(Old Version) Mavens of the Pen

We've moved!!!

2007-01-13T08:47:00.000-05:00

Due to circumstances beyond our control, we moved this blog to another address. The circumstances were that BLOGGER GOOFED UP AND WOULDN'T LET US UPGRADE.

There. I feel better.

So come to the new Mavens.

http://themavensofthepen.blogspot.com

Rescuing

2007-01-10T16:51:00.000-05:00

Sometimes we do the oddest things.

Every summer in college I worked at a summer resort as a way to pay for school. My parents encouraged this in all of us kids, so we were often in far-flung spots.

When I was 18 I was working in Michigan on the shores of the Lake.The swimming pool was available to staff (and townies who worked at the resort) before it opened to the guests, so usually by 7:30 there was a good crowd. The waitresses were off-shift, the maids were going on, the desk clerks had just changed duty and the yard guys couldn't work yet because we didn't want to wake the guests. Anyway,we had a good 2-3 hours to use the pool.

I'm a strong swimmer, having grown up around artificial water (swimming pools) all my life. That summer several kids were there who'd never been near a lake the size of Michigan or near a pool. They were mainly inner-city kids from Detroit or Milwaukee. One girl, Paulette, was a skinny black girl with a 'fro and a laugh you could hear a mile away. Paulette and I became buddies since we were both waitresses. She was determined to learn to swim, but damned if she didn't just sink like a rock every time she got out of the shallow end.

We all kept an eye on her, of course, and all tried to help her learn to 'inflate' so she'd float (many jokes were flung around about my ample flotation devices, but we won't go into that). So one day there's about 30 kids in the pool and we're cavorting. I hauled out of the pool to the side, looked around ...

no Paulette.

I looked at the spot under the diving board and saw a black shape at the bottom of the pool. I didn't think twice. Literally. I just yelled, "Paulette" and dove in.

She was almost out of air. I arrowed down to her and got next to her. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know how to push off or kick or anything. So I got an arm around her and pushed off the bottom. She, of course, was panicked and almost drowned me by clutching on. I kicked, pushing her ahead of me. I had one hand on her butt and the other on her thigh and I was pushing her up for all I was worth. I really wasn't sure we'd make it. I was starting to take in water, and I'm sure she was, too, because she was getting weak.

Then a couple of other kids dove in and got her arms and dragged her up. A friend got me and hauled me up to the surface. We got Paulette out and turned her over and pumped her, releasing a bunch of pool water. I was able to drag myself out on the ladder and when she could sit up we sat together and had a good cry.

That night we all 'went to town' (the nearest place with streetlights) and went to Sherman's Ice Cream Parlor, where Paulette's townie boyfriend,a HUGE intimidating black guy, bought me an ice cream sundae and kept hugging her like a big old teddy bear. It was great.

Help is on the way

2007-01-08T10:49:00.000-05:00

I've never been in the situation where I've had to help someone at my own risk. But I do recall when I was a meeting planner, we were in a convention hotel in the convention area, and I was behind the registration desk. Just as 1500 people let out from the break-out sessions, a man had a grand mal seizure in front of me - and his forehead was the first thing to hit the carpet - the carpet that was like 1/8" thick with solid concrete beneath it. Needless to say, headwounds bleed, he was still seizing and everyone just went still with shock.

Except me.

I have no idea what came over me, but I jumped on the hotel phone, had them call an ambulance, then jumped over the registration desk, pushed people back, yelling if anyone was a doctor or EMT. Luckily, one of the attendees was an EMT (this was a real estate conference) and she rushed to his side. I, meanwhile, went into 'fence' mode - pushing back the curious, pulling people I knew into a ring around the guy.

Then my boss showed up. My boss who couldn't stand the sight of blood. Luckily her husband was standing right next to her to catch her when she fainted.

The ambulance arrived quickly, cleared out the area and I went behind the registration desk, adrenaline running high, ready to help revive my boss then decompress. BUT then the temporary worker who was working with us said, "I don't feel very good." Here, the girl was a diabetic and she was going into shock - totally unrelated to the seizure incident, but she was young and obviously not caring for herself properly. So, there I went, back on the hotel phone and looking for orange juice.

Once that was taken care of and the break-out sessions re-started, I found a nice corner to crawl into and have a good cry. It seems, instinctively, I'm a good person to have around for an emergency (and since having children, this theory has-unfortunately-had cause to be proven true), but I absolutely fall apart afterwards.

God willing, I'll never have a reason to see what my reactions would be if my life were at risk. Your perceptions change when you've got kids. I'd lay my life on the line for them, but for a stranger? I'd like to think yes, but I rather think I wouldn't because I wouldn't want to leave my kids without their mom. But, like I said, God willing I'll never have to find out. Hats off to the subway rescuer! He's a hero.

-Judi

Have you ever saved someone?

2007-01-07T06:53:00.000-05:00

The big news story this week here in the States, of course, was the guy who leapt in front of a subway train and covered another guy with his own body, saving him from sure death.

Yikes.

Have you ever been faced with this dilemma? Have you ever seen someone who was in trouble and didn't really think about it, but just leapt in and tried to save them? I suspect those of you who are parents have experienced this -- near death adventures involving trees, kids dashing into streets, etc.

Tell us about it....

J

The best thing I did in 2006

2007-01-06T12:28:00.000-05:00

My family is large. Six kids, three kids-by-marriage, one girlfriend and twelve grandkids. Take my hubby and I, that's twenty-four.

Who would have thought...

But with this large group, we were missing important events, like birthdays. Now, I don't mean we forgot their birthday, but celebrating them as a group wasn't happening.

So, in September I had the bright idea of a monthly 'Birthday Bash.'

During the first one, Grey, a grandkid, asked me if we were going to do this every month, as his ninth birthday was in December. It touched my heart. So, I confirmed that there would be a 'bash' for his birthday.

I always cook, then we have the 'bash' after we gorge ourselves with food. One thing about living in Louisiana, every major event has to include great food. Each month the menu changes, with some of the daughters bringing dishes from their homes.

After chowing down, each 'birthday' person gets a small cake of their own. With one candle. We sing the famous song, they blow out the candles, and the gift opening begins, youngest to oldest.

Caroline turned two in November, and believes that every party is for her. So, in December, I purchased a cupcake 'cake' and took one of the small cupcakes and placed it on a plate with one candle, just for her. None of the other grandkids questioned why I did this for one, but not for all. They seemed to understand, without me explaining.

What makes this event stand out for 2006 is the response of the grandkids. Ethan, 12, told his mother that when he went to his friends birthday parties that the aunts and uncles were never there, and he thought that it was great that his aunts and uncles and cousins were there to celebrate birthdays.

Which brings me to the 'best thing I did in 2006'--bringing my family together to celebrate the entry of individuals into our family. How great is that!

Later 2006, Hello 2007!

2007-01-05T16:09:00.000-05:00

2007 is around the corner! I can't believe how fast 2006 went by.

I thought I'd have my first WIP completed, but unfortunately I got stuck in the middle of the story and haven't made much progress in weeks. Ladies, I'm going to need you all to stay on my back to finish a manuscript. One of my critique pals and inspiration romance writer, Denise "Chicki" Jones, has inspired me to really sit down and set goals for the coming year. With goals written down and in my face to inspire me on a daily, weekly and monthly basis, I hope to make some inroads with my writing and submissions this year. So here they are:

1. Completing one or two full manuscripts,
2. Find an agent,
3. Study the romane publishing market, both in print and e-book,
4. Participate in writing contests,
5. Continue critiquing and learning from others,
6. Educate myself on marketing and promotional tactics,
7. Renew my membership to RWA and Virginia Writing Group,
8. Submit my finished manuscript to publishers, and
9. Buy a laptop or Alphasmart (Dana).

Looking at the goals in a list is daunting. But challenge is good! Facing any challenge requires the support friends, family, colleagues, and even intestinal fortitude (sounds yucky but you know what I mean.) I know the Mavens will be here to support me.

deep thoughts on death

2007-01-05T12:24:00.000-05:00

I know it isn’t my “day” to blog, and I can’t even remember what our topic is this week. What’s on my mind is the “end”. Not the victorious “THE END” we write after we complete a manuscript; I’m talking about the big end for all of us: death.

A cousin of mine passed away between Christmas and New Years, a person with as much life and vitality as anyone you’ve ever seen – until cancer zapped it out of her. She struggled long and hard against the disease and I greatly admire her courage. Near the end, when we’d go over to Hospice for a visit, she’d often tell us “I’m dying.” We were all a bit uncomfortable with this, and usually managed to say “We’re all dying.”

But now that the time is passed, I’m wondering if she felt differently inside. If she knew that, even though she was willing to continue the fight, her body was done. I wish I’d had that conversation with her, but again, it was an uncomfortable time, and there was no pressing ahead to get to the bottom of the mystery.

The truth is we are all dying. Every day of life brings us closer to our own mortality.

Another relative is in the midst of being hospitalized for Alzheimer’s. In lucid moments, this 86-year-old calmly says that he can’t remember things. And yet a few seconds later, he’s angry and shouting that he isn’t crazy. His body is hanging in there, but his brain has checked out.

All of this has me wondering about death. Will we all have that moment where we recognize the end is here, or will it catch us unawares? Will we face dying like a warrior or will we cower in fear? For me, the answer isn’t clear cut. I want my “end” to be blindingly quick and if possible, pain-free. The thought of fighting a disease for 7 years like my cousin, and losing, doesn’t have much appeal. It isn’t death I’m afraid of, its pain and lingering between life and death.

Maggie

Maggie Toussaint

www.thewildrosepress.com

www.maggietoussaint.com

2006

2007-01-05T09:23:00.000-05:00

2006 ended up being all about the writing. I spent upwards of 12 hours a day on the computer, and put a lot of my life on hold.

I watched the company I write for, Triskelion, move from a small e-publisher to a medium sized publisher of ebooks and print, in mass market paperback, ready to duke it out with the majors in Borders and Wal-Mart.

I'm still reeling from the success of the Department 57 series, which I want to see go to even bigger things, so I've worked hard to get all the accompanying stuff right, as well as the books. No point in writing a new series if nobody knows it's there, right?

And I've made plans to go to Romantic Times in Houston in 2007. Now that is partly a non writing achievement! Personally I'm shy, I don't like meeting new people, because it sends me into panic attacks. So why do you think my ideal job is sitting at home on my own with a computer?

Well, I'm traveling on my own, sharing a room with a lovely person I've only met once before, and meeting tons of new people. My resolution is not to hide in my room, but sally forth and enjoy myself!

Terror is only something to be overcome!

This is a tough one ...

2007-01-02T21:03:00.000-05:00

What did I accomplish in 2006 that was not writing-related?

Well, it wasn't related to my writing, but to my critique partner's. So I'm going to use that.

She has almost finished her first manuscript. She and I have been brainstorming it for the entire year, shaping it, working on it, and now she's nearly ready to send it out. Neither of us has aspirations that it will get picked up, but it will get her that Pro Pin, from RWA. She's been in RWA for about 10 years and has not finished a manuscript or gotten a PP, and by gum, that was my goal for 2006 -- get her that pin, show her that she could finish a manuscript and help her to do it.

I think this relates to my theory of the 'plateau' system of writing -- actually, a plateau system of anything. When you start, you're on the bottom plateau. You strive, you work, you accomplish something. You go up a step. All of a sudden, there's a new world in front of you. There are new things to learn, new aspects to hone, new things you never thought about. You learn, you aspire, you accomplish. You go up a step.

There's always another step, there's always more to learn. This is true in writing, in life, in everything. I think, watching her struggle with this #*(@ book has taught me the power of stubbornness. She was bound and determined to finish that story even though she'd lost interest in it, even though she wanted to move on to another one. She wanted to FINISH what she'd started. I admire that. She's learned a great deal from this process, but so have I, and that's what it's all about, isn't it? It's all part of the plateau-system of learning ...

J

My Most Memorable of 2006

2007-01-01T17:15:00.000-05:00

Hands down, it was the knee surgery. Tore my ACL getting into a firetruck for the 4th of July parade and life hasn't been the same since.

What did it teach me? Never take your mobility for granted. I've actually been through something similar before. About 20 years ago I was in a car accident and ended up partially paralyzed on my left side. Couldn't walk, couldn't fend for myself and we were in a 3rd floor apartment with no balcony and no elevator. I was stuck. New to the state, hours from my family and my husband worked all day - luckily about a mile away. Talk about isolation! And boredom - I've seen every episode of Bewitched, Gilligan's Island, I Dream of Jeannie and about a zillion other 50s and 60s sitcoms ever made. Too bad I wasn't writing at that point.

I had to relearn how to walk. Talk about frustrating! And, here it is, almost 20 years later that I had to learn the same thing again.

I wasn't the best pupil this go-round. There was a lot of anger over how the whole thing happened that I had trouble letting go of (some will say I still haven't). Twenty years later, you're more aware of how easy things can break. Your muscles may not be in as great a shape as two decades ago, making recovery that much more difficult. LIFE is more complicated and hectic so finding the time for rehab isn't as easy... it goes on.

So, my biggest accomplishment? Something I had hoped to never have to do again: re-teach myself how to walk.

Did I do it in the most positive light? I'd love to be all heroic and say "yes," but the truth is, I didn't. I complained. I whined, I even told my physical therapist I hated him while he was stretching my knee (I later apologized - after we all got a good laugh). I was not the most enthusiastic patient.

But I did it. Around week three I had a serious talk with myself (always a fun thing to do - like you can really argue with yourself and hope to win????) and decided that I have too much life left to be crippled by this stupid surgery. I'd elected the surgery in the first place because I don't like body parts that don't work, so I could quit complaining and get my tushy in gear and make this thing work! I think that next day I had a 13% increase in bending in my knee and from that point on, things improved much quicker than they had.

Sometimes all it takes is positive thinking. So, that's how I'm going into 2007. Positive that this is my year. If not in the American Title III contest, then with an editor or agent who has expressed an interest in my other works.

And positive that I won't be riding in the 4th of July parade this year!

Happy New Year!

-Judi

Goals, schmoals ...

