Busy, busy, busy

See what happens when I don't do this first thing in the morning? I get busy and forget. Which is what happened today. And now it's time to start dinner and get to writing...

So, okay, here are the tips, teasers, birthdays and saying for today.
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Yesterday's progress: 3 chapters critted for a friend, notes done on new story

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Birthdays: Brett Halliday, Primo Levi, Susan Cheever, Steven Womack

Tips and Teasers: On a hiking trip, a freak snowstorm blows in. You are not prepared for this. How do you survive?

Thought for the day: "A gem cannot be polished without friction nor man perfected without trials." - Chinese proverb

Fan fiction

On one of my writer's lists, we've been having a discussion about fan fiction. This is where an author has written something so popular that others want to continue the story. Or they want to take a particular character and expand on that line. Or even add new characters to the same universe.

It's an intriguing idea. One I'm still trying to decide on how I feel about. I know several authors who are completely against it and even have gone to court over the issue. Others love it. They figure the fan fiction keeps their writing alive and on-going - and moneymaking. I can see both points of view as entirely valid.

There are also well-known authors out there who got their starts as fanfic writers.

I don't know when or how fanfic got started, but many believe it was due to the Star Trek series. As people fell in love with the characters and Star Trek universe, they started writing stories for the missions. And thus was born fanfic. Some of them went on to write for ST and eventually grew their own universes. Now there is fanfic for just about every popular book/TV series/Movie out there.

Looking at it from one point of view, I would be gratified to know that others enjoyed my books enough to want them to go on; to pick up on secondary characters and give them lives of their own. What would bother me though would be if those writers did things to my stories that I would not approve of - turning them into works that use my characters and my universe, but in ways that do not fit my vision. For instance, in the Harry Potter books, I know some fanfic writers have been adding a lot of graphic sex to their stories. J.K. Rowling doesn't approve of this, nor would I for some of my books. You have to stay true to the writer's ideal.

Which is why some authors don't allow fanfic. They feel others would take their hard work and corrupt it.

So which side is right? I don't know. I've written fanfic - but only for myself. I've never written anything on the web for others to see. And I just did it as an exercise to see how the original writer plotted out his/her book and what the scene/sequels were. It was a learning exercise for me, not something to be seen by others. But the practice today seems to be put it on the web and see what happens. I know I would be surprised and maybe a little gratified that someone liked my stuff enough to run with it, but on the other hand, if they ran it into a swamp, I'd be upset.

So I guess the jury is still out on this one for me.
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Progress last night - only three pages as I was still under the weather.
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Birthdays: Emily Bronte, Giorgio Vasari, Jose A. Villarreal, Archer Mayor

Tips and Teasers: Write a paragraph consisting entirely of cliché's.

Thought for the day: "Perfection is attained by slow degrees; it requires the hand of time." - Voltaire

Under the Weather

Not feeling so great today - and considering the storms we've had the last three days, that's saying a lot. So short and sweet today. Why not give today's teaser a try?
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Progress last night - 6 pages
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Birthdays: Booth Tarkington, Don Marquis, Alexis de Tocqueville, Stanley Kunitz, Chester Himes

Tips and Teasers: You've been tapped to be the new Grim Reaper. You're presented with the cape, the scythe, everything. Do you take the job? Why or why not?

Thought for the day: "There is only one trick that marks the writer. He is always watching. It's a kind of trick of the mind and he is born with it." – Morely Callaghan

Character Creation

I am in the midst of creating a new character. So the focus of this blog will be toward that. If you find yourself in the same spot, below are questions you can ask in order to create your character. Note - this is long, but at the end are the usual author birthdays, tips/teasers and thought for the day. Enjoy. :)

1. Name and/or nickname:
2. Physical characteristics:
1. Eye color
2. Glasses/contacts
3. Size (height, weight)
4. Body type (slender, athletic, voluptuous)
5. Hair color, length and style
6. Clothing style
7. Tattoos, scars, identifying marks
8. Voice range, accent, speech characteristics
3. What do I like about this character?
4. What do I hate about him/her?
5. What does s/he care about the most?
6. How is that threatened?
7. What is his/her greatest obsession?
8. What secret is s/he keeping?
9. Does s/he have any hidden illnesses?
10. What is s/he most afraid of?
11. What really annoys this character?
12. What mistake is this character making in life?
13. What is his/her I.Q. (100 is average, 200 is supergenius)
14. What is his/her favorite music?
15. Does s/he have any pets now?
16. Should I change his/her gender?
17. What does s/he do for fun?
18. What is this character's personality flaw?
19. How does this s/he act when under a lot of pressure?
20. What was his/her childhood like?
21. What did his/her parents do for a living?
22. Were they rich, poor, middle class?
23. What kind of environment did s/he grow up in?
24. Any siblings?
25. Was s/he ever teased because of a physical condition?
26. Did s/he ever cause or suffer a tragedy?
27. What person affected him/her the most?
28. Did s/he have any pets growing up?
29. How did his/her gender affect his/her life?
30. What was this character's happiest occasion?
31. What was his/her saddest occasion?
32. Has s/he given up a dream?
33. Was s/he ever addicted to anything?
34. What is his/her romantic past?
35. How has s/he changed in the last ten years?
36. How did this character's education or lack of education affect his/her life?
37. How does s/he act and react at work?
38. What is his/her dialogue style?
39. How does s/he interact with other characters in the story?
40. How does s/he contrast the other characters?
41. What other characters does s/he interact with? How do they conflict?
42. How does s/he feel about each at the beginning?
43. How does that change during the story?
44. Did s/he know any other characters before the story?
45. What's the history between them? What's the back-story?
46. What effect does this have on the relationship?
47. Are there any misunderstandings between this character and any other character?
48. How does this affect the relationship?
49. How is this character different around each character?
50. How does your character change during the story?
51. What mistake is this character making in life?
52. What incorrect attitude does he or she possess?
53. How has this affected his or her life?
54. In what way has this attitude barred him or her from getting what s/he wants?
55. Generally, what would have to happen to change this character?
56. What are some specific events that show this character the error of his ways?
57. Is this change positive or negative?
58. How does the change affect the story?
59. What could happen that would cause a relapse near the end of the story?
60. What act would prove this character has changed?
61. List ten story beats and whether they are a success or failure

