Deborah Wright

I've moved!

2011-08-24T17:04:00.000-07:00

My blog, that is.

I won't be deleting this blog (never know when you need a place to blog in an emergency), but I also don't plan on updating it anymore.

I'll now be blogging on my own (wordpress-driven) website. Here are the particulars:

The website:

http://deborah-wright.com

The blog:

http://deborah-wright.com/blog/

I hope to see you there!

The End of an Era

2011-07-12T10:39:00.000-07:00

I'm blogging about attending the launch of STS-135 Atlantis today over at the Mid-Willamette Valley RWA blog. Come on by and see the pictures!

I'll have more to say about the launch later. And possibly video, if I can get the time to download/edit what I took.

Hip Deep In Plot

2011-05-31T10:45:00.000-07:00

I'm talking writing over at the Mid-Willamette Valley RWA Blog. Come on over and join the conversation!

Social Media

2011-04-05T10:31:00.000-07:00

I'm talking about my Social Media Bewilderment today at the Mid-Willamette Valley RWA Blog. Come on over and tell me how you use social media--or how you don't!

What Are You Afraid Of?

2011-01-25T01:30:00.000-08:00

I'm talking about fear today over at the Mid-Willamette Valley RWA Blog. Stop by and tell me what you're afraid of.

The Things You Learn About Yourself When You Write

2011-01-21T12:53:00.000-08:00

I knew that I was a research junkie. How could I not know that? Researching has been at the top of my writing procrastination list for, well, forever. I get caught up in the things I'm reading, the fascinating facts I'm learning, and somehow manage to avoid what I should be doing--putting words on the page!

If you'd asked me last week, "What do you like to read?" or, "What are you passionate about?" I would've said pretty much the same thing I've said for years: mystery, fantasy, adventure, science fiction, technology. Same old, same old. It's all still true, but the epiphany I had--that came as I recovered from a dazed glut of historical research for my current writing project--is that over-arching all of those interests is a love of history.

Yep, I just realized that I'm a history geek. Who knew? All this time, I've been denying my love of history. You could've knocked me over with a feather. After all, I never showed much interest in history in school. I got decent grades in all the required history classes in high school, but I only took the required-to-graduate history courses in college (and was grateful at the time that that was all I had to take). And I always agreed with everyone who said history was boring (except for one minor exception--even as a kid I was fascinated by the 1930s-1940s).

Somewhere along the line, that changed. I still have the fascination I've always had for the '30s and '40s, but that fascination has now expanded to include the 1920s as well. Heck, I've been researching everything from 1800 to 1930 recently and I've loved every moment of it. Think about the descriptions historians use to refer to various times: the Victorian Era, the Gay Nineties, the Gilded Age, the Edwardian Era, the Roaring Twenties, and the Jazz Age. How could you not want to know more about a time called the Gay Nineties or the Gilded Age?

How did people live? What did they think and believe? Was it different in New York than in London? What technology existed and what was being invented? What about the leaders of the day--what did they think, not just what did they do? So many changes in national boundaries and governments occurred from 1700 to 1900 in Europe and across the globe, it makes me a bit dizzy when I'm reading about multiple eras.

When I glance at my bookshelves--we won't go into how many there are at this juncture, ok?--I can't help but notice that history books take up a significant amount of space. The picture in this post is of one of the shelves of non-fiction in my house. You can see there are several eras represented, from ancient to modern. I don't claim to have read them all cover-to-cover, but even those I've only skimmed so far have yielded valuable insights.

Sometimes I feel like I missed out by not taking some of those college classes when I could have done so, but then again, maybe I needed to find this infatuation on my own, in my own time, so that it's fresh and new and my enthusiasm is high and ready to propel me into writing.

Because at the end of the day, as fun as I'm finding all the historical research, the things I'm learning are fascinating for one ultimate reason: they're fuel for my story. And that's definitely something to be excited about!

How about you? Are you a closet history buff? Do your friends look at you strangely when you suddenly say things like, "Did you know that Nikola Tesla and Mark Twain were close friends?" Or do you--*yawn*--nod off when confronted with anything remotely related to history?

Setting Writing Goals

2011-01-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

Join me over at the Mid-Willamette Valley RWA Blog today where I'm talking about writing goals. I've set mine—have you set yours yet?

Watching Movies for Visual Inspiration

2011-01-08T10:45:00.000-08:00

I'm sure other writers watch movies and TV shows for visual inspiration—I can't possibly be alone in that. Heck, I can even watch a movie for other reasons (like, er, entertainment) and be struck by a scene or setting and think, "Hey, that would make a cool location for a story!"

Sometimes, though, I'll put in a dvd just to watch the settings. In that case, I generally end up gritting my teeth and trying to endure the movie to the end, because 9 times out of 10 the movie in question is pretty awful. And I find myself wondering how other people do it. How do other people manage to sit through an excruciatingly dull or just plain crappy movie in the name of research or inspiration?

And then, just by accident yesterday as I was watching such a movie, I hit the mute button when I meant to hit pause.

A whole new world of movie watching opened up before me. Not only was I able to focus on the sets and costumes—the whole point of watching said movie—but I also found myself making up my own story to go along with the images on the screen. Brilliant! (Well, not the made up story so much as the fun I had doing it!)

In fact, it was so much fun that I'm already making lists of movies, bad and good, to watch this way. Yeah, that's right, I plan to watch movies I love this way, too. See, I tend to watch favorite movies over and over again (kind of like I re-re-read favorite books) and it gets easy to multitask and do other things while listening to familiar dialogue. Watching those movies as silent film will require me to actually focus on the screen. I figure there's plenty of things I've never noticed before, just waiting to be discovered. Should be an interesting exercise.

Have you ever watched a movie or TV show without sound? Deliberately? What did you learn?

Oh yeah, the movie that spawned this great discovery? The Shadow, 1994, staring Alec Baldwin—a movie that's really only watchable in one of two ways: 1) with plenty of alcohol, or 2) as a silent film.

Revitalizing the Blog

2011-01-03T20:13:00.000-08:00

New year, new resolutions. Last year is dead and gone and good riddance to it. I've got my fingers crossed that 2011 will be much, much better.

The only resolution I'm making is to finish a novel this year. I won't predict which novel, or what genre it will be, but I vow that 2011 will be the "Year I Finished A Novel."

As part of my re-focusing on writing, I'm also pledging to blog frequently. And I'll once again be a regular contributor to the Mid-Willamette Valley RWA Blog.

SATURDAY CHECK-IN

2010-06-19T11:03:00.000-07:00

Join me for our Saturday Check-in over at the Mid-Willamette Valley RWA Blog. How's your progress coming?

Where I'm Blogging Today

2010-06-17T13:19:00.000-07:00

I'm blogging about Gone With The Wind over at the Mid-Willamette Valley RWA Blog. Come on over and join me!

Where I'm Blogging Today

2010-03-30T11:10:00.000-07:00

I'm blogging today about that rarest of magical creatures, the published author, over at the Mid-Willamette Valley RWA blog.

Come on over and join the discussion!

2010 WRITING GOALS REVISITED

2010-03-28T12:54:00.000-07:00

My life has changed rather disconcertingly since I posted my writing goals for the year in January and for the last three months I've only been writing in fits and starts. Though I did get a nice boost of enthusiasm attending my RWA Chapter's yearly writing retreat in February. Three days of nothing but writing and talking about writing while staying in a house on the beach at the Oregon coast—fantastic! At the end of the weekend, I'd written a few thousand words and thought I'd finalized my writing projects.

Alas, not so. Characters nagged, plots sagged—or worse, became boring—and enthusiasm waned. Between that and Real Life Stuff ™, I felt myself sinking to a new low. I decided to take a few weeks off and give my subconscious time to work on things. Hey, that approach has always worked for me in the past when things were going to hell with or without a handbasket. I don't ignore a problem; I just give it a rest and let it sort itself out in my back-brain, so to speak.

It worked, too. I've got a new plan—a cunning plan—to get me where I want to be (typing "The End") even sooner. Okay, so maybe it isn't so much cunning as it is hard work. But it is a plan! And I think I'll call it a plan from now on, rather than refer to it as a goal. Plan just seems more concrete to me for some reason.

Without further ado...

My Updated Writing Plan for 2010

1. Work on one project at a time and stick with it to the end. Write a minimum of 7150 words per week.
This will get me to a first draft of Project #1 by July 1st.

2. Start second project in July. Write a minimum of 3850 words/week.
Continue working on Project #2 during edits of Project #1.

3. Edit first draft of Project #1 in September.

4. Edit second draft of Project #1 in October.

5. Complete final edit of Project #1 before submitting to Golden Heart.

By the end of the year, my sticking to this plan will accomplish the following:

1. Two finished novels.

2. One novel entered in the Golden Heart.

In all of this, I'm making one huge assumption—that Project #1 will be worth submitting to the Golden Heart. Of course, I won't know until I've written it, will I?

Back in the Saddle...

2010-03-27T10:50:00.000-07:00

Long time, no update! Yeesh.

Lots of things have been happening, some not so great, but I'm back and rarin' to go. In fact, I've taken over the weekly check-in post at the Mid-Willamette Valley RWA blog. You can catch my first post for that today. I'm hoping the responsibility of running the check-in will keep me motivated to make actual progress on my novel.

I've also made a final decision on which project to focus on. I'll be posting about my updated goals tomorrow.

Ah...it's good to be back. :-)

Updated Writing Goals

2010-01-09T10:00:00.000-08:00

It isn't even two weeks into the new year and I'm already revising my writing goals. I attended a terrific meeting of my local RWA Chapter last week and the topic was all about goal setting. After mulling over the discussion and looking through the handouts, I realized that I only really had one goal (write every day) and it was too nebulous to get me where I want to go this year.

So, I worked on updating my goals and this is what I've committed to within the Chapter. Might as well go public here, too. :-)

My Writing Goal for 2010

1. Have a book ready to submit to Golden Heart in November

In order to meet that goal, I need to break it down into more manageable pieces. I'm targeting 100,000 words. Here's what that looks like right now (these may change as I reassess where I am each month).

1. First Draft finished no later than September 1.
2. First Draft edits completed by October 1.
3. Second Draft edits completed by November 1.
4. Final Edits completed before sending in contest entry

Here's how that breaks down for a monthly word count: 12,500 words/month for January to August.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T15:40:00.000-08:00

2010. It's a nice number, isn't it? Though technically not correct, I'm treating it as the start of a new decade. I'm more than ready to leave the turbulent '00's behind. Change is in the air for me this month, my friends, and I plan to make the most of things.

I've refined the goals I put together early in December in a comment on the Mid-Willamette Valley RWA blog. I've tried to make them specific so I can easily track my progress. Ready? Here we go.

Writing Goals for 2010

1. Write Every Day
I learned during NaNoWriMo that when I wrote every day, even if it was only a couple hundred words, that I did much better than if I skipped a day. The more days I wrote in a row, the more total words I wrote. Writing begets writing, if you will.

2. Update my weekly progress on the Saturday Check-in post of the Mid-Willamette Valley RWA blog.
I'm making this mandatory for myself as my way of being publicly accountable for my progress.

3. Blog about my progress and my trials and tribulations on my personal blog at least 3 to 4 times per week.
This is another thing I did during NaNoWriMo that worked well for me. Not only did it help keep me focused, it was another way of writing every day, even if the words didn't add to the story.