2006-12-31T09:49:00.000-05:00

This won't be a request to post your goals. I don't set them. Never have, never will. I don't know why. Even now, with all that's happened in the past year, I don't have goals except continue on, do better at everything, and survive whatever life throws at me with a good sense of humor. Gee, I guess that's a goal.

No, the topic this week is a retrospective.

Name the most memorable thing that happened to you in 2006 that was not writing related.

He he. That'll make you think, eh? Many of us had writing milestones met, I guess you could say (better than 'goals'). First sales, big contests won or finaled in, award nominations, etc.

No, name something that has nothing to do with writing. Did you finally break par on a tough course? Drive under the speed limit for more than a day in a row (can't claim to that one myself)? Achieve the salary you were hoping for?

This has to be your accomplishment. Not your kid's, or your spouse's (even though we know you're the power behind the throne and should probably get some credit for those achievements).

This is a tough one for me. I'll need to put on the old thinking cap. So much in my life is tied to my 'writing life'. I'll need to ponder this one ...

Party on, Mavens! Here's to 2007 and what it might hold!!!

J

Jingle, Jingle

2006-12-30T13:08:00.000-05:00

Yes. Our tradition is to open gifts from each other on Christmas Eve. At first I thought it strange, but after more than forty years of celebrating Christmas gift giving this way, I dearly look forward to it.

We start at three, mainly because the group has grown to twenty-four and it's a lengthly process.

Food is prepared and generally everyone is famished when they arrive. This year's menu included:

Appetizers:
Salmon Spread
Mexicana Chip Dip
Artichoke Dip
Crab stuffed Mushrooms
Rumaki
Chicken Dip
Tortilla Rollups

For the Main Chomping:
Fruit Pizza
Logan's spiral ham, roasted and delicious
Creamy Shrimp and Corn Soup, yummy
Mexican Cheese Grits
Fruit Salad

Desserts:
Amaretto Cheesecake
Homemade Fruitcake soaked in Whiskey
Pineapple Cake
Homemade fudge
Cookies

After snacking for awhile, the smaller kids wanted to open gifts, so we obliged.

We sit in a huge circle of sorts, then the oldest grandkids hand out the gifts. We open gifts by age. Youngest first. It's the only time of the year my daughter will admit that her husband is younger than her, (only by three weeks).

We ooh, and aah over each gift.
By the time the grandkids are finished it's time to hit the refreshment table again.

Did I tell you that Southern people expect food at all events, in fact, it is part of the event.

Then the older kids open gifts.

This is the only year that we haven't done fireworks afterward. (That was on my hubby's list.)

By nine, we were finished. The families left, the grandkids knowing that Santa would pass during the night with more gifts.

It seems like a lot of work for a few hours. But I wouldn't trade a moment of it for anything.

Because, once upon a time, I knew a boy who never received a Christmas present that he could remember. So, whenever I think of the excess of Christmas, I'm feeling in my heart that that little boy would have been in such awe. And I remember him with love.

Holiday Traditions

2006-12-27T18:54:00.000-05:00

Nope, me neither.

Then again, there might be a few. We have a chicken, not a turkey because nobody likes chicken. We have one of my homemade spiced apple pies, not Christmas Pudding, because nobody likes Christmas Pudding. Brandy butter is horrid, so we have custard.

So you might call it anti-tradition. Instead of doing what we ought to do, we do what we want to do. And it works out really well.

So we get up when we want, eat around two thirty, don't turn on the Queen's Speech, watch "Casablanca" (at least I do, just because I love that film), drink, and eat some more. It's a nice day, and we discovered the best way to avoid family arguments and upset is to do what we want, and be nice to each other.

That count as a tradition?

Holiday traditions ... hmm, I may be traditionless

2006-12-27T07:13:00.000-05:00

This was a stumper for me.

Music? I can't carry a tune in a truck, and caroling was never a part of any holiday we had. We participated in assorted carols for various groups we belonged to, but our family wasn't big on singing.

Church? I'm not religious and can't remember the last time I went. My family would go to church twice a year, Easter and Christmas, so I vaguely remember attending services when I was a child, but haven't done so in recent memory. The services were pretty with candles and lots of singing.

Movies, maybe. Watching White Christmas or A Christmas Carol (the one with Alistair Sims). My sister and I used to watch those every year. She and I have the entire routine to "Sisters" memorized from WC, including the 'fan dance'. But those aren't really traditions.

I guess if there's one thing that's constant it's calling others on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. Our family can never all get together at the holiday. There's people in Minnesota, Iowa, Colorado, California ... and that's not counting the other side of the family, with folks near Philly and in Pittsburgh. I can't remember the last time we all were in one place for a holiday.

So, yes -- that evening phone call when we look at the clock and say, "That must be Lisa, I'll bet they're opening presents now" or "That must be {insert name}, it's present-opening time where she is". Or the times I've called, after looking at the clock and saying, "Well, it's cocktail time, I'll bet they're on the first present".

I'm calling it a tradition, whether it is or not.

J

Holdiay music

2006-12-26T17:12:00.000-05:00

My favorite holiday memories center on music.

Christmas carols were among the first songs I learned to sing well. Back in the day, my cousin Hunter who played the piano and sang by ear, would liven up every Christmas party with his beautiful holiday renditions. I remember this one particular lady all of us neighborhood kids used to torment to sing Silent Night for us. Ollie would sing for us every time. We used to giggle at her high notes, but the thing we didn’t realize is that we were being soothed and transformed by her heartfelt music.

Later in life, as I had my own children to soothe, I sang a great deal. Christmas carols are my favorite music of all time, and there’s nothing I like better than singing “What Child is This?” Even songs with challenging high parts, like “O Holy Night,” hold a special place in my heart. I remember dear Ollie and how she touched us with her music.

I hope everyone is enjoying this holiday season.

Until next week, Maggie

Maggie Toussaint

www.thewildrosepress.com

www.maggietoussaint.com

Do you have a favorite holiday tradition?

2006-12-24T09:28:00.000-05:00

That subject line says it all.

Is there a particular thing that you and your loved ones do together? Trim a tree? Open a present at a particular time? Sip brandy from jello molds (see previous post)?

And listen -- I know you're busy. I'm getting ready to get on the road myself. So if you don't reply this week, no problem -- we'll reconvene later.

Have a happy, relaxing, and safe holiday.

J

Hazy holiday memories

2006-12-19T19:27:00.000-05:00

I have several fond memories of holidays, many of which revolved around my father, who was a real character. He was often mistaken for Jimmy Stewart. They looked remarkably alike, right down to the tall, gangly physique.

One year he decided we should open a present on Christmas Eve. This wasn't unusual, we often did this. This was accompanied by a special drink (I don't remember the drink -- brandy? gin?) He couldn't find drink glasses that were special enough for this event, so he rooted around in the cupboard and came up with 8 matching containers: jello molds.

These were rubbermaid (tm) molds, shaped like a star or a flower. About 4" high and 4" in diameter. And plastic.

He brought them into the living room with a flourish, filled with Drink of Choice, balanced on a beat-up tray that my mother used as a drip catcher in the stove.

We all laughed so hard I thought we'd have to be hospitalized. He was so happy with his choice of beverage glass and had no clue that these were jello molds. He just figured -- hey, they all matched and they were clean.

We unwrapped many gifts that night, if I recall. I still giggle when I remember the sight of him, coming into the living room with that tray with eight white plastic jello molds balanced so carefully.

I have a lot of memories like this: Hanky Day (when he got about two dozen hankies for his birthday), family vacations (where he regaled us with tales of 'Old Buck', his horse, stories that sustained us through the boredom of driving through South Dakota), Christmas baking with my mother (our assembly line making highly decorated Santa cookies), Prom night (eavesdropping on my sisters as they got ready to go out) ...

All memories with family are holidays, aren't they? I mean, in my mind, some of the memories seem like holidays even though they were just simple get-togethers (family picnics, swimming pool days, bike rides). And although many of the people are gone, I can't say I miss them. I mean, they're still so alive to me in memory. The only difference is that we aren't making new memories together -- I'm doing that with new friends. Perhaps I'm Pollyanna, but to me, it's all good.

Holiday Memories

2006-12-19T13:39:00.000-05:00

Ooooh! This is an easy one. My favorite holiday memory happened 3 years ago this Christmas. My kids were still in elementary school and one of our old dogs had just passed away. Our other old dog was blind and pretty much deaf - the one who'd died had been his seeing eye dog. So, poor Bentley was left all alone. And the kids wanted a puppy.

I love puppies.

My husband says he does, but really, he doesn't.

So off we went to the pet store where the kids could play with the puppies. But we weren't getting one. (Don't get me started on the whole puppy mill thing.) But they had fun playing with chihuahuas, daschunds, cocker spaniesl, bichon frises, yorkies, etc. And they begged, "Please Mom, can we have a puppy? You won't have to buy us anything else. We won't even ask Santa for any gifts. Please can we have a puppy? We'll take care of it and feed it and let it out...you won't have to do a thing." (famous last words)

My response, "I am not buying you a puppy."

I bought two :)

One from a woman who owned the parents on a farm, and the other from her daughter who lived down the street and had one of the previous litter's pups.

Two beautiful cocker spaniel puppies, the kind my husband and I could agree on. Two different litters, six weeks apart.

Which meant only one could come home for Christmas.

So, on Christmas eve, I drove to the farm and picked up Vixen. I took her to my parents' house and left her there until the kids were in bed, then went back and picked her up. This little tiny bundle of red fluff with cute little ears and big paws. She and I spent the night in the basement and she never cried once.

Christmas morning, with the kids gathered in the living room, Santa's presents all around them, I walked in with a basket and set it on the floor. Vixen sat completely still. The kids thought she was a stuffed animal.

And then she moved.

"You got us a puppy!"

I will never forget the tears of joy, the hugs, the snub Santa's presents got ( :) ) and the sight of three kids playing with a puppy under the tree.

When all the hoopla died down, a box of puppy supplies was opened and Santa got his due, my middle child looks at me and says, "You lied."

"I did?" I replied.

"Yes. You said you wouldn't get us a puppy."

Here's where my husband chimed in. "Let's give Mom an early birthday present, shall we?" and he pulls out a box from under the tree.

The kids were looking at us funny. My birthday isn't until February. They know it's like a national holiday to me. Matter of fact it's bigger than Christmas to me. He wouldn't give me an early present - I like to be surprised.

So Mom takes the box and opens it veeeeeery sloooooowly.

The youngest grabs one of the flaps and pulls it open. Inside are some dog toys. A leash, like the one we already opened. Another bowl.

The oldest, sweet considerate child that he is, says apologetically, "Dad, we already have stuff for the puppy." Such a sweet moment, both the kid and the surprise I couldn't wait to spring on them.

"Really?" I asked, pulling out the purple dog collar (the other was pink). "Hmmm, what does this say?" I ask, holding up the name tag. (Of course, we've already determined that the other one said Vixen.)

My concerned, not-wanting-to-hurt-Dad's-feelings oldest child takes the collar and reads the name. "Raven..." He looks up with such confusion then wonder... "You bought us two dogs??!!"

The screams, the tears, the hugs, the joy in that room are a memory I will carry with me forever.

I know the SPCA says not to get your kids a puppy for Christmas. Not to buy into the sentimentality of the holidays and bring home a pet, because many of them end up in shelters or neglected. I get that.

But we were going to get another dog anyway. Bentley needed a friend, and, frankly, there was a hole in my heart where our other dog had been. I had to fill it. And Bentley would soon (8 months later, not that we would know that) leave another hole. We were getting these dogs anyway, so why not Christmas?

If a pet is in your future, I say that you should definitely give it to your kids for Christmas.

Hypervenitlating for the Holdiays

2006-12-18T08:45:00.000-05:00

I’m a person who loves routine, and deviations from that stated routine invariably cause distress. I’ve been writing glowing editorials for the newspaper on the closeness of family and the true meaning of Thanksgiving, etc, but it isn’t what I believe in my heart. For me, holidays bring added worries, and I’m not talking about all the gifting, gathering, cooking, decorating, and cleaning.

I’m not a bah humbug, don’t give me presents kind of gal, in fact I love presents, its just surprises I don’t like. We have had a high number of family deaths while on holiday or vacation. My brother-in-law died during a summer vacation. My father had a heart attack just after Christmas. My father-in-law died of cancer a week before Christmas. Right now I have a dear cousin struggling for breath in Hospice. And there are others, if I could only bring them to mind.

So I’m always glad to put Christmas behind me. I love the blessed stillness of late Christmas Eve, that Silent Night feeling when all is truly calm. For me, that’s the feeling that I made it through another year. I enjoy that lovely feeling for as long as I can hold onto it.

Then I steel myself for the next round of holidays.

Maggie Toussaint

Coming soon: House of Lies

www.maggietoussaint.com ;http://mavensofthepen.blogspot.com/

Let's talk holidays ...

2006-12-17T11:27:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's That Time of Year.

Your topic for the week: name a favorite holiday memory. Just one! And it doesn't have to be a Christmas or New Year's memory -- it can be any holiday, even a personal one, like a birthday.

Is there one that makes you giggle, even today? One that reminds you of something special? One that makes you remember someone special or something that really stands out in memory?

Tell us about it.

J

Spike...

2006-12-16T20:04:00.000-05:00

Darth Tater might be cute, but Spike is adorable!

Here is Spike on the wall in front of Graceland.

I have a nice little sofa that sits on my desk which is Spike's resting place when he isn't out traveling about.

smiling

2006-12-14T20:59:00.000-05:00

These are all so good!

i can't compete! Especially with Darth Potato.

But I write surrounded by doll's houses. I have two big ones, a small one and a small shop in my living room, and more in the rest of the house. They are my delight, but when you think about it, it's creating worlds, isn't it?

And here he is ...

2006-12-13T15:57:00.000-05:00

The guy who makes me smile

Darth Tater!

Yep, it's Mr. PotatoHead (Tm, R, or whatever is needed) as Darth Vader. He's sitting on my Nec MobilePro 800 (Tm, R, or whatever is needed), brandishing his not-so-dangerous light saber (or sabre, as Lynne would say).

