A year in review

2008 was a good year in so many ways. What kept it from being great was that I didn't sell. Here's hoping that changes in 2009.

Each year I start with a list of goals. As is the nature of goals, they often change as the year progresses. So, here's what happened.




Number of conferences attended: 2

Number of Agents/Editors met with: 4

Number of entries into contests: 18

Number of finals: 7 (2 contests will announce finalists in January)

Number of manuscripts that finaled: 5 (4 series contemp, 1 fantasy)

Number of requests for full from contests: 3

Number of full/partial manuscript rejections: 1/4

Number of new authors read: 29

Coolest thing I did: Participated in the on-line Desire pitch

2nd coolest: Flew out to New Jersey to attend the Put Your Heart In A Book Conference.

3rd coolest: Attended Donald Maass' Writing the Breakout Novel workshop.

I started out 2008 really strong, writing every day, on top of what I wanted to achieve. That lasted about 2 months. As much as I'd like to be a consistent producer, I'm more of a feast or famine girl. I'm not sure that's going to change.

I'm not ending the year as strong as I began. Although I've been writing on various projects, I've yet to sink my teeth into anything.

Thanks to all my friends, old and new, for being there on this crazy journey to publication. Here's to all your publication dreams coming true in 2009.

And last, but not least, if you could do one thing different in 2009, what would that be?

Today's goal: Come up with 2009 goals
Yesterday's achievement: Worked on my historical
What I'm grateful for: A lot achieved in 2008
Quote: "Good plans shape good decisions. That's why good planning helps to make elusive dreams come true." -Lester R. Bittel, The Nine Master Keys of Management

My talented daughter

There's not much writing news to blog about and the main topic of conversation here in Minnesota is the weather. Ack! Snow, snow and more snow.

Last night I attended my daugher's final holiday performance.

Saturday we had her piano recital. She's been playing piano for 3-1/2 years now and if I do say so myself, she's pretty darned good. She played Sleigh Bells, a fairly complicated piece, and pounded it out with gusto.

Tuesday she had her holiday dance recital. This is her first year doing jazz. The dance was to I Feel The Magic and it's pretty aerobic. Lots of fast moves that she worked really hard to master.

Finally last night we had her school program. The 4th and 5th graders performed a play about an angel that goes to a shopping mall in search of Christmas spirit. It was amazing how almost all 80 kids had a line or two. For her part my daughter got fired. She did a great (dramatic) job and got a laugh. A couple laughs actually.

She wants to be an artist or a photographer when she grows up, but I think she's missing her calling as an actor.

Now, onto the holidays. I'm off for 5 days over Christmas. I got a bunch of books from the library and my TBR pile is overflowing my bookshelves. I hope to read a lot, write a little and relax.

How about you? What are your plans for the holidays?

Today's goal: I'm going home and cracking open a bottle of vino
Yesterday's accomplishment: Got through the last of Emily's events
What I'm grateful for: Spring is getting closer every day!
Quote: "Holidays are an expensive trial of strength. The only satisfaction comes from survival." -Jonathan Miller

A funny thing happened when I woke up at 4:30 a.m.

I had an idea for a book in my head. Well, more than an idea. I had a setting, a conflict, and enough potential danger to keep the pace moving. In fact, when I got up, I wrote a 1800 word opening that just came out of no where.

Well, perhaps not no where.

I had certain notions about what I wanted to do in the story. I've been reading all sorts of new authors trying to stimulate my creative juices. I liked what this one did and that one did, but I couldn't quite get to what I wanted to do.

The last couple of tries at something new have amassed a decent word count, but none of it flowed right. I kept struggling with the scenes because my character's voice wasn't speaking to me. And if it's not speaking to me. It's certainly not going to speak to anyone else.

The difference between this story and the last couple I tried to work on was that even though I have absolutely no idea what's coming next, I know something will just spring out of the basic conflict of the world and the people in it.

The other difference is that this character has big problems. I know one of her inner conflicts, but that's all. Yet, I know that more are buried in there. And she's surrounded by all kinds of people that can make her life miserable. And they will.

The last difference is I'm actually excited about this story. Like last night, I stopped by the library to grab some books. And I couldn't wait to read what I found on the shelves (I got 7 books). It feels like I haven't been excited about anything in such a long time. I sure hope the feeling holds.

How about you? What was the last thing you read or wrote that felt more like fun and less like work?

Today's goal: Attend my daughter's dance recital
Yesterday's achievement: Found her the dance pants she needed for tonight's recital
What I'm grateful for: A whole new world
Quote: "Inspiration may be a form of superconsciousness, or perhaps of subconsciousness - I wouldn't know. But I am sure it is the antithesis of self- consciousness." -Aaron Copland (1900 - 1990)

Innocent or Ignorant?

I was over on the PRO loop today. Someone had posted their experience of finishing their first novel and immediately sending it off to agents. The tone of the post was so perky and optimistic, it reminded me of how I was when I first started writing for publication 2 years ago.

I don't want to admit that I'm cynical and jaded about how hard this business is, but I'd love to be back in touch with that naive part of me that threw myself willy nilly into a story with no concept of craft issues, characterization, conflict, all those important items.

I want to be able to write without worrying about the rules. Without wondering if what I'm doing will appeal to editors. Without being so darned careful. A return to innocence.

So what if I get a face full of pavement, right?

Today's goal: 500 words
Yesterday's achievement: 536 words
What I'm grateful for: all I've learned and all I have left to discover
Quote: "Ignorance is not innocence but sin." -Robert Browning (1812 - 1889)

500 words a day

I love this photo. It isn't me, but I sure wish it was.

Baby steps.

I've got it in my head that writing is work. It is. But it's also fun.