4. Reassess my goals on a monthly basis.
How many times have I set goals for the year in January and then never looked at them again until the following December? Not this year. This is the year I truly treat my writing as a second profession and that means treating my writing goals as I do my other professional goals. Therefor, I'll reassess my writing goals at the beginning of each month and revise them as needed.

The ultimate goal for 2010 is to have at least one finished manuscript. I'd really like to have a manuscript ready to submit for the Golden Heart. I believe if I keep focused on my four specific goals, that these bigger goals will fall into place.

Whew! Time to take a break and have a glass of champagne. I'm excited about the coming year. How about you?

Gearing Up For The New Year

2009-12-29T15:06:00.000-08:00

I know I've been AWOL from the blog -- and from writing -- the last few weeks. I do have an excuse. My husband underwent total knee replacement surgery three weeks ago. He's recovering nicely, but the first few weeks have been hell on my writing. Things are starting to get more manageable, so here I am.

Actually, I'm chomping at the metaphoric bit to get started on my post-NaNo project. Maybe those weeks of enforced setting it aside were a good thing. It feels fresh and new, rather than a rework of the concept that took me through NaNoWriMo. Right now I'm in the stage of going over my character sheets and re-reading my notes to re-familiarize myself with everything. I'll probably tweak the concept a bit more before I actually start, but surprisingly not much.

The only other item on my writing agenda for this week is to set some concrete writing goals for the 2010. I had a hard time getting started in 2009, but ended with a rush from NaNo. I want to carry that momentum into 2010 and not allow myself to get sidetracked. I'll be posting my goals to the blog on the 1st.

Happy Holidays!!

NaNoWriMo 2009, The Final Tally

2009-12-01T10:40:00.000-08:00

What an amazing month! Time to pop the champagne! I wrote a total of 17,812 words on my NaNo project, not to mention all of the blog posts I wrote. I haven't written this much in a 30 day stretch for a very long time. To be honest, I wasn't even really pushing the boundaries of what I could have written; I managed all this with plenty of free time to go around. Just goes to show what I can accomplish when I make a paradigm shift from "I need to find time to write" to "I will write every day and the other stuff will work around my writing time".

The first question that comes to mind is: Will I use any of what I wrote? That's a tricky one. I'd have to give a qualified yes. Qualified, because I may not use many of the actual words written, but I'll definitely be using what I learned, about both my process and my story, as I move forward.

What did I learn during NaNoWrimo? I definitely learned (or re-learned in some cases) some important things about process--how I write. The more I write, the easier it is to write. And by that I mean, the more frequently I write, not necessarily the more words I write, though that helps, too.

In addition, I think I'm finally figuring out where I stand on the whole plotting versus writing by the seat of my pants thing. By personality, I should be all about plot and having a detailed roadmap ready before I even start, and that's just how I approached NaNo. However, I've discovered that while that's exactly how I approach most things in life, when it comes to writing, having too much detail stifles my creativity. Even when I tell myself it's okay to deviate from what I've planned, I end up feeling like things are cast in concrete. I do much better when I only have a very loose idea of what the story is about and then let the characters guide me to the plot. It may not be the most efficient way to write, but it's what works best for me, at least for right now. I also learned that consistently blogging about my progress helped keep me focused on my goal.

As for the story itself, I'm starting over based on what I now know. That may sound like a complete failure, but trust me, it isn't. By writing my 17,000+ words last month, I learned what didn't work in my story and what parts I wanted to keep, though in a much changed way. If I continued to struggle with the story in the shape it's currently in, I'd only be setting myself up for frustration and failure. Instead, I'm setting those words aside and cherry-picking the best from them: some of the characters and settings, and a couple of plot points. Now I'm ready to start fresh.

So, where do I go from here? It's a brand new journey, full of new and exciting possibilities. As of today, I'm starting a new (revised?) project. I'm estimating it'll be approximately 100,000 words, give or take. I plan to continue blogging about my progress--at least 3 to 4 times a week--to keep me focused and to share my ups and downs on my adventure. I can't wait to see what's up around the bend!

NaNo Day 27 Words: 0
NaNo Day 28 Words: 1760
NaNo Day 29 Words: 0
NaNo Day 30 Words: 2270
Final Total NaNo Words: 17,812

NaNo Days, The Last Gasps

2009-11-27T11:34:00.000-08:00

I kind of figured that as Thanksgiving struck my NaNo posting updates would slip a bit and, no surprise here, I was right. That doesn't mean that I've abandoned NaNo! No sirree, uh-uh, not me. I've been making the same approximate progress in the past few days as before. That means a few hundred words on most days (and zero on a couple).

The biggest thing for me has been in getting back to writing consistently and, in that, my NaNo experience has been an unqualified success.

This is only the beginning, one characterized by fits and starts, false directions, backtracks and re-workings. In other words, this is writing. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Today may be Black Friday for other people, but not me. Instead, I'm taking the day for myself and spending the majority of my time doing what I love: writing. Lucky me!

NaNo Day 26 Words: 0
Total NaNo Words: 13,782

Get Yer NaNo Update Here!

2009-11-24T09:52:00.000-08:00

Join me for today's NaNo update over at the Mid-Willamette Valley RWA blog.

Today's topic is, NaNo Day Twenty-Something, "Motivate Me!".

NaNo Day 20, In Which I Do...Research

2009-11-21T10:22:00.000-08:00

First, a quick update from Day 19. I did write on Day 19--about a page--but, to be honest, I spent a large part of my free time perusing the blogosphere trying to understand the sturm und drang surrounding Harlequin Enterprises announcement regarding their new vanity publishing division, Harlequin Horizons. If you're a writer, published or still aspiring, I believe it's important to be informed as to what's going on (even if you don't write in the Romance genre) and why RWA and SFWA (and potentially MWA in December) have declared Harlequin an "ineligible publisher" over this. After reading many reasoned and passionate blog posts on the subject, the most concise and straightforward information that I found was in Jackie Kessler's Blog. Specifically (so far), the following posts:

Jackie Kessler's Blog Post of 11/19/2009: Harlequin Horizons versus RWA "So you may have heard about this thing called Harlequin Horizons, and RWA’s response. But if you’re not in the publishing industry, you may not see why this is a big deal — and why RWA did the best possible thing any author organization could do."

Jackie Kessler's Blog Post of 11/20/2009: The Day After: Harlequin Blinks "Just because your book wasn’t good enough for Harlequin to pay you for it, that doesn’t mean it’s not good enough for you to pay us for it!"

Jackie Kessler's Blog Post of 11/21/2009: Answering Your Questions "By mentioning Horizons in every form rejection letter it sends out, Harlequin is encouraging authors to use Horizons. By linking to Horizons on its website, Harlequin is encouraging authors to use Horizons. Advertising Horizons in its rejection letters and its website is a huge conflict of interest."

Read them and be informed.

Back to NaNo Day 20. I gave myself permission to goof off on Day 20. You know, step away from the keyboard and go out and have a little fun? There's a new movie theater in town — one of those places that serves food and beverages to you while you watch your movie. My husband and I decided to try it out for a late lunch and matinee. The movie we chose to see? 2012.

If you've read my blog, you probably know I'm an apocalypse junkie. So you know that I was prepared to enjoy 2012 no matter how, er, lame the plot might end up being. I mean, come on, John Cusack and the End of the World as We Know It? Roland Emmerich Blowing Stuff Up? How could it miss?

John Cusack could stand in a field and read the phone book and I'd watch him do it. However...I'm eternally grateful we saw 2012 in a theater where we could order wine. A couple of glasses of Shiraz definitely made the movie easier to swallow. I can't help thinking back to other movies that we waited to rent and see at home, rather than at a theater, simply because we knew after watching the trailers that only copious amounts of alcohol would make them watchable. No longer! Even the most craptastic film (2012) can now be enjoyed in the theater, the way it was intended (well, almost).

Yet even while goofing off, NaNo wasn't far from my mind. At various points in the movie, my thoughts would stray to my story. When I thought, "Jeez, Roland, pacing!", my thoughts immediately shifted to wondering if I had enough action planned, even in the first part, to hold readers' attention. And when I admired the special effects and the sheer audacity of destroying the world, my thoughts strayed to my current opening scene and wondered if an explosion would help.

I guess I wasn't goofing off as much as I thought!

NaNo Day 20 Words: 0
Total NaNo Words: 12,746

NaNo Day 19, I Declare Posting Amnesty Day!

2009-11-20T22:58:00.000-08:00

It isn't that nothing happened on Day 19, it's that I've been taking a break today (actual day 20) and just didn't get around to posting (and I'm too tired to do it now).

I'll post tomorrow about Day 19 and 20. Until then, I'm signing off and (shocker) going to bed early.

Catch you on the flip side...

NaNo Day 19 Words: 225
Total NaNo Words: 12,746

NaNo Day 18, Characters Come and Characters Go

2009-11-19T13:10:00.000-08:00

On NaNo Day 18 I said good-bye to two characters that I'd been clinging to through the changes I'd been making to the story. I realized that they were completely superfluous to the plot and would only serve to distract me. Eventually, I knew I'd end up cutting them anyway, so why wait?

Honestly, it wasn't too hard to bid adieu to Howard Alcott. Poor old Howard didn't have much of a presence in the first version of the story as it was. He was there to provide financial backing for the family business (and, okay, he was the heroine's step-father), but he wasn't going to get much more than a mention here and there. He certainly had no POV scenes that I needed to worry about. So long, Howard, you shadowy-figure-at-best, you.

The second character was harder to delete. Lily Palmer was my original antagonist. Not so much a villain, as the (remote) villain's henchwoman with the power to make her own decisions. She's a morally ambiguous character with a lot of charisma and a sense of humor, but not, ultimately, a heart of gold. Lily is out for Lily, period. If what she wants happens to coincide with something you're after, she'd have no problem teaming up with you--just watch out for the time when your goals diverge and be ready to duck if you actively get in her way.

Lily has great potential, just not for this story. Not the new direction the story's taken, anyway. I have faith that Lily will eventually get her story. Who knows? Maybe she'll end up being the heroine. With Lily, you never can tell. And that's exactly the way I like it.

I may have said good-bye to Howard and Lily (at least temporarily), but I also said hello to three new characters. Well, maybe it's more acurate to say it's one new character and two changed characters. The new character is the alternate universe (AU) version of my heroine's father. The two morphed characters are the AU versions of my heroine's mother and maternal grandfather (who are now deceased in her world). They play significantly larger roles in their new (improved!) versions and I'm enjoying getting to know them.

Ah, the strange peoples inhabiting my head, let me show you them!

NaNo Day 18 Words: 300
Total NaNo Words: 12,521

NaNo Day 17, The Domino Effect

2009-11-18T20:47:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I mentioned that I didn't get time to write on Day 16, but that I still considered the day productive because of all the thinking about the story that I'd done. On Day 17, that thinking bore edible fruit. I wrote out the descriptions of the plot points that I'd hastily scribbled down the day before and, with a little further brainstorming, those plot points led to even more changes and surprises. The whole thing reminds me of one of those designs made out of dominos, where you tip over the end domino and they all topple, one after another. Remove one of the dominos and the effect stalls out.

Writing is a lot like those dominos, isn't it? Sometimes you get to a point and realize you're missing some dominos--character goals or motivation or something else--crucial to moving your story forward. If you're lucky, you're able to figure out how to make things work. You slap in your brand new dominos and away you go.

If you aren't so lucky, you re-examine the dominos you've already put in place, see which ones might just be defective. Or, in my case, discover that the dominos you used are all spaced too far apart. And...okay...that's as far as I can beat that analogy to death (whew!).