Every time I look at him I laugh. And I've needed a few laughs lately, between work and writing. It's been a struggle these last few weeks. But I just look at old Darth and grin.

Smiling frogs

2006-12-10T22:31:00.000-05:00

The absolute closest things to my desk chair that makes me smile are my miniature bean bag frogs. I have one in red leather and one in green leather. They're about the size of a squashed computer mouse. Sometimes they're hanging over my monitor. Sometimes they're resting on my monitor stand. Other times I'm tossing them from hand to hand to get the creative juices flowing. So that's my answer. My frogs make me smile.

Smiles and laughter are important. Share some today!

Until next week, Maggie Toussaint

Okay: what makes you smile?

2006-12-10T10:31:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the way-too-thoughtful topic last week. This one should be easier.

Look around your work space. Don't leave your chair, but you can swivel around in it.

Now tell us about ONE item near you that makes you smile. This 'item' can also be a human (if one happens to be standing near), a pet, a book -- the sky's the limit.

What is near you that makes you smile?

Blessing...

2006-12-09T09:01:00.000-05:00

What a difficult topic.

After much thought, thank heavens I'm toward the latter part of the week, it finally came to me.

My daughter's cancer.

A blessing?

Yes, because it drew our family back together in a way I never thought possible. Having a large brood, everyone was involved with their own new families, and yet, when they found out that their sister was stricken, they banded together to give their support. It's been six years, and we're still a tight family.

It showed me that I can't control life. Sometimes you have to accept what is being dealt to you. Whether you like it or not.

Prayer does work.

Enjoy each and every moment...it might be your last.

Always, always tell those you love, those precious words, "I love you."

Be like a dog. Enthusiatic when someone you know walks in the door.

I couldn't write during that period of her treatment, and yes, she is well and cancer-free. But I did write an article as I waited for her chemo treatment. You can read it here.

Yes, it was a blessing, as it made me a kinder, gentler person.

Well, almost.

Remembering the Blessings

2006-12-08T20:48:00.000-05:00

Goodness, this week has been one for counting blessings. My car broke down and I had to plunk down my Christmas savings in order to get another one. For days, I was depressed because of the loss, lamenting about my new financial plight, how hard it is to live on disability as a single mother. But then I remembered the blessings within the situation: I am in a better situation financially than many other people in similar positions, that I was able to get financing for another car on my own and without a co-signer. Yeah, the next few months will be tight but I will be fine.

Then, five days later someone rear-ended my new car! Unbelievable! I could have spit nails.

Again I had to remember the blessings: Neither my daughter nor I were hurt, the accident wasn't my fault and the other driver's insurance will pay for the repairs, and compared to the other car, my damage was minor.

The next day my apartment was flooded when a pipe burst. Carpet was damaged and the smell was atrocious.

The blessings here? Well, let's see....

Since I live in an apartment I was able to call the maintenance crew, who called in plumbers. Even though I had to put up a big "stink" about how unsanitary the conditions were becoming while the problem was being investigated, the property manager finally saw the merits of putting us into a hotel for a few nights. When we returned the carpets had been replaced and the pipes repaired. Sure, my daughter and I have been displaced and inconvenienced, but we still have a home, heat on this cold night and food in the frig. I remember the Katrina victims who suffered so much worse and are still not home this holiday season.

On a daily basis, I remember to count my blessings.

Blessings

2006-12-05T22:02:00.000-05:00

Blessings.

Okay, there's a lot. I was originally going to say 'good health', because without that, life gets mean. But I live in America, and I can get good health care.

I was going to say, 'My intelligence' (modest mode), but I live in America. Even if I wasn't well-educated and reasonably intelligent, I'd still have a chance at a good life.

So many of my blessings come back to where I live. So I'm going to say, 'Thank you for letting me live in a civilized country that values me as a human being. Yeah, it ain't perfect, but it's better than a lot of the world.'

{soapbox mode on}

In many countries women have no rights, are murdered, tortured, and all with the countenance of the government. Often it's in the name of religion, which often has its basis in politics and control (don't get me started on *that* topic). At least once a week, I read a story of some poor woman or group of women in India, or Asia, or Africa, or the Middle East being stoned to death, beaten, or ostracized for demanding to be treated like a human being.

{soapbox mode off}

Enough said.

Glad to live where I do, when I do.

Hitting bottom can be a blessing

2006-12-04T09:20:00.000-05:00

Life has a way of dumping stuff on you all at once, and my life was no different than anyone else’s. I was going along, minding my own business, with a career, a husband, a home, and two kids when I realized I was exhausted. Suddenly my time wasn’t my own and I had Big Responsibilities. I’d been able to juggle with one baby, but having the second one so soon afterwards changed my outlook on life. It rapidly became apparent that I was stuck on an endless treadmill of changing diapers, scrubbing the kitchen floor, making baby food, and wrestling mountains of laundry down the stairs. I needed help.

Lucky for me, things were changing at my church, and we got in a dynamic priest who took the time to see me as a person. Since we lived so far away from family, my church had become my home away from home. I’d always been drawn to music, and the music this new priest brought to us opened my eyes to the world within and the world beyond. I put one kid in preschool and dragged the infant with me to guitar lessons. You have to understand that I had never had a music lesson in my life, but I always loved music. I learned to play guitar, and through music began to experience the joys of self-expression for the first time in my adult life.

That was 24 years ago. Since then, I’ve hauled my guitar to church and played and sang. Out of this rewarding experience came the courage to try another form of self-expression, creative writing, another long-buried passion of mine. There was a learning curve as I learned how to write fiction, but along the way I made some great friends and learned more about who I was. Writing challenged me to define what I stood for, what my themes were, and what I wanted out of life.

Maybe other people get this intuitively, but for me, it was a journey. And, the road is still unfolding in front of me.

Until next week, Maggie Toussaint

Maggie Toussaint

Coming soon: House of Lies

www.maggietoussaint.com ;http://mavensofthepen.blogspot.com/

Counting blessings

2006-12-04T05:59:00.000-05:00

Name ONE BLESSING that you feel has affected your life in a major way.

Just one? Okay. My arthritis getting worse.

Seriously. A real blessing in disguise. I've had arthritis most of my life, but until the birth of my children, it was a minor inconvenience rather than anything that affected my life to any great degree. A diet to take care of the allergies, the occasional week of pain with my legs strapped up, and that was it.

Then, after the birth of my children, it got worse. I could no longer depend on steady health, and since no one, doctor or not, could predict when an attack was coming on, and an attack, which meant I couldn't walk, could last any time between a week and six months, I couldn't hold down a steady job any more.

So I started wondering what work I could do from home, because I can't sit at home twiddling my thumbs all day. I took up writing seriously, something else that had haunted me all my life.

And, ma, look at me now! Writing my fifth (or is it sixth) Department 57 book, just sold a new historical romance to another publisher, a new world has opened up for me. The best job I've ever had, if not the best paying one!

Lynne Connolly

Hum along with me ... Count your blessings

2006-12-03T09:14:00.000-05:00

I saw "White Christmas: The Musical" yesterday. Great play, great fun, especially when it snowed -- on the audience as well as the stage. Of course, when we walked outside it was 5 above zero with a wind chill below zero and it was snowing for real, but it just added to the ambiance (I have to say that. Even if I hated winter, it would be futile to gripe. I live in Minnesota. It's solid Real Winter here four months of the year and almost-winter two months of the year. A person has to suck it up and enjoy it, even if he/she doesn't. It comes with the zip code).

The major theme of the play/song/movie is "Count Your Blessings [Instead of Sheep]". That got me to thinking ...

Name ONE BLESSING that you feel has affected your life in a major way.

The dictionary defines blessing as "(1) short prayer for divine approval {not the kind I'm talking about, no offense} (2) a fortunate occurence". I'm talking about #2 -- something unplanned, out of your control, not designed, that you consider a blessing in your life.

I was going to ask you to name 5, but really, that's predictable, isn't it? ("My family, my kids, my faith, my ...") No, you've got to narrow it down.

Name that one Biggie.

J

Throw Me Something Mister!

2006-12-02T14:51:00.000-05:00

That's how they say it in New Orleans during Mardi Gras...

Throw me something.

I have bought a book just by the blurb on the bookmark. What the bookmark didn't say was that it was a futuristic novel.

When I purchased it, I felt obligated at this point, the author was standing there, I didn't think I would enjoy it. But I did.

So, I think again about bookmarks.

Just how effective are they?

Well, for one, I can never find a bookmark in my house. The house trolls keep stealing them. But they are useful.

When doing a booksigning, hand them out. Even to those who don't buy your book. It's all about name recognitation. People have to see your name at least three times before it sinks in. (I might take a bit longer...the memory is going quicker than I like.)

A bookmark can also have a great picture of your book. (Insert a hunk photo if your cover is a stinkeroo). Put your backlist, your website, your future releases, put a contest, a puzzle, part of a joke (the answer is on your website...but it better be a good joke). Anything that will create interest and stop them from throwing it away.

Some of the better things I've seen that were given away were some fake fangs to promote a vampire book, a stiletto on a keychain that promoted a book with a stiletto on the cover. I personally like the bookmarks with beads, but along with the bead, I'd put a little plastic cover of my book so I'd be remembered.

All of this is something to consider for the day that I do get the call.

But since I don't have a book coming out anytime soon, here's something to remember me by...

Promo R Us

2006-11-29T16:30:00.000-05:00

Promotions: what sells it to me

1. Name recognition.
2. Book art and cover blurb

I'll pick up a new author but only if there's something on the cover that attracts me, a quote from an author I like or if the back cover blurb sucks me in.

Bookmarks, doo-dads, pens, all that stuff that's handed out at National Conference? Nope, it doesn't convince me to buy. Heck, I just skim the free books handed out and most of them I don't keep.

No, it's something on the book itself that makes me want to buy. This makes me a bit nervous since my books will be e-books initially and I'm not sure how I'll be able to suck folks in if they can't hold the book in their hands. I'm crossing that bridge soon. Believe me, we'll have more promo topics coming up since I'm gearing up for a big push in December/January.

Do you know what makes me cringe? It's when someone posts and their post is full of typos, grammatical errors, or misspellings. I don't mind the occasional lapse, but if I see an author posting who consistently has problems with grammar, punctuation, or spelling, then that convinces me not to pick up that book. I'll grant you, an editor can work wonders, but they shouldn't have to do so. The author should have all of those 'basics' down pat by the time the book lands on a desk.

Maybe that's setting my standards too high, but I've seen some posts from authors on social loops and other 'closed' loops that made my head spin. Good heavens, if they write the way they post, their books must be a minefield! I know, I know, it's a social loop, it's 'just us girls', it shouldn't matter, should it?

It does. Anytime you post any place with people who are relative strangers, you're opening yourself up to evaluation. Any time you put a picture out there, an illustration, a message someone may read that and categorize you according to what you posted.

The Web has brought us all so much closer, hasn't it? There is no anonymity anymore -- so be careful what you say 8)

Sex Sells

2006-11-28T12:15:00.000-05:00

And catchy titles don't hurt either :) !

Promo - a subject near and dear to my heart. But right now I don't have a book to promote. I've got a story (Beauty and The Best? American Title III Finalist? Perhaps you've heard of it?) to promote. To do that, I had to come up with something to promote.

First, I looked at what was "catchiest." The name. A play on Beauty and The Beast, fairly recognizable, always gets a chuckle, some inquiries into what it's about. Also, the AT3 connection. Most people have heard of American Idol, even if they've never watched it, so that, too, is instantly recognizable. It's actually my lead-off when I'm talking to "the press." It perks up their interest.

Then I thought about all those marketing classes I took for the business part of my degree (B.S. in Spanish with the closest thing Penn State offered to a double major back in the day for business). Image sells. So, I created a "book cover" that highlighted the story. Unfortunately, I'm not tech-savvy enough to add in the white sofa back with a painted drop cloth hanging over the back and a woman's leg kicking up from behind it, but the one I came up with gets pretty close. And a slogan - Love can be just a stroke away. Hey, sex sells, and innuendo works when you'll have kids looking at the cover. Voila! An image I can plaster all over everything.

Will it work? Who knows? I guess we'll find out when the contest is over.

Of course, then a whole different promotion comes into play if I'm lucky enough to sell this story. What will get people to pick it off the shelves? I think the most important element, other than store placement and book seller endoresement, is the cover. A good cover that's facing out will get me to pick up a book faster than looking for a favorite author. Maybe I'm in a mood for light-hearted, I'll pick up something with bold colors and a "kicky" cover - kind of like Beauty and The Best's as it is now. Or, if I'm in a mood for something a bit more emotional, maybe I'll pick up one with a darker cover. Maybe I want to lose myself in fantasy, I'll pick up something with a castle on it. It depends on my mood. I can tell you that I probably wouldn't pick up a "bodice-ripper" cover. I think those covers have gone by the wayside - they date themselves to the 80s and my perception of the writing would be tainted. Not that the writing wouldn't be good, it's just that story-telling has changed in 20 some years and since I'm writing for today's market and have limited time to read, I'll pick up something that looks current to me.

Sex sells. I love double entendre and innuendo, so something like, Sex and The Single Vampire, could do it for me. Something provocative and fun. A hot guy on the cover also works - but people have different ideas of hot. I'm reminded of an award winning cover that had just a guy on the cover. People raved over it, "oh, he's so hot," "great cover," etc. I personally thought the guy was, um, yucky? and would never pick up that book. I like to create my own image of the hero - unless of course the cover offers a better one :) But looks are subjective, so you do run a risk of having that reaction.

As for bookmarks, pens, and the like...I did bookmarks for AT3 and attached a paintbrush to them for a conference I went to. They were a novelty item, people picked them up. Did they vote for me? I'd like to think so. If anything, it at least made them remember my story when it came time to vote. Will I do items like that if/when I sell? Not sure. Again, if I get bookseller support (and, yes, my local stores have been GREAT about putting my bookmarks out for the public!), then I might. I think getting your name out is the most important thing once you sell and, media hound that I am, I'll try that route. Local girl done good is always a good story.

