Focus Stealers--part deux

Today, I'll be giving my talk on FOCUS STEALERS and what to do about them.

Again, I'll extend my invite to anyone in the Tulsa area who,

1) has nothing better to do on this beautiful Saturday afternoon, (or simply wants to escape from the hoodlums that you fondly call your children!)

2) wants to see me (I'm thinking old HS friends here, stalkers are NOT welcome)

3) is interested in writing, but doesn't know how to get started (there will be a roomful of people willing to help.  Okay, roomful is an exaggeration. Since I can only guarantee that I'll be there! I'M WILLING TO HELP YOU GET STARTED)

4) wants to heckle me because I never got around to timing OR practicing this program OR because you missed your chance in HS when I gave my hobbit impression by memorizing the first 3 pages of THE HOBBIT for drama class and didn't realize that I wore green and yellow (the hobbit's favorite colors) AND I took off my 4-inch wedges because my feet hurt (which took me down to hobbit-size!)

5) wants to partake in num-nums that I brought to bribe--er, yeah, I'll have to go with bribe here--people not to boo me out of the building.

6) want to see if you have perfected the ability to sleep with your eyes open!

RWI meets in Room 110, North Hall Conference Center at the OSU-Tulsa Campus at 1:00 p.m.

Deadly Isolation

***FYI--I wrote this on Saturday. Today is a better day, but I thought I would still run the post. Life isn't all wine and roses. Though, at this time, I'd be happy if the Stag's Leap Merlot was bottled and ready for consumption.***

Ever since I expanded my writing into another genre, I've experienced a surreal isolation. Oh, it's probably one of my own making, but I don't know what to do about it.

When I started writing full time, I hit every emotion on the spectrum, thank you very much. I kinda like the stability of working in the lab--there is no rollercoaster. Stress is due to the enviorment, not emotional upheaval. Trust me, periodic stress is far easier for me to deal with than emotional whammies.

All I can say is that it's freakin' depressing! An I'm not usually the one to get depressed!

I try to be there for other writers when they need encouragement, but it feels as if I don't get any thing back. Silence tends to do that. Dropping out of sight isn't really the signal-- 'Help! I need some encouragement'. It gives the impression, 'Oh, Margaret must be writing. I best not bother her.' When the opposite is really the case.

My sis-in-law is a good sounding board, but she has her own life along with living halfway across the country. My family thinks I'm a nut job or they just make fun of me and my stories or try to ignore me, with the exception of my nephew Matt. He's the only one who actually asks about my writing. Now that's a great kid. He's off to college in a few weeks, but for a teenager who knows how to speak to adults--he's the best. I wish him well in college. He's a smart kid--I know he'll do good.

*sigh* I don't fit in the romance world since I started writing middle grade novels. And I joined a local SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) group for one session. Oh, they welcomed me into the fold, but I didn't feel like I belonged. Friendships had been forged and I didn't really feel welcome into that group. Again, that was my feeling, but it might not have been what was really going on.

Writing middle grade has opened my writing voice. I like who I am as a writer, but not everyone does. Out of 19 query responses for my middle grade novel, I have 16 rejections. Most of them were personalized, i.e. they actually used my name, instead of Dear Author, and they mentioned the correct name of my novel. Trust me, that is an improvement. I did get requests from 3 agents. All are for partial manuscripts--the proverbial foot in the door--stops the door slamming in your face, but it doesn't open any wider. And I have 29 pending queries, but it's still early in the game, only 3 weeks into the process.

--and I have to admit this is the first time I've actually had more than two people request my story! YAY!

While I'm thinking about my next middle grade novel, I'm writing a romance (17K words into it) that I started a year and a half ago. It's a brand new story, though the plot is still the same. This novel has a lot of potential, but I don't belong to a romance group thus no support from that quarter. Again with the frustration due to my own making. I need to finish this rough draft before I allow anyone to see it as I'm too susceptible to other writers suggestions--not always to the benefit of the story.

I belong to a wonderful goals group, but I try not to whine to them. Sometimes it happens, but I try to keep on topic. I know they would show support, but they have their own problems to deal with. Again, with my own personal brand of isolation.