Hopefully, you get the idea. I plead being punchy from lack of sleep. The cats decided that 3am was a great time to chase each other all over the house, making one hellacious racket in the process. My husband, of course, slept through the whole thing. Me? Not so much.

And, hey! I've passed 12,000 words! Go me.

NaNo Day 17 Words: 382
Total NaNo Words: 12,221

NaNo Day 16, Cogitating and Ruminating

2009-11-17T17:11:00.000-08:00

Day 16 was one of those days. You know the kind I mean. Days when you're itching to get to the keyboard, ready for the words to pour forth like a flood. Only to have one thing after another prevent that from happening--not the words, but the getting to the keyboard part.

It wasn't even the comedy of errors I sometimes experience, where strange things happen--big, odd things--and I'm left wondering whose life I just stepped into. Nope, this time it was just normal, everyday little things that cropped up one after the other (unexpectedly), as well as having some things from the Day Job demand my attention.

Usually when these kind of days happen, I can just wait til the end of the day and write before going to bed (late). Unfortunately this was one time where I was just too pooped to do that. Maybe I'd stayed up late too many nights in a row, but I could barely keep my eyes open after dinner, let alone string more than two words together in a row. Sometimes it's better just to bow to the inevitable.

Even so, I thought a lot at odd times during the day about the new direction my story is taking. I even came up with a couple of twists for the plot, jotting them down in my own cryptic shorthand so I wouldn't forget them. I'm still pleased with what's happening with the story.

I may not have written any words on Day 16, but I still count it as a productive day.

NaNo Day 16 Words: 0
Total NaNo Words: 11839

NaNo Day 15, Suddenly Productive Again

2009-11-16T15:41:00.000-08:00

The unexpected writing productivity experienced on Day 15 directly stemmed from realizing on Day 14 that certain aspects of the story weren't working and then mulling over my options. While most of what I wrote yesterday is new (and improved!) backstory, some of it is descriptions of new plot points.

I felt energized as ideas came faster and faster until my fingers couldn't keep up with my brain. I wrote in a fever, the words just pouring out as if I'd uncapped a hidden spring. I know that I was at least as productive in the first blush of the original story, but this feels tighter and more focused. I'm hoping that means I made the right decisions. Only time will tell if this new direction will be the one the makes it to The End. I'm not worried, though. I continue to learn valuable lessons, no matter how it all turns out.

How productive was I on Day 15? In a little over two hours I wrote 2098 words! When things are clicking, the words come easily.

NaNo Day 15 Words: 2098
Total NaNo Words: 11839

NaNo Day 14, Revising What Doesn't Work

2009-11-15T14:07:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I know, NaNo isn't about revision, it's about writing. The thing is, I have a goal that isn't just about writing 50,000 words (of crap). That goal is something that Elisabeth articulated better than I could in her comment to my post last week on the Mid-Willamette Valley RWA blog. Her comment included the following:

"It's the dedicated writer who analyzes their work along the way and says, "Yeah, this isn't working" and either goes back and revises because they see the story has potential or moves on to something different because they've made a step forward in their writing and can see that the previous story doesn't have potential."

So, on NaNo Day 14, I didn't write. Instead, I took a big step back and considered the big picture. I had a lot of things to do around the house, including yard work that needed to get done while the weather was clear. I used the time, while I was involved in tasks that didn't take a lot of brain power, to just think about what was and wasn't working in the story.

Some of the questions I asked myself were: Did the story still have the kind of potential to make me want to continue writing? Were the characters right for the plot? Was the plot the right one? If I changed the plot around and/or replaced characters, what aspects of the concept did I want to keep? Should I admit that this was just the wrong story, chuck it and start from scratch?

I concluded that the underlying idea of the multiverse was a good one. I'm keeping that as the backdrop for the story I think I wanted to tell all along, but just couldn't recognize it. The new plot doesn't fit the current main characters. They'll have to go. Who knows, maybe they'll show up in a different story one day. I think it's telling that once I came to this decision it only took me a day to flesh out the new Hero and Heroine--something that it took me weeks to do for the old H/H.

NaNo is working for me in ways that I'd hoped, but was skeptical, deep down, would actually occur. I'll keep the word count, because, well, I did write them. Even better, I've learned from having written them.

NaNo Day 14 Words: 0
Total NaNo Words: 9741

NaNo Day 13, or Friday The 13th Comes On A Friday This Month!!

2009-11-14T13:05:00.000-08:00

I truly miss Pogo. :-)

I'm not a superstitious person (she says as she knocks on her wooden desk). I prefer to think of the (somewhat) eccentric things I may do as having my own personal routine. We all have them, call them habits or rituals or routines. Those things we do, in the same or similar way every time, as a matter of course.

I've always been an achiever. I've set goals and met them, with the occasional speedbump along the way. Writing, though, has been a different kind of challenge than any I've ever met before; you can't just learn the mechanics of writing and then spew forth a decent novel on the first try. In a way, it's harder than anything I've ever done--including getting a degree in computer science--but it's also the most rewarding thing I've ever attempted.

Participating in this year's NaNoWriMo is helping me discover my writing routine. Not just how I put a story together, but also what works for me in terms of when I write during the day and for how long a stretch I write at a time. Knowing these things are as important to me as the actual story crafting, because it means that I can start being consistent about writing. And for me, being consistent--putting words on the page daily--is a key element of success.

The more I write, the more I have confidence that I can write. And, the more I write, the closer I come to my ultimate goal--being published.

NaNo Day 13 Words: 401
Total NaNo Words: 9741

Day 12, We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Program...

2009-11-13T12:42:00.000-08:00

I'm going to take a break from talking about my NaNo misadventures and talk a little bit about NaNoWriMo itself. (Shut up! This is not because I didn't write anything--again--see my wordcount!). Ahem, where was I? Oh, yeah, NaNoWriMo.

Some of you may be wondering what this thing called NaNoWriMo is all about. National Novel Writing Month? Is there a national holiday I didn't know about? Isn't the name a bit of a misnomer, seeing as how participation is global? Wait a minute, aren't they just encouraging people to write bad novels--what's so great about that?

You can read about the origins and history of NaNoWriMo, at NaNoWriMo.org. Briefly, it was started by Chris Baty and 21 friends in the SF Bay Area in 1999 as a bit of a lark. Year two saw 140 people decide to try writing a 50,000 word novel in the 30 days of November. The phenomenon grew; from 5,000 people in 2001 to 14,000 people in 2002. In 2003, the year I first officially joined up (and the year I wrote over 75,000 words), there were over 25,000 participants. Last year (2008), there were 119,301 adult participants (official participants are defined as people who have signed up on the NaNo website). I'm sure that record will be shattered this year.

Why would so many people sign up to write 50,000 words in 30 days? Do they all want to become serious novelists? Are they all crazy?

I suspect the answers to those questions will be as individual as each participant. Some, like me, are seriously pursuing the goal of being published. Others are just curious to see if they can do it. I can't answer for anyone but myself. It's an incredible personal experience. The challenge of NaNo--50,000 words with a short time limit--is just what I need to silence my inner editor and jumpstart my writing. I've already written 9340 words--more than I've written in a year--and I'm still going strong. I feel, at Day 12, that I've already won, whether or not I reach the official 50,000 word goal on November 30th.

There's another aspect of NaNoWriMo that I'd like to mention--the NaNoWriMo Young Writer's Program. This is a month long language arts experience that provides free materials and support to classrooms of kids and teens worldwide. As the website says, it's an experience that "improves self-esteem, teaches perseverance, and radically alters their relationship to writing and literature." It's a fantastic concept. Last year, 600 classrooms and over 20,000 young people participated. This year, they expect over 1,000 classrooms to participate. Did I mention this is free to those classrooms?

If you're curious about the results from this program, check out this 2008 article from the George Lucas Foundation's Edutopia Magazine. It's truly inspiring.

And now for a shameless plug. NaNoWriMo is a US non profit organization and the NaNoWriMo Young Writer's Program is sustained through charitable donations. Please consider making a donation today. As little as $10 can make a difference in keeping this worthwhile program going. You don't even have to write a single word to donate!

Thanks for reading! Tomorrow we'll return you to your regularly scheduled NaNo program. :-)

NaNo Day 12 Words: 662
Total NaNo Words: 9340

Day 11, Away From The Keyboard

2009-11-12T09:18:00.000-08:00

We all have them. Days when, best intentions aside, we're unable to get to writing until it's too late and we're too tired. That was NaNo Day 11 for me in a nutshell.

No excuses, just an explanation. Day 11 started off all right. I thought I'd have plenty of time to write, even with everything else I needed to accomplish (errands, doctor's appointment, work). And then the unexpected happened--a mini crisis at work--and my carefully crafted schedule went pfft!

By the time I was finally in front of the computer to actually write (not do something work related), it was after midnight and my brain was fried. Normally, the late hour isn't a problem for me. I tend to be a nightowl anyway. I get my second wind around 10:00 and can easily stay up into the wee hours of the morning if I'm not careful. And usually I'm pretty alert. Not last night. Whatever was going on in my head yesterday pretty much guaranteed that all I could do when I wanted to write was stare at the computer screen like a zombie.

Rather than fight the inevitable, I decided to just pack it in and hope the next day (today) would be better. I did manage to scribble a few words down on paper (how low tech!) during the day, in the "in-between" moments. I wrote maybe 200 to 250 words that way. I'm not counting them, though, since I didn't even have the energy to transcribe them to the computer. I'll count them in Day 12's total, if I end up using them.

NaNo Day 11 Words: 0
Total NaNo Words: 8678

Day 10, It All Counts, Right?

2009-11-11T09:41:00.000-08:00

One of the principles of NaNoWriMo is that every word you write during the month (on your novel) is counted. That means, if you stop and start over, your original words still count in the total. While some people may question this (but only anyone who has never tried to write a novel), I believe the idea is to foster the habit of writing. Not all the words you write will be keepers, but they're all a part of the process.

That's why I'm counting the words I wrote yesterday. They aren't technically part of the story, but they are about critical backstory that I need to flesh out in order to make my protaganists' goals and motivations stronger and clearer. I plan to write more backstory today and I'm going to count every single word.

What I'm loving about participating in NaNo is the rediscovery of my confidence. When I'm on the right path, words flow quickly and easily. I get in the groove and don't even realize when hours have passed. It's the joy in writing I've been struggling to recapture over the last few months that's returned in the last ten days. And when I'm not on the right path, I'm learning to listen to myself and not get frustrated and just stop.

It's only been ten days, but this has already been the best writing experience I've had in a v-e-r-y long time.

NaNo Day Ten Words: 862
Total NaNo Words: 8678

NaNo Day 9 Update This-A-Way!

2009-11-10T10:06:00.000-08:00

Join me for today's NaNo update over at the Mid-Willamette Valley RWA blog.

Today's topic is "NaNo Day 9, Goals and Motivation Revisited."

NaNo Day Nine Words: 389
Total NaNo Words: 7816

NaNo Day 8, On Which I Hatch A Cunning Plan

2009-11-09T16:07:00.000-08:00

NaNo Day 8 arrived and the heady relief I felt at having survived week one quickly evaporated in a miasma of wretched confusion. I wasn't experiencing the dreaded and somewhat mythical writer's block. Far from it! I was ready to put my characters to the task, make them jump through hoops, but... You knew there was a but in there somewhere, didn't you? Just what tasks and hoops should I set before them?