Or at least telling a story is fun.

Or it should be.

It seems like a long time since I've let loose and had fun with my writing. My internal editor sits on my shoulder, babbling non-stop in my ear.

I think I could use a serious dose of silly. But how do I let myself go when I'm too busy being "responsible" or behaving like a mom? Oh, who am I kidding, I've always been too self-conscious to do something as ridiculous as let myself be photographed with a statue's hand on my boob.

This new WIP is a voyage of discovery. Instead of devising a set of characteristics and quirks for my heroine, I'm drawing from my own behavior set. It's interesting and a bit cathartic. The book is in first person POV so in some ways it feels like I'm redesigning my past. If I was thrust out of my comfort zone, how could I handle the situations? I'm making her take the chances I was too afraid to take. Maybe I'll learn something for my future!

How much of you comes out in your characters? Are there things they'd never do because you can't see yourself doing them?

Today's goal: 500 words
Yesterday's accomplishment: 469
What I'm grateful for: Faith and confidence in the journey.
Quote: "The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind." -William James (1842 - 1910)

New tires

After a near miss on Wednesday night as I was heading home on snowy roads, I decided that I needed new tires. Not terribly exciting right? But after spending 2 hours driving home last night (rush hour can so NOT be a rush here in Minnesota), I was really glad that I'd made the $500 investment.

For those of you who live in the South and have never experienced the joys of what a 2 inch snowfall can do, let me tell you it was a parking lot on the freeways last night. 15 MPH at best. At least there's less chance of sliding off into the ditch when you're creeping along.

I'm currently listening to the CD's that I bought at the PYHIAB conference on the workshops I wanted to attend, but had conflicts for. There are a couple with JR Ward, one with Susan Meier on conflict (which since she's a category author it's really great) and one with Eloisa James, who I've heard speak before, but not on this particular topic. Lots of good info.

Work progresses on the new WIP. With only 500 words a day expected of me, I'm keeping up without a problem. I might even be a little ahead. I figure at the current pace, I'm on track to finish March 31st.

How is everyone's Christmas season shaping up? I'm horribly behind in everything, shopping, decorating, etc.

Today's goal: 500 words
Yesterday's achievement: 831 words
What I'm grateful for: New Tires!!!
Quote:

"The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."
Robert Frost (1874 - 1963), Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

WIP Titles

As Winter's dark chill closes in on us, here's a little vision of Spring to keep us looking foward.

My daughter took this picture of the Bleeding Heart on a macro setting. To capture the flower in such great detail, she had to hold the camera a couple inches from the plant and be very still. I think she did a fabulous job.

I don't know about you, but I love coming up with titles for my WIP. A title sums up what the book is about and often sets the tone. I know that most of the time a publisher will change the title so it's good not to get too attached, but I need something more substantial than the title "Emma's story" while I'm crafting it.

Some people also change their titles as the book changes. The Christmas Bargain for a while was His Borrowed Fiance before I went back to my original title. Either one works. The latter is probably more descriptive of the book, but I'm sentimental about the original title.

Why am I blogging about titles? Because today I settled on one for my new WIP. I know what you're thinking. She's started another book? What about finishing the half dozen languishing on my hard drive? Well, let's just say that I'm experimenting with a new direction in my writing. Something I've never tried before. And I'm not going to talk about it until the book is a whole lot further on just in case I jinx it.

For the month of December I've committed to writing 500 words a day on my newest project. I'm aiming to enter it in the 2008 Great Expectations. My last contest of the year.

How about you? How important are titles for your WIP? Do you put a lot of effort into coming up with something great or will just anything do?

Today's goal: 500 words
Yesterday's achievement: 647 words
What I'm grateful for: My parents are on their way home from Florida
Quote: "No trumpets sound when the important decisions of our life are made. Destiny is made known silently." -Agnes de Mille (1909 - 1993)

More good news

See, for me, it's either drought or downpour. Weeks/months of no news, then days of crazy excitement.

Missing Pieces won (yes you heard me) WON the Dark Paranormal category of the 2008 Where The Magic Begins. OHMYGOD!!!

Why am I so excited? Because I've read my competition and she's so good. I never thought I had a chance of beating her.

WHOOHOO!!!!

I can write. I really can.

A Southern Heat Final

Whoohoo!

The Christmas Bargain finaled in the 2008 Southern Heat Contest. After numerous finals in 2007 (and no editor interest), I parked the book on my (cyber) shelf and turned my attention to other projects.

But the story is fun, the setting fabulous (Savannah, GA at Christmas) and the characters deserved better than I'd been able to do for them.

Back in September, I hauled her out and reworked the first 10 pages for the Southern Heat Contest (at the very last minute). When I realized I also needed a synopsis (read all the instructions dummy), I didn't have the time to rework the one I had (things had changed a bit).

So, with a heavy heart, I put aside the entry and neglected to delete the bookmark for the contest page. Which is why when I clicked on the bookmark three weeks later and the contest page pulled up, I was shocked to see that they'd extended the deadline almost a month. I now had a couple days to polish up the synopsis.

I shot the whole entry off and low and behold, it finaled. Whoohoo.

This marks my 20th final. It has taken me 2 years to achieve, and I'm pretty excited.

I've finaled with 6 different books in 2 genres.

The Christmas Bargain has racked up the most finals (8), but it has never won and it is my only short contemporary that has never been requested. I hope that changes with this contest.

Today's goal: 500 pages
Yesterday's achievement: finished 13 Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson (great book)
What I'm grateful for: my 20th final
Quote: "Having a dream is what keeps you alive. Overcoming the challenges make life worth living."
Mary Tyler Moore (1936 - )