I am a self-diagnosed T.V. junkie. I've tried to quit. Honest. I once read an established author's advice saying if you want to be a better writer, turn of the T.V.
I now realize he is insane. I just love drama. Not reality, mind you. I live in reality. I want drama!!
DVRs are a girl's best friend. BUT, I never let the shows get more than a hour past their air time before I am watching them. Let me just clue you in on the seriousness of my T.V. time:
Heroes
Castle
NCIS
The Good Wife
Lost
Parenthood
Psych
The Closer (I don't think this is back yet)
Grey's Anatomy
Private Practice
The Vampire Diaries
The Office (and occasionally The Office reruns)
Accidentally On Purpose
V - (can't wait for this to come back end of March)
Sons of Anarchy
AND the only reality show I do watch - Psychic Kids - Children of the Paranormal
I had to let Ugly Betty go when it started back in January and I was bummed to see The Dollhouse cancelled.
See what I mean - and it is possible that I have left something off. That is about 14 and a half hours of time I should spend writing. Or should I? It is all about balance right?
Writing makes me happy. T.V. makes me happy. Reading a great book makes me happy.
I want my cake and to eat it too. Don't you?
M
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
*Sigh* The Blahs
I definitely have the blahs. I have found it very hard to get back on track since going on a mini-vacation up to visit my family.
I think it is the pressure. They all know now that I want to write, SO they want to know when I am going to get a book published. As if it were that easy. Then the self-doubts start piling in. What if I never get anything published? What will they think of me? Am I wasting my time? Why on earth did I ever tell them?
Don't get me wrong, I have the most wonderful and supportive family in the world. That is the problem. I don't want to disappoint them.
Hmmm... "I won't think about it today, I'll think about it tomorrow."
M
I think it is the pressure. They all know now that I want to write, SO they want to know when I am going to get a book published. As if it were that easy. Then the self-doubts start piling in. What if I never get anything published? What will they think of me? Am I wasting my time? Why on earth did I ever tell them?
Don't get me wrong, I have the most wonderful and supportive family in the world. That is the problem. I don't want to disappoint them.
Hmmm... "I won't think about it today, I'll think about it tomorrow."
M
Saturday, February 13, 2010
New Toys
I will never be an e-reader. I just love books too much. I love the feel of the pages as I flip through them. I love being able to fold down the page when I pause for the night. I love the treasures that I have read lining up across my book shelf. You just can't curl up on the sofa all snuggly with a computer. I've tried. Doesn't work for me.
All of that leads us to my point. I got some fun new and used books off of Amazon that I hope are going to assist in the development of my writing, and I thought I would share them with you:
1. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms. Fun!!!
2. The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves and Other Monsters. It was the 'Other Monsters' part that caught my attention.
3. Romance Writer's Phrase Book - what romance writer wouldn't want this?
4. How to Write Romances - well, you gotta start somewhere don't you?
Do I think these books will lead me to fame and fortune? Probably not, but they will be great additions to my book shelf.
Also, let me give a shout out to my wonderful critique group. You ladies are making me a better writer and your input is more valuable than any book or writing course!
M
All of that leads us to my point. I got some fun new and used books off of Amazon that I hope are going to assist in the development of my writing, and I thought I would share them with you:
1. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms. Fun!!!
2. The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves and Other Monsters. It was the 'Other Monsters' part that caught my attention.
3. Romance Writer's Phrase Book - what romance writer wouldn't want this?
4. How to Write Romances - well, you gotta start somewhere don't you?
Do I think these books will lead me to fame and fortune? Probably not, but they will be great additions to my book shelf.
Also, let me give a shout out to my wonderful critique group. You ladies are making me a better writer and your input is more valuable than any book or writing course!
M
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Self-evaluation Time
Wow. Is the first week of February gone already? My mom always says time flies the older you get. I think she is right on target about that.
So I was thinking it is time to take a little break and review my goal list to see where I stand:
Write daily - Wish I could say that is what I am doing, but alas, it is so easy to find other things to do. If I was writing daily, I would probably have another half finished ms on my hands. I need to remember that.
Brush up on style and grammar - I am still working on the copy-editing course that Mezzo Magazine is putting me through. I think that I am learning a lot from that course. It isn't as easy as I thought it would be. There are tests.
Submit - I am. Not to a publisher yet, but I have submitted to a couple of pitch contests, the Chase the Dream Contest (twice), and I am trying to keep up with some of the HQ 1,000 word prompt challenges.
Patience - is a virtue.
Read - I am a little behind on this. I plan to rectify that in a few minutes with the new Paula Graves book I picked up yesterday.