If you've been following along thus far, you know that I plotted the story before I started this (insane?) adventure. And that by Day 3 my characters trampled that original plotting in a stampede to find better things to do (at least in the initial details, not so much in the big picture). Now what? I didn't want to believe that I'd reached a dead end already. I mean, come on! I'm only on Day 8 with 7400+ words! How could I be at a stand still?

I was also, I freely admit, tired and cranky. Lack of sleep and being on an emotional rollercoaster from external (non-writing) things has a tendency to do that to me. Not the best of moods to be in to try to create anything. So, I took a deep breath and a big step back and came up with my plan. I'd nap my way to NaNo success (this day only)!

What's that you say? How can napping bring you success? You're not writing. You're not doing anything but sleeping!

Says you.

I say, power napping with a little directed dreaming, has solved more creative problems for me than I should probably admit. Anything from higher math problems (ask me some time about the calculus problem I solved in my sleep) to coding problems to, yes, plot and character problems. The trick isn't the napping, though you don't want to sleep too long at a time. The trick is in the directed dreaming (and the dream recall afterward).

I doubt that what I'm calling directed dreaming is what the so-called "experts" on the subject mean when they use the term. This is something I've been able to do since I was a kid. Just before I drop off to sleep, while I'm in that sleepy surreal space, I think about the problem I want to solve. Eventually I drift into sleep and start dreaming. Nine times out of ten I'll dream about the subject that was in my head just before sleep. When I wake up I try to remember everything that happened in my dreams. Even the most bizarre thing can trigger a solution.

So, what answers did I discover yesterday? I figured out that my characters' goals were too superficial, to easy to resolve. There was, quite literally, not enough there, there. I'm going back and re-thinking the goals/motivations of my main characters. I don't need to throw out all the words I've already written. I just need to tweak things here and there and add some stuff, and voila! I'll be back in business.

How's that for napping your way to success?

NaNo Day Eight Words: 0
Total NaNo Words: 7427

On Day Seven There Was No Rest For The Wicked

2009-11-08T10:31:00.000-08:00

You know what they say about the road to Hell, right? Yeah, well I had oodles of good intentions yesterday. The weather was lousy. I didn't have anywhere I had to be or anything pressing I needed to do. I had a whole glorious day I could devote to writing.

What did I do? Hey, I've got two of the cleanest bathrooms in town. And I've made a dent in choosing the photos for next year's calendar. I even read a few more pages of the Carolyn Hart mystery I've been trying to finish. Writing? Not as much as I'd intended.

Why? I had all this free time and not a single excuse not to put a couple of thousand words down on the computer screen. What went wrong?

Nothing, that's what. I wrote 887 words yesterday and that's a decent output for me. In addition, while I was cleaning bathrooms and choosing photos and, yes, even while I was reading about Annie and Max, I spent some time thinking about my characters and where they were heading next.

So, even though it didn't look much like writing, I made more progress yesterday than the numbers reflect. I'll take it.

NaNo Day Seven Words: 887
Total NaNo Words: 7427

The Progress Bar Passes 13% on Day Six

2009-11-07T10:53:00.000-08:00

I'll admit I wasn't as productive on NaNo Day Six as I'd planned. I did start writing earlier than on the previous day and I did manage a few more words than the day before, as well. However, I didn't come close to the personal goal I'd set in my head (I wanted to get to 2000 words and only made it to 884).

I was all set to be disappointed in myself. "Oh, boo-hoo, I let myself down." That is, until I updated my progress bar and really took a look at the numbers. In six days I've written 6540 words. That's an average of 1090 words per day! That's amazing for me, the person who was struggling to hit 250 words per day--if I even made it past 0. When I look at it in relation to the NaNo goal (50,000 words in 30 days), I'm 13% done. And, even more importantly, when I take a look at the big picture (I'm aiming for 100,000 words with this story), I've completed a whopping 7%!

Last week at this time all of those numbers were a big fat ZERO.

NaNo Day Six Words: 884
Total NaNo Words: 6540

Day Five, Or, Is It Too Early For Plot Ninjas?

2009-11-06T09:51:00.000-08:00

And I thought Day Four was tough. NaNo Day Five pretty much kicked my patootie. I was still in fall-out mode from the RIF and couldn't seem to wrap my head around my story. It didn't help that it felt like I had to rip every single word out of me and yet, for all that agony, it all sounded so...trite. Bleh!

I know it'll get better. In fact, I've got this day planned out so that I devote more time at the keyboard for writing. Yeah, that was also part of the problem yesterday. I allowed myself to procrastinate far too long and ended up only having a couple of hours to write--and those weren't consecutive. So, I'm starting earlier today and have a better idea of what I want to accomplish. (Getting more sleep last night than I have all week probably helped, too).

Even so, I think I'm breaking out the Plot Ninjas today. Plot Ninjas are a tradition amongst the SoBaNaNos (South Bay Area NaNo members), the group with which I first participated in NaNoWriMo. It started as a joke: Having trouble with your plot? Throw in a Ninja (or a lot of Ninjas, depending on how much trouble you were having). It evolved into the NaNo MLs (Municipal Liaisons for you non-NaNo-ers) handing out these little gel Ninjas as inspiration at group write-ins.

I took the Plot Ninja idea and changed it to be: Having trouble with your story? Let your Plot Ninja destroy all barriers that prevent you from continuing! That is, I'm using it as a personal symbol of the fact that I'm not letting excuses prevent me from writing. Before we moved from the Bay Area, I bought myself a pack of my own Ninjas. I've been waiting for the right time to use them. I think that time is now.

Once again, even though Day Five was tough, I still wrote 510 words. I have to remember that every word adds to the total.

NaNo Day Five Words: 510
Total NaNo Words: 5656

Reality Rears It's Ugly Head In Day Four

2009-11-05T11:50:00.000-08:00

Reality in the form of Day Job Drama (aka The Thing That Pays The Bills) rippled through the space-time continuum, taking it's toll on NaNo Day Four. An unexpected Reduction-In-Force happened at work and for the first time in the last several RIFs, my immediate work group lost three people. It was unexpected only in the timing. We knew another RIF was coming--the company did the requisite SEC filings, after all--we just didn't know it was going to happen so...immediately. :(

As soon as I started receiving the first "so long, it's been good working with ya" emails yesterday morning, I waited in shock to hear my own status and I wondered who else I'd see vanish from the radar screen. The drama lasted pretty much all day, with an "all clear" being sent out late in the afternoon to let us know that the notifications were finished.

I know the one should have nothing to do with the other, but tell that to the creative side of my brain. It's like all the bad things that were happening decided to take up residence and join forces with the negativity of my internal editor. Party! Yay?

For all of that, I still managed to eke out a respectable 722 words. That's almost three times the daily word goal I'd set for myself and been failing to meet for the last few months. Oh, and hey, I got to use the word de rigueur in my story, so, all in all, I can't complain.

NaNo Day Four Words: 722
Total NaNo Words: 5146

Day Three, The Plot Thickens

2009-11-04T08:40:00.000-08:00

On NaNo Day Three, a surprising development occurs. The plot, all good intentions aside, begins to morph and take on a life of its own. Usually a life tangential to whatever plotting and planning was done prior to the actual, you know, writing. This can be extremely disconcerting at first, but as I start to really get into the story, I begin to see that maybe this isn't such a bad thing.

This is usually the place where I throw up my hands and wonder why I bother to go through all the work of pre-plotting at all. I have to remind myself that I'm the kind of person who deep down believes I need a detailed framework from the very beginning on which to hang my words. I just have to remember that that framework is built of gossamer threads--not concrete-reinforced steel beams--and can be easily re-woven to support the story, whichever way it grows.

I also must admit (grudgingly) that this is a positive development. The characters are surprising me, taking me in directions I hadn't initially anticipated. It's exciting and scary and amazing all at once. And it gives me hope, because the worst thing for me is to write about characters who are automatons that end up boring me. Heck, if I'm so bored with the characters and story that I can't even finish writing it, why would anyone else ever want to read it? Keep on surprising me, characters! Keep taking me down those unexpected paths! I may have to weed out some of the things you do when I finally get to the editing phase, but you never know which unplanned-for-action will be just the thing to bring fresh life to the story.

NaNo Day Three words: 1522
Total NaNo Words: 4424

The Second Day is Always Harder

2009-11-03T09:38:00.000-08:00

Don't get me wrong, NaNo Day One is no walk in the park. Writing 1588 words isn't easy. But there's a sort of euphoria about the first day that buoys you up and carries you along to the last period of the day. (Never, and I mean never, stop writing in the middle of a sentence--you'll never remember what the end of that thought was when you go back to it the next day. Trust me on this; I speak from experience.)

On NaNo Day Two, the realization--the thing you knew intellectually already--starts sinking in emotionally that writing really is hard work and that you have to dig a little deeper if you're going to succeed. It's only day two, but this is the start of your understanding on a gut level, the difference between running a marathon and a sprint. And you're definitely at the start of a marathon.

The great thing about day two, though, is that once it's over there's a sort of lightness that comes over you. You made it. You wrote another 1314 words and it didn't kill you. (Do I have to trot out that old paraphrase of Nietzsche? Fine, fine. "What does not kill me, makes me stronger." Happy now?) You've written 2902 words in two days! You can do this.

Funny how that doesn't mean day three will be any easier. :-)

NaNo Update

2009-11-02T09:38:00.000-08:00

Well, the first day of NaNo is over and I didn't quite meet my minimum daily goal of 1666 words. I did write 1588 words, though, and that isn't too shabby! I'll definitely take it, seeing as how I've been struggling to write 250 words/day for awhile now.

What's the difference? It isn't that I'm writing stuff I don't care about or that I plan to just throw away. I think it's partly because I've set a concrete goal (artificial, though it is), but also partly because something's clicked inside that's made me realize how important this is to me. Whatever it is, I'm going to try and keep it going.

Here's my plan for getting through NaNo and (hopefully) past it:

1. Get up at least 1/2 hour earlier and either write or plan what I'm going to write for the day.
2. Write during the day, even if it's only 15 minutes at a time
3. Create a music playlist (done!)
4. Use Scrivener in full screen mode while writing
5. Turn off my network access while I'm writing and reward myself with the internet when I've met my goal
6. Remind myself (frequently) that I'm writing a draft and it's okay to write scenes that I may cut later (i.e. turn off my inner editor!)
7. Track my progress on my blog (as well as on the nano site)

Writing Soundtracks

2009-10-29T11:25:00.000-07:00

I was inspired by Paty Jager's post What is your trigger? on Monday at the Mid-Willamette Valley RWA blog. Part of the conversation had to do with what music, if any, we listen to while writing. As I was commenting, I realized that I used to create song playlists that fit whatever current writing project I was working on, but that for some reason I'd stopped doing that. I'm not really sure why I stopped. Maybe out of some misguided impression that now that I view writing as a serious occupation that I shouldn't be so frivolous? Who knows?

Anyhoo...I decided I needed playlists for my current project(s). Yep, I'm working on two projects at once, but I'm not giving them equal time. The main project is the one I've given the working title of The Space Between. I only work on the second project when: a) I have a brainstorm I don't want to forget, and b) I'm seriously stuck on The Space Between and need to give my subconscious a chance to recharge.

