Happy New Year's Eve!

Quicky blog today about misc. blatherings.

Got a Wii Fit for Christmas--damn, I hurt in places that haven't hurt in YEARS! Guess that's what I get for letting myself get so out of shape.

Drink plenty of water if you are out partying tonight. And stay safe. Drink at home or get a hotel room or use a taxi service. I plan on staying at home with the family, making a four star meal and sitting in the hot tub with hubby's homemade bubbly!

Black-eyed peas for luck.
Greens for money.
Last year I made both--didn't earn any money, sell a book or even finish a darn manuscript! Guess it didn't work for me or I didn't have the right amount of superstition going for me!

Write on!

Heinlein's rules

Heinlein’s BUSINESS Rules.
1) You must write.
2) You must finish what you write.
3) You must not rewrite unless to editorial demand.
4) You must mail your story to an editor who will pay you money.
5) You must keep it in the mail until someone buys it.



Very sensible and self-explanatory. In 2008, I did the first, but failed miserably after that!

I didn't finish one manuscript, and no, PB's do NOT count as manuscripts. 500 words does not a manuscript make.



I will have a list of goals for 2009, most will be very doable, and I intend to keep better track of my submissions. Rejections don't bother me. Trust me, after awhile you become numb to it. So #4 &#5 are easy. It took me 6 years of writing to believe in myself and not do #3 except in the most general of terms. *see blog post on 12/26*

#1 goal for 2009--finish a D@MN manuscript!!

Write on!

Writer vs. Reader

I'm working my way through all of Jim Butcher's Dresden series. About a year ago, I started in with his current one, which turned out to be #8, and so after reading a couple of the stories out of order, I decided to start from square one. Some of his books were excellent in the don't-interrupt-me-I'm-reading context and others were simply okay. But I have truly enjoyed his convoluted plot and Harry's self-depreciation style.

As one progresses as a writer, it becomes harder and harder finding really good stories to read. It takes more to draw the writer/reader in and involved in the story. I guess we are just too picky, thinking about how we might do it differently. Our expectations are higher for a quality product. With the exception of Butcher, most of my reading is slightly out of genre.

Love historicals--couldn't write one if I tried, and I tried. I love fantasy, romance, and craft books. I've tried my hand at romance--talk about having a tough time with the hero/heroine conflict--Ugh! I love romance, but I can't write all that angsty stuff. I love fantasy, especially the Anne and Todd McCaffery Pern series. Yes, Anne is really, really old, and Todd has been getting better as a writer of the Pern stories, which has drawn me back into the fold. And craft books--they are more hit and miss type books, uh, bathroom books, ya know, read a few pages here and there scenario.

As a writer, I have greater expectations than the average reader. I won't waste my time finishing a ho-hum book. Oh, I'll try to get through a few chapters, but if it doesn't engage me then it goes in the donate pile. And trust me, I've had a few of my favorite authors land in this pile! I think it's hard to find an author worthy of reading. But what it does is push you to stretch as a writer. To discover what and why something worked, and how to incorporate that feeling into your own stories. It helps you discover what might be missing.

I used to say that I wanted to be Jim Butcher when I grew up.
But really, I simply want to be Margaret Golla with my own voice and style.

Write on!

A writer's needs

A few days before the holidays, I pestered my friend Cyndi into reading the first few chapters of my new urban fantasy. Now, Cyndi had been present when DD had a discussion about my writing, focusing, and what she's looking for in a story. Thus my SOS out to Cyndi. Poor lady had been sick in bed with a tummy bug and had totally forgotten about my story--that and Christmas and her having to plan their escape to Florida, blah, blah, blah. Yeah, yeah, she should have been concentrating on ME! But that's another egocentric topic. :-)

Anyhoo, I told her that I wanted her to read it WITHOUT critiquing it--tough call for a writer. Writer's tend to dink with words, whether it is their own work or not. During the interim of her reading the story, we sent out a flurry of emails to each other. I don't need someone line editing me, or trying to make a romance out of a non-romantic UF, or putting their spin on MY story. I needed someone to catch the things that didn't ring true for the character, plot or situation. So, I didn't want a crit, but I DID want her impression when she read it. And afterward, she emailed me her positive and negative comments.