Out of writing closet - I can say I really have completed this task. Being published on Mezzo Magazine really helped this one. I was so excited that I shared it with everyone I could, including my hubby, parents and best friend. All of which did not have a clue I was even interested in writing. They are all so supportive, I wish I would have told them sooner.
Not too shabby, me thinks! Last, but not least I am so pleased to have joined a critique group on-line. They are a great group of ladies and I am learning so much from them already. I like a group versus one partner because there are several different points of views to work off of.
It's a good thing. Now, off to relax and read. Go Colts - you got this!
M
So I was thinking it is time to take a little break and review my goal list to see where I stand:
Write daily - Wish I could say that is what I am doing, but alas, it is so easy to find other things to do. If I was writing daily, I would probably have another half finished ms on my hands. I need to remember that.
Brush up on style and grammar - I am still working on the copy-editing course that Mezzo Magazine is putting me through. I think that I am learning a lot from that course. It isn't as easy as I thought it would be. There are tests.
Submit - I am. Not to a publisher yet, but I have submitted to a couple of pitch contests, the Chase the Dream Contest (twice), and I am trying to keep up with some of the HQ 1,000 word prompt challenges.
Patience - is a virtue.
Read - I am a little behind on this. I plan to rectify that in a few minutes with the new Paula Graves book I picked up yesterday.
Out of writing closet - I can say I really have completed this task. Being published on Mezzo Magazine really helped this one. I was so excited that I shared it with everyone I could, including my hubby, parents and best friend. All of which did not have a clue I was even interested in writing. They are all so supportive, I wish I would have told them sooner.
Not too shabby, me thinks! Last, but not least I am so pleased to have joined a critique group on-line. They are a great group of ladies and I am learning so much from them already. I like a group versus one partner because there are several different points of views to work off of.
It's a good thing. Now, off to relax and read. Go Colts - you got this!
M
Friday, January 29, 2010
The Good, The Bad and The UGHly!
I'll start off with the good - a short story I submitted to Mezzo Magazine was chosen for publication in their January on-line issue. I couldn't be more thrilled! I have been doing my version of the "happy dance" all week waiting for it to go live. Check it out, it's entitled Where You Least Expect It:
http://www.mezzomagazine.com/100101.html
Next, is the bad. I didn't win the Perfect Pitch Contest with Donna Alward. I didn't even make the top eleven. However, I did get back some great feedback from Donna and I think she is very amazing for even holding the contest. I am very embarrassed to find out that I let some grammar errors get through. See what happens when you spend so much time on what you are saying and not enough time making sure you are saying it correctly. Even though I didn't place, I did want to share my pitch and her comments:
Hell Bound is the story of a contemporary demon hunter, consumed by revenge, who finds redemption in the arms of an unlikely savior.
Healer hunts and kills demons on a daily basis, but there is one demon who continues to elude his capture – the demon who murdered his sister two years ago. He has sworn to use any means necessary to destroy this demon, and won’t let anything or anyone get in his way. Now, his closest lead is the demon’s next target, the naive and outspoken Krystina Hall. Krys is a research assistant for the local newspaper and enjoys her normal, easy-going life. All of that changes when she is the witness to a demonic ceremony that results in the murder of her boss; and suddenly she is thrown into the middle of a world she never knew existed.
When Krys shows up at a Catholic Church seeking protection, Healer sees this as the opportunity he has been waiting for to take down his sister’s killer, and he intends to use Krys as bait. Krys only thought she was the one in need of saving, but she soon finds herself willing to do anything to save Healer’s soul from being eaten up by revenge. So she goes along with Healer’s plan on one condition,when she returns to her normal life, he must give up demon hunting and come with her. As they work together to stop a demon from releasing Hell on Earth, they quickly discover true Hell would be to lose one another and the passion they have found.
Donna's comments were that she really liked my logline and the use of the words revenge and redemption. Her more specific comments regarding the body of my blurb were, "Tiny nitpicky item: no conjunction after the use of a semicolon. In your last paragraph, you have a slight problem with tense agreement. "Krys only thought she was the one in need of saving, but she soon finds herself..." First phrase is in past, second in present. Since pitches and synopsis are usually in present tense, I'd simply change it to "Krys thinks she's the one in need of saving, but she soon finds herself..." The onward - after condition I would use an em dash rather than a comma."
Feedback can't get any better than that!
Now for the UGHly - While I have worked quickly to finish my ms and I think my pitch is ready, my inner critic is still plaguing me with doubts about it being ready to submit - is the conflict strong enough? Are the sex scenes sensual enough? Is anyone really going to care about my hero and heroine? Okay, I could go on forever. Well, guess I will be sending the edited pitch in within the next few minutes and then I will have to move on, ready or not.