I've put together preliminary playlists for each project. I fully expect to change/add/delete these as I get further into each project. For now, they capture the essence of the emotions in each project. It was easier to come up with the list for the second project (notice it's longer?) because that project has an "end of the world" motif and we all know how I'm all about the Apocalypse. :-)

The Space Between

Nocturne (Alexander Borodin) from Classical Juckebox, Vol. II
Pick Up The Pieces (Avenue Blue Feat.Jeff Golub) from KKSF Sampler for AIDS Relief, Vol. 8
Ever Returning (Bernward Koch) from KKSF Sampler for AIDS Relief, Vol. 3
Song for Olabi (Bliss) from CSI Soundtrack
Trinidad (Boney James) from Backbone
Caribbean Dream (Bryan Savage) from KKSF Sampler for AIDS Relief, Vol. 7
Malaguena (E. Lecuona) from Classical Jukebox, Vol. II
Spontaneous Combustion (Fishbelly Black) from KKSF Sampler for AIDS Relief, Vol. 8
Nothing But You (Kim Ferron) from Buffy The Vampire Slayer: The Album
A Place Called Home (Kim Richey) from The Collection
Harlem Nocturne (Kofi) from KKSF Sampler for AIDS Relief, Vol. 7
Fallen (Lauren Wood) from Pretty Woman Soundtrack
Madrid (Marc Antoine) from Madrid
It Must Have Been Love (Roxette) from Pretty Woman Soundtrack
Give It Away (Zero 7) from CSI Soundtrack

Untitled Second Project

Day By Day (Badmarsh & Shri) from CSI Soundtrack
Zydeco Gris Gris (BeauSoleil) from The Big Easy
Keep Myself Awake (Black Lab) from Buffy The Vampire Slayer: The Album
Come Into Our Room (Clinic) from CSI Soundtrack
Hell Above Water (Curve) from CSI Soundtrack
Little Gem (Euphoria) from CSI Soundtrack
Pain (Four Star Mary) from Buffy The Vampire Slayer: The Album
We Luv U (Grand Theft Audio) from CSI Soundtrack
Inhaler (Hooverphonic) from CSI Soundtrack
Pacing The Cage (Jimmy Buffett) from Beach House On The Moon
Savannah Fare You Well (Jimmy Buffett) from Far Side Of The World
Party At The End Of The World (Jimmy Buffett) from Take The Weather With You
Just My Luck (Kim Richey) from The Collection
I Know (Kim Richey) from The Collection
Break You Down (Kim Richey) from The Collection
Cabrillo (Marc Antoine) from Madrid
Crazy Love (Poco) from 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection
A Kind Of Magic (Queen) from Classic Queen
It's The End Of The World As We Know It (R.E.M.) from Eponymous
Unbound (Robbie Robertson) from CSI Soundtrack
Possession (Piano Version) (Sarah McLachlan) from Due South Soundtrack
Ice (Sarah McLachlan) from Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
Angel (Sarah McLachlan) from Surfacing
Full of Grace (Sarah McLachlan) from Surfacing
To Get Down (Fatboy Slim Mix) (Timo Maas) from CSI Soundtrack
Everybody Out Of The Water (The Wallflowers) from CSI Soundtrack

Favorite Reference/Research Books

2009-10-27T15:14:00.000-07:00

I'm blogging about my top 10 favorite reference books over on the Mid-Willamette Valley RWA blog. These are the books I turn to frequently for inspiration, no matter what genre I'm writing in (not "how to write" books). Come on over and tell me what your favorite reference/research books are!

Scenting NaNo in the Air

2009-10-19T08:15:00.000-07:00

It's coming up on that time of year again--when writers and would-be writers whisper amongst themselves, "Are you doing NaNo this year?"

I think I debated the question with myself for all of about, oh, an hour. I have goals I've set for the next year and I really need something to get me unstuck so I can meet them. I'm hoping the boost I'll get from participating in NaNoWriMo will be just the thing I need.

NaNo, or NaNoWriMo, for the uninitiated, is shorthand for National Novel Writing Month, an activity that, despite the "National" in its name, actually takes place world-wide every November. My first NaNo was in 2003 and this will be my sixth year participating (I didn't sign up last year). I've made it to 50,000 words twice. In 2003 I made it to over 75,000 words before November 30th rolled around. So I know I can make this work for me.

In fact, I'm looking forward to it.

A Sign of the Times?

2009-10-14T09:17:00.000-07:00

You know, I love apocalypse stories (see my post True Confessions from Dec 2008), but I have to say that I find the sheer number of films with apocalypse themes coming out in the next few months disturbing. And for me, that's saying a lot.

I was checking out the upcoming releases section of IMDB and found the following films either already out or scheduled for release in the next three months:

Zombieland
2012
The Road
Daybreakers
The Book of Eli
Legion

Add in Nick Cage's Knowing from last March and that's 7 movies in less than a year! And these are all major releases, with well-known casts.

It isn't that I'm not looking forward to them -- though it's true that a few sound too bleak even for me (especially The Road, much as I love Viggo Mortenson). It's just that I'm used to getting my apocalypse fix once in a blue moon (translation: I usually have to wait several years in between new movies in the genre). I have to wonder if it's a sign of growing uncertainty over our real future that makes us turn to exaggerated destruction. Or maybe I'm reading too much into things and it's just Hollywood jumping on yet another trend that won't last.

Either way, I'll be squarely in the center of the theater, popcorn in hand, ready to watch John Cusack try to outrun the end of the world when 2012 arrives in my local multiplex. We'll see if the rest of the releases sate even my apocalypse hunger.

What's in a Writer's Head?

2009-10-13T17:12:00.000-07:00

I'm blogging today over at Mid-Willamette Valley RWA about what I see in my head when I'm writing. Come on over!

Generosity

2009-09-26T13:05:00.000-07:00

I love Joss Whedon. Oh, I've never met him in person, but how could any person involved in creative work not love the man?

Why? Well...I could say oodles about the various TV series and movies he's created/written/produced and that would be justification enough. What spawned this particular post, however, was listening to his episode commentaries on the season one DVDs of Dollhouse.

I'll admit up front that I gave Dollhouse an early try -- somewhere around episode 3, I think -- and didn't think enough of it to hang around. Until, that is, I mainlined the DVDs. Oh. My. God. Starting at episode six, this series took a major leap forward in terms of quality and narrative impact. I can't wait to start watching season two!

But again, that's not why I love Joss Whedon. Or, it's not the main reason. I've listened to the commentaries from season one of Dollhouse a couple of times now. I usually try the commentaries of favorite series, hoping to find insight into the creative process of the writers/creators/actors. Anything that informs the story (and thus any story) elevates my appreciation of the work. The worst commentaries are those where the participants clearly don't care. I don't mean where they're joking about what's going on -- those, at least, show they had fun doing their job. I'm talking about the kind of commentaries where they talk about anything but what's on screen -- for the entire episode. What a waste, of my time and theirs.

But that's not what Joss does. He generously shares his creative thought processes, as well as little anecdotes about the episode he's watching. If you're a writer, listen to his commentary on episode six, Man on the Street. I ended up with a lot of little a-ha! moments regarding my own work for which I'll be forever grateful. You can tell from his voice that he's tired--maybe exhausted--but he's still doing his best to share with whoever is listening. And even at his most deadpan delivery, his passion for his work shines through.

Leanna Renee Heiber guest blogs @ Mid-Willamette Valley RWA Blog

2009-09-11T10:32:00.000-07:00

Award-Winning author, actress and playwright Leanna Renee Hieber is guest blogging at Mid-Willamette Valley RWA blog today for day 11 of her Strangely Beautiful Haunted London Blog Tour. Stop by and leave Leanna a comment!

Website Update

2009-08-09T19:34:00.000-07:00

I spent the last day and a half updating the look of my website. That included updating the header of this blog to match. Kind of fun to give it a fresh look. I always learn something when I work on the site and it gives me something new to look at when I start my browser.

Now I've got to get back to work on the WIP. It'd be nice to have some new content to put on the new-looking pages!

Test Posting Via Email

2009-07-02T14:08:00.001-07:00

Move along. Nothing to see. Just testing posting to blogger via email.

New Header Graphic

2009-05-31T17:36:00.000-07:00

Heading into summer and the roses are blooming like crazy things! All of them are beautiful, but the roses on the bush next to the porch are my favorites. I have no idea the name of this rose, but the bud is pale yellow with a red tint to the edges of the petals. As the bud opens up, the red becomes more pronounced. It's just amazing looking!

I decided it was time to update the look of my website and this blog and to use a picture of one of the buds from that rose bush. I caught it before it opened up into a mature rose -- on the brink, I suppose you could say. I'm hoping that's an apt metaphor for my writing. (metaphor or simile? I can never remember which one is appropriate).

The colors of the website are still okay with the new image, but I'm sure I'll be updating the whole thing in the next week or so. Just to give it a fresh look overall.

Kristina McMorris Guest Blogs @ Mid-Willamette Valley RWA Blog

2009-05-15T09:58:00.000-07:00

Newly acquired Kensington author (and Golden Heart finalist), Kristina McMorris is guest blogging at Mid-Willamette Valley RWA Blog about "the call". Stop by and leave Kristina a comment!

Confessions of a Writing Book Junkie

2009-04-15T08:43:00.000-07:00

I love learning new things. When I start delving into something that interests me, I tend to be a bit...obsessive. Writing is, and has been over the years, one of my passions, so it's probably no surprise that I've amassed quite a few books on the subject. Some I've only skimmed or read just bits and pieces of, looking for nuggets of enlightenment. There are a few, though, that I've read cover to cover. These are the books I return to whenever I feel I need a refresher, or in some cases, inspiration. These are the ones I'd keep, even if I had to give the rest away.

Here's my list of must-haves, the books I return to often:

1. The Writer's Journey by Chris Vogler -- I have two different editions of this book and I've read both of them
2. Writing and Selling Your Novel by Jack Bickham -- so much good information crammed into one book!
3. Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King
4. The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman
5. The Deluxe Transitive Vampire by Karen Gordon -- the most enjoyable grammar book I've ever read!
6. The Complete Writer's Guide to Heros & Heroines by Cowden, LaFever and Viders

Then there are the research books. I can't tell you how many books I've bought because I was feverishly reading everything I could find about whatever subject I was writing about at the time. I've got books on winemaking, glassmaking, mythology, history (Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, the Silk Road, WWII and more!), time travel, physics, chemistry, genetics and psychology, to name just a few. Some books are great for inspiration, even when I'm not writing about their particular subject.

Here's my list of must-have research books, the ones that inspire me no matter what I'm writing about:

1. New Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology
2. About Time by Paul Davies
3. Trauma and Recovery by Judith Herman
4. The Silk Road by Frances Wood
5. Roosevelt's Secret War by Joseph Persico

It's kind of an eclectic list and probably odd, considering I look through them at some point during almost every book I write.

So, what about you? Do you have favorite writing and/or research books? Books that continually teach you something new or inspire you?

Home Again, Home Again

2009-02-27T06:45:00.000-08:00

We're back and, except for several hundred pictures, the trip feels a little bit like a dream. I'm still getting used to the time change, though it doesn't seem as bad as I remember from several years ago when I went to Singapore for business. I lost all track of what day/date it was while we were gone, so maybe that's the difference. Both my husband and I got sick towards the end of the cruise and we're still fighting off the last dregs of a cold. Despite that, I'd go back to New Zealand (or Australia, for that matter) in a flash.

I haven't caught up on email yet. Actually, I've logged in to a couple of my email accounts (yes, I'm a geek--I have multiple accounts for various purposes), taken one look a the number of messages and logged back out. I don't think I'm ready to be responsible again so soon. I'll probably milk my vacation for the last couple of days and maybe start responding to emails over the weekend.