And, boy, did she deliver.

She gave me some definite negative comments that I needed to work out before continuing with my story. Did I get upset or defensive? Hell, no! (Now, if she'd tried to 'fix' the story, yeah, I would have gotten pissed--but that's my flaw) Cyndi commented on the things that pulled her out of the story. Things that didn't feel 'right' with the way I had set up the situation. She clearly pointed out the problem areas.

And I've been thinking about her comments and how I'll fix them in the story, but first I have to send the two 'children'--one child and one child-like adult--back to school and work, respectively, and wait until the fifth of January to implement my changes. Now, I don't know if this is what DD is looking for as there might be too much humor in the darkness. But what can I say? The humor sort of slips out at the most inconvenient times. But one thing I can say is that I've found my writing voice. . .

And now I have a wonderful CP who can give me what I need. I like to think I can reciprocate in the same manner. Thanks, Cyndi!

Write On!

P.S. Start thinking about your 2009 goals! What can you do to make it the best possible writing year?

Merry Christmas!

Today is Christmas Eve. All the candy is made and passed out to family and friend. The meals are all planned. The shopping is finished. Presents are wrapped in pretty paper and tied into bondage with ribbon--gotta keep the kiddo from opening them, don't I?

All that is left is to attend mass and rediscover the true meaning of Christmas as children reenact the nativity scene. I love this part of the service, but it does make for one crowded place!

I wish you and yours the very best Christmas filled with health, happiness, and the peace of being together as a family.

Take time from writing and ENJOY!

Yearly goals

The year is winding down and, if you are like me, you will be revisiting your yearly goals. Now, I'm not specifying just writing goals, because there is more to yearly goals than just writing down 'finish manuscript'.

My 2008 goals ran the gauntlet of writing manuscripts/synopses/queries, judging contests, reading books (craft books along with fiction novels), critiquing, eating healthy and exercising. I succeeded with some goals and 'failed' in others, namely the eating healthy and exercise goal. My bad. And I can vouch for the extra poundage that I need to lose. Must get serious about exercising since I don't want to expand my 'writer's ass'.

And I took a tangent that wasn't even on my January list--I wrote seven children's stories. Trust me, writing kid's books wasn't even on my radar. And I now have more starts of RS stories than ever, but I've taken another right-hand turn from romance and am concentrating on my urban fantasies.

I've kept my writing goals document on my initial document page so I will see it every time I open my current manuscript. I also kept track of the books I've read, typing in the name and author. This year, I think I'll also put the date that I finished the book. Most fiction novels I finish in a few days, while the writing craft books can take me months to get through.

I also update my calender daily. I started this when I was keeping track of my daily Tarot drawing, but I also put what I accomplished on a particular day. Whether it was a daily word count, or running errand, or how many days it took me to make candy or crochet an afghan, it helped keep me grounded as to why I did or didn't do something.

What have you accomplished this year? Probably more than you thought you did, but you need to find some method to keep track of it. Will I do the same thing next year regarding a list of yearly goals, and keeping a calendar?

You bet! Write on!

Tarot and writing

I've been playing with Tarot cards since the beginning of the year. At first, I was diligent about learning the cards, but then I slacked off since the reason I wanted to learn Tarot was to enhance a character in a story. Well, that story is currently at a standstill, thus I'm not really working with the Tarot except as a daily drawing.

In the first 19 days of December, I've drawn the DEATH card twice. Now this card doesn't mean death-death, but instead it symbolizes a spiritual death, the closing of a chapter of one's life, moving into the unknown, and changing of direction. And I have to admit that I've been seriously thinking about how my writing has changed direction.

I started writing romance about seven years ago. I love the romance genre and read many, many romances, but in my heart I knew I really couldn't write one. I can't delve into the deep psychological reasons to keep the hero and heroine apart. To me it always seemed so manipulated when I tried to write it. I will probably have some form of romance within my stories, but it won't be the focus of them.

I plan to continue writing my urban fantasies, since I like having weird stuff going on in my stories. And I will try to write a few new picture book stories with more adventures involving Peter the fly. I think this will keep me occupied for awhile. It will be hard to bid my local romance chapter adieu, but I think I must if I'm to grow my wings and fly with Peter and my faeries.

Write on!