Other than that, anyone have any ties to Kelly Ripa? Oprah? That'd be the ticket!

Check my website, www.JudiFennell.com, on December 18, 2006 to see if my promo helped Beauty and The Best make the American Title cut for Round 3 voting which begins that day.

Promo whatnots

2006-11-27T17:49:00.000-05:00

Blogging about promotional material is a bit theoretical for me. Like JL Wilson, I am just starting out in the publication world. I will be making these choices for real in a matter of weeks. Here are my thoughts on the matter.

Name recognition is key. Let’s face it, when you’re standing there in a store (or library) and you’re looking for something good to read, don’t you check your favorite authors first? I know I do. So, how do we newbies break through the name barrier? One thing that helps is contest wins. I like to see “Award winning author” on covers – that usually means that people who rate stories have thought highly of the author. After that, I usually look to see if there’s a cover review by someone that’s a name person. And having an intriguing cover helps.

Going back to the name recognition theme, although my book will be coming out in 2007, I have been actively marketing my name by volunteering in writer groups for a good many years. I’ve helped out at RWA Nationals, and I edited a large RWA chapter newsletter for 2 years. That newsletter went out electronically, which put my name in all 200 members Inbox every month. I’ve recently taken a board level position at my new writing group, First Coast Romance Writers, as program chair, and I’m the Member News columnist for the Southeast Mystery Writers. Hopefully, my newspaper columnist job and my magazine job will also help with name recognition.

As for bookmarks and other whatnots, they are interesting, and they are something to put in a person’s hand but I’ve personally never bought a book because of a bookmark. However, I will probably print them up because I view them as a business card of sorts. And it is nice to be able to “hand” people something if they aren’t prepared to buy your book on the spot.

I think having a mailing list/newsletter helps, but I would never deluge folks with info – I know I hate that. As for the big posters in advertising displays, I think that just depends. If you have a good marketing hook, that will draw people to the display. But will they pick up the book and buy it? It’s hard to say.

At most writing conferences, I go through my bag of freebies. I glance at most of the bookmarks and fliers, and they get instantly recycled. The books – well I flip through them, maybe read a random page or two, and if I’m not hooked, they get recycled too. Pens I keep, but that’s because I LOVE pens. So you can probably count on me using pens to promo my work.

And keeping a current website – that matters. There’s nothing that today’s cyber shopper likes better than to cruise through a site. I’m counting on the website to interest people in my writing, and to keep them coming back.

Until next Monday, Maggie

Maggie Toussaint

Coming soon: House of Lies

www.maggietoussaint.com ;http://mavensofthepen.blogspot.com/

What kind of promo lures you into buying?

2006-11-26T07:05:00.000-05:00

Okay, now that I have your attention.

Seriously: is there a single promo item that will convince you to pick up a book?

I'm gearing up for promo for my two books coming out next year. I'll discuss my promo philosophy on Wednesday, when it's my Day to Blog.

What about you? We've all seen bookmarks, pens, letter openers, calculators, and Lord knows what else with names of authors and/or books on them. Then in the stores we've seen the big stand-up thingies screaming a book title, or clumps of books sitting out on tables and/or displays, as well as advertisements for book signings.

What sells a book for you -- what makes you walk through the bookstore, browse, then pluck that one book off the shelf and take it up to the cash register?

J

Goals and Pen Names

2006-11-25T08:55:00.000-05:00

My goal is to have a pen name!

If I followed JL's timeframe, I would have given up five or six years ago. Every now and then I wonder what the point is? The first time it happened, I was in my third day of a serious grumpiness.

The phone rang, my time-travel was a finalist in the Gotcha! contest. I'm sure that the coordinator was shocked when I started to cry on the phone. But, it was a validation that someone out there thought that my writing was good enough.

I know that I still have to learn craft, but now my time has come. No more daily job, the kid is in college, and the house is clean. I can now devote my spare time to seriously working on my writing skills.

Once while riding with some romance authors and one fan, don't ask why she was in the car, she said in all sincerity, "Why don't you use Fifi LaPlume?"

If I were drinking a coke at the time, it would have spewed all over the dashboard.

Fifi LaPlume!

I have a couple of pen names picked out, as my last name won't work. One is for the adult writing, and the other is for children's stories.

Fifi is not one of those names...LOL

Pen Names

2006-11-24T16:35:00.000-05:00

I have been considering a pen name myself.!

My name is pretty bland but I like my name and have envisioned it blazoned across a cover. I write contemporary stories and haven't branched out to other genres. Beverly Johnson, one of my favorites, write both historical and contemporary romances under her own name. The two genres are written by different publishing houses so there seems to be minimal confusion. Maybe I can do the same.

I have read that some publishers, particularly the category houses, ask authors to use pen names that sound romantic and have flair. If I'm asked, I'd use one in a hurry. The point is to get published.

I have considered using a pen name for the sake of privacy. Who knows if my kid wants all of her friends to know that I write "those books."

I haven't decided yet, but it's in the back of my mind.
Angela

Pen names

2006-11-24T06:50:00.000-05:00

Why do it?

Well I write under two pen names and neither of them are trying to hide my identity!

So if you don't want to hide your name, why do it?

Because I write under two genres. After a bit of research, it became clear that people who bought my historical romances, didn't necessarily buy my paranormal romances. So it's to make clear which genre the book is.

Take WICKED INTENTIONS. By the title, it's not immediately obvious if it's a historical or a paranormal and the cover (which I love) is a woman in a bath, through a gauze filter. Still no wiser? Look at the name. It says "Lynne Martin." Now you know, it's a historical.

Using two names also means I can have two different identities, two different 'brands,' for want of a better word. So Lynne Martin is the historian, the woman intensely interested in history, the one who visits country homes and gives the occasional lecture. The one who writes passionate historical romances, well grounded in their period, and full of the adventure of the times.

Lynne Connolly writes paranormal romance. She researches old legends and folklore, and crafts them into a coherent modern world. She's a city girl, loves the dark recesses and secret places you find in all cities, however new. She enjoys travelling, so she can see the places and feel the atmospheres. Bustling cities are her home. her books use the places she's visited, and some of her life experiences to bring a realistic slant on the world we live in today.

And they're both me, both aspects of me. However, some of the fans of my paranormal romances hate history, can't understand the passion for it, and the historical fans can't stand vampires. So now they know which name belongs to them.

You've got to love a pen name!

Goals and how we got there

2006-11-22T08:42:00.000-05:00

I came into writing romance by accident. It's a long story which I will tell sometime over drinks -- it's truly hilarious how I read my first romance novel. Suffice it to say, it was a Book on Tape, I was driving, and the narrator got to the steamy part -- I almost drove off the road, I was so shocked!! I can laugh about it now, but at the time I was stunned that such a genre existed. I immediately went to the library, checked out a bunch of books, and read for about two months. Then I sat down and started to write.

I guess my long term goals are (1) continue to have fun writing and (b) continue to be published. [Note that I mixed up my 1 and b -- I did that to see if you're paying attention.] I'm in the middle of a deep rewrite now, and it's not at all fun. I mean, it has to be done. I know it. It's one of those books where I said, 'hell, if an editor falls in love with it and wants me to fix it, I will, but it's okay for now."

Yep. You guessed it. And editor fell in love with it. Now I have to fix it.

I'm curious to see how this all shakes out once I have to start promo for my books. I figure I've got a little bit of time. Books don't come out until next year, so January is my Kickoff Month. I don't want to bore people too far ahead of time. I have no problem firing off emails to relative strangers and even schmoozing at National Conferences with people. Book signings? Not sure about that one. That seems to be a big setup for a Huge Embarassment. I mean, I'll probably give it a shot, but I'll have to see.

Of course, now that I'm facing a possible layoff in my Real Job, I may have a chance to write full time again (I was laid off once before and wrote one of the books I sold, and the other one that I'm doing rewrites on. I don't waste time when I've got it, that's for sure). I'm seriously thinking about getting out of high tech and going to work at the coffee shop. It's not that I don't love high tech work (and I'm good at it, I must say), but I'd like a change. I've been in High Tech since before there was a High Tech (yeah, that long). We'll see what shakes out.

Hmm. That seems to be my philosophy of life ... "We'll see."

[shrug] No use agonizing over it. What will be, will be [cue Doris Day singing in the background].

Hey, for those of you in the States (or who celebrate Stateside holidays), have a good Turkey Day tomorrow. And for those of you who don't celebrate Stateside holidays, have a good day on the Yahoo loops without us Yanks clogging up the airwaves.

J

There's an end....?

2006-11-21T10:13:00.000-05:00

Responding to JL's question about a cut-off point, my answer is no. Once the floodgates opened, I can't see them closing. Plus, this is something I want. This is my passion.

I always knew it was, but unless, at least for me, it seemed like a pipe dream. You know, it's not practical. It doesn't earn money and it takes time from things that could. It would have taken time from my babies when I had them, and before that, my job(s). In short, I listened to those nay-sayers who said, "what makes you think anything you write would be market-worthy?"

Shame on me.

And, if the American Title finalist status has done anything, it's validated my (and my husband's belief) that what I write can be market-worthy.

But, would I have kept at it if I hadn't started finalling/winning contests? I'll have to say an emphatic YES. I'm at that age now where I don't care what other people think, when I realized that, hey, I'm an adult, I don't have to listen to other people and think their words are gospel. I can make up my own mind, etc. etc.

So I've thrown myself whole-heartedly into this and I'm aiming for an ISBN number with my name attached to it. Stop? Only if the ideas stop flowing, and, honestly, I can't see that happening any time soon. Matter of fact, I wish the CLOCK would stop flowing so I could get my stories on paper faster!

Life interferes with my writing, now, not the other way around. I make time for it. I have to make time for it - or it wakes me up. Seriously. Happened again last night. So, I got up, wrote it down, went back to sleep. It'll be another story someday. I don't know when, or in what order, but the idea's there - insurance, if you will, against the idea of stopping.

I'm glad JL that you beat your personal deadline, because if you had stopped, the public would be out some fabulous stories from a very talented person. :) Congrats to you, Maggie and Lynne for your recent publication news, and here's hoping Donna, Angela and I can join you guys soon!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

-Judi Fennell
American Title Finalist, Beauty and The Best
Voting ends Sunday, November 26, 2006, vote: webmaster@RomanticTimes.com

Balancing life and writing goals

2006-11-20T01:51:00.000-05:00

Writing is one of those things that snuck up on me. Through the years, I gradually wrote more and more. I'm not sure if I suddenly had more time or if the kids activities started taking longer. In any event, I wasn't getting anywhere very fast doing it around my fulltime job and family responsibilities. Once my kids were grown and I was fairly certain the call actually would come any minute, I convinced my spouse to let me try writing full time. My argument was that the windfall of money in my profit-sharing account would cover my lost wages for a year or two. That was May 2002.

Life happened. We had a family wedding. We had health issues. We found we enjoyed having more time together. We down-sized from our five-bedroom house, which eventually entailed a 670 mile move.

The one year stretched to two then three and four. I signed with an agent, I was writing two books a year, and it was just a matter of time until New York came knocking. The rejections were encouraging.

My long-range goal was still publication, but I started rethinking the market. Small presses held a lot of appeal, and in 2006, I expanded my search with small press submissions. Right away, I got a response from The Wild Rose Press for my romantic suspense, House of Lies. The contract came very soon afterwards.

If there is any wisdom in my publication journey, it's to write smart. Keep your eye on the long-term goal, but don't get locked into just one route to get published. Network and find opportunities. They're out there!

Until next week, Maggie Toussaint

Leaping into the unknown

2006-11-19T14:38:00.000-05:00

So I just signed my second publishing contract. Talk about a leap into the unknown! In the last month I've signed 2 contracts and it looks like a publisher might also want a 3-book series.

I set a goal for myself when I started pursuing publication. I gave myself 10 years to get published. My 'expiration date' is 2013. Looks like I beat it and won't have to jerk myself off the shelf, so to speak.

Did you ever set a similar goal for yourself? Did you ever say, 'Hmm, if I haven't sold something by {insert date here} I probably won't and I should quit wasting time on this?' Or did you say, "okay, it looks like this ain't in the cards for me. I'll find something else more satisifying?"

I fully intended to Not Write For Publication if I couldn't get published by a certain date. And if it gets to the point this isn't fun any more, then I'll quit doing it and call it good -- hey, two or three books is good. I'm not aiming for the Pulitzer. I'm not aiming for Name Brand Recognition. I'm not going to quit my day job just because I've got a few books out.

So how about you -- what are your long-term goals? I'll share mine with you on Wednesday when it's my day to blog...

J

Oh, how cool!

2006-11-18T12:08:00.000-05:00

That's the response I normally get when someone finds out that I'm a writer.

Plus, "Where can I buy it?"

Most people don't realize that just because a book is written, does not automatically mean that it will be in print. Or eprint. (Is that a word?)

When my book does come out in print or eprint (notice the positive vibes I give myself...'when'...not 'if'...when) it won't have my name on it.

Why you ask?

Er....take a look at the spelling of the last name. Most everyone cannot pronounce it, much less remember it to look for my name on the shelf, or even know enough of the letters to Google it.

So, back to my maiden name. Smith.

Yes, I went from one end of the spectrum to the other. But Smith it will be, and the first name is Zoe. It's enough like my childhood nickname that if anyone calls me by that, with my diminishing hearing, I'll look up thinking that someone I know is talking to me.

Writer's don't come out of the closet...they try to get their derriere off their computer chair. LOL

Shouting From The Rooftops

2006-11-14T10:58:00.000-05:00

I've never been what you'd call quiet. As a matter of fact, I believe the terminology used by my best friend in high school was "world's biggest ham." So, obviously, I couldn't keep my writing for publication quiet.

Now with the whole American Title thing happening, it's part of the process. I'd love to go on and on about all my ideas for promotion, what's working for me, etc., but the contest is still going on and while I'm rooting for all of us finalists, I want to win that contract. So, no shameless self-promotion ideas being announced here.

