
Today's Affirmation: Slow and steady wins the race (oh wait, that's the moral of a fable)
Faced with a deep edit/rewrite on my current novel, I have been blocked from working by the overwhelming size of the project. When you write a book, you can say to yourself, I'm going to write two pages or I'm going to write two thousand words. When I edit, I find that I might delete and rewrite as many as a thousand words from a chapter and net what appears to be nothing. And that may have taken me three hours to do. So, I'm still on page 35 and I don't have anything I can track that I've accomplished. So, how am I supposed to set goals when I don't know how long something will take.
Then today I had a brainstorm. Two pages a day (or night in my case). That's what I'm going to do. Ninety single spaced pages divided by two is 45 days. I'm going to edit my book in 45 days. Now, I'm not sure if this will work, but at least I can say to myself every day that I'm going to edit two pages. Anything more that gets done is gravy. Anything less and I track how long those two pages took so I can make adjustments down the road.
So now my task doesn't feel quite so daunting and I'm eager to get at it. I'll keep you updated as to my progress and how my process is working.
Today's Goal: 2 pages of editing on Chapter 3
Yesterday's Accomplishment: I submitted my entry to Harlequin Presents Instant Seduction Contest
What I'm Grateful for: My new Change Coach, Karen Hughes
Today's Affirmation: Slow and steady wins the race (oh wait, that's the moral of a fable)
New Year, Fresh Start
After taking most of December off of my writing/editing, I've gotten back in the groove again. I'm taking a class at Writer U to overcome my Self-Defeating Behaviors, and it was just the jump start I needed.
I tend to swing high to low with my productivity and energy level. I'm either working my butt off or being a complete slug. For years I've stressed about my uneven style, now I'm beginning to wonder if I just need to accept that this is the way I work.
What I think I can change is the negativity that seems to hang like a cloud over my head when I'm not working. I'm not sure if the self-defeating behavors cause the drop in productivity or if they are a symptom (which came first, the chicken or the egg), but I'd like to break the cycle.
To that end, I'm putting together a little boost of positive energy that will hopefully act like a sunny day and restore my good spirits on those days when I get blue. I'm writing down affirmations on flash cards, listening to The Secret every day and making my daily goals less daunting.
What do you do to keep motivated?
Yesterday's Achievement: Finished Edits on Chapter 1 for my HP Instant Seduction Contest
Today's Goal: Finish Edits on Chapter 2
What I'm Grateful For: All the inspiration I need is at my fingertips
Today's Affirmation: Everything I seek is seeking me (I found this a very powerful statement.)
As the year closes, I’ve started looking back over what I’ve done/learned and what I’d like to do/learn. In other words: Goals.
In the fall of 2006, I decided I’d taken a long enough break (10 years) and that I was ready to recommit to my journey to publication. I started 2007 with only a couple goals in mind: 1) enter a bunch of contests, hopefully final, and get a request for a full from an editor, and 2) stay focused. That worked well. I entered 30 contests, finalled in 14 and received requests for 4 manuscripts. I also stayed very focused on writing short contemporary (although I did get sidetracked for a couple weeks with a fantasy story).
Along the way, I wrote 1 book, finished 1, rewrote 1, and started a 4th. I met lots of great new writer friends, reconnected with others, attended 2 conferences (1 national), pitched to 2 editors and 1 agent, joined PRO, took 2 on-line writing courses, created a website, started a blog, judged 2 contests, learned a bunch of stuff and actually applied most of it to my writing.
To say that I learned a bunch would be an understatement. And looking back on everything I did, it makes perfect sense that by December I was completely worn out.
For 2008, I intend to submit 3 of the requested books. To do that I must finish my 4th book and rewrite two others. I’m not even going to think about starting something new until this is done. I need to blog more often, at least twice a week. I’m going to attend 1 conference. I’m going to submit to a few agents. I’m going to take at least 3 on-line writing courses. I'm going to read at least 50 books and some of those by 10 new authors. And of course, I’m going to continue to maintain my focus.
Last year was all about throwing open the doors and windows of my mind and absorbing everything I could. This year is about selectively applying that knowledge to better my writing and move closer to my goal of being published.
Have you made any goals for 2008?
Yesterday’s Accomplishment: I took down my Christmas tree and packed away all the trappings of the holiday.
Today’s Goal: To finish and polish a synopsis for my Harlequin Presents contest entry
What I’m Grateful for: The chance to puppysit for a week. It’s fun to have Teddy visiting.
In the fall of 2006, I decided I’d taken a long enough break (10 years) and that I was ready to recommit to my journey to publication. I started 2007 with only a couple goals in mind: 1) enter a bunch of contests, hopefully final, and get a request for a full from an editor, and 2) stay focused. That worked well. I entered 30 contests, finalled in 14 and received requests for 4 manuscripts. I also stayed very focused on writing short contemporary (although I did get sidetracked for a couple weeks with a fantasy story).
Along the way, I wrote 1 book, finished 1, rewrote 1, and started a 4th. I met lots of great new writer friends, reconnected with others, attended 2 conferences (1 national), pitched to 2 editors and 1 agent, joined PRO, took 2 on-line writing courses, created a website, started a blog, judged 2 contests, learned a bunch of stuff and actually applied most of it to my writing.
To say that I learned a bunch would be an understatement. And looking back on everything I did, it makes perfect sense that by December I was completely worn out.
For 2008, I intend to submit 3 of the requested books. To do that I must finish my 4th book and rewrite two others. I’m not even going to think about starting something new until this is done. I need to blog more often, at least twice a week. I’m going to attend 1 conference. I’m going to submit to a few agents. I’m going to take at least 3 on-line writing courses. I'm going to read at least 50 books and some of those by 10 new authors. And of course, I’m going to continue to maintain my focus.
Last year was all about throwing open the doors and windows of my mind and absorbing everything I could. This year is about selectively applying that knowledge to better my writing and move closer to my goal of being published.
Have you made any goals for 2008?
Yesterday’s Accomplishment: I took down my Christmas tree and packed away all the trappings of the holiday.
Today’s Goal: To finish and polish a synopsis for my Harlequin Presents contest entry
What I’m Grateful for: The chance to puppysit for a week. It’s fun to have Teddy visiting.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)