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Birthdays: Gerard M. Hopkins, Beatrix Potter, Kenneth Fearing, Malcolm Lowry, John Ashbery

Tips and Teasers: You’re at a large, unfamiliar hotel and get off the elevator on the wrong floor. Just as the doors close behind you, you see something you shouldn’t. What do you see? What do you do?

Thought for the day:"The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook." - William James

This and That

I just realized that I didn't blog yet today. I find that when I don't do it first thing in the morning, I forget about it until the day is almost over. But often, first thing in the morning, I don't have much to say.

What a conundrum. :)

Today was an extremely busy day so I'm going to use that as my excuse. Yep. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I just got my royalty statement from my publisher. Funny thing, that. I spent a lot of time this month doing promotions - on-line chats and forums and stuff like that - and the book I was pushing sold fewer copies than the one I didn't say a thing about. Interesting. But I'm not complaining. Any sale is still a sale. :)

My mantra for the day: Go green - buy an e-book.
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Birthdays: Ciosue Carducci, Hilaire Belloc, Elizabeth Hardwick

Tips and Teasers: For just one hour, you have the power of a god. What would you do? Why?

Thought for the day: "If you don’t know what your goals are, how will you know when you’re successful?" – Susan Macias

Cleaning House

I've been cleaning house today. Okay, family, don't faint. Not the house I live in - my computer house. ;)

I have a file folder in my e-mail called "Do something with this" - it's supposed to be there so I actually do something with those saved emails that end up there. Well, I took a look at it today. There were well over a hundred e-mails - some over a year old - all of which I hadn't done a thing with. So I did. I went through them all and sorted, deleted, printed, or otherwise saved whatever there was there. If I wanted it saved, rather than save it in e-mail, I made a file in Word and copied/pasted what I wanted rather than keep the whole thing - in many cases I'd saved it just for a web address or a note. So the folder is now empty.

But I didn't stop there. I started going through all my folders. And doing the same thing. So now my folders are greatly reduced and I'm much more organized -- at least in e-mail. Now I have to do the same thing in my "My Documents" folders. Yikes!!!

One thing I am never lax on though is backing up. And you shouldn't be either.

As for the house? Well, it's not a disaster, but could probably use a good solid spring/fall cleaning. Two months to fall - I'll wait. :)

On the writing end of things, I didn't write yesterday. Started working on the next book I have to review and looking at promo materials and other business stuff. That's also stuff that gets put off as I'm writing/reading, but really shouldn't. Promotion is a huge part of this business and should receive the same amount of attention as the writing.

Yeah. Right. :)

But it is something I really do have to work on.
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Birthdays: George Bernard Shaw, Aldous Huxley, Anwar Chairil, Lawrence Watt-Evans

Tips and Teasers: What are your dreams? What specifically can you do to make them come true? One thing is to write them down. Dreams written down are concrete. A goal to be reached. Start a dream journal.

Thought for the day: "So much of writing or any other creative effort is having enough confidence to believe in our own ability to do it." – Suzette Edelen

I finished Harry

I finished at 7:05 last night and all I can say is Wow. J.K. Rowling tied everything up into a neat little bundle - well, okay, not little. At over eight hundred pages, this book is definitely one that will test the strength of your hands. But all the loose ends were tied up for me. I absolutely loved it.

Since I know some people who read my blog haven't finished it yet, I will not give any spoilers. But the author had me crying when certain characters died. That's how much she draws you into her books, makes you care about the characters and what happens. We laugh and cry, cheer and jeer, rejoice and grieve.

I am jealous. :) I wish I could write like that.

But I'm working on it.
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Progress last night - finished Harry.
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Birthdays: Elias Canetti, Midge Decter, David Madden, Robyn Carr

Tips and Teasers: You’re at a conference and sit at a table with seven strangers whom you hit it off with, although the talk seems a bit strange to you at times. You shrug it off as you are having the best time you’ve had yet. Then you realize you’re at the wrong banquet. What do you do?

Thought for the day: "One step at a time is all it takes and pretty soon, with enough steps, you’ve scaled that mountain." – Marylee Woods

Reading H.P.

No writing today - finishing Harry Potter. :)
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Birthdays: Alexandre Dumas, Robert Graves, Zelda Fitzgerald, John D. MacDonald

Tips and Teasers: Don’t make your hero or heroine perfect. Give him or her a flaw or quirk. Make them human.

Thought for the day: "The best publicity is a wonderful book." – Dee Holmes

Short Stories

I just finished reading an anthology of the 2007 Nebula Awards for review. I have to say, I'm a little disturbed by the two stories they put first in the book. Had I picked this book up off the shelf and glanced at them, I would not have purchased the book. I do know I'll probably never read anything by these two authors.