I'll try to do a more comprehensive post about the trip, including pictures, in a few days. We fell in love with New Zealand. Our favorite places were Dunedin, Wellington and Bay of Islands, each for a different reason.

If it's Friday, this must be...

2009-02-12T18:05:00.000-08:00

I spent my birthday sailing the Tasman Sea.

How's that for an opening line?

Our vacation started with three days in Sydney. What an amazing city. Sydney is a city of contrasts. The very first thing that struck me was that it reminds me of the 1960s. The architecture of many of the high rises is right out of that era. The next strong impression was the interesting juxtaposition of old and new. There are a lot of very pretty 19th century buildings standing right next to soaring steel and glass skyscrapers.

I always thought San Francisco Bay was big, but I wasn't prepared for the sheer size of Sydney harbor. There are 24 or 26 separate bays within the harbor itself -- it's simply immense. We stayed at a hotel on Darling Harbor, close to the city center. A handy location, since we like to walk whenever we have a chance in a new place. We wouldn't have much time in Sydney and the morning we arrived we immediately set out to explore.

My father-in-law was born in Sydney, in King's Cross (yep, the one with the shady reputation, though it wasn't that bad in 1919 ;-), so before we left I printed out a Google map from our hotel to the Cross. Google said it was about 2 miles and halfway between was Hyde Park where the Anzac Memorial is located -- a nice stretch of the legs, we thought. Hah! We didn't take into account the terrain (hills!). We walked to the Cross, but learned our lesson and took taxis after that.

Our next stop was the Rocks, the location of the first settlement in Sydney. It's been turned into a charming area of shops and cafes set into the old buildings and well worth a visit. The other reason for visiting is to climb the Argyle stairs to the Harbor Bridge. We walked about three quarters of the way across the Bridge before turning around. All of the guide books are right: if you ever have the opportunity to visit Sydney, try to walk the Bridge. The view is incredible. And you get the bonus of watching the crazy people doing the Bridge Climb -- walking up the arch of the bridge! There was no way in hell that I'd do that, but it's fun to watch others go up.

We capped our first day with a late lunch of the lightest tempura battered fish and chips I've ever had and a VB (Victoria Bitters, my new favorite beer). Between the 16 hours spent on a plane, followed immediately by a day of walking around Sydney, I was pretty much toast.

The next day was consumed by checking in with the cruise line and being tendered out to our ship, the Rhapsody of the Seas. There were three other cruise ships docked at the available spots at the piers, so the Rhapsody had to anchor out in the harbor. On the one hand, having to take a Tender to get back into Sydney was less convenient than just walking off the ship, but on the other hand the ship anchored in the bay was a beautiful sight. We decided to just spend the rest of that day on board since we had a city tour planned for early the next day. We were in for a real treat that night. We had a view of the city lights, including the Bridge and Opera House, that we would never have seen if we'd been docked at the pier.

I'm so glad we took the city tour. The driver/tour guide was a hoot. Young, friendly, with a sexy Australian accent. We drove through some incredible neighborhoods (and saw the back of Nicole Kidman's house and the building on a finger wharf where Russell Crowe owns the top floor), had a stop at Bondi beach, and got a smattering of local history. Very fun.

This is the afternoon of our second day at sea. Tomorrow morning we'll be cruising Milford Sound and then on to Doubtful Sound. They're considered the fjords of New Zealand and are supposed to be quite spectacular. I can't wait!

Revised Writing Goal

2009-01-25T08:58:00.001-08:00

I've looked back at my previous post about my writing goals for this year and realized that the main one is pretty much defunct at this point. It was:

1. Complete the first draft of A Killer Pinot Noir.

Since I've shelved that book for now, I don't see much point in having that as a goal, do you? So, here's my revised writing goal for 2009:

1. Complete the first draft of a novel.

That's it. One goal. No details -- they'll come later. Just finish a book. Any book, any genre. I've got a whole year to do it in. Now that I've written over 14,000 words in 14 days, I know I can meet this goal in a year.

In fact, I'm so excited to be on a writing binge that I've decided to take my laptop with me when we leave for vacation in a couple of weeks. We're going to be gone for nearly three weeks and I just don't want to lose that feeling of momentum. I know that I should be able to write longhand, but it just isn't the same for me. I'm a computer gal--my brain works differently, in a creative sense, when I use the computer to write versus writing on paper. Anyone else notice a difference like that?

Write What You Love

2009-01-12T14:21:00.000-08:00

Love What You Write.

This may not be a true sentiment for all writers. I can only speak for myself.

In the previous post I mentioned that I was reading Stolen Fury by Elisabeth Naughton and that it was so good it made me itch to write. (And it's still that good, but more on that in a later post). What strikes me very strongly about it, from a writer's perspective, is that Elisabeth had to have had a great time writing that story (love what you write). And that got me thinking about my struggles with my current work-in-progress.

How did I get here? Let's back up for a second (in a movie this might be where they'd rewind the film accompanied by the sound of a phonograph needle being zipped over a record album). I've been writing for personal pleasure on and off for about 10 years now. Confession time, most of what I wrote during those 10 years was fanfic -- stories about characters and universes that touched my imagination, never to be published, though possibly shared with other fans. While I had the idea at the back of my mind that one day I might want to write some "original" fiction (i.e. characters and universes I created, rather than playing in someone else's sandbox), I was quite content to write what I was writing and hopefully improve my grasp of the fundamentals of telling a good story at the same time.

Fast forward to about a year and a half ago or so. I can't explain the turning point that made me determined to work on writing for publication. All I know is that a few things in my life changed and writing fanfic was no longer satisfying the creative urge I felt. It was time to crank it up a notch, I thought. I looked around for guidance and found RWA and joined, even though I wasn't technically going to write straight romance. The professional guidance available, the mentoring, and the opportunity to learn the craft of writing through RWA are tremendous assets.

So, okay. I was ready to write. I had plenty of ideas in several genres saved up from years of notes--which turned out to be part of my problem. Which idea should I choose first? Which genre should I write in? I didn't know and couldn't decide. I'd start one story, then think, no, this isn't going so well, and put it aside to try another. And another. And another. In short, I flailed. Pathetically. I began to doubt myself. Why in the world did I think I could write in the first place? What was wrong with me?

At some point last year I decided I had to just pick a likely idea and genre and stick with it until I had a finished story. And in the last few months that's what I've been trying to do. Grimly. I looked around at my bookshelves and decided, based on the amount of reading I'd done in that genre, that I'd choose a cosy-style mystery with a likely plot. So, I have an engaging amateur sleuth who has an interesting day job and a serious personal reason for finding the killer. I have an interesting detective with potential for romantic entanglement and a host of regular supporting characters. The whole thing could be turned into a nice little series. The only problem? I'm beginning to think I'm not the one to write it. At least not at this stage in my writing development.

It's the kind of book I'd snatch off the shelves and enjoy, but it isn't the kind of book I *Love*. And there's the rub. I'm not yet at that place where I can sit down and write 80-90,000 words of a story that I'm not absolutely in love with.

No matter how many times I tell myself that writing is a business and I should be able to write what sells or stop wasting my time, I obviously can't make myself believe it. Why, you ask? Because it took me most of last year to eke out a miserable 8,000 words of this mystery. And they weren't even a mediocre or good 8,000 words -- honestly, they stunk. I've been reworking them, trying to straighten out the POV and a couple of other problems, but really? It's been a waste of time. I just don't care about telling that story. Someday in the future I may have a different feeling about it, but not today.

Just what is it that happened to cause me to come to this conclusion? Well, remember that bit where I said I was beginning to doubt myself? I've been doing some serious soul searching in the last couple of weeks. Going over those lousy 8,000 words had me in despair wondering why I ever thought writing was a joy. Why was I putting myself through this? That itch to write that I was feeling while reading Elisabeth's book certainly wasn't an itch to write more of my misbegotten mystery. No, it was an itch to write something--anything--that I loved.

So yesterday I gave myself permission to do just that. I told myself it didn't matter what I wrote or if it could be published, I just had to love writing it. Turns out that my subconscious had been working away at a fanfic story without my realizing it. Characters I love and that I know like the back of my hand and a universe of fantastic possibilities. How do I know that this was the right thing to do? I wrote over 5,000 words yesterday. That's 5,000 glorious words in a single day compared to 8,000 that need to be chucked in the deepest bin after a whole year of trying. My imagination is on fire and the words are flowing freely. I've given myself permission to see where this takes me (at the moment I'm guessing about 40,000 words). When I'm done, I'm going to do some serious analysis of why this was so much fun to write -- what drew me to the story and the characters so strongly -- and then I intend to put the same kind of fire into an original work that brings me the same kind of joy. I know I can do it.

This little experiment that can never be published has renewed my faith in myself and it's hammered home a personal lesson that I hope I never forget. My lesson?

Write what you love. Love what you write.

First Impressions: Stolen Fury

2009-01-02T08:48:00.000-08:00

This isn't a book review -- I don't do book reviews. I just don't, though every once in a while I'll talk about a book I love or recommend a new read. And I never talk about a book I haven't finished yet.

I'm making an exception to that last bit right now. This morning I started reading Stolen Fury by Elisabeth Naughton. I'm only in the middle of the third chapter, but I can't wait until I'm finished with the book to tell people to read it. It's that good.

Like I said, I don't do the review thing. As a reader, before I started writing, a good book was a book that pulled me into the story and didn't let go until the very last page (a great book stays with me far longer). Now that I've started writing I have a slightly different view. A good book still pulls me into the story, but it also does something else: a good book makes me want to write, like right now. It's a bit of a paradox, that conflicting desire to continue reading versus putting the book down to work on my own work in progress.

Stolen Fury is such a book. It starts off exciting and doesn't show any signs of letting up. I'm having such a good time reading it that my teeth itch from wanting to write.

This short blog post is my compromise. Now I'm going back to my reading -- I can't wait to find out what's coming next!

40 Books Read in 2008

2008-12-30T17:33:00.000-08:00

For the past few years I've tried to keep a running list of the books I've read each month. I read fewer books in 2008 than in 2007, but I attribute that to spending more time writing than reading. Here's my look back at 2008 in books.

January
1. Murder by Numbers by Kaye Morgan
2. Ill Wind by Rachel Caine
3. Morrigan's Cross by Nora Roberts
4. The Prey by Allison Brennan
5. Manhunting by Jennifer Crusie
6. What the Lady Wants by Jennifer Crusie
7. Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies by Blake Snyder
8. Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer
9. The Unsung Hero by Suzanne Brockmann

February
10. The Defiant Hero by Suzanne Brockman
11. Blood Brothers by Nora Roberts

March
12. Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold
13. Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold
14. The Wizard Hunters by Martha Wells
15. The Ships of Air by Martha Wells
16. Her Cinderella Complex by Jenna Bayley-Burke
17. Accidentally Yours by Susan Mallery

May
18. Tall, Dark and Dead by Tate Hallaway
19. Mysterious Millionaire by Cassie Miles
20. Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
21. Time Cat by Lloyd Alexander

June
22. Fool Moon by Jim Butcher
23. First Draft in 30 Days by Karen Wiesner

July
24. War for the Oaks by Emma Bull

August
25. How to Write Killer Fiction by Carolyn Wheat
26. Key Lime Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke
27. Avenging Angel by Alice Sharpe
28. Light in Shadow by Jayne Ann Krentz
29. The Gate of Gods by Martha Wells
30. Saddled With Trouble by Michele Scott

September
31. Bell, Book, and Scandal by Jill Churchill
32. Creeps Suzette by Mary Daheim
33. The Tunnels by Michelle Gagnon

October
34. Crusader Gold by David Gibbins
35. Silver Scream by Mary Daheim
36. Dead Man Docking by Mary Daheim
37. The Accidental Florist by Jill Churchill

November
38. Through a Glass, Deadly by Sarah Atwell
39. Set Sail for Murder by Carolyn Hart

December
40. Summer of the Dragon by Elizabeth Peters

It's That Time of Year...