That being said, yes, I do tell pretty much everyone I meet that I'm writing and in this contest. Before ATIII, I would tell people if it came up in conversation. "Oh, what do you do?" "I write." "Write? What? Shopping lists?" (As a stay-at-home mom, I've found some of the ideas of what we do all day a bit less than flattering.) "No, I write romance novels." Then you'd get the big eye roll. Oh, those.

Maggie was right about the reaction the uninitiated into this business give you. Romance novel = bodice ripper. Just goes to show you how often they look at the covers these days. Or realize that Meg Cabot does fall into our genre.

Once I got involved in the business aspect of this career and learned the facts and figures of the romance industry, I'm now able to deflate the bodice ripper image (though do I really want to "deflate" something in romance heh, heh) and turn the tone to the business of writing. Does Stephen King get that kind of snark? Nope. Dean Koontz? Doubtful. Dan Brown? Well, okay, he gets flack for a whole other reason... And don't even get me started on Nora - she's so famous she only needs one name. Like Cher. Madonna. Okay, maybe not good comparisons.

I want to be that some day. Of course the chances are pretty slim. Still, someone did that. It could be me. "Judi" and everyone would immediately know, "Ah, yes. Beauty and The Best was the first. But the rest? Sheer perfection."

Okay, I'll wake up now.

And get back to my emailing about the contest. And let me take this opportunity to say, please vote for Beauty and The Best in the American Title III contest by sending an email to webmaster@RomanticTimes.com and writing Beauty and The Best in the subject line.

Thank you! Have a great Tuesday!

-Judi

Shameless self-promotion

2006-11-13T19:41:00.000-05:00

Telling others about my writing life was easy for me, after awhile. In the beginning, I was hesitant to tell people what I was doing because of the old saw of people looking down on the romance genre. But the more I learned about the industry, the more I saw how hard romance writers worked, the more I realized there was nothing to be ashamed of. For me, finding the local RWA chapter and networking with other aspiring and published authors helped me to see that my attitude about my writing was much ado about nothing. These writers worked hard, and they made good money.

I originally planned to publish under a pseudonym. That was back when I was writing peer-reviewed journal articles in toxicology for the Army (check me out on Medline, either as MW Toussaint or Margaret W Toussaint) and my husband managed a staff of about a hundered or so people as he worked to keep the government's nuclear sites more environmentally compliant. Since then, I've written at least one romance (or mystery) a year and gone to a lot more writer conferences. People kept telling me I had a "good" name and that I shouldn't bother with a pen name. I've taken their advice, and we'll see where this journey takes me.

I carry my writer business cards with me everywhere. Every chance I can work it into the conversation, I mention I write books, and I encourage folks to visit my website. The lesson I've learned in all of this is that respect comes from the inside. You have to respect yourself first. As for earning the respect of others, I hope to do that through the quality of my writing.

I shamelessly promote myself every chance I get. Visit my website at www.maggietoussaint.com. See, I just did it again!

Until next Monday, Maggie Toussaint

I'm coming out of hiding

2006-11-12T09:12:00.000-05:00

I know, I know. You laugh. Me? Hide?

Here's the deal. None of my friends know I'm trying to get published. Hell, none of 'em know I'm working on a novel, much less finished 10 or so and have 2 accepted for publication.

I just didn't want to deal with that, "Have you finished your book yet?" or "Have you sold it yet?" My writing friends, the one in my RWA chapter, know better than to ask these questions. But Other Friends just wouldn't know how those questions haunt a writer.

But now that I have one contract signed and one in negotiation, I figure it's time. I'm Coming Out.

On the day after Thanksgiving I always host(ess) a party for 6 of my dearest friends. I've known these ladies for 15 years. We've been through breast cancer, illnesses, death of parents, heart attacks, job layoffs, and just about everything else together. I plan to present them with synopses of my 2 sold books, and will come clean about my "other life" as a writer.

I've only been seriously pursuing publication for two years, but it's been hard to keep it all quiet. I mean, I've gone to National Conference, and other conferences, and always said I was 'meeting friends' in Dallas or Atlanta or Reno. I've worked in a lot of different parts of the country, so my Other Friends just took this to mean work buddies. And I was meeting friends -- writing friends.

So this is going to be odd. Once I tell this group of friends, the ripple effect will begin and spread. Now I'll have folks asking "when is your book being really published, like, in print?" and "is e-publishing like real publishing?" and "Gee, maybe I can do this. Can you help me get my book [not finished -- heck, not even started] published)?"

Then, at Christmas, I plan to do the same with my family. They know I've been pursuing publication, but not that I've sold.

Then it's my boss. Yikes. I'm still trying to figure out how to deal with that one.

Talk about your ripple effects ...

How widely is your "other life" known? Did you announce to all and sundry that you're writing and trying to get published?

Those who are published or Soon To Be Pubbed -- how did you tell your boss?

I figure there's no rush on this -- my books won't be out until next year, and if they don't come out in paper, I doubt many will rush to download (these are high tech folks but still traditional when it comes to 'I like to hold a book in my hands').

But I'm still tussling with it --

How do you tell?

J

Pick a hunk!

2006-11-11T08:47:00.000-05:00

Great topic!

I can write without a photo of my character, but when you have one, it makes characterization easier.

Check out this photo.

Be still my heart!

I haven't written his story yet. But I'm thinking that he's the one that rides the motorcycle.

Then there is this guy...

Enter Tom Selleck...yikers!

He's the basis for my hero in The Devil Has Dimples. I'm sure you can see why. Only I have him clean shaven. Just looking at his picture makes me happy.

On the heroine side, the photos are harder to come by, at least for me. It's hard to find a heroine's picture that matches the one in your head. However, this picture captivated me.

This is Valerie Quennessen, a French actress whose eyes are fantastic. I don't have a manuscript for her yet, but one will be coming.

I also purchased a copy of People's 20 Years of Sexiest Man Alive magazine, which has some fantastic pictures. The one of Michael Douglas in 1987 was great. His high forehead, dimpled chin, intense gaze...wow!

At my last RWA Chapter meeting, we had a speaker who brought a collage of her book, and once you saw the photos and the other elements that made her story work, you could see the importance of picking just the 'right' photo.

Creating faces

2006-11-09T05:30:00.000-05:00

Some writers need to see the character before they can bring them to life.
Others, like me, have an overall picture. I need to know what makes that person tick, what the central nub of their character is.
But that changes. Someone who thinks they need privacy above anything else might find it hard to share with someone, something essential for a romance. So the central facet of their character will fight against what they need, until they come to terms with it. By the end of the story that is replaced by something else, and another central characteristic is there, perhaps, hopefully, love.
A face is helpful, but I don't always need it, because I can see the character in my mind. Sometimes, that chimes with something in real life. who knows what influences what?
For the book I've just turned in, RUBIES OF FIRE, the third Department 57 book, it was Pierce Brosnan, but I didn't have him or any of his characters in mind when I wrote. He was just the type, the suave, efficient secret agent, thrown for a loop when someone he suspects proves to be something he doesn't expect. I never use that device some writers use, of referring to the actor or someone else, as a quick description of my character because I feel that's cheating in a weird way. So you won't find any descriptions of Pierce in the book, unless there's one once the character is well established in my own right!
And sometimes the character comes completely out of my imagination, and appears on the page, fully formed. Like Aidan, the hero of WILDFIRE, or Richard Strang, of the Richard and Rose books. Aidan was just there, waist-length flaming red hair (not auburn, red, think scarlet), kind, longish face, and amber eyes, with a passion for music and natural justice. His music is easier to define - think Page, Clapton, a classic rock style with a power hand and a grunge edge.
Or join me today on the Triskelion loops for Music Day, if you have time. A fun day based on Desert Island Disks, a program where the question "If you are stranded on a desert island for the rest of your life, which 8 records would you take with you?"
See you there1

Lynne Connolly

I found my face

2006-11-07T18:57:00.000-05:00

Or, rather, I didn't find my face (which wasn't lost, actually) but the face I was looking for. I thought one actor might be good, typed in his name, another name came to mind, typed in that one, and voila, face. I used Google and just type "images name" and usually get a ton of pictures.

This is the first story where the hero won't really be a hero. I mean, this is one of my reincarnation ones, so I always have to write two stories. There's the first story, the one where the main characters initially meet. That's what I call deep back story. It never gets told per se but is woven into conversation, etc. when the Real Story starts.

The Real Story is the one we all see and read. It's the 'present day' one, where the h/h have been reborn and are now living their lives. That deep back story permeates their interactions, but it's not really PRESENT.

So I was having trouble because in the deep back story, the guy will be a hero but in the present day he'll be a villain. Or sort of a villain. So I need a scarred guy who could be a hero but also be a villain.

That's why it was so tricky. I mean, if I just wanted a pretty boy I'd go with Hugh Jackman or somebody like that. But I needed somebody with some miles on 'em.

We'll see if I nailed it or not if (1) the manuscript gets bought as I hope it will and (2) it gets written as I hope it will and (3) readers see what I see.

That's what this game is all about, isn't it? Putting it all together.

Back to devising my plot. Oh, boy, this one's a doozy.

J

Story visuals

2006-11-05T23:01:00.000-05:00

This week's blog topic is on story visuals. I find these to be a very important part of my pre-writing process. I need to know what people look like before I begin a story. Having a photo or drawing gives me a starting point on which to build character traits. I have a collection of folders, all of which are stuffed with pictures. I collect pictures from everywhere, from newspapers and magazines, from advertisements. Sometimes it's the face that draws me into a picture, sometimes it's a mood, but most of the times, it's the eyes. So, getting back on topic, I have these folders of pictures that I already have a connection with. When I narrow down the choices by gender, age, and ethnic group, I can usually people a story in an hour or so.

But, since I also have this arts and crafts muse, I don't just stop with the picture of the character. I take great joy in creating a story collage. I mount the photos on foamboard, label them with charcter names, and stand it up behind/beside my monitor. That way, I never have to search for a piece of paper with names on it, or try to remember who has brown eyes and who has blue eyes.

Nearly ten years ago, I was quite moved by a group of elderly British ladies who, very tastefully mind you, posed nude for a calendar. I lost that calendar when I moved, but it made an impression on me. I learned that naked could be very well done, it didn't have to be sleazy or slick pin-up quality. Since then, I found a photo of a group of lady friends in a hot tub laughing and having a good time. You can't see anything but heads, necks, and shoulders, but it certainly appears they are naked. I snipped that picture and placed it in my files. Every now and again I'd come across it and wonder why in the heck I'd cut that one out, but I hung onto it. Then when I started writing about a murder in the nudist colony, that picture came out and went in the story collage. That spirit of personal freedom the women exemplified, that pure joy in being themselves, that's what I wanted for my fictional nudists.

So, I've learned to cut out pictures that appeal to me. I also clip story ideas out of newspapers. Here's a truth: life is much stranger than fiction!

Until next Monday, Maggie Toussaint

Help! I need a face!

2006-11-05T12:39:00.000-05:00

Where do you get the faces of the people in your book?

Personality is easy, I think, but physical appearance is sometimes tricky to get down right.

I keep a notebook (see smiley notebook there, on the side) where I paste in pictures of people that I've found in magazines, newspapers, on the Internet, etc.

But sometimes they just aren't quite right. I'm struggling with that now. I'm doing a proposal for a book in a series, and the hero has to be physically scarred. This will reflect his emotional scarring, too.

I've been considering giving him a missing leg or arm, but this was in the early 1900s, and I'm hazy on the use of prosthetics at that time, if any were available, how mobile he'd be, etc. If anything, I may have him missing an arm with some attendant scars with it.

Since he's a WWI veteran, I was considering mustard gas scarring, but I think that was mainly internal (i.e., ruined the lungs). Then I thought that I'd have some facial scarring -- maybe a bayonet wound or sword wound, something just bad enough to cause partial blindness? Anyway, he's sort of embittered and mad at the world, and that's reflected in his appearance and his personality.

I'm pretty sure what the heroine will look like. She's a sunny, optimistic type, sort of a cross between Rachel Ray and Sally Field. Except she'll have light colored hair, I think.

But Mike -- he's got me stumped. Anybody got a good pointer to a web site with some pictures of gloomy people? I just need to glance through some non-smiling faces and I'll have one of those 'ah ha' moments, I know it.

J

Dive into the Wildfire!

2006-11-02T13:35:00.000-05:00

A new book!
A new release is always exciting, believe me, sending your babies out into the world isn't easy, especially this one.

I love rock music, the power and the energy, and I've had some favourite fantasies for years. Finally I had a chance to write them down, and do an exciting plot around them.

So I took my daughter to her first rock concert last year, to see Velvet Revolver. They were great, she was over the moon, so I had the inspiration for WILDFIRE. It's the first of four, the second has already been contracted, and I'm going to start it this month. Woo hoo!

Here's the blurb and details, (just in case you love sexy shapeshifting musicians, too!)

Rock meets classical. Paranormal meets mortal. Will anybody get out alive?

Two guitarists - one a wild man of rock, the other a talented classical goddess. Opposite ends of the music spectrum, but when they join together, the sparks fly, and they create their own special kind of Wildfire.

The members of Wildfire are Talents - Firebirds - but once John Westfall, the band's manager, realizes what a prize he has in Aidan Hawthorne, the band's lead guitarist, he'll stop at nothing to obtain the power he's coveted for so long. Including sacrificing his own daughter.

The moment he hears her play, Aidan is drawn to Corinne in a way he's never known before. They connect on so many levels and Aidan will do anything to release her from the cage John Westfall has trapped her in.

He offers her marriage, he offers her freedom, but Aidan wants more from Corinne than a place on his band and a piece of paper - he wants her heart, body and spirit. And he'll give her his in return.

Classical guitarist Corinne is desperate to escape her father's control. More so when it becomes apparent just how much control he has over her, and not just the contracts she's signed. Her only way out is through Aidan's proposal. She loves him but craves the freedom to choose - can she trust him to give it to her?

WILDFIRE
http://Wildfirebook.notlong.com
1-933874-93-7

ah -- but do you match your socks?