I will be the first to admit I'm a traditionalist when it comes to science fiction stories. I like them to have a beginning, a middle, and an end and make some sort of sense. I also like them to make an attempt to adhere to basic rules of writing - like one point of view per paragraph.

I can hear my daughter-in-law and critique partners now. This is an area where I have trouble. But I don't promote my books as the best in the world. The Nebula award does. Thus when the writer consistently switches point of view all through the story, I look at it as a first draft, not a final publishable piece. I had trouble following the story, didn't know who was "speaking" or what was going on and had an unsatisfying ending that didn't really end, just sort of petered off. Were I to grade this story, I'd probably have given it a C- or D+ and that only because there is imaginative potential here. But the technique of writing, in my opinion, was terribly executed.

And therein lies the problem. I've see this in a lot of "modern" short stories. The gift of storytelling is there, but where is the technique? Writing is an art, but like any art, there are two distinct aspects to it. There is the inspirational part - the idea, the concept that is unique to every artist. This is something that can't be learned. It is a part of who the person is. Then there is the technique. This is something that can be learned. In music, it is fingering and scales and breathing or beat. In painting, it is about color and brush strokes and mediums, in writing, it is about grammar and spelling and punctuation.

Okay, there is a lot more to art and music and writing than these - an awful lot more - but the point is, you can have a brilliant artist/writer/musician, but if she can't get her idea across to the public, then something is wrong.

In this story I read, I saw no point to it at all. There was a beginning, a sort of rambling middle, then nothing. No real end. No real plot. No tying up of loose ends - of which there were a lot. For me, the technique was missing.

Maybe I'm being too harsh, but I don't have time these days to waste on stories that go nowhere. Had I been reading this for fun instead of review, I'd have tossed it after the first couple of pages. Which is a shame because I would have missed the really good stories later on and the insightful essays on the state of science fiction. Why this story is an award winner, I'll never know. Maybe I'm not keeping up with the state of writing the way it is today. If that is the case, and this is an example of the best of science fiction writing today, I'll stick to my old favorites and let the younger generation read these "new" styles of writing.

In the meantime, I'm loving the new Harry Potter book.
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progress last night - five pages of new work bringing my total for the month to 50 pages, my goal met. 74 pages edited for a friend. And several chapters of H.P. read.
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Birthdays: Raymond Chandler, Hubert Selby, Jr., John Nichols, Nancy Mairs, Lisa Alther, Lynn Lauber

Tips and Teasers: If you were a character in a Harry Potter book, who would you be and why?

Thought for the day: "Compete only with yourself." – Mary Ellen Donahue

Mea Culpa

My son took me to task last night for my lack of knowledge about the lunar landing program. So I am here to apologize. History is not my strong point and I didn't take the time to look up the correct information.

So, to set the matter straight, there were seventeen Apollo missions in all. The last where men landed on the moon and walked on the surface was December 19, 1972. So there were other landings after the "first" one.

But 1972??? Come on, NASA. Come on government. We were supposed to be living on the moon by now. Yes, I know, there are multiple missions to the space station and the shuttle has been doing great things.

But 1972???

Sigh.
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Six new pages last night. Four more to go to meet my monthly goal. My reward will be uninterrupted reading of Harry. :)
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Birthdays: Emma Lazarus, Stephen Vincent Benet, Caroliva Herron, David Shields

Tips and Teasers: Pick one day of the week, i.e. Sunday, and write a paragraph or a page about that day. What do you commonly do on that day? Describe that typical day in detail. Be very specific. Now, put your current character in that day – how would he or she react differently than you?

Thought for the day: "If you spend your time saying 'I’m never going to finish this book!' You probably won’t." – Marylee Woods

Landing on the Moon

In all the Harry Potter hoopla, I and many others forgot that yesterday was the anniversary of the first landing on the moon. July 20, 1969.

My kids have heard endlessly the story of where I was and what I was doing (at a campground at the New Jersey shore, pouring rain that stopped long enough for the camp owner to bring a tiny black and white portable tv out to the picnic tables for everyone to watch - and we did!). Such excitement. Such hope for the future.

So what happened? Why have we never been back? Are we too bent on pouring money into wars that we ignore the hope of the future? All the science to be learned?

Okay, I promised early on that this blog would never become a political blog. It is about writing - specifically fiction writing.

That one glorious day in history, as well as one night when my mother, brother and I saw a UFO (seen by hundreds as my father, a police officer at the time, attested to) - these events led me to become a believer in possibilities. In science fiction and fantasy. In the "what if" of life. From those days on, I was hooked on this genre of supposition. On the belief that anything is possible.

And is why I write what I do. I couldn't write a regular book if I wanted to. There has to be something other-worldly in it for me. Something that is beyond the realm of current humankind, whether that is traveling to other worlds, meeting aliens, or having humans with extra-human abilities. For me, the question "what if..." is the impetus for writing.

What if man lived on the moon? (Prime Time)
What if a girl had extra-human (magic) abilities (Akashan'te)
What if....

The possibilities are endless.
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2 pages and a lot of reading done last night
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Birthdays: Ernest Hemingway, Frances Parkinson Keyes, Hart Crane, Tess Gallagher

Tips and Teasers: On July 20th, 1969, American astronauts landed on the moon for the first time. Were you born yet? If so, what do you remember of that day? If not, or if you were too young, talk to someone who was around. What did it mean to you/them?

Thought for the day: "Writing is a long-term proposition. You must be driven by the love of doing the work, because most days, that’s all you have." – Susan Macias

Spoilers

The world is up in arms about spoilers for the new Harry Potter book coming out in sixteen hours. Everyone knows someone major dies in the book - possibly several someones. But who can it be?

