Do You Believe in Angels?

I never set out to write about angels. I didn’t sit down one day and think to myself, “Angels, now there’s a good basis for a book.” In fact, it was the furthest thing from my mind – before I had the dream. Back then, I had visions of Regency heroes and quirky modern heroines, but angels? Not so much.

Until the dream.

Of course I didn’t realize at the time that I was writing about angels. They weren’t very forthcoming in the beginning. I actually thought that I was writing about a woman who was at a crossroad in her life where the ultimate choice she made could literally have life or death consequences. I know what you’re thinking. All this from a dream? Well, no, not exactly. The dream itself centered around a woman at a nightclub dancing the night away with a sinfully attractive man. Simple enough but for the fact that, when she turned away from him, his eyes began to glow red, giving him a devilish look. Still rather unremarkable, right? Until the woman showed up in my next dream. Only this time, she was dressed in a rather proper manner and moving into a garage apartment, preparing to take care of the twins of a widower.

That’s how Nora’s Soul came to fruition. Two dreams, interconnected, that wouldn’t leave me alone. They were all I thought about. Who was this woman and why was she out dancing with a devil one night and preparing to care for children the next? The questions fueled my imagination, demanding answers. The first answer came in the identity of the woman, Nora, who began to give me clues to her background. The angels came in later. You see, in the beginning, I thought I was dealing with a clear-cut depiction of good versus evil, devil versus angel, but as the story progressed, I realized that not everything is so black and white. There are beautiful shades of gray.

Dante is a shade of gray. When he first came to me in my dream, Dante portrayed himself as something of a devil. So that’s how I described him. He was a devil, his only purpose was to steal Nora’s Soul, and that was the end of the story. Or so I thought. But Dante had other ideas. Just when I thought I was done with him, he wouldn’t let me go. He kept invading my dreams, telling a different story. I soon learned that Dante was an angel who, not unlike Nora, was led down the wrong path by his desires. And Dante also finds himself having to make some decisions that could have severe ramifications not only for himself but also for others connected to him.

At its core, Nora’s Soul is about a woman’s crisis of faith – in herself as well as the heavenly beings who are trying to set her on the right path. But it’s also about what happens when one of those heavenly beings has been led astray, his own faith – in himself, in his kind – tested. Even Dante will have to answer the question: Do you believe in angels?

Just Beginning

Happy Sunday everyone! I'm Carrie Hinkel-Gill and I am excited to join fellow Deadly Vixens Sarah, Gracen, Margay and Ashley!!

Let me start by telling you some things about myself and how I got to be a Deadly Vixen. I have been writing stories and poems for as long as I can remember. I grew up on Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein but later came to appreciate poets such as Walt Whitman, Galway Kinnell and Sharon Olds. I wasn't sure how poetry would help me, I just knew that I needed to study it, understand it as best as I could. Equally important to me, was creative writing. Even though I was studying electrical engineering in my early academic years, I didn't feel balanced unless I had an English class of some sort.

After ten years of classes and no degree, I began to reassess my life, try to figure out why I wasn't advancing and not even close to graduating. The answer was not something I wanted to admit, but once I admitted it, I was able to move on. After a lot of soul searching, I realized that no matter how smart I was and no matter how hard I tried to study, I was never going to get any farther in engineering because I didn't want to be an engineer. I had the smarts, just not the heart or the drive.

Okay, so all this time going to school and no degree to show for it. What did I really want to do? I wanted to write but at the same time I didn't want my engineering to go to waste. I wanted something that would make all those years of academic study useful to some degree, but above all, I wanted to write. So, I chose to be a Professional & Technical Writer. When I get my paperwork in order, I will have a Bachelor's Degree in Letters and Science in English with a specialty in Professional & Technical Writing with a minor in Electrical Engineering.

So, what made me decide to pursue the creative side of writing?

The characters in my head. During the summer and fall (my last semester of college) of 2008, I would have periods where I couldn't concentrate or get anything done unless I took time to listen to the voices in my head. The voices were characters with stories to be told and they were tired of being ignored and began making more and more noise until I put pen to paper and/or fingers to keyboard.