2006-11-01T07:22:00.000-05:00

I'm always amazed when people tell me they use colored highlighters, story boards, spreadsheets, and other tools to help them write and/or edit the manuscript. I don't mean that in a disparaging sense. Believe me when I say that -- 'amazed'. I would have no idea how to go about doing that.

No, I take that back. I'd know how to do it. But then it wouldn't be fun any more. I'm all about the fun.

Writing for me is fun. I have a story in my head, some killer dialog that is aching to be put into somebody's mouth, and usually one or two characters who just jump off the page. That's enough to get me going.

When I finish, I do read throughs, usually three -- once for consistency, once for pace, and once for nitty gritty craft crap (adverbs, too many conjunctions, etc.)

Then I let it sit, usually for a month or two and move on to the next project. When I'm pretty sure I've forgotten the plot details, I go back and read it again with a fresh, objective eye. I'm one of my own worst critics and I'm never 100% sure that it's Okay To Go.

But I send it anyway -- to my critique partner, to a contest, to an editor -- I throw it out there.

Then I forget about it. Literally. Once it is out the door, it's off my mind and I'm on to the next project.

Until I get that phone call that it finaled, or (please!) that it caught enough attention to request a full, or I get comments back.

See, it's all about the fun. It's gotta be fun, otherwise I wouldn't sit at the computer/desk for hours at a time. The way I did last night, developing back story for characters in a new book. That back story won't see the light of day on a page, but now I know the characters and their personality and can sit down at the computer and write.

See you in a few weeks ....

When is a book done?

2006-10-29T22:04:00.000-05:00

I'm a scientist by training. So, I don't just accept my word for the book being done. I have to prove it.

I have a rigorous editing technique I put my writing through. I double check the big picture to see if that came out right, then I take apart the scenes to make sure they have meaning. I'm a big fan of Margie Lawson's EDITS technique, which means I use colored highlighters to check for balance of dialogue, setting, narrative, emotion, and tension. After I finish all that, I let the work sit for a bit. Then I do a final read through. For me, that's an essential because sometimes in all that editing, the music of the words gets mucked up. The last read is to make sure the music is still there. With each book, my craft becomes smoother and hopefully more appealing to agents, editors, and readers.

It just goes to show, you can't fight your nature. Mine is to be organized and systematic. What's yours?

Until next Monday, Maggie Toussaint

Do you match your socks?

2006-10-29T12:43:00.000-05:00

Here are the items in question.

Note that they are both from the Species Footwear, Genus Sock, subgenus Sport Sock.

Both are white, or were white in their initial incarnation before they clothed my little piggies and were worn around the house.

Both cover the foot.

But they are different. Not immensely so, but different. One has a little cuff and one doesn't. One is thicker than the other (problematic if I was wearing it to the gym, but in normal wear, probably not an issue).

So here's the question: do you pair these and wear 'em out in the Real World or would you wait until the missing Sock Spouse appeared from wherever it is that Sock Spouses go during their sojourn in the dryer?

I pair and wear. I figure, hey, they're both white. That's close enough for government work, right? I might draw the line at a white sport sock and a white bobby sock but even then I figure, "white. Who cares?"

How does this translate to writing, you ask?

So glad you asked.

Do you dot every 'i' and cross every 't' before you consider a book done? Do you agonize over GMC, do you feel concern if a scene isn't JUST RIGHT (although people are telling you, 'it's fine, get over it already, it's good'). Do you send a manuscript out thinking "IT'S DONE! Yea!" only to get it back with someone saying, "Um, why did she do that and he do that -- that makes no sense?" Do you then scream, calm down, and say, "hmm. I wonder if I need to ..."

What's your modus operandi when it comes to considering a mansucript Ready for Prime Time. Do you go by gut feeling or group concensus (did I spell that right? it looks wrong) or a wing and a prayer? Do you sort your socks precisely or do you figure, 'hey, close enough'?

See -- you wondered how I'd get around to socks again.

J

P.S. The offending socks in the above photo are even now on my tootsies. Close enough for government work.

Muse = Spike

2006-10-28T07:17:00.000-05:00

While in Memphis several months ago with family and friends. I got the bright idea of getting a 'mascot' to pose in pictures.

Mainly this idea came from a French movie, where the subplot was a grieving widower's daughter, who took the gnome from his garden and gave it to a stewardess friend, who then took pictures of the gnome in various sites around the world. I wonder which came first, the movie or the Travelocity ads.

Then, another friend, received a stuffed bear from her beloved...she wanted jewelry! So, to get back at him she brought the bear on all their trips and took pictures of him on all their globetrotting trips.

So, there we were in Memphis, in yet another Elvis souvenir shop, when I noticed a small bear with an Elvis print material...seven different ones with various prints! I couldn't resist, I asked my friend which one she liked the most and picked up 'Spike' for myself. After explaining the purpose of the 'mascot' she got busy and soon ran out of film of her Elvis bear being posed around anything and everything that had to do with Elvis in the store, outside, etc. You can get the idea.

And I had Spike.

Spike's real name is Sizzles, due to his bright red color and fuzzy strands that stick out all over. But I prefer Spike.

So far, beside Memphis, he's been to Reno, where you can see him sitting on the Jukebox at Mel's Diner. Atlanta, where I didn't get any pictures of him. Which is a shame, as he travels well.

Right now, he's sitting on a sofa on my desk. Yes, I have a small sofa on my desk which is next to the computer screen, so I have a visual of him whenever I'm hacking away on the keyboard.

Muse?

Why not?

He makes me smile. And somedays I really need to smile just to get through it. I think we all need that smile.

A Muse.....Does My Ex Count?

2006-10-27T23:19:00.000-05:00

Ya know, I started to respond that I didn't have a muse. No special place to write, no particular time of day, no special music playing in the background. But then I realized that I become particularly productive when I am ticked off at my ex. Invariably after one of his off-the-wall comments, helpful suggestions on how to discipline our child from hundreds of miles away or unreasonable visitation requests, I can sit at the computer and pound out a chapter or two.

Now I can't say what I produce is any good or useable but, boy, do I work out my frustrations on the keyboard! (chuckling)

I don't call it brainstorming; I call it Brain-Fuming! The other side benefit is that afterwards I'm not tempted to mistreat my baby just because she looks so much like him. Just my luck!

All kidding aside.....

I can honestly say that my muse manifests itself in the form of my condition. Having multiple sclerosis for 15 years and going from a high school valedictorian, Summa Cum Laude in college and ambitious corporate ladder-climber to a disabled but ambulatory, stay at home mom tends to put a damper on my spirit. "I had so much promise," I cry to the gods. But I try to count my blessings everyday and use my writing and other brain-stimulating "hobbies," like my web-design business, to keep me going. When I am particularly blue, I sit with my notebook and write just to spite my own doubts and insecurities.

My life could be much worse and the best of me is yet to come. - AJ

Real life romance

2006-10-27T13:42:00.000-05:00

It was my wedding anniversary this week.
And oh, did I get a surprise! My husband had booked a few days away in a luxury hotel in Llandudno, Wales.
It was wonderful. I was wined and dined and - well, you know! We even managed to fit a visit in to beautiful Conwy Castle, one of the huge castles built by the King of England, one of the Edwards, to secure Wales for England.
But unlike many of the books you've read, Wales was assimilated into the United Kingdom quite easily, it seems. After Llewellyn, the prince who married King John's illegitimate daughter, was put down, a very sad business.
The castle is a walled city as well, medieval stuff all over the place. And we visited an amazing house in Conwy, Plas Mawr, which was built by a merchant. It's been restored and preserved, and now walking through it is just like walking into the house of a prosperous merchant. Going back in time for real!
I've put a picture of one of the main bedrooms at Plas Mawr above, so you can see for yourselves!

Creative well

2006-10-25T05:32:00.000-05:00

Maggie's comments about the 'creative well' were interesting. I think the reason I can write so prolifically is because my 'well' never runs dry in the middle of a project. Once I sit down to write, I write the entire book, start to finish, in one draft. It usually takes about six weeks. And there's always a residual 'wash-over' when I'm done that allows me to pick up another book and do re-reads on it in the next week or two after that initial draft.

I do have lulls, of course. What I do during the lull is work on marketing ideas, query letters, synopsis -- the 'mechanical' stuff of publishing. Then I'll go through my notes for books and something will set me off, and I'm off and writing again.

I'm not sure what's filling that creative well, but I hope it doesn't stop. I have seven or eight ideas for books that I'd like to pursue, and that's not counting my SciFi series about an alternate America. Heavens, there's a gazillion plot ideas there.

Guess I'll be busy for a while ...

J

Speckled Muse

2006-10-23T08:47:00.000-05:00

One might think writers don't need to spur their creativity, but many do. Putting everything you have into your work drains the creative well, or at least it does for me, so I find ways to recharge. I like vivid color, and I like working with my hands.

Completing a small arts and crafts project gives me immense satisfaction, and the repetitive motions of my hands free my thoughts. Before you know it, ideas are burning brightly in my head. Through the years, I've tried many projects: decopague, embroidery, counted cross stitch, collages, tile mosiacs, ceramic painting, seashell frames, creating a planter. The particular craft doesn't matter as much as my absorption in the project.

Another key thing I keep in mind is that my creative well doesn't run dry at convenient times, like at the end of a project. It may be in the middle of the story, it might be at the plotting stage of a book, or even when meeting a publication deadline.

For me, listening to that inner need releases my creativity. I do believe in muses; I picture mine as a Victorian cherub with primary paint colors splattered on her hands, and a few on her face as well.

Until next week, Maggie Toussaint

Where is your inspiration spot?

2006-10-22T17:42:00.000-05:00

I was out of town this weekend with some writing friends. We went to a local casino, did a bit of gambling, and brainstormed like crazy people.

I usually swim on Sunday at the gym. I get up REALLY early and often get there when nobody else is there, so it's nice -- I've got the pool to myself. I get a lot of plot points resolved, character arcs plotted, etc.

So I went to the casino's pool when we were there for my usual swim (on Saturday and Sunday). I had it to myself on Saturday but this morning at 6:15 there were 7 other people in the pool -- go figure. To their credit, they stayed out of my way as I did laps and hung out in the spa until I got out, then they swarmed the pool. Anyway, I managed to come up with a couple of book titles for my friends and some killer opening lines. One of my friends joked, "I'll be sure to mail you my sticky plot points on Saturday night so I can get your feedback on Sunday".

I find the mechanical motion of exercise to be very useful when I'm plotting, writing, etc. I always carry a memo pad or digital recorder when I'm out walking or at the gym in case I need to note something (and I always do). I find it's easier to get in my exercise with this in mind. It doesn't feel like wasted time. Since I try to exercise every day (but usually only do it 5 days a week) I find it really helps my writing.

So where's your inspiration spot? What helps jump-start your creative process?

J

The Day I O.D.'d on Romance...

2006-10-21T04:54:00.000-05:00

Not feeling well, I read three Barbara Cartland's books in one afternoon...I overdosed on Romance...it took me a month to overcome and read romance again.

I got to thinking why I read romance and I think the reason is that the stories are so wonderful. When you read a man's book, and they get to the romantic stuff, it's not there. They just 'do' the deed. There is generally no sexual tension, no deep longing for the other person, no 'feelings' about the sexual relationship between the two characters. Makes you wonder about men and their thought processes.

I love to read. As a kid, nothing was safe. I read so voraciously that I went through every book that our extremely small library had in my age group. Pollyanna, with it's slight pink fuzzy cover. Toby Tyler at the Circus was another favorite, and both those books were thick. Lois Lenski was my favorite author, she took me to worlds beyond my experience, with kids who were struggling through life, and came out stronger individuals at the end. Strawberry Girl and Indian Captive come to mind, and it's been a long time since those books came out.

I remember the day that I picked up The Diary of Anne Frank. A slim black volume, it was nestled on a shelf above my usual reading material, and I'd read all of those books. I pulled it out and brought it to the front desk. The librarian looked me over. I was in there often enough so she knew me, though we never talked. As a kid, I knew that librarys were supposed to be quiet, so when she asked my my age, I was startled. "Eleven." She looked me up and down again, then stamped the book and handed it to me. It wasn't until I was fifteen and read the book again in high school that I realized why...a young girl's feelings about her sexual awakening went over my head at eleven, but stayed with me at fifteen. No wonder she hesitated. It was the fifties, and life was different then.

Like Angela, I have tons of books to be read in my house. I can't go to the market without checking out the book aisle. And I have way too many friends who write! There were three books out by authors I know yesterday, and yes, I picked up the books.

Plus, I'm a craft bookaholic. I like to read about the craft of writing and how I can put the information in there to use. One of my favorites is Christopher Vogler's 'The Writer's Journey,' I just purchased Janet Evanovich's book, 'How I Write,' which I haven't opened yet.

So yes, I read. Hopefully, I always will, and when I can't physically read anymore, there's always books on tape.

My name is Angela and I'm a bookaholic!

2006-10-20T00:15:00.000-05:00

Boy! This is a topic for me.

I have been a romance bookaholic since I was nine-years-old when my mother gave a Harlequin Romance she was reading so that I could get out of her face for awhile. I am addicted. So addicted that I carry a romance every where I go. I read at least 3 single titles per week and resale them on Amazon.com. My family laughs at me - or gets seriously irritated - when I can't seem to function with my book. Every night I read myself to sleep and if I am standing in the grocery store line, car wash line, or waiting for my meal at a restaurant, I have my trusty book along. If I misplace a book that I am reading, I have a fit. (laughing)

My daughter is NOT a reader and is quite sick of my book habit but my hobby (uh, addiction) has gone from being just a hobby to now research into the art of writing a selling romance novel. I'll be the first to admit that reading does distract me from writing. But I am working on that.

I can't even begin to list my favorite authors. The first novel that touched my soul was Ashes in the Wind by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss (1979). Oh my God!I still remember the story and characters of the Civil War Era novel after all these years. Cole Latimer was the perfect hero. He was complex, conflicted, gentle, sensual, at times temperamental, but with a heart of gold. Alaina MacGaren was definitely a strong heroine, able to adapt and handle every situation that was thrown at her. Her strength and determination were admirable. I enjoyed the fact that she challenged Cole during various situations and was able to outsmart him to boot. Now that I'm thinking about the story, I'm going to have to read it again. I kept the book until I graduated from high school then lost it when I went to college.