The web is rife with guesses and those saying they have the book and know the end.

My question is, why all the hoopla? Spoilers are never a problem for me. If I know the end, so what? If the book is a good story, I will still enjoy reading it.

I guess this is because I deal with this issue all the time. You see, I don't go to movie theaters to see movies (multiple reasons). I always wait until the movie comes out on DVD and then watch it, so because of that I usually know all about the movie to begin with. Thanks to papers, reviews, ads, friends and family, I pretty much know every nuance of the movie before I ever get a chance to see it - and that's not a problem. Like the books, if it's a good movie, I know I'll enjoy it anyway.

And like a good book or a good movie, if I really enjoy it, I'll probably read/watch it again and again. In which case I'll know the ending anyway. But it doesn't dampen the enjoyment for me. I always manage to find something new that I may have missed the first (or tenth) time through.

So spoilers? Bring 'em on. Not a problem.

But in just this case, I prefer to read the book myself. :)
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Progress last night - no writing, just reading review books
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Birthdays: Francesco Petrarch, Erik Karlfeldt, Franz Fanon, Cormac McCarthy, Henry Dumas

Tips and Teasers: On July 20, 1985, Mel Fisher's crew found the sunken 'Atocha' off the Florida coast. The wreck was loaded with silver, gold and emeralds. Pretend you're with them as they bring up the bounty. How do you feel? Do some research and find out about the ship and when and why it sank.

Thought for the day: "Trust your instincts. The longer you write, the sharper they become." – Dee Holmes.

Supplies

WalMart is having its annual school sale special - notebooks for ten cents. They are flying off the shelves - and not just because of kids going back to school. My writer lists are full of "I got mine" notes from people who are buying them by the cartload. They not only use them to write, but also as give-aways at conferences (they put their book covers on the covers) and for other reasons.

Other friends are scouring the aisles of office supply stores for goodies. This is our Christmas. When all the supplies we use go on sale. We stock up. But we also drool over all the neat stuff we'd like to have but don't buy. Paper, pens, office organizers... so much to choose from!

I've got piles of paper here, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to go get more. A writer can always use more paper - even if most of your writing is on the computer. For me, there is nothing more satisfying than putting pen to paper and watching the pages pile up. It is a visible sign of my productivity. Plus when I type the words in, that's when I do my first edit.

But not just any pen - different types of writing and different types of paper require different pens. For the newspaper crosswords, it has to be a good ballpoint. One that doesn't smear and flows easily. For serious writing, a gel pen that has an easy flow and a soft grip.

Think I might make a run to the store today. :)
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Progress last night - 9 pages
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Birthdays: Gottfried Keller, Alice Nelson, A.J. Cronin, Stephen Coonts, Jayne Anne Phillips, Denise Gess

Tips and Teasers: You’ve are being honored at a dinner. Write a speech that will bring the house to their feet instead of putting them to sleep.

Thought for the day: "Schedule fun time. Writers who say they’ve experienced burn-out, in hindsight, often admit they didn’t take time for themselves." – Judith French

Short & Sweet

Busy day and not much sleep so... short and sweet. :)
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Birthdays: William Makepeace Thackeray, Tristan Corbiere, Nathalie Sarraute, Jessamyn West, Clifford Odets, Hunter Thompson

Tips and Teasers: Today is your birthday. What’s the best gift you’ve ever gotten? The worst? From whom? Why was it the best or worst?

Thought for the day: "If you get a nasty fan letter, treasure it. The writer of it would love to be you." – Dee Holmes

Where has the good SF gone?

I am deep into my books that I'm reading for review. Two down, ten to go - and two lent to son and daughter-in-law who get to write up the reviews on them for me. :)

The one I'm reading right now is a science fiction anthology. Several of the stories included are award winners. I have to say, I don't "get it". I read the first story - one which one top honors in a huge contest - and it made no sense to me. There were point of view changes all over the place - in some cases within the same paragraph. The punctuation was less than stellar and the story itself was confusing. There was a loose plot of sorts, but it never came to a conclusion - either satisfying or unsatisfying. It just stopped. It felt like in the middle of the story.

The second story was more coherent, but not by much. I had trouble following it as well. The technical aspects were better, but the story itself left me flat.

So am I too out of it to understand this new way of writing? I've read several articles that decry the demise of the short story and that many magazines that focus on short fiction are doomed. Thirty years ago, there were over fifty science fiction/fantasy magazines. Today, there are four (I'm talking print magazines here, not e-mags). Yes, people are swamped with things to read, but short stories would tend to lend themselves to this dearth of time. And yet, the magazines are failing.

Could it be because nobody understands the stories, as I didn't? Could it be that the stories just don't capture our attention as the old classics did? I don't know. But I do know if I'd read these stories in a magazine, I would not have finished them and I probably would not have renewed my subscription.

Something to think about.
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Last night's progress - 4 new pages and 1 short story
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Birthdays: Shmuel Agnon, Erle Stanley Gardner, Christina Stead, Christiane Rochefort

Tips and Teasers: Your character is an avid pacifist, but he’s attacked and must defend himself or be killed. Does he? Why or why not? How? What if s/he must defend another?

Thought for the day: "You can’t reach your goal if you don’t reach for it." – Cynthia Thomason

Ways to Write

I've been having trouble with my new WIP. It just wasn't working well for me. I've been writing, but the excitement isn't there and if I'm not excited about it, how can my readers be? But I've been working on it, knowing I could fix problems in the edits.

Then I got a different idea - a new way of looking at the story. I did this with one of my other books and it worked well for me. I took my main character and am writing her diary. Not necessarily a daily diary, but one that shows me what she did and when. And I'm doing it a different way. I have a little electronic keyboard called a "Dana" that has a small screen on it. It's a great little writer's tool. Well, I picked up my Dana, sat down, closed my eyes and started typing (yes, I am a touch typist). I just let my thoughts go where they wanted with the story - and the most amazing thing is happening. The story is starting to flow. Not in details - there is no dialog, no settings or any of the other "stuff" that fleshes out a story. There's just the story. What happened to her and when. I'm hoping to do more of this tonight - I've got sixteen pages so far and am only at the beginning of the novel.

But I know where the story is going and why. I got into my character's head and know her background and history. Yes, I had that with the character sketch, but now I have more reasons as to why she is the way she is.

Okay, I know this sounds weird. I guess it's something another author would understand, but I really need to know my characters before I can write their story - and now I do.

If you're stuck in your own story, try stopping and writing some of the diary of your main character. Or do an interview with them. Try it and see what happens for you.
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Last night's progress - 6 1/2 pages
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Birthdays: Lauir Nordqvist, Mari Evans, Anita Brookner, Reinaldo Arenas

Tips and Teasers: Begin a writing jar into which you toss your loose change. When it’s full, treat yourself to a writing treat – a fancy pen, pretty journal, new book, massage, etc.

Thought for the day: "In this game, part of the responsibility for your success or failure rests squarely on your shoulders, so be prepared to take the heat when you don’t follow good advice." – Mary Ellen Donahue

Perseverance

Perseverance - the act of continuing to do something in spite of opposition, difficulty, etc. To persist.

Why do I define this word here? Because of something that happened this week. A woman I know slightly from one of my writer's lists received a rejection this week. Actually it was her third rejection - for a short story written for a weekly magazine. With this one, she declared that she was done. That there was no reason for her to go on writing. That she was quitting writing. There was no point to it.

She is not a writer. Nor, I believe was she ever one. And she will definitely never be one. A writer is someone who can't say "I quit writing." Writing is almost an obsession. It is something you have to do. Yes, you may take breaks from it - I did, sort of, to raise my family. And yet, I have notebooks full of ideas and notes and stories that I jotted down in my spare time. So I can't say I wasn't writing. I just wasn't submitting.

I've always been a writer. It's just now in these years after my children have grown that I have the time to concentrate on it and submit my work.

There are many people out there who think they'll sit down one day and dash off a novel or screen play and the hordes of adoring fans will come flocking to them. It happens. But is an extremely rare occurrence. But it does happen. And it keeps the hope alive for the rest of us who work away at this profession.

Yes, there are days when the last thing I want to do is sit at the computer or pick up pen and paper and write. But then an idea strikes and I'm off and typing (or scribbling). You see, I am a writer. I can't NOT write. As for that woman? I feel sorry for her. She will never know that incredible feeling of satisfaction of seeing her name on the title of an article or book or reading a review - whether good or bad - of something she created. It's taken me a long time, but I do know that feeling. And it's a good one.

I am a writer. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Progress last night - 5 pages new stuff
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Birthdays: Clement C. Moore, Hammond Innes, Iris Murdoch, Ann Jellicoe, Driss Chraibi

Tips and Teasers: You are a newly adopted puppy or kitten. What is your new home like? How do you feel? What is your new family like?

Thought for the day: "Luck can’t be planned or negotiated." – Alex Thorliefson

Wheeee! A new review

I got a neat present last night - a new review of my book Prime Time - and it was a doozy. Put me on a high I'm still coming down from. I've included a portion of it here. For the full review go to: Novelspot

Review snippet:

If Prime Time is ever made into a movie and Vicky Burkholder endorses it, I
will be among the first in line to buy those high priced tickets. This tale
is a rollicking ride of suspense, romance, and good Old West flavor that
doesn't stop till the last line.


Wow. Wow. Wow. :)
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Progress last night: 1/2 page new stuff, chapter in review book
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Birthdays: Owen Wister, Irving Stone, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Woody Guthrie, Natalia Ginzburg, Arthur Laurents

Tips and Teasers: Most people have unending “to do” lists. Look yours over. Can you put some fun things in there to break up the tedium?

Thought for the day: "Rejection after you’ve sold a book keeps your feet on the ground." – Dee Holmes

Friday the 13th

This is, I believe, the second Friday the 13th this year so far. I started off the day with an on-line chat for my publisher, Cerridwen Press. In addition to talking about my books, we discussed the finer points of Friday the thirteenth, some of which I'm posting here:

The fear of the number 13 is called triskaidekaphobia. I absolutely love the sound of that word. It just rolls off the tongue so easily.

It is generally believed that the aversion to the number 13 is due to Christian lore, but that's not completely true. Yes, many hold that the problem arose from Judas being the 13th guest to the Last Supper, but the phobia goes back even further than that.

In Norse mythology, it is connected with the goddess Freya, after whom Friday is named. Both Friday and 13 were sacred to her. Early Christian missionaries were so set against paganism and especially Freya that they went about setting everyone against her and Friday the 13th. Also in Norse myth, it is told that twelve gods held a banquet and neglected to invite Loki, the god of mischeif, who would have been the 13th guest. He crashed the party and played a trick that ended in the death of one of the other gods. Not a good thing to do.

In Greek myth, there is a similar story of a banquet, only this time the thirteenth guest would have been Eris, goddess of discord. For spite, she tossed in a golden apple designated only for the fairest. It caused such a ruckus among the vain goddesses that it led to the Trojan War.

You can read all sorts of stories about how bad 13 is, but for others it is a lucky number. It holds divine importance for certain tribes of Central America and some Christians actually look on it as a lucky number stemming from Christ and his twelve apostles.

And that, my children, is your lecture for the day. :)
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progress last night - read several chapters in a review book
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Birthdays: John Clare, Isaac Babel, David Storey, Wole Soyinka

Tips and Teasers: Of all the places you’ve lived, which was your favorite? Why? If you’ve never moved, describe your ideal place to live. Be specific.

Thought for the day: "Writers are just about the bravest people I know. Who else would lay their hearts on the line the way we do? Who else would have the determination, the persistence and the backbone to put up with criticism and rejections, to back the overwhelming odds that face every writer?" – Connie Laux

Meeting New Friends

I had a wonderful morning this morning. I got to meet one of my fellow Cerridwen Press authors at a nice little cafe here in my hometown. She was in the area visiting relatives and we grabbed the chance to hook up. It's so much fun to meet with other writers - get their perspective on the business, how they write, what they write, everything.

So we sat and we talked and we ate and talked some more until it was time for her to leave - she was taking her niece to see the Harry Potter movie. But I know I've found a new friend - and the best thing is, we're both going to the New Jersey conference in October so we'll be able to sit and talk and eat and talk some more. :)

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Progress last night - five pages of new work, 1 review book finished and review written
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Birthdays: Henry David Thoreau, Pablo Neruda, Stefan George, Lucy Fitch Perkins, Doris Grumbach, Donald Westlake, Oscar Hammerstein II

Tips and Teasers: You are at a family reunion. Your great-aunt Bertie pulls you aside and whispers in your ear. What she says is so shocking, you can barely handle the news. What did she tell you?

Thought for the day: "How many times you fall is not what matters. What is important is how many times you get back up." – (old expression, anon.)

Kathleen Woodiwiss

One of the premier romance authors of all time, Kathleen Woodiwiss, died this week. I remember reading her books back in the 70's. She is the writer who got me hooked on romances. Not for her the mild boy meets girl contemporary type stories. Her females had "spunk". They were full of fire and emotions. Her heroes were larger than life. Her historicals rich with setting. Her stories swept you away and held you in their grasp from the first sentence to the last.

When we moved and I was purging my shelves, hers were the first books in my "do NOT discard" pile. I've read them so many times, I could probably cite passages by heart. Several were so tattered, I rebound them myself since I wasn't able to find replacements. She was the author I aspire to be.

May her spirit be at peace.
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Progress last night - only a couple of pages due to nasty headaches.
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Birthdays: Robert Greene, Susan Bogert Warner, E.B. White, Harold Bloom, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

Tips and Teasers: It's summer. Time for picnics, vacations and lazing about in the sun. If money was no issue and you could go anywhere in the universe for a vacation, where would you go and why? What would you do? Who would you take with you? (Remember, I said 'universe'! Don't limit yourself to this world.)

Thought for the day: "Be gracious. It’s another word for class.” – Dee Holmes

Surprises

This has been a day full of surprises. For having nothing on the calendar, it certainly turned out busier than expected. The eye doctor appointments scheduled for next week got rescheduled to this morning. After three hours (both me and my husband), the upshot is I need substantial changes to my lenses - probably the reason I've been getting so many headaches of late.

Home for lunch, then a quick trip to town for groceries and errands. Home to do some cooking and get hubby off to work - but mailman has two packages. One a lovely canvas bag and book from a contest I entered. The other, a box of ten books from Wantzuponatime - the site I write reviews for. I had told them I'd take anything in the science fiction/fantasy/paranormal range. And they took me at my word! Not that I mind, but it will take me a while to get through all of them. That's thirteen review books I now have sitting on my shelf.

And my own new book to work on.

And a pile of magazines that is threatening to take over my living room.

And promos to get read for the conference in two months.

And...

You get the picture. Ah well. I always get more done when I have a lot to do.
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Progress last night - typed in seven pages of new stuff to WIP and added two more pages. Had to quit due to headache. Now we know why.
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Birthdays: Marcel Proust, Alice Munro, Frederick Marryat, Mildred Benson

Tips and Teasers: Mildred Benson, author of 25 Nancy Drew books was born today. If you've never read one, go pick one up and read it. If you've read them, get one and re-read it. Look for details on how these popular books were laid out. Take notes on them. They've stood the test of time for a reason – what is it?

Thought for the day: "Get out of your own way. Do not let the hows and whys stop you from writing." – Susan Macias

Running on Empty

Busy day today and not feeling the best - so short and sweet. :)

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Progress last night - 4 pages new stuff

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Birthdays: Dorothy Thompson, Barbara Cartland, Oliver Sacks, June Jordan

Tips and Teasers: Set up a calendar for each day, mark your progress, what you sent out, to whom, when it’s due back…

Thought for the day: "Writing can be a real pain in the neck. Or back. Or wrist, hand and shoulders." – Colleen Adair Fliedner

Not literary? Says who?

My son and I had a discussion the other night about what we like to read and watch. Unlike me, who has absolutely nothing to do, his time is extremely limited so he picks and chooses what he reads and watches very carefully. He tends to lean toward things that are deeper, that make you think, that have meaning. I tend to look for entertainment. One thing we both agree on, though, is Harry Potter. :)

No, this will not be a treatise about HP, but more about what makes a good book to read. All through my years of schooling, I read what I was supposed to read (plus a whole lot more). I've read most of Shakespeare, many of the Greek tragedies, Steinbeck, Buck, Faulkner, Dickens, Dumas, Keats, Whitman, Yeats, O'Neil, Hemingway, etc. I read all the "classics" that were recommended. Most I enjoyed. Some I did not.

Today, I read to be entertained.

But on one of my lists, someone pointed out an interesting tidbit. Of the classic authors I read, many of them were actually genre writers. They wrote the pulp fiction of their time. Poe was a horror/mystery writer. Tolkien wrote fantasy. Bradbury wrote science fiction, as did Verne and Wells. Emily Dickinson, Austin and the Bronte sisters wrote romance, as did Shakespeare (Taming of the Shrew). In their time, these authors were writing so others may be entertained. Yes, many of them had deeper meanings, but the meaning was put across in a way that the masses could understand. Even Cervantes "Man of La Mancha" has touches of romance in it.

And yet, all these authors are now considered literary. They are "must read" books that people who run literary lists say are must reads. I find this rather funny. Yes, these books have withstood the test of time. Mostly because they are well written and tell a good story. They entertain.

I admire my son for his taste in literature. He is an extremely intelligent young man with deep convictions. I also understand his extreme time limitations so the need to be very selective in what he reads. His shelves are filled with good books. Mine are filled with genre pulp fiction. We will probably never agree on what makes a good read.

With the exception of Harry P. :)
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progress last night - edited 50 pages of new WIP and added two pages
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Birthdays: Jean de La Fontaine, Alec Waugh, Shirley Ann Grau, Anna Quindlen

Tips and Teasers: You’re ready to quit writing for the day. Before you do, set up a question or scene that you will have to answer tomorrow. That way you won’t sit there staring at a blank page.

Thought for the day: "Everyone needs to celebrate their successes. We must seize the moments of joy and celebration and exult in them; they will help carry us through the difficult times." – Suzette Edelen

Writer's Groups

I just got back from my monthly writer's group meeting. I wasn't going to go today - I could find a lot of excuses not to go, but I went and, as usual, I'm glad I did. There weren't many there - it's mid-summer, a holiday weekend and people are busy. We had maybe a dozen members. But the energy is the same whether it's two or twelve or twenty. We laugh with each other, commiserate, coax, cajole and complain. And kick each other when needed.

We had an interesting speaker today. An older lady named Mae Graybill who was one of the original Rosie the Riveter's back in the early years of WWII. She worked out of Baltimore riveting the fusilage on B-26 Maurader planes. How fascinating it must have been to be a woman in those times working on building planes and ships - doing jobs that up to that time had been only for the men. She told us some good stories about her times in those days.

All told, I'm glad I went. I've returned with new energy and hopefully will be able to get some actual writing done tonight!

My goal for the month of July is a minimum of 50 pages of new work.
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Birthdays: Jan Neruda, Vladimir Mayakovsky, Robert Heinlein, Harriette Arnow, Louise Erdrich, Margaret Walker, Jean Ker

Tips and Teasers: Check your facts. Always. Just because you looked something up on the internet doesn’t mean it’s correct. Check several sources.

Thought for the day: "The easiest way to get good press is to write it yourself." – Margaret Brownley

Oops

I got busy. I was with family. I was...

Excuses. Excuses. Excuses.

I missed yesterday. Oh well.

Here are the tips/teasers, etc. for yesterday. I'll post today's later after my local writer's group meeting. :)
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Birthdays: Verner von Heidenstam, Eino Leino, Bessie Head

Tips and Teasers: You come home late at night after a long weekend at a tiring conference. All you want is a hot shower, decent food and your own bed. You pull into your garage and go into the kitchen – to find lights blazing, cameras rolling and strangers smiling at you. Your friends got together and had your house "remade" for you. It is totally NOT your style. What do you do?

Thought for the day: "When you become the reigning star on the best seller list, you can afford an attitude, but until then, remember that agents and editors are in business." – Kay Lewis Shaw

Updating

I am currently in the process of updating my web presences - myspace, blog, web site. It is not something I enjoy or look forward to, which is why I put it off as long as possible.

Actually, of the three, the blog is the easiest to do. I just go into edit mode and click and add or delete and there it is. I can update it every day without a problem - sometimes even several times a day.

The myspace spot is a little more problematical. Since I work there with another Vick, we coordinate what we do (some of the time) and I don't always get over there. I find myspace difficult to navigate and much too "busy" for my tastes, but it is popular so I deal.

Then there's my web site. Stonecreek Media did an awesome job with it. I absolutely love the site. And I know I could pay them to do the updates, but sometimes money *is* the issue. So I'm learning to code. What I don't like is I used to use FrontPage. Okay, I can see all the techno-geeks cringing. What can I say? I'm not good with coding. Even back in the day when I took Fortran and Cobol and all that stuff, coding was not my strong point.

What I liked with FrontPage was I could see the picture of the page and work with that. I didn't need to know the coding because the program did it for me. Want to update your lists? Okay, stick the websites in there, tell it what you want it to look like and, voila, it is there. But now my pages are in a .php style of file and my Front Page program doesn't know what to do with them. So I have to learn coding. I can't do what I want because I don't know how - yet.

So I struggle on. I'm learning, but it's a slow process because of the time involved.

Maybe it would just have been better to pay someone to do it.
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Yesterday's progress - review book finished. "Life's a Beach" by Claire Cook. Grade A-. It's a nice light read for the summer, but I'll probably never read it again nor will it become a keeper. This one will be donated. But it still was a good book. Full review will appear at www.wantzuponatime.com
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Birthdays: George Borrow, Jean Cocteau, Naomi Long Madgett

Tips and Teasers: You’re in a museum, browsing around ancient artifacts. Someone pushes you and you stumble, breaking a case and an ancient sealed vase. A strange vapor escapes. What happens next?

Thought for the day: "The road to good grammar can be long and tedious, but if you really want to impress an editor, make sure your manuscripts are as error free as possible." – Pamela Britton

4th of July

May everyone who celebrates have a happy and safe 4th of July!

I'm off to my son's place for a picnic and then home for the fireworks - providing the rain holds off!

Enjoy your day no matter where you are. :)
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Progress yesterday: approx. ten pages of notes on new WIP
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Birthdays: Nathaniel Hawthorne, Neil Simon, Lionel Trilling, Stephen Foster, Mao Tun

Tips and Teasers: It is Independence Day. What do you need to do to mark your independence in writing?

Thought for the day: "There’s only one sure way you’ll never be published. Stop writing." - Rina Najman

His First Mistake

I have a wonderful husband. He knew I was feeling really down yesterday about my double rejections and thought he'd spend today making me feel better. That was his first mistake.

His second was to take me to not one, but two bookstores. :) Yes, I bought books. Let's see...
197 TBR - 2 read + 3 review books TBR + 5 purchased today = 203 TBR. Sigh. I am so in trouble. And I walked away without so many more I could have purchased.

But it was a hoot seeing friends names on those shelves. Authors who I actually know. Wow. I know these people. I talk to them. I work and play with some of them. And there they are. Now if I could just get my name up there with them!

Do I feel better? Yep. My pocket book doesn't but I do. Would I have been just as happy had we not going there? Yep. But after all, it is the thought that counts. :)
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Progress yesterday - submission sent on recently finished time travel
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Birthdays: Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Franz Kafka, M.F.K. Fisher, Ashley Bryan, Tom Stoppard, John Yount, Francis Steegmuller

Tips and Teasers: In 1863, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania became the center of the conflict between the North and the South. Put your character there – what side is s/he on? A fighter or civilian? What happens?

Thought for the day: "A successful writing career is a combination of talent and business savvy. Ignoring the business is…like a bride who puts all her energy and time into the wedding, and gives no thought to the marriage." - Margaret Brownley

Roses and Thorns

My local RWA writing group - Central Pennsylvania Romance Writers (www.cprw.org) has a "thing" we call Roses and Thorns.

A "Rose" is given when a member of the group finishes their first manuscript, lands an agent or editor contract, finals in a contest, or other writing milestone. Rather than actual flowers, a rose consists of a really good pen, pads of paper, good books or other neat gifts.

A "Thorn" is given when one of us receives a rejection. Last year, I was crowned the Queen of Thorns as I received more rejections than anyone else. It also meant I was submitting more than anyone else. Then I received my roses in the form of contracts from Cerridwen Press.

I'm still collecting thorns. One yesterday, one today. But I am no longer the queen. One of my friends has taken the crown. And that's fine with me.

But I am still getting rejections. And they still hurt. I know - rejections aren't personal. Don't take them as such.

Yeah. Right. Okay, they're not personal. But they still hurt. So I'll give myself a day to rage against the fates, then I'll get back to work. Cause that's what writers do. And I am a writer.
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Progress last night - finished the last hundred pages of the edit. 394 pages edited in a week.
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Birthdays: Hermann Hesse, Wislawa Szymborska, Kingsley Bass, Jr., Francis Wyndham

Tips and Teasers: You've found a cell phone on the sidewalk. While checking for an owner, you look at the numbers recorded – and find your own number. Yet you cannot find anyone in the list that you know and you've never seen this cell phone number before. Who owns the phone and why do they have your name and number?

Thought for the day: "The saying goes 'when one door shuts, another opens.' Unfortunately, publishing doors shut every day… Sometimes you have to haul yourself up and climb out a window." – Holly Jacobs

Rejections

I just got another rejection for a classic fantasy I wrote called Blood Harp. This rejection hurt more than some. I had sent the e-query back in February. Yesterday, I got a newsletter from the publisher in which they said they were all caught up on submissions up to mid-March and if you'd sent them one before that and got no answer, you were to e-mail them.

I hadn't heard, so I did. And got a fast rejection. They had held my manuscript all that time in a "keep considering" folder. They liked the story, but couldn't find a slot for it.

And so back to the drawing board.

In the meantime, I also received four books to be reviewed. So much for my To Be Read pile! :) I started reading one yesterday. I love that I can read while pedaling away on my new recumbent bike. That is so nice. Exercise my body while still getting some work done. :)

On another subject, this is July 1st. Unofficially, the middle of the year. How are you coming with your goals? I'm on target with mine. I've managed to add to my blog every day so far and I've been writing, editing and submitting like crazy. And my writer's group goal (of writing a million words by the end of the year) is right on target too. We're up over 600,000 and still going strong.
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Progress last night - another 60 pages edited.
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Birthdays: George Sand, William Strunk, Jr., Irna Phillips, Juan Carlos Onetti, Jean Stafford

Tips and Teasers: Give some air time to the critic in your head. Then tell it to be quiet and listen while you get back to work. Write a letter to your inner critic telling it why you need to get this task done.

Thought for the day: "Writing, like piano playing, must be practiced. Like it or not, a certain number of hours…must be got through…" - Virginia Nielson McCall