Ice day #3

Yep, day three with the kiddo out of school due to ice. At least, it isn't as bad as last December when they were out for an entire week--kinda like what is happening in N. H. right now. The only reason the schools are out is because of the school buses inability to travel through the neighborhoods. I walk my kiddo to school, thus my conundrum. Oh well.

On Monday, she was happily ensconced in front of the TV when a neighbor kid called and invited her over. They were already experiencing cabin fever! So, away she went to play for three hours while I finished packing Christmas candy. On Tuesday, she stayed in her fuzzy jammies all day: reading, signing Christmas cards, and watching movies. And today, we will probably be out shopping since Dad took the day off. The roads are clear and the temp is supposed to get above freezing, so meltage will be happening.

And tomorrow--I WILL be punting her out the door for school!

Maybe I'll get some writing done, since all the Christmas chores are finished.

Write on!

Industry insight

I found this to be a very interesting essay by Richard Curtis.
And I fully agree with his conclusion. Publishing has changed. It is time for the old dogs to get out of the past and embrace the future!
Write on!

Censorship

Over at Murderati, Pari was talking about censorship regarding what books children should be reading. She mentioned an article where a mother tore pages out of a library book that she didn't think was appropriate for her child to read. To me, this is gross censorship and shouldn't be allowed. To deny the rest of the population the story because you didn't approve of it is WRONG. Do not foist your beliefs or opinions on me or mine.

One of my daughter's classmates is reading TWILIGHT. This child has always been a voracious reader, reading far above her grade level. Her mother is the one who gave her the book. Do I think this is appropriate reading material for a second grader? Heck, no! But that was the parent's choice, not mine. My choice is not to let my daughter read that book until she reaches a greater level of maturity to digest the information in the book.

As a parent, I DO feel you need to guide young readers to age and maturity-appropriate material, but don't take that choice away from everyone. This is simply responsible parenting.

Would I let my daughter read the romances that I read? No way! She isn't mature enough to understand or handle the sex scenes.

Would I let her read Jim Butcher's Dresden? No, I feel the story is too complicated and there's enough blood and gore that it isn't appropriate for an 8-year old.

Would I let her read Anne McCaffrey's dragon books? You bet, I would. They might touch on death, blood, war, sex, but they don't go into detail about it, unlike the above examples.

I guess I would censor, or steer her to appropriate reading material, but only until I thought she was mature enough to make her own choices.

Write on!

Writing Sprints

Susan asked about writing sprints.

Though I don't do them myself, I think I can explain them.

Writing sprints are similar to setting the timer and writing for 30 minutes: no potty breaks, no coffee breaks, don't answer the phone, fold laundry or do anything except write. The beauty of writing sprints is that you are sharing them with a small group of writer friends, online or in person. After each sprint you compare word/page counts, take a breather and start it over again.

That's it in a nutshell. The goal is to write in any manner possible. And if I didn't explain it correctly, then I'm sure Cyndi will correct me. :-)

Write on!

Tis the Season . . .

I love this time of the year: making candy, the buying of Advent presents, making presents, listening to Christmas carols, decorating the tree, house, and yard, and just the whole shebang.

We are so busy with the holidays that certain parts of our life go by the wayside, namely, writing. But that's okay, provided you took time to account for the lack of writing in your weekly goals.

Don't make unreasonable goals with your writing as there will be additional demands on your time. For many writers keeping up with their normal daily goal, say 1000 words a day, just isn't realistic. All you'll manage to do is frustrate yourself and lower your self-esteem, create writer's block, and become an all around downer of a person. Chill out this time of year, unless you have a contract with a deadline in hand--then you need to get your butt in the chair!

If you know you won't have much time to write do the 100 word a day challenge. Just write 100 words. No, you won't really be getting into the story, but you will be keeping up with it. 100 words are only a couple of sentences and a very doable daily goal.

Or edit a few pages of your current WIP a day. Another easy-peasy task. Not time-consuming, but it keeps you involved with your story.

The key is to lower your expectations and adjust your goals accordingly.

Write on!

Peter the fly-children's stories

Last summer, I wrote seven children's stories involving Peter Fly. They are picture books with a length of around 500 words--2-3 pages. My kiddo came up with the original concept as we walked to school, and I made up a story. She named him, decided what type of critter he was, named his friends, and helped me with the story.

I came home and put Peter to paper. I thought it was a cute story, so we came up with more ideas and I wrote the stories. I entered one contest--didn't final--and Peter has been filed away.

I still like my Peter stories. I can see them on the page with an illustrator's input. But this will never happen if I don't remove them from the file and send them out.

True, I'll get rejections, but I'm used to that with my adult stuff. I'll just send it to another children's publisher.

Today Peter will open his wings and fly.

To make candy or write . . .

Well, I'm making Christmas candy this week, BUT I'm thinking about my story. A lot of writing involves thinking about scenes or characters or plot twists or how to get a character from point A to point B without the boring crap (driving in car, getting breakfast at McD's, etc) of reality in between.

I write by the seat of my pants. I have an idea. I know the ending. And I might have an idea of a couple stops along the way. I learn about my characters as I write them, which means I tend to rewrite the beginning of my novel many, many times. That's it. I'm a pantser.

Plotters on the other hand. Write detailed character arcs, character interviews, long synopses detailing everything, etc. I know there's something I'm missing in this, but I don't plot so I don't know what it is. :-) For me, plotting to this depth takes away from the freshness of the story.

So even if you don't put fingers to the keyboard to write daily, you can still be thinking and working on your story. When you are in the shower, taking a walk, driving the car, waiting in line and, *gulp* forgive me God, even in church, you can think about your story.

Write on!

Industry news

Again, the outlook is bleak for the publishing world.
More info here and here December 3, 2008, and here.
So what does a writer do?
Don't quit your day job, and keep on writing!
This is the beginning of the downward rollercoaster ride. And you know what happens when we hit rock bottom?
You have to come back up again.
This sort of recession shake up is needed in many industries, and hopefully, it will get everything on track again. And though I have numerous diatribes that I'd love to vent about, I don't want this to be one of those blogs.
This could be the chance for the unpubs to shine. I bet many publishers will drop some of their so-so authors and may be open to new unpubs . . . or not.
But keep writing. Write what you love. And sooner or later the cycle has to upturn.
Write on!

Give up or keep writing?

Writers write.

But the harsh reality of the situation is that not everyone will want to read what you write. Whether it is timing, luck, the economy, or the population just isn't ready for your type of story, you have to realize that you may never sell your story.
If this stops you from writing, then you aren't a writer.
Perseverance makes a writer. The will to keep slogging through. To write the next story. And the next one no matter how many rejections or negative responses you receive.
Why?

Because, writers write.

The only way to get better at the craft is to keep writing. The first story most writers churn out is crap. Yeah, yeah, it's the book of your heart--so get over yourself already. That was your selfish novel. Now you need to concentrate what the rest of the population is interested in. Does this betray who you are as a writer. No, it makes you realistic. And don't write what is currently on the shelves--remember, those books were bought one to two years ago!
Publishing is a BUSINESS. Everyone is out to make money. The way to make money is to appeal to a large portion of the population. This doesn't mean you have to compromise your writing self. Write what you love. And once you discover your voice and let it truly shine through, then they will find you.

Write on!

Post Thanksgiving-Pre Christmas

I hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing long weekend!

The relatives have departed and the house is ours again. Not that the relatives make a mess or anything, but I think I like my routines too much. :-) Hubby put up the outside lights on the last warm day we had--the day before Thanksgiving, and he put up the Christmas tree last night. So we will be decorating the house this week. It's definitely a family affair.

I have my homemade truffles to make. I think it will take me 3-4 days to complete the task. The fillings are complete, but standing and molding untold amounts of candy is rough. It's a back breaking affair and I need to stock up on Aleve and get rid of this darn cold before I start handling candy gifts.

My SIL, Margie, did manage to get me and the kiddo walking again. I've gotten a bad case of writer's ass and I need to do something about it! So my goal is to walk M-W-F in the mornings continuing after I walk the kiddo to school, and on T-TH I'll walk with the kiddo after school. I know it will get my brain juices flowing and hopefully, I'll lose some of my excess padding. There has already been some positive results in the form of my wonky knee--it doesn't hurt anymore! Isn't it amazing what toning muscles can do for your health?