2008-12-30T00:51:00.000-08:00

Over the years I've gone through phases of making and not making New Year's resolutions. And, like many people, I've been more and less successful at keeping the resolutions when I do make them.

I did make some writing goals for 2008 and was less successful than I'd like with them. Instead of sulking or falling into a funk about that, I'm going to jump out on a limb and make a couple of goals for 2009. I don't know what it is, exactly, but I feel inspired. So here goes...

My Writing Goals for 2009:

1. Complete the first draft of A Killer Pinot Noir.
2. Start a new book (and hopefully complete it, as well).

That's it. There's a lot of other things that I want to do, but I'm not going to commit to them as goals. For instance, I'd like to have a novel polished and ready for submission -- and then submit it -- in 2009. I'd like to attend the RWA National Conference in WDC -- and having something ready to pitch. I'd also like to find a compatible critique partner.

All of those things would be excellent to have happen. And writing them down will help keep them in my mind -- I have a great subconscious that tends to push me in the direction I want to go, so long as I've defined it for myself.

We'll see how far I get by the end of the year. I'm hoping that I end up really surprising myself.

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-25T10:11:00.001-08:00

Just popping in to wish you and yours the very happiest of holiday seasons!

Snow, Snow and More Snow!!!

2008-12-21T11:49:00.000-08:00

You know, I'm starting to get a complex. Last winter was our first in Salem and it turned out to be the stormiest, wettest winter in a long time. We got through it and figured we'd survived a bad winter, so, hey, go us and won't next winter be easy-peasy?

Now comes the winter of the great snow and freezing cold. The first couple of days were fun. Hey, we got snow and it's sticking for more than a few hours! Then it turned into days of being stuck on our little hill, because we don't have chains. Why? Because it isn't supposed to snow and stick like this where we live. (And trust me, even chains won't cut it in this stuff -- our neighbor has chains and is from Minnesota and he couldn't make it up the private drive last night).

Look, I'm not really complaining. We're warm and we've got the internet and TV and plenty of DVDs. We did have one day in this mess when things thawed enough for my husband to go out and shop, so we've got plenty of food. And fortunately we did all of our Christmas shopping online this year, so that was done well in advance of the storms. Still, I'm ready to be done with it. The novelty has definitely worn off. And we're wondering -- what's in store for us next winter??

I have no idea where this came from...

2008-12-18T23:31:00.000-08:00

love
weathers like air
and water on stone, eroding
resistance and revealing
truth

10 Formative Books

2008-12-16T12:14:00.000-08:00

I came across this idea in a blog somewhere about, oh, 3 or 4 years ago and it stuck with me. These are supposed to be 10 books that made an impact on me (not necessarily my *favorite* books, by the way, though a few fit that bill). This makes the list very personal, since what's important to me may not be important to you, etc. etc.

I thought about this a long time. I'm sure that I'm leaving some important book out and will later have a hand-to-forehead moment where I'll wish my memory was better. But maybe the fact that these are the books that sprang to mind is significant on its own.

I can say that I read all of these books by the time I was 15. I have two older brothers, and though it doesn't feel that way now, when I was a kid they seemed so much older to me (5 and 7 years). I used to borrow their books and read them. They never complained (at least not beyond the strict admonition to be careful of the pages and the spine!). My parents never took exception to anything that I wanted to read, either. They felt that if I picked a book up and read it, that I was old enough to do so--and if I had questions about what I was reading, I always asked.

So here's my list, in alphabetical order by author, which seemed to be as logical a way of listing them as any other order. I suppose it's no surprise that 7 of the 10 are SF or Fantasy?

10 Formative Books - My Version

1. Louisa May Alcott - Little Women
I believe I read Little Women in the fifth grade--for pleasure, not for a class assignment. This was the first book that ever made me cry. I think I was fascinated that the story was about sisters, as well, since I found the whole sister concept rather, well, alien.

2. Isaac Asimov - Foundation trilogy
I first read these books in elementary school and while I loved all three, the first one in the trilogy is my favorite. I was fascinated by the idea that history could be a science. That one might be able to predict the future based on quantifiable data and behavioral patterns of the past. Yes, I was always drawn to the "hard sciences" and thought that if you couldn't measure it, it couldn't be science, now could it? Why do you ask? ;-)

3. Arthur C. Clarke - Childhood's End
This is one of the few science fiction books from that time period that I've only re-read once, so my recollection of the story is very hazy. I think the first time I read it I was about 12 or 13. The impression that it made, so many years later, is still extremely strong. I recall being faced with concepts that shook me and that forced me to think about certain things (like religion) that I'd only accepted and taken for granted to that point.

4. Arthur C. Clarke - Tales from the White Hart
This was the first Clarke book that I ever read. I don't recall any of the short stories in it, but what I do recall is the dry humor and the sense of wonder. And the science! You could do that? (Well, I knew that you couldn't actually do that, but that maybe, someday you could -- and science was the key).

5. Robert Heinlein - Stranger in a Strange Land
Another book that just rocked my little world, though not the first Heinlein I'd read. I read this book the year I was 12, the summer *after* the Summer of Love. There were powerful concepts and not a little cynicism in that book (a person could start their own religion? cool). Too bad it was mostly downhill for Heinlein from there (at least for me).

6. Larry Niven - Ringworld
I read Ringworld when it was published--as soon as I could get my little hands on my brother's copy. The concept of the Ringworld, the idea of creating such a construct, dazzled me. I was already a Known Space fan, so it wasn't a stretch to love this book. Besides, who could resist Louis Wu and his Motley Crew or a character named Halrloprillalar?

7. William L. Shirer - The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
This book, more than any other on my list, had a profound impact on me. I read it when I was 10 years old. I've believed that Evil exists and that men can be Evil ever since. This book helped shape my perceptions of the world--of just what men are capable of and the stupidity of hatred and prejudice and the horrors that stem from them. To this day I'm amazed that my parents let me read it -- but then, they never censored my reading material at any age.

8. Bram Stoker - Dracula
This is the first book to scare the bejeezus out of me. I made the mistake of starting to read it on a Friday night when the rest of the family was at my oldest brother's high school basketball game. I ended up staying up all night until I finished it. There was absolutely no way that I was going to sleep until I knew that the Count was no more. I still remember the feeling of utter terror that kept me glued to the pages. I read the book before I'd ever seen a movie version of Dracula. I've never seen a serious movie version that comes anywhere close to evoking the fear I felt reading the book. This is one of the few books that I've never been able to re-read. I've thought about it on occasion, but the experience was so disturbing the first time that I still shy away from it.

9. J.R.R. Tolkein - The Lord of the Rings trilogy
I read the Hobbit in fifth grade (again, my brother's copy) and enjoyed it, but didn't really think anything too much of it. I started The Fellowship of the Ring in seventh grade and found myself passionately involved in the characters and their stories. Up until a few years ago, I'd re-read this trilogy every couple of years like clockwork, always discovering something new within.

10. Herman Wouk - The Winds of War
As you may have noticed from the previous 9 entries, I wasn't much into "main stream fiction" as a kid. The Winds of War was a revelation. I only picked it up because of the time period in which it took place, but once I started it, I couldn't put it down. And it still may be true that if it wasn't set during the time before WWII, that I wouldn't have read more than a few pages. However, read it I did. I was drawn into the world of the '30s and was fascinated. I still have my mother's hardbound version, though it's starting to fall apart now.

Fortune & Glory Contest!

2008-12-15T13:44:00.000-08:00

To celebrate the publication of her first novel, STOLEN FURY, Elisabeth Naughton is holding a Fortune & Glory Contest at her website -- first prize is a $100 Visa Gift Card!

Even if you don't enter contests, check out the page to get your own personalized quest, partnered with a sexy treasure hunting guide! (you don't have to enter to get the personalized scene). Click the "enter today" button in the graphic below to take you to the contest page:

It's Snowing!!

2008-12-14T17:17:00.000-08:00

Not a lot, but enough to stick for a bit and make everything look white and Christmas-y. I'd go out and take a picture, but I'm sick and it's way too cold out there for me. Maybe tomorrow, if the snow's still on the ground and I feel better.

Thank God I don't have to commute! I'm sure it's going to be a mess out there tomorrow. Everyone drive safely.

Update: Okay, I was wrong. It's coming down pretty hard now and things are really getting covered in white. I had to brave the cold and take a few pictures. The first picture is of the back yard. The next picture is of the neighbor's front yard. You can see the snow coming down.

Again, I'm so glad I don't have to drive anywhere. Yay! for standalone freezers.

True Confessions

2008-12-13T17:21:00.000-08:00

One of the side effects of searching for the genre that best fits the writer in me has been a sort of ongoing self-analysis. Today's confession is about a certain something in popular fiction and media that will catch my attention no matter what (what's sometimes referred to in fan circles as a "bullet proof kink"). Get your minds out of the gutter -- I'm talking about Apocalyptic stories.

Yes. It's true. I'm an Apocalypse junkie.

I don't care how mediocre or absurd the story (I'm looking at you, The Day After Tomorrow), if it's got an Apocalypse theme, I'll read or watch it. Before we go any further, let's talk about terms. When I use the word apocalypse, I'm generally referring to the following definition: any universal or widespread destruction or disaster. I'll also accept a disaster that isn't so universal or widespread as an apocalyptic event if it's destructive enough, like a massive earthquake or volcanic eruption.

Acknowledging this is one thing, figuring out why is something I'm still trying to do. The best I can come up with is that it started with two books, The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (I consider the trilogy a single "book") and Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank. I read both of those at around the same time in 7th grade (or the summer before). I consider LoTR to be a story about preventing an apocalypse. For those who aren't familiar with Alas, Babylon, it was published in 1959 and is about the aftermath of a nuclear war on a small town in Florida. Both of those works had a huge impact on me and set me on the path of my addiction.

I don't necessarily seek out apocalypse stories, mind you, but somehow I find them nonetheless. I stuck with Allen Drury's Advise and Consent series at first because the books were interesting on their own (say what you will about the politics within), but in the end because it was obvious that he was working towards an ultimate apocalyptic conclusion. I loved the final two books, each an alternate conclusion to the series -- one, The Promise of Joy is about averting the apocalypse and the other, Come Nineveh, Come Tyre where the apocalypse happens.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer could have been written just for me. Not because of the supernatural aspects (I'm not much into vampires), but because the stakes were so high -- "The world is doomed." "Again??" (Hey, no one said the apocalypse had to be humor-less). Jeremiah and Jericho are both in my dvd collection. The original The Day the Earth Stood Still can still give me chills. Then there's Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle and The Postman by David Brin -- the book, not the movie (hmmm, guess I have standards after all).

Man against nature, man against man, morality tales and survival stories. They're all fair game, so long as the stakes are enormous.

Come to think of it, this is probably one of the reasons why science fiction and epic fantasy appeal to me and why I love space opera -- the Honor Harrington series by David Weber is one of my all time favorites. The backdrop is grand and the passions are personal. Maybe that's the key. I love stories about people striving against great odds and what greater odds can there be than those created by an apocalypse?