M
http://www.mezzomagazine.com/100101.html
Next, is the bad. I didn't win the Perfect Pitch Contest with Donna Alward. I didn't even make the top eleven. However, I did get back some great feedback from Donna and I think she is very amazing for even holding the contest. I am very embarrassed to find out that I let some grammar errors get through. See what happens when you spend so much time on what you are saying and not enough time making sure you are saying it correctly. Even though I didn't place, I did want to share my pitch and her comments:
Hell Bound is the story of a contemporary demon hunter, consumed by revenge, who finds redemption in the arms of an unlikely savior.
Healer hunts and kills demons on a daily basis, but there is one demon who continues to elude his capture – the demon who murdered his sister two years ago. He has sworn to use any means necessary to destroy this demon, and won’t let anything or anyone get in his way. Now, his closest lead is the demon’s next target, the naive and outspoken Krystina Hall. Krys is a research assistant for the local newspaper and enjoys her normal, easy-going life. All of that changes when she is the witness to a demonic ceremony that results in the murder of her boss; and suddenly she is thrown into the middle of a world she never knew existed.
When Krys shows up at a Catholic Church seeking protection, Healer sees this as the opportunity he has been waiting for to take down his sister’s killer, and he intends to use Krys as bait. Krys only thought she was the one in need of saving, but she soon finds herself willing to do anything to save Healer’s soul from being eaten up by revenge. So she goes along with Healer’s plan on one condition,when she returns to her normal life, he must give up demon hunting and come with her. As they work together to stop a demon from releasing Hell on Earth, they quickly discover true Hell would be to lose one another and the passion they have found.
Donna's comments were that she really liked my logline and the use of the words revenge and redemption. Her more specific comments regarding the body of my blurb were, "Tiny nitpicky item: no conjunction after the use of a semicolon. In your last paragraph, you have a slight problem with tense agreement. "Krys only thought she was the one in need of saving, but she soon finds herself..." First phrase is in past, second in present. Since pitches and synopsis are usually in present tense, I'd simply change it to "Krys thinks she's the one in need of saving, but she soon finds herself..." The onward - after condition I would use an em dash rather than a comma."
Feedback can't get any better than that!
Now for the UGHly - While I have worked quickly to finish my ms and I think my pitch is ready, my inner critic is still plaguing me with doubts about it being ready to submit - is the conflict strong enough? Are the sex scenes sensual enough? Is anyone really going to care about my hero and heroine? Okay, I could go on forever. Well, guess I will be sending the edited pitch in within the next few minutes and then I will have to move on, ready or not.
M
Monday, January 18, 2010
Distractions
Distractions, distractions. Now that I seriously want to sit down and write, I am inundated by distractions. This week is all about making pirate costumes, making a paper mache parrot and octopus and putting together a mini pirate ship float for my daughter for a pre-parade walk on Saturday. I thought this week would be about getting my NB finished up, and yet I am still on ch. 4.
However, I am 18 days into January and already I have been working hard towards reaching several of my goals. I have come out of the writing closet with my husband (who wants to help me by giving me lots of story ideas). I have submitted the January "Your Story" entry to Writer's Digest and I am considering pitching my NB by the end of this month. Oh, and I have read about 5 books.
Take that distractions!
However, I am 18 days into January and already I have been working hard towards reaching several of my goals. I have come out of the writing closet with my husband (who wants to help me by giving me lots of story ideas). I have submitted the January "Your Story" entry to Writer's Digest and I am considering pitching my NB by the end of this month. Oh, and I have read about 5 books.
Take that distractions!
Monday, January 11, 2010
To Pitch or Not to Pitch?
I just can't rant and rave about eHarlequin enough. It has a great online community of supportive women and also boasts author participation like I have never seen - weekly blogs and forum posts from the authors themselves!
As if this isn't enough of a reason to be a part of their community, they also have editor pitches. That's right, I repeat editor pitches. You can send in a two paragraph blurb about your book and if you are chosen you get actual chat time with the editor to sell them on your book.
Now here comes my dilemma. I was planning on submitting a piece of work to them anyway via email at some point this year, but now I have an opportunity to try and pitch if I send in my blurb by February 1st. The problem is that I know that my manuscript will not be at its best by pitch time. So, do I try for the pitch or take my time and when I thing my final product is worthy send it in? Hard choice.
M
As if this isn't enough of a reason to be a part of their community, they also have editor pitches. That's right, I repeat editor pitches. You can send in a two paragraph blurb about your book and if you are chosen you get actual chat time with the editor to sell them on your book.
Now here comes my dilemma. I was planning on submitting a piece of work to them anyway via email at some point this year, but now I have an opportunity to try and pitch if I send in my blurb by February 1st. The problem is that I know that my manuscript will not be at its best by pitch time. So, do I try for the pitch or take my time and when I thing my final product is worthy send it in? Hard choice.
M
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