All in all, I'm trying to write without a support group of any kind, but it's hard.

I know, I know it's time to put on my big girl thong and hike it up--but, OW!--Damn it, that hurts!!

I feel better just venting on this blog, so what's a girl to do?

Write on, baby, write on!!

It's Golden Heart Judging Time!

A heavily anticipated box landed on my doorstep last Monday. My fingers trembled as I tore open the UPS box. The smell of fresh manuscripts waft through the air and I'm jittery with excitement as I dumped the entire contents, six partial manuscripts, onto my desk. The anticipation of discovering new authors, reading new stories, and helping writers discover their dreams resides in my hands.


And it is a heady power that I do not treat lightly.


I love this time of the year. And I especially love judging Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart contest. Why, you ask? What makes this contest so special?


I love judging the Golden Heart because I don't have to follow any chapter prescribed score sheet. I don't have to award individual points for the hero, the heroine, their first meet, dialogue, the plot, or any individual element of the story. I can let the story do what a good story is supposed to do, as it sucks me into another world. I can walk in the protagonists footsteps enjoying their adventures, and always to wonder if the hero and heroine will be able to get together in the end.
--Yes, I know it's a romance, and they all end with some sort of HEA (happily ever after), but romance, and many other awesome stories, is all about the ride.


But what I love most of all is that I get to judge the entire story on its own merits. We do have to give each manuscript a score, between 1 and 9 to the nearest decimal, as an overall score for how we liked the manuscript. This year I got some really good stories to read (YAY!), and if I do say so myself, I tend to be a harsh critic. I scored two 9's this time, two 7/8's and two 4/5. Now this isn't to say the one I scored 4 was hideous, it wasn't, but it wasn't ready to get published. It had some real problems, but it also had a fun premise and decent plot. The problem is that the author needs to learn more of the craft of writing. The story isn't ready yet.


I wish all the authors well and hope the two 9's will final, but it's out of my hands as RWA plugs the numbers into some weird algorithm along with the scores from the other judges.


Now it is time to get back to my poor neglected manuscript that I abandoned to read six new stories.

Write on!

Professional Organizations

Speed blogging today.

I have to get my Wii Fit hour in before I can work on my edits--alas, personal edits, not professional editor edits of those who reign in the 212--Even though I clock an hour on Fit time you have to add at least an accumulated 30-45 minutes of 'trainer chat' time. And, no, I haven't found a way to fast forward through it. They probably have the slowdown to prevent lawsuits from idiots having heart attacks by working out too aggressively.

I just attended a local chapter of SCBWI last night. All the ladies were very lovely and nice, but I don't think attending local 'schmooze' sessions will work for me. Now this isn't to say that beginning writers shouldn't join a local writer group. I did when I thought I was a romance writer. I like writing romance and sex in my books--as a subplot. I don't really get the internal/emotional angsting of why they can't be together, though I LOVE reading it!

Anyhoo, local writers are exceedingly helpful and supportive, especially when they write in your genre. I learned a tremendous amount about writing, publishing, critiquing, judging, etc. from the ladies of RWI, and I will always be thankful for the time I spent with them. But I moved on into other genres: picture books and urban fantasy.

Yeah, tell me about it. When I go diverse, I go all the way.

Right now at this point in my writing career I don't need someone to pat me on the back or cheer me on. Shoot, I have over 200 rejections on four manuscripts--I have a tough shell. What I need to do is write. I can find almost everything I need on the Internet, and intend to exploit the heck out of it when I'm serious about querying my PB's.

So will I belong to professional organizations? Yes.

Most of them have very helpful info that can be had on their websites. Many times you can join as an associate member if you are not published, but can only gain full membership, and access to their site, after you sell. Most writing organizations host conferences regionally or nationally that are beneficial.

If I decide to pimp my PB's, I'll need to join SCBWI.
When I finish my UF, I'll have to join SFWA
And I'll still keep my membership to RWA, considering I still have two full romances written, and five beginnings.

So, yes, I do think a beginning writer should belong to a professional organization. But it is up to the individual as to whether or not a local support group is worth the effort