But the seed was planted for sure!

I enjoy most genre of romance novels but I love the vampire and werewolf stories, single titles as a part of a series, and romantic suspense. I've picked up some erotica - and many of my male friends think I read romance simply for the sexual content - but the erotica can be disappointing because they tend to lack character development and a truly fleshed out plot.

So, my love for books and romances started at a young age and I will always make time to read a book. Hopefully, when I'm published I can touch readers in the same way Kathleen Woodiwiss and the early writers of romance touched me and plant the seed for another book addict.

Time? What's Time? and Portable Books

2006-10-19T06:03:00.000-05:00

I think I've lost track of time ....

I know how you feel, Judi. In the past 6 weeks, I've had something scheduled to do almost every night, and those nights that weren't scheduled, I had a crisis -- usually a car crisis (don't get me started). Reading has fallen by the wayside unless it's a magazine or two here and there.

However, I've found a marvelous time-saver. I don't carry books with me anymore -- at least not traditional books. I have 27 books loaded on my Palm Pilot (yep, I just checked).

I'm working my way through the Harry Bosch novels while I wait in line at the grocery store, wait for my car to be fixed, wait for the dentist, etc., etc. I LOVE IT -- I don't have to plan ahead, Harry Bosch is always with me, in my purse (and since I love Harry, it's a match made in heaven).

No more stuffing paperbacks into my bag, snatching a book as I leave the house -- I just open up my Palm, click a couple of icons, and I'm right back where I was when I left off. I can even highlight text, bookmark pages, etc., to revisit as CRAFT (yes, I'm thinking of craft as I read).

I love technology ... when it works. We'll get into the Saga of the Reformatted Computer another day.

To have time or not to have time, that is the question

2006-10-17T18:16:00.000-05:00

Reading these days...hmmm. I know I read Julia Quinn's latest that I got at national. I believe I read a few more, but with working at my day job to get ahead of my time b/c of the surgery (I don't work, I don't get paid) and now I've got requests coming at me (which is always a good thing) so, no I'm not doing much reading these days. I'm blogging, I'm promoting, I'm emailing, I'm organizing my troops for the ATIII battle (excuse the melodrama) and I'm finally writing again. Am I reading? I wish I had the time. But I will make the time now that I'm in recovery mode from the surgery. I'll shuffle my time, settle down and get focused, allot specific hours of the day for emailing, blogging, working, promoting, reading, being a mom and a wife.

Somehow, though, I'm going to have to figure out how to live without sleep.

I'll think about that tomorrow. After all, tomorrow is another day.

(wait, I think I read that line somewhere...)

To read or not to read? Maggie's answer

2006-10-15T19:48:00.000-05:00

A few years back, I used to wonder about writer friends who had stacks of unread books sitting around. I couldn't imagine letting all those great books go to waste. But after studying the mechanics of writing, I've learned a few things about unread books. They'll keep.

I still buy my favorite authors. I still read those books through the night. But the rest, they have to wait. Because I found that it isn't productive for me to get someone else's plot running around in my head when I'm creating one of my own. I don't seem to have any problems with reading books while I'm in an editing mode, in fact, I read voraciously at those times.

Before I became a serious writer, I read two to four books a week. That works out to sixteen books a month. And back then, I didn't reread books. I'd pick up a book and think, have I read this? And if I had, I put it down. Not so anymore. I reread lots of books. Especially late at night. If I'm tired, a pre-read book is just the thing. Because then (hopefully) I won't get caught up in the story and read all night. Because then I'll actually be able to put the book down and get a reasonable amount of sleep. But not always. I'm such a sucker for a good story.

What books do I like? Nothing too scary - I get vivid nightmares! I'm a fan of good writing, so most NYT best sellers are on my keeper shelves. My all-time personal fav is Jayne Ann Krentz, especially her futuristic books. And I'm a big Nora/J.D. Robb fan. All of my chapter mates in Washington Romance Writers and First Coast Romance Writers are great writers - I'm scared to list their names for fear I'll leave someone out.

And I'm a big fan of my critique partners' writing. We're getting it done, and our books should be on the bookshelves soon. Here's hoping that one day readers will gush over their favorite Maggie Toussaint books.

Until next Monday, Maggie Toussaint

American Title III

2006-10-15T17:36:00.000-05:00

American Title III voting begins tomorrow! I'll post the link once it goes live, which is supposed to be around 11 am Eastern time. Remember, Beauty and The Best - not to be confused with a similarly titled entry, so please check your typing! Thanks to everyone who votes for Beauty and The Best! -Judi

Tell me about your reading habits

2006-10-15T10:29:00.000-05:00

I'm just curious ...

Now that you're committed to a writing life, do you read as much as you used to?

I don't, that's for sure. I used to be an avid reader and now I barely read a book a month, if that. And I tend to read outside the genre that I write in. I'm reading 'straight' SciFi right now (going back through Frank Herbert and reading his books, then moving on to his son's, which pick up the storyline after Frank died). I plan to re-visit Julian May's "Jack the Bodiless" series next. I just finished re-reading Martha Grimes.

Hmm. There's a pattern here. I'm revisiting old friends, not picking up new ones.

I take that back. I did read the Jenny Crusie/Bob Mayer book on my trip. That was fun, but skimmable. I also read an historical that was on the shelf in the cabin (can't remember the author, but it was a fun read). I also read William Kent Krueger, but I always read him when I go on vacation because his books are set right where I'm vacationing -- near "Iron Lake" (the Boundary Waters of Minnesota).

But that was on vacation. Here at home, I probably won't pick up a romance or romantic suspense for at least another few months, if then. Ditto with paranormals -- I don't like vampires, don't get into werewolves, and have trouble with some of the 'fantasy' worlds that are created. So many of them are cursory and derivative.

So tell me -- have your reading habits changed since you started to seriously pursue the writing life?

J

Squirrelly c.1928

2006-10-14T07:44:00.000-05:00

There are squirrels on our property, cavorting across the property from pecan to pine to oak. It's a virtual supermarket, plus I like to watch them, so a cob of dried corn is pushed on a nail that sits on a board attached to a pecan tree. I have a desire to make a squirrel run on my property someplace, one of those strange contraptions that they have to learn to manulipate in order to get a treat.

And like them, I put things away. Either a paper copy or a computer copy. Why not? With the flash drives, it's possible to store gobs of information.

Lately, what I have been doing, is saving each days work with the date, so that I know where I was last. Each book has it's own folder in my computer, and don't laugh, I only figured out how to do that a few months ago.

As far as planning, I have a spreadsheet that I'm working on, it has the hero's journey, a storyboard - complete with the steps to intimacy, character sheets, plot, scene and sequel sheets, research, progress, edits (what to look for, etc.), tracking sheets, and all of this information has comments attached, so I can figure out exactly what I meant when I placed something pithy in a slot.

I like to plan, but sometimes the muse takes over and I fly into the mist.

I signed up for NaNoWriMo next month, I have a title and nothing else.

Squirrelly.

Yes, I am nutty.

Now you know the truth.

And the c.1928 is the year that word came into common usage, check your Webster's Ninth, every writer should have one.

Organised?

2006-10-13T09:02:00.000-05:00

I have a folder full of novel templates, everything from the Hero's Journey to a full schema for writing, from original idea to finished article.
I have to admit I am a planner, that is, I like to have the book planned out before I start. I need to know where my characters are going, what they're going to do and what will happen to them.
But about half way through I usually stop and revise the plan. I know my characters better, what they will do and what they won't do, and the magic has usually given me something else to play with.
That's the beauty of doing series. You can introduce future characters, see if they work, and if not, why not. You can begin their dilemma in one book, as long as "their" book contains a complete story arc. You can get to know them.
But for all the elaborate planning templates, the myriad character charts, plotting charts and the rest, I now do it another way.
I start with a blank screen in Word. I write out the story, just like a synopsis, going from one point to another until it's done. Then I go back and read it through and discover all the weak bits, the plot points that don't work, the TSTL things my characters might have to do, and I fix them. Then I layer back and add some more twists, check the pacing, add "sequels" to the "scenes," and make sure nothing is wasted, and nothing is a waste of time.
Over time, I've simplified. While reviewers still comment on my "complex plots" most seem to like them and they're not half as complicated as they used to be!
And for why? Because I'm writing a ROMANCE! Something I used to forget, taking the chemistry of my central characters for granted and not giving the romance time to move and develop. After all, readers buy them because they are romances, not because they're thrillers, or paranormals, or whatever. So now, everything is concentrated on the central couple.
And the complicated templates that insist that you put the first love scene here, the Black Moment here? Tucked away somewhere. On my next computer clear-out, they'll go into the archives.
Then it's back to the blank screen.

Organization as an Art Form

2006-10-12T21:57:00.000-05:00

Wow! You ladies are way ahead of me as far as organization is concerned. My current WIP is slow going but I use scene charts to flesh out the details about the scenes I plan to incorporate into each chapter. Those details include:

1. location/setting,
2. POV,
3. characters present,
4. scene goal(s),
5. starting point,
6. ending point, and
7. list of events in the scene.

I am trying to not make revisions as I write but have been terribly unsuccessful as I get comments from the members of the two critique groups I belong to. For now, I save the comments in separate folders and continue to plug away at my story.

As a way to put a spark in my creativity and to get the motivation juices flowing, I've decided to participate in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), which challenges writers to write a novel, 50K words in length, between Novemeber 1st and November 30th. I don't know what the heck I'm getting into but I heard that this is lots of fun. Am I going to use my scene charts or just let my fingers fly across the keys as the words pop into my brain? I don't know. The perfectionist in me is screaming that the scene charts are a must but I am tempted to try a different approach in a desparate attempt to break out of these doldrums.

Lordy, I wish I was prolific and could blithely churn out pages and pages per day. But I can't just yet. I want to be ORGANIZED and have my story mapped out and that approach is stifling my creativity. I know, I know. Many have said to just let the words flow and do the organizing when it's time to edit.

It's simply an art form that I have yet to master.

But I am determined to try!!!

Until next Friday,
Angela

You guys are way too organized

2006-10-10T18:08:00.000-05:00

Lord have mercy ... post-it notes, dated versions, file folders. Yikes. I'm starting to feel a bit paranoid. I have 2 versions: the original and the one I'm working on. I tried doing the "keep versions by year" thing but it got too confusing. I decided to bite the bullet and make the version I'm working on THE version.

Of course, I just had an editor ask for a revision that includes things I removed at the last go-round. I'll have to root around and find that copy. I'm sure I have it on a backup disk.

See, that's where I've probably got youse guys beat. I'm a backup fiend. I make backups of my backups. I've got backups on flash drives, memory sticks, Palm Pilot(s), handhelds, and that's not counting the "Real Backup" which I make and stick in the desk at work in case my house burns down.

So one of those will have the version I want. I just check the timestamp in the file and I'll find it.

I hope.

And speaking of squirrels: the ones in our neighborhood have figured out this path: scamper down the oak tree, LEAP WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT to the chestnut tree, scurry up it to the Colorado blue spruce, race AS FAST AS YOU CAN to the farther leap and FLY FLY FLY to the deck to scamper over, peer in the window at the odd humans sitting in the toasty warm living room then swarm over the railing and ONTO THE BIRD FEEDER where you can drill holes in the side of the cheesy plastic and EAT TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT.

Yes, they did that while we were out of town. Came home and found the bird feeder empty. And that's a BIG birdfeeder and those finches are tiny birds. We then saw a squirrel do his routine and gorge himself on the few remaining seeds.

Back to the drawing board. Top and bottom baffles, greased poles, and trimmed branches. Of course, once it snows, the drifts will be high enough to let the critters climb with impunity just about anywhere.

Did I mention it's supposed to snow tonight?

Back to the drawing board, take 2.

Squirrels

2006-10-09T21:04:00.000-05:00

I like this topic, except I forget what squirrels are. We built a house in a new development that was once a meadow, so trees were pretty sparse before the builder got to it. We actually do have a grove of trees, but I think the poor squirrels were so traumatized by whatever clearing the builder did that they've left and not come back yet.

Which is a nice segue into my response about organization. If I didn't have my meticulously dated files, I'd be like those squirrels - hey, you took what I knew and made it unrecognizable!

I tend to edit as I go along, but once I get to THE END, I save that copy with the date (always written as a 6-digit number: 100906 = October 9, 2006). Then, when I start to edit, I save the next version as whatever date I'm working on it on (ooh, not good sentence structure! But that's why we write fiction - we can do fragments and dangling participles and slang and call it "voice" ). That way, I know what's the most recent version. When a few months have passed, I'll take a group of old dates and stick them in a file folder and call it "older versions". Once I'm pleased with it, I take all the older versions off the laptop and put them onto a disk - just in case an editor suggests changes (hey, I can hope!) that I had at one point.

An agent in NJ made a comment like that: someone asked her how 'hands on' she is with edits and she freely admitted she doesn't have editing experience. The one time she suggested that an author client make the heroine a little older, and the author did the edits, the editor who bought it wanted the heroine a bit younger. I hope that author saved her earlier version :)

You know, if those squirrels buried their nuts in date order, they might be able to find the suckers and JL wouldn't have to pull up baby oak trees in the spring.

Of course, she could always mail them to me. :) -Judi

Who says squirrels are organized?

2006-10-09T09:30:00.000-05:00

The squirrels that enjoy my bird feeder don't seem organized, they just seem greedy. They think nothing of empying an entire feeder in a morning. God knows, I'm probably going to have sunflowers coming up all over my yard any day now. Like those greedy squirrels, I don't like to let my precious words go. So I file them in a very compulsive manner. The truth is I have to be organized with my writing. My life is all about multi-tasking, so I have different storage areas for each task. For my books, I write the entire first draft before I start editing, though I print a hard copy of each day's work. If I add a character or need to substantially rework a scene because of a plot digression, I put a sticky note on my hard copy. That electronic copy is version 1 of the story. When I start the second draft, I rename the electronic file and edit perfusely. I print out that draft when I'm comfortable with the changes and throw away the first paper version. (I keep all the electronic versions.) Lost scenes and cut material from story version 2 get tossed in an electronic file with a name like cutv2. At that point I'm ready for critique. That's when I start the third electronic version of the story. And cuts from that version are stored electronically as cutv3. I hope I haven't bored the socks off of everyone. The important stuff from those cut scenes gets woven into the story fabric elsewhere. Oh, and as for those pesky squirrels, I put a baffle on the bird feeder pole to thwart them. Now the birds get the bird seed, and the squirrels get the plentiful acorns. I can't tell you how happy I was when the squirrels got baffled by the baffle. It made my summer. Until next Monday, Maggie Toussaint

TOPIC: It's Squirrel Time

2006-10-08T12:03:00.000-05:00

It's that time of the year again, here in the Northland.

The #*(@ squirrels are busy, salvaging nuts and burying them, scampering across the street in a death-defying manner because the spot under THAT tree OVER THERE is so much BETTER than the spot OVER HERE. Of course, they'll forget where they buried the food and in the spring I'll be digging up oak trees and chestnut trees galore.

It's uncanny how they know just WHEN a nut is ripe. We have a chestnut tree and it was laden with fruit. Then, one day, POOF -- no nuts. The squirrels had picked it clean.

How does this relate to writing?

Glad you asked.

I used to save scenes that I'd cut from books, thinking I might use them in another book. I discovered, though, that the characters in those scenes were so individual that re-tasking the scene for another character was a major headache. I've used some of the concepts of the scene, but not the wording, actions, etc.

What do you do with Lost Scenes? How do you organize your writing life? I used to keep a copy of each draft of a book, but now I just keep the original and then work on one copy, which becomes my finished draft. How many drafts does it take until you're satisfiied with your finished product? What does it take for you to realize that a scene just isn't working and has to be cut?

I do 3 drafts: first pass, where I get it all on paper (that's the copy I put in a special folder, and I consider that the Original one).

Second pass, where I check for consistency ('were his eyes blue in chapter 1 or green?').

Third pass, tweeking for the Usual Suspects (adverbs, conjunctions, and other slow-downers). Then I toss it out for review and tweek based on comments I get back. Then, it's done. I let it sit for at least 6 months then I come back and often tweek again.

What's your style of writing? How do you keep it organized? Do you remember where all the nuts are buried?

Bloggers I Know Of...

2006-10-07T07:56:00.000-05:00

I have to agree with everyone on their comments on blogging.

If you're a writer, it's a great way to market your books and keep in touch with your readers.

If you have something to say, it's a great way to get your thoughts down.

It's easier to manage than a website.

And our delightful English partner, Lynne, mentioned the word blogskins and being the curious type I checked it out. Can I say, heaven. I have already spent too much time there looking for the perfect 'blogskin' to suit my personality and my books. The depressing news is that most of the skins are being designed by teenagers. One very interesting one was done by a twelve year old!

One thing I did do last month, before this blog was created was set up a database of Romance Bloggers. And check out the blogskin, I thought it was rather neat, but next month when I update the blog, it will be changed to something new and hopefully romantic. So check it out again on the 28th...and check out the streaming line at the bottom. I rather impressed myself when I figured out how to do that!

The Dark Horse on Blogging

2006-10-06T16:49:00.000-05:00

All week, I've been pondering the question of why we blog and was pretty stumped for an answer at first. Then it hit me.....

It's like asking why we email, online billpay, send instant messages, or listen to music on our iPods. It's all about progress! And as time goes by, many people, especially our children and grandchildren, soon have little use for postage stamps, handwritten letters, LPs and face-to-face interoffice chats with our co-workers.

I'm sort of left with a sense of melancholy. I applaud progress on all levels, particularly science and technology, but am trouble by the effects of this progress on us socially. We just don't connect to one another like we use to.

I was out to dinner with my ten year old daughter the other night and I looked up from an eBook that I was reading on my PalmPilot across the table to watch her bopping her head to the beats coming from her iPod earphones. It was the end of a school day, and granted I was feeling pretty crummy from an unproductive day, but instead of sharing the ins and outs on the events of the day we were disconnected, doing our own thing. I felt bad and suggested that we just talk. But she looked at me like I'd lost my mind. Talk??!! Why? She was fine.

Yeah, yeah, I know. Moms are pretty uncool dinner companions to any pre-teen or teenager, but her reaction still didn't sit well with me.

I was nostalgic for the good ole days. For a time when learning how to format a letter was a part of the curriculum for any English class, a time when the check really was "in the mail," and a time when a quick note to a friend was a "sticky note", thankfully had the appropriate number of vowels in each word and ended with a recognizable signature.

I work from home and have for the last six years. My address book on my computer is bigger than it was all those years ago. But I really miss popping my head over the cubicle wall and making plans to "ditch this Taco stand" and going to lunch out of the office for an extra half hour.

Blogging is great. We can network, promote, educate, vent frustrations, gossip, congratulate and celebrate through cyberspace to millions. Just don't forget how special it was when you last ran into your girlfriend in the Walmart, got a handwritten thank you note for that gift card (better than a gift right?) you sent to your godchild last Christmas , or hung out with your critique partner, who lives on the other side of the country or the world, at the RWA conference this year.

I can't wait to meet my fellow Mavens face-to-face and will be proud to be this group's Dark Horse (no pun intended) on blogging. (smile)

BTW.....My website is coming soon!!!(giggle - I may be resistant to change but I ain't stupid!)

Writing!

2006-10-05T15:50:00.000-05:00

Lord, this writing business is tricky!
Once you've got your characters right, they don't want the plot as you wrote it. They won't do as they're told, or they wouldn't do it that way.
So what do you do?
In my case, I change the plot. I have to have a constructed plot, or else my characters run around wasting time and doing nothing, but I often change it half way through. Mainly in the small details, but suddenly a character will appear, and they seem to bring themselves to life.
It happened again recently. In a Department 57 book, I needed a computer expert, a walk-on part. Enter Candy. The Department 57 series is urban gothic, featuring shapeshifters, vampires and other Talents. My shapeshifters are mythical beasts. I don't do weres, just dragons, griffins and the rest.
So Candy enters. She's a dyed blonde, and proud of it. Although she spends most of her day using keyboards, she loves fancy manicures. And she's a basilisk, so she wears contact lenses. If she didn't, she'd turn everyone she looked at to stone.
Tricky.
So now people are writing to me and asking about Candy. I never meant her to be more than a walk-on, but the basilisk is taking over.
So what do I do with her now?

6 Degrees of Blogging

2006-10-03T15:20:00.000-05:00

Sorry, JL, but I'm changing my topic for today. I already responded about why I blog.

Today, I'm going to talk about networking, a subject near and dear to my heart as I rev up for the American Title III contest. You know that whole "six degrees of separation" thing? It's amazing how that works. I read somewhere that you are connected to everyone in the world within those 6 degrees. Kind of a neat thing to think about when you're contemplating your place in the universe. Take the famous Kevin Bacon example.

Let's see; you're reading me and I had a friend who roomed with a bunch of people, one of whom was an actor who was in a movie with Kevin Bacon. That puts me at 3 degrees and you at 4. How about Ben Vereen? Ben Vereen, you say? Sure, why not. He's a famous individual and you're only 2 degrees from him. How's that? I worked out in a gym with him in Florida many moons ago, chatted, got invited to his show and there you go. 2 degrees for you. Tell your best friend. Now, he/she is 3 degrees. How about President Bush? There may be other ways you and I are within the 6 degrees, but here's one of them. One of my friends from college married a republican congressman's son during the Bush era. So, there's me, my friend, her husband, his father, then the president. There ya go, 6 degrees for you.

My point, and I do have one, is that networking is an amazing tool, and one I'm coming to rely on heavily for my American Title showing and blogging ties into it. It seems like every email or phone call I make these days contains the words, "so please tell all your friends." I mean, if they've got a vote and their friends have a vote, and their friends have a vote, well, you get the idea. So, please tell your friends (see? I told you!), and family members and people at the grocery store and anyone else you can think of. I'd like to see who all we end up with and from where.

I wonder if there would be any celebrities in the mix. They reach all sorts of people. Think of what it'd be like if Kelly Ripa mentioned me on the show. She did such an amazing PR job for Vicki Lewis Thompson (love that Nerd series, Vicki!). Maybe she could even endorse me. Okay, I'll wake up now.

What about JK Rowling? She had a tough start in the business, maybe she'd vote for me out of compassion for another struggling writer her age. Think of all the people she's in touch with from her websites alone!

Somehow, someone has to know these people, right? If I can work the celebrity thing downward, surely, somehow it can work the other way? Maybe Katie Couric will call me for an interview (hey, it's my blog and I can dream if I want to.)

It's not the celebrity thing I'm focused on. It's the people they're connected to. The sheer numbers of people they reach. Television is great, but add the internet and the exposure is unbelievable. One push of a "Forward" button and voila! thousands more can see your words/info/stories. That's the power of blogging - reaching people and watching the ripples extend outwards.

So, yes, in a shameless self-promotion plug, please, push those "Forward" buttons and email your friends about Beauty and The Best. It's a call to arms for the 6 Degrees Army.

Or maybe I should email my college friend to have her father-in-law mention me to his ole buddy George who could mention Beauty and The Best in one of his State-of-the-Union speeches. ....Or not. -Judi

Why do I blog?

2006-10-02T10:23:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking about this question for a couple of days, and my answer is two-fold. First off, I'm a scribbler from way back. I was the kid that actually used those childhood diaries. I faithfully filled those pages with my wishes, heartaches, and accomplishments. As I grew up, I transferred that scribbling fervor to letter writing so that I could keep in touch with friends and family. My father would write to me of the troubles he was having with the squirrels who took one bite out of each pear on the tree and threw it to the ground. I learned more about who he was in those pages than he ever imagined, which leads me to my second reason why I blog. I want people to get to know who I am, and it seems to me blogging is today's diary and letter rolled into one format.
And while we're talking about the past, I'll confess to a bit of deception. My young cousin and I used to make up love letters to his mother, who was a widow, and mail them to her, from her "Secret Admirer." My cousin intuited that his mother would recognize his boyish handwriting, so I wrote all the letters telling her how beautiful and nice she was. I'm sure she caught on right away that my pencilled scribbles on her personal stationery weren't from a Secret Admirer, but I believe the ruse gave each of us an inner smile that long ago summer.
So that's why I blog. I love to write and I want to make you smile. And hopefully, I have something to say that will interest you, my internet friends.
Until next time, Maggie Toussaint

TODAY'S TOPIC: Why do we blog?

2006-10-01T09:28:00.000-05:00

I was reading the NY Times the other day and there was an editorial about 'what is the future of the paper newspaper'? Besides the obvious points (convenience of online news, etc.) a mention was made about blogs and how many people seem to be getting their information from blogs (note I didn't say 'news', but 'information').

This struck me as interesting. I don't read many blogs. I dip in now and again on a couple, but have always considered them a bit time-consuming and sort of silly. I mean, who cares what a total stranger thinks or says? And while I find Miss Snark and Evil Editor and their ilk interesting, I tend to not trust folks who don't sign their posts.

So why do this? I know, for me, it's a nice break from 'real' writing. I mean, I'm a professional technical writer and an aspiring fiction writer. So blogging is a change of pace. And it won't take up a lot of my time. And maybe it will help me as I aspire to published status.

Thoughts?

J L

So why blog? Why are we doing this?

Juggling = A Plan

2006-09-30T09:57:00.000-05:00

Keeping all the balls in the air at the same time without one hitting the ground depends on a plan.

It sounds so easy that most people overlook it. Yet, those who do plan their work, and work their plan find out that they accomplish a great deal more.

In the homemaking department, better known as housework, I've been using a plan for years. I know that on the first of the month, all the fan blades will be cleaned, all those little light bulbs will be checked, and if burnt out, will be changed. That's also the day that I clean out a certain cupboard in my kitchen. It includes the coffeemaker, so on that day, I give it a cleaning as well. I don't overload myself with cleaning on a certain day, but by month's end, I know that every nook and cranny in the house has been, at least, looked at.

For my writing, I use a spreadsheet to keep me on track. I have both Excel and MS Works versions, if you care to check one out. These are especially good if you need to know how many pages you need to write before a deadline.

For appointments, daily duties, etc., I use a day planner. AnyTime has been my victim of choice for the past five years. I find it works well, if I use it constructively. Meaning that I'm responsible for putting information in there!

I dare you to plan your day. See how much more you can accomplish. But, be sure to include time for yourself in there as well. As word artists, we also need to remind ourselves that the well does need to be replenished.

American Title III All Systems Go

2006-09-28T10:52:00.000-05:00

Phew! What a ride these last 2 1/2 days have been - and voting hasn't even started yet. I just, at 11:28 am, sent off my submission to RT Magazine for the contest. Whew! What a relief. Of course, now the tango-ing butterflies start. Did I choose the right dialogue scene? Is the love scene romantic/sexy/hot/fun enough? Will people like my hero and heroine? Will they like me? Ah, the insecurities of a writer's life. But no matter what, I like the scenes I chose, I like my hero and heroine and I like the whole darn story. I like what I do. Here's the story, take a look: http://www.judifennell.com/Sept2006/BATB.htm

The Juggling Life

2006-09-27T16:44:00.000-05:00

Who says we keep all the balls in the air? It seems like there are always one or two that get away. But luckily, none of the ones I've dropped to date are "glass" balls. When those hit the floor, the effects are far reaching. Juggling is a fact of a busy life. Now where in the heck is that application to juggling school? Maggie Toussaint

TOPIC ALERT: How do you juggle it all?

2006-09-27T12:47:00.000-05:00

Here's a timely topic for us all:

We all have multiple obligations -- other jobs outside the home, family, aged parents or young children, church, social groups.

How do you manage to keep all the balls in the air and not let anything fall? Any tips or tricks for others to consider?

Post your answers either as a separate blog-post or as a comment -- all are welcome!

J L
(topic-meister)