What about you? Any guilty (or not-so-guilty) reading addictions that you'd like to share?

A love of words...

2008-11-25T18:05:00.000-08:00

I'm blogging about words over at the Mid-Willamette Valley RWA Blog. Come on over and join in!

Time Travel Romance: No Time Machines Allowed!

2008-11-15T09:42:00.000-08:00

I've always been fascinated by time. After all, we never seem to have enough of it. It's always marching inexorably onward. You can't roll it back or jump ahead; it flows in a steady, forward progress that most football teams would envy.

But what if time really doesn't run in a straight line with no allowance for stepping off the narrow path? What if you could control time? What if you could move yourself forward or backward, or maybe sideways in time? (you didn't think I'd forget alternate timelines, did you?) Would you? Should you?

And if you could travel in time, where would go and what would you do?

Isn't that the basis of all time travel stories? At least, the good ones--the ones that don't just use time travel as a plot device to get two people together and then gloss over that bit to focus on the romance aspect. Don't get me wrong, I love a good time travel romance. I just get annoyed when the romance part really could have been told without the time travel. If you're going to use time travel in your story, make it an integral part of the plot -- or else why bother?

I've read submission guidelines from a couple of the publishers out there who publish "paranormals" (and can I just take a brief pause here to say how much I hate that term and how it's used in romance publishing?). The guidelines for romance time travel stories usually say something about how if time travel is part of the story then the publisher does not want to see stories that include time machines. Bwa-huh? Tell me how that's possible without making time travel simply a wave-your-hand-and-it-just-happens plot device?

Oh, wait, that's right, women don't want to read romances that, you know, have any kind of plot that might actually enhance the romance. Wouldn't want to task our poor little brains, now would we? Keep those pesky speculative elements over there in SF, please, because we all know women don't read Science Fiction.

I think it's time to break some stereotypes. Time to acknowledge that women do indeed read and enjoy SF. And that we really enjoy SF if there's a strong romantic element to it. Write an SF-strong time travel and make the romance an integral, nay, primary, part of the story. Market it as both an SF and a Romance and watch what happens. When I say market it as both, I mean target each market and tout the strength of the book for that market (emphasize the SF part to the SF market, the romance to the Romance market). Be smart about it.

Maybe I'm way off base. Maybe I'm the only one out there who feels this way. Surely I can't be the only one who loved Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold because it was a romance in a real SF setting? Something that appealed to both the SF lover and the Romance lover in me and was very well done on both accounts?

All I know is, as things stand now, I'll be limited to submitting to SF publishers when I finally write that time travel romance that I've been plotting for the last year, because a time machine is an integral part of the story. And I find that sad.

Happy Veterans Day!

2008-11-11T08:30:00.000-08:00

It's Veterans Day and I'm blogging about heroes over at the Mid-Willamette Valley RWA blog. Come on over and join in the discussion!

Searching for the blogging answer

2008-11-09T16:19:00.000-08:00

For a short while I thought the best answer to the question "where should I blog" was to create and maintain my own wordpress blog on my website. I'm glad I did, because that experience provided me with the templates I'm currently using on my web pages. The only problem was that I didn't really feel it was meeting my goals for a having a blog.

I've decided to move to blogger for now. It has some advantages over wordpress that, at least for the moment, are important to me. For one thing, I think it's easier for most people to leave comments on blogger than on a personal wordpress blog (especially since a lot of people already have blogger accounts).

I may decide at some point in the future that I'll be better served maintaining my own wordpress blog, but I think that's probably a long way off. For now, I'm settled in here at blogger. I've transferred all the posts I care about from wordpress and I've changed all of the links to the blog on my web pages.

And We're Off!

2008-11-01T13:44:00.000-07:00

I signed up for NaNoWriMo again this year. I’m working on the mystery I’ve been creating characters for and plotting for the last few months. I managed to make my first day’s goal — actually a little more — at 1685 words. Woo-hoo!

There’s something freeing about NaNo. I don’t know why I’ve had such a hard time turning off the internal editor during the rest of this year. I’m hoping that getting into the writing habit in November will help me do that, as well as help me get closer to finishing the first draft of the mystery. Both of those goals would be very good to achieve.

The title of this year’s novel is the same as I had a few years ago. The story, however, has completely changed. Besides, that previous year I think I got all the way to 1,000 words before life got in the way.

Here’s my current version of the “back of the book blurb” for “A Killer Pinot Noir”. I’m not satisfied with it, but it’ll do as a first attempt:

Cat Champagne, feisty owner of Champagne Celebrations, is the prime suspect in the murder of her obnoxious client. With the reluctant help of a sexy by-the-book homicide detective, she races to find the real killer and clear her name, and in the process learns that love can happen in even the most dangerous of circumstances.

Crash! Bang!

2008-10-23T08:30:00.000-07:00

Last night was not exactly the kind of excitement most people are looking for on their anniversary. We were in the middle of a very nice (if I do say so myself) dinner when a huge crash came from the kitchen. The kind of crash that immediately conjures broken glass.

We rushed down the hall to find that the cats had been playing on top of the cabinets. They’re usually so careful about brushing up against anything, so I suspect that they were chasing each other. Whatever happened, one of them knocked a clear glass vase off the cabinet. It crashed to the counter where it splintered into a million pieces–all over the counter and the floor. Glass was everywhere, from tiny shards to large chunks. There was no way to tell if any had landed in what was left of my signature salad, so we ended up tossing most of that (we’d each already had a bowl, but we love this salad and usually end up eating the entire large salad bowl full in one meal). We spent most of the next hour cleaning up. What a disappointment.

At least the cats didn’t get hurt. And I suppose, if you look on the bright side, neither did we. This could easily have happened while one or both of us were in the kitchen. If it had I’m sure we would have been covered in glass–and quite possibly bleeding.

Guess you have to be thankful for what you can.

Early Edition Musings

2008-09-21T15:40:00.000-07:00

I love this show. I’m working my way through the first season dvds and I really hope that season 2 comes out on dvd soon. The first 2 seasons were the best — the stories were fresh and they hadn’t made the mistake of getting rid of Chuck for the much hated Erica. A love interest for Gary might have made some sense, but Kristy Swanson definitely wasn’t the actress for that role. Talk about zero chemistry between the two lead actors.

Anyway, back to season 1. I’m watching the two parter, The Wall, and loving it.

The Great Divide

2008-08-29T16:25:00.000-07:00

I’m talking about the divide that separates stories that people love versus stories that they could care less about. Let’s be honest, we’ve all read something that wasn’t technically great, that may have been plagued by misspellings or poor grammar or that broke “the rules” of story telling in some fundamental way. And yet, despite all of that, we read on eagerly, looking forward to the next scene and the next until we came to the end — and were more than likely disappointed that there wasn’t more to read. We’ve all probably also read a story that had perfect grammar, spelling and plot construction, and yet didn’t hold our interest. Perhaps, at some point, we put it down without finishing it, wondering why we should care.

What was the difference? Wouldn’t you have expected that the “perfect” story was the one that made you eager to turn the pages? Why was the supposedly poorly crafted story the one that you wanted to read?

There are many ways to answer that question, but I think a single word says it all. Emotion. Simply put, that poorly crafted story made you care. It touched you in some fundamental way that overrode any objection to *how* it was written.

So, what’s the point here? Mostly, this is a reminder to myself when I get bogged down in the details that what I really need to focus on is crossing that great divide and putting the passion that I have for the story into my writing. I can work on fixing the details later.

Belief

2008-08-09T15:35:00.000-07:00

Writer’s are a peculiar bunch. I can say that since I count myself as one of the bunch. The thing is, to be a writer (besides writing, that is) you pretty much have to have a certain amount of belief in yourself. That belief tends to be juxtaposed with an equal amount of insecurity. Yeah, I know, it’s weird. How can you simultaneously believe in yourself and be convinced that nothing you write will ever be worth reading?

It’s a conundrum. Some days the balance tips to the insecurity side, others it’s good just to be at equalibrium. The best days are the days when your belief in yourself is riding high. Those are the days when the words seem to flow and connect and everything clicks.

Here’s hoping for as many of those days as possible.

Back from the Conference

2008-08-04T20:29:00.000-07:00

I’m back from the RWA National Conference and feeling like I’ve caught up a bit on sleep! I made a few notes while I was there, during the odd moments of quiet that I carved out of the seeming chaos around me. I’ve cleaned them up a bit (got rid of the present tense for starters) and added to them. I thought I’d share some of my impressions of my first Nationals.

I was a bit…concerned…before I got to the hotel that the conference would be one giant rah-rah event. I’ve been to far too many corporate all-hands meetings, I think, and I’d read/heard too many glowing recommendations and reviews of previous conferences. I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was great energy from all present, but not so over-the-top that I wanted to roll my eyes and wish I were somewhere else. It was a professional meeting, combined with socializing and networking and workshops galore–as well as enough congratulations and encouragement to be inspiring.

I know myself well enough to know that going to this conference was putting me outside my comfort level. First, because I’m so new at all of this (this being the business of publishing and the craft of writing) and I am unpublished. Second, because I’m an introvert who is generally more comfortable with being the outside observer than the intimate participant. I’m generally much more energized in small groups or alone than I am in a huge group, such as Nationals. I wondered if I’d be able to keep up my end of the equation–mixing with others in a positive way–but I did okay. I deliberately wore my “first timer” ribbon knowing full well that it would be noticed, rather than flying under the radar and pretending it was all old hat. It did get noticed and I talked to people (usually in response to their asking how I was doing). I’m still not good at initiating conversations, but I’m working on it.

I found the dynamic at the conference interesting. With the exception of those on the NYT list and other multi-published authors who haven’t quite hit the bestseller lists, it felt like we were all on a quest for the same thing: the magic elixir that would turn us into bestselling published authors. But the truth is, there is no such thing. At least, it won’t be found in craft workshops or career talks or in any of the other workshops offered at the conference. That’s because it can only be found inside ourselves.

The workshops were still valuable in other ways. Some reinforced what I already knew. Others clarified some things that I still found murky. And still others (SEP and JAK, I’m looking at you) were simply inspirational. If nothing else, the conference solidified my understanding of one final truth–the only thing standing in my way is me.

Writers are a peculiar bunch; romance writers no less so (and I include myself in this). I saw and met all kinds at the convention–beginners and famous pros, friendly and not so, intelligent and thoughtful as well as silly and ridiculous. The hardest thing for me was knowing what to say when asked what I write. There was a part of me that feared that I’m a poser–a fake who’d be pointed out the moment I opened my mouth. I tripped over my tongue and mixed up my words more times than not. (I’m not sure why — I’m always so eloquent in my own head.) So I mentioned what I’m working on at the moment, a mystery that’s more cozy than suspense, but that has a romantic element to it. Whether or not this is the genre where I truly fit, I said, only time will tell.

I didn’t mention the romantic suspense novel that I’ve plotted about 2/3rds of the way through. Nor the fantasy that I’ve been re-working in my head for the last three years. Nor the 1930s pre-WWII fantasy with an American soldier as the hero that takes place in Asia (oh, yeah, there’s a huge market for that one. uh-huh).

Somehow I got off on a tangent, didn’t I? Oh, right, the conference. The nice part about staying in the hotel where the conference was held was being able to go up to my room when I needed to catch my breath, or just catch some quiet. Still, with all the chaos and all the strangers and all the energy, it was an amazing experience I won’t soon forget. Next time, I’ll have different goals. And yes, I do intend for there to be a next time.