Brandon Brandelbuck has been the loudest character so far, while the purple-cloaked warrior has been most patiently waiting for me to get back to his story. One weekend, I was supposed to study for an exam on some of Shakespeare's plays, but Brandon was making so much noise that I had to get some of his story down so that he would be quiet so that I could study. He wanted me to do it old school, that's right, pen and paper, so pen and paper it was. After a few hours, I had written enough to satisfy him and he let me have some quiet time to study. It was mid-September at this point and I figured that writing would just be a fun hobby and still wasn't quite serious about pursuing a career in creative writing. However, by the end of the semester, I knew that I wanted to write novels and nothing else would do.

After I finished my last semester, I began to immerse myself back into the online writers' blog I was paying attention to before my last semester of college. One thing led to another, and I found myself following the Deadly Vixens. Then I discovered the Wisconsin chapter of RWA and attended a meeting. Soon after that I saw the request for new DV's which brought me to you today.

Currently, I am in the process of becoming an official RWA member and learning some history of the the planet on which Brandon and Cleo live. In my free time, I read, build my website and try to get some remodeling done in my condo. This summer I will be traveling to ride some roller coasters and drink some good craft beer.

While I do not have any book or story to promote at this time, you can find my Genres column at:
The Leader

Unfortunately, I don't have any control over the editing process at the student-run magazine, so some of my transitions and personal touches don't end up in print and they can read somewhat awkwardly, but it still is a way to practice my writing. For this reason, I am working on getting the originals posted on my personal website (another work-in-progress for me) which can be found here:
My Genres Columns

Since I am a new Deadly Vixen and not familiar with all of our followers, I would like to open the floor for questions. Is there anything that's not here you would like to know about me?

I look forward to answering any questions you may have!

Carrie

P.S. - Be sure to check out Margay on Monday!

What a Character

Have you ever had a character invade your mind? When you thought you were done with him, has he ever come back to haunt you, or to prove otherwise? It happened to me. When I began to write Nora’s Soul, the character of Dante was just a satellite character in my mind, a device to move the story forward. But he had other ideas and he just wouldn’t be silenced. He invaded my mind, took over my thoughts, and even tried to –

Dante: Stop, woman! You like to think you’re my creator, but we both know the truth of that, don’t we?
Margay: But I did create you.
Dante: Tell them how I came to you in a dream.
Margay: All right, so you came to me in a dream -
Dante: I love invading dreams. I don’t get to do it very often.
Margay: Can I tell the story?
Dante: Oh, yes. Please do.
Margay: Thank you. As I was about to say, it was one of the more vivid dreams I’d ever had, a fully realized scene of the two of us on the dance floor, dancing the night away.
Dante: I love dancing.
Margay: Dante, please.
Dante: Oh, sorry. Go on.
Margay: But you were something of a devil and that is how I first thought of you. But as the story came to develop, I realized that you were more of an angel, just a…misguided one. You’d lost your way somehow. You’ve been rather stingy on the details.
Dante: If I told you everything up front, what fun would that be?
Margay: Yes, I must admit it’s been more fun pulling the details out of you with a pair of tweezers. I just wish I didn’t have to go through Nora to get them.
Dante: Ah, yes, Nora. Sweet girl.
Margay: We’ve talked about this, Dante. You can’t have her. She’s not meant for you.
Dante: Can’t I have anyone? What kind of power do I have if I can’t take whomever I want?
Margay: Don’t forget free will. It’s all about free will. You see, they have to choose you. If they don’t choose you, you can’t have them.
Dante: I never did like free will. It’s always messing things up.
Margay: Dante, come on now. Maybe we should just talk about the book.
Dante: Yes, do that. Talk about the book.
Margay: At its core, Nora’s Soul is a story about one woman’s journey to rediscover her faith – in herself, in her beliefs, but along the way, she is challenged by two angels, one light and one dark. The light angel, Peter, wants to help her reconnect, but the dark angel, Dante, wants something entirely different. He wants her soul.
Dante: Nice summary.
Margay: Thanks.
Dante: I just hope you got the story right.
Margay: Well, I guess you’ll just have to wait until the release date to find out.
Dante: So you’re not even going to give me a little hint about how it turns out?
Margay: Nope. But if you go to my website http://margayleahjustice.com, you can read an excerpt.
Dante: And you thought I was the devil.
Margay: If you’re done, I’d like to regain some control over this article.
Dante: Oh. Sorry.
Margay: Right.

Well, there you have it. Character. You just never know when a character is going to invade your thoughts – or take them over completely and try to run your life. But what are we without the characters that populate our books, our movies, our lives?

An Introduction

Hello, everyone, my name is Margay Leah Justice and I am the author of Nora's Soul. As dedicated readers of The Deadly Vixens blog, some of you might already be familiar with me as I am a frequent commenter here and had the honor of having my book reviewed by the Vixens. So when the opportunity presented itself to become a Vixen myself, of course I jumped at it! For those of you who don't know me, here's a little background.

I won't bore you with the details about how I came to be a writer but I will tell you that I took a somewhat unconventional route to get published. After a few half-hearted attempts at getting published when my daughters were younger, I finally decided about five years ago to really invest the time and the effort to seek publication. Still, I wondered if my writing was good enough, so I decided to submit it to some contests first, to test the waters. Well, the waters were welcoming and I met several kindred souls who shared the same goals and ambitions and we created a critique group in an effort to help each other achieve our dreams. Somewhere along the way, someone suggested that we start our own publishing company so we could see our books in print and, well, one of us took that idea and ran with it. Thus, Second Wind Publishing, LLC was created by Mike Simpson who single-handedly granted the dreams of every author in that group and thensome. Second Wind has grown by leaps and bounds in the past several months and new authors are joining up every month.

So that is my professional story, for the moment. I am still writing the next novel and planning several others, all while promoting myself online and taking care of my daughters at home. Although balancing homelife with the business of writing and getting published can sometimes be challenging and in conflict with one another, both are very rewarding endeavors. My philosophy is, if you really want something you will find a way to achieve it.

I welcome any comments or questions, so if there's anything you want to know, please feel free to ask. I will answer everything to the best of my abilities. I can't wait to get to know you all!

Margay

Get Out of My Head!!!!

Awesome Friday everyone! *waves* My apologies for posting this late.

I had a supernatural topic I was going to post today, but then I decided I would propose a question to you. Do we writers spend too much time in our heads?

I ask this because all I’ve done this week is create scenes and dialogue in my head. My kids are talking and I’m fantasizing about dialogue between my characters. My husband is rambling about work and I’m masterminding detailed love scenes in my mind. The television is playing my favorite show Supernatural and I’m creating a new monster of the week to wreak havoc on my heroine/hero.

This daydreaming got me into a spot of hot water yesterday too. My oldest son reminded me that I had promised to take him to Wal-Mart so he could purchase a fish tank with his money. He’s caught a Salamander out of the creek in our backyard—all ready named it Rocky (I am sooooo rolling my eyes)—and he thinks it should have a home in MY home. My opinion, it looks a lot like a lizard, so it isn’t happening! My youngest is backing him, arguing vehemently that I agreed, which is strange because they never agree on anything—ever. Anyway, I said, I never promised that and I’m thinking to myself “Are they smoking crack?” because I would NEVER agree to allow a lizard-looking creature into my home! They know this. So…to back up his defense he commences to repeating where we were, what we were doing and the exact conversation when I agreed to the SNAFU. And somewhere along the way of the retelling I have an “A-ha!” moment because that was when the heroine in my head said to the hero, “Come here, cowboy.”

Big gulp!

Yep, you guessed it, hot-freaking-water! Now, how do I get myself out of it? I can’t confess to an eleven and seven year old that I was thinking about risqué dialogue that ended up in sexual positions during our conversation. So, it looks like the slimy little sucker is going to have a home in my home. *shudders*

So, again, my question…do you as a writer spend a lot of time in your head, daydreaming, spinning scenes and dialogue? Or do I spend too much time in my head and should seek psychiatric help to come out of my fictional world? ;-) Seriously wouldn’t happen if everyone told me to do it, because quite frankly some days I like the fiction I create better than the world I live in. =)

I hope everyone has had a fabulous week and hope you have an equally awesome weekend!

Not a good way to start the year!!!

Hey everyone. Many of you probably don't realize that I've pretty much been awol from the internet lately. I've managed to get my Monday posts in, but that's about it. I hope you don't mind, but my post today is probably going to be more of a rant than anything writing or paranormal related. I'm going to spill the beans about what's going on in my life right now, in case you're interested.

As some of you know, I'm a travel nurse. I've been in Texas from September through December, at which time I went home for the holidays. Well, I was due back in Texas on January 12th to start the second contract I signed with the hospital. Great! I arrived here and went back to work. No problem.

Well, my computer decided that it was tired and needed a rest. So, I sent it in to the shop to be fixed. I tried to call the company to have them change the shipping address so it would be returned to me here in Texas, as they told me to do. Unfortunately, I didn't get an answer in time and it was shipped back to Missouri. My mom had to pick it up and ship it to me here. I haven't received it yet, but hopefully today. No problem.

I found out my temporary nursing license for the state of Texas was to expire on January 16th. I still haven't received my permanent one yet. So, I called the board to find out what was going on. Apparently the fingerprints I sent in for the background check weren't accepted and I had to pay more money to get them electronically scanned. I couldn't do this in Missouri, where I was when I found out. I had to be in the state of Texas to do it. Fine. I did it first thing Monday morning when I got back. Put in my 12 hour shifts at the hospital for the week and waited to hear something about my license. I called the board later in the week to find out what was going on.

Here comes the really bad news...they can't get my permanent license to me for another 2 to 3 weeks. I can't work until that time. And no, they can't extend my temporary license for that long, it's not allowed. Uck! NOT GOOD!

I notified my company of the latest news on the license. They want me to go home until it gets straightened out. Okay. So, I'm supposed to go home when I don't even get my check until this coming Friday. The company won't pay for my apartment or rental car while I'm not working, so if I stay until Friday, I have to pay for it myself. Eeeek.

This is not mentioning the hundred dollars I paid for concert tickets back in December for a concert this coming Sunday, which I guess I'm going to have to miss. :( This is also not mentioning the almost one thousand dollars I paid back in December to keep my apartment so I wouldn't have to move everything out and back in again. And only get to say for a week once I'm back.

They expect me to lose three weeks of paychecks, live on one paycheck for those three weeks, plus pay my bills and moving expenses to go home and come back here again once my license comes in.

I'm at my wits end. I have no idea what to do. If I don't come back, they can sue me for not fulfilling my contract. If I wait around for three weeks, there's no way I can pay my bills. The mortgage company doesn't like it when I don't pay the house payment. Neither does the loan company for my car payment.

Ok, so there you have it. My life so far in 2009. Please tell me it's going to get better. Please, please, please!

Ok, just to put a little writing stuff in here. No, I haven't been able to write one word since the year started. Nada.

I'm having withdrawal symptoms from not getting to talk to my friends. I miss you all. Hope to talk to you soon. Eeek. It just occurred to me that I'll have to cancel my internet here and pay to have it turned back on when I get back. Drat!

Sorry for the rant today. I had to get my frustration out. I really just meant to let you all know where I've been and why I hadn't been around. Really, I did. :)

Starting Out 2009

Wouldn't you know it, I'm finally back home and my computer decides it needs repairs. So, it's off at the shop and I'm stuck one more time without a computer to use. Anyway, I'm back at the public computer for now until I get my baby home. Not the best start for the new year.

I have high hopes for 2009. I've been reading my horoscopes and tarot online trying to decide if this is finally going to be the year for me. The last few have left plenty to be desired. So, my time has to be coming, right? You can just agree here, I don't mind if it's not true. I just need the empty confirmations for my peace of mind. Can anyone say "grasping at straws"?

Anyway, I have big plans for this year. I'm wanting to take my writing to the next level. I think I've spent enough time spinning my wheels and not enough time moving forward. So, I've decided that this is going to be the year for it. My horoscope told me to write down my goals on Dec 27th and read them occasionally, this is supposed to help me meet them. Well, it should. I mean if I'm constantly being reminded of them, that should keep me focused, hence it will help. Anyway, I did what I was supposed to do like a good little girl and wrote out my list. We'll see what happens.

I've done absolutely zero writing since the new year started. Not very promising as far as my writing goals are concerned. I'm not letting that get me down, though. It's just because life has decided that I need to focus on other important things at the moment. I do not believe that it means I won't get much writing done this year. I refuse to believe that. I've convinced myself that I will progress no matter what. If I set my mind to it, it can happen. I'm of the belief that anyone can get whatever they want out of life if they work hard enough to make it happen. Once I get my computer back, I'll be able to accomplish a lot more, and that will help.

So, I've made my goals for the year, but what about resolutions. Everyone makes New Year's resolutions. Well, no that's not true. I don't. Most of the time anyway. I've made no New Year's resolutions this year. Yes, I know I should have, there's plenty about me that needs to be changed. But really, do resolutions work? Not for me. If I want a change, I just need to set my mind to what I want and go for it. I do better with goals. If I'm working towards something, I have a tendency to push myself until I get it. I know I can't get everything I want, but I try to set my goals realistically. At any rate, are resolutions and goals the same thing? Yes, and no. In my opinion. I could make a resolution and forget about it easily by February. Don't ask me why. But, if I set a goal for myself, I usually don't give up on it. Maybe it's just the difference of wording, but I guess we use whatever works best for us.

Have you made any New Year's resolutions? Made any goals for the year? What are your opinions on the subject? Leave a comment and let me know. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

May we all meet our goals this year, whatever they may be! Good luck!

Dealing with Rejection

I know we’ve discussed this before, but I recently received my first Rejection and so it’s been on my mind lately. It was very difficult to receive the comments. I didn’t take it as a personal attack or want to get back at the editor. I know it was nothing personal. But, that doesn’t make it any easier to take.

I received a lot of feedback, so much so, that the editor really didn’t have anything nice to say about my story. I think if they would have said something nice, it would have made the rejection a little easier to take, but unfortunately, that’s not always the case. At any rate, the editor found plenty wrong with the story. There is a lot of work ahead of me if I want to fix it and resend it out. I haven’t decided yet what I’m going to do, but that’s a lot of work to just let go to waste. Many months have gone into writing and revising the book.

I did share the comments with my critique partners and they did not agree with the assessment given by the editor. That made me feel a little better. But, I’m still questioning my writing abilities. I’m sure that happens a lot with writers when they receive negative feedback. I have to admit that I didn’t agree with everything she said either, but I do know that she was right about some of it.

All we can really do is keep plugging along and try to improve our craft as much as possible to decrease the amount of R’s we receive. I’ve been considering taking some online classes to help me improve my writing abilities. I’ve heard good things about some of the classes online and they can be relatively inexpensive. Of course, in this economy, it doesn’t take much to be too expensive. Anyway, that is my plan for the first part of the year. I will keep writing as well, but I do want to work on my writing at the same time.

I’ve heard many times to just read to improve your craft, but I’m afraid that method doesn’t work well for me. I’ve tried it numerous times and although I have to be absorbing some of it subconsciously, I’m not getting the full effect that many people get from it. I know my problem is that I get too involved in the story and forget to notice the writing. Maybe I should reread something I’ve already read, that way I already know what happens and then I can pay more attention to the writing itself. I’ll have to try that next.

Have you taken any online classes that you recommend or don’t recommend? Let me know your experiences with them, I’d love to find out more. If you haven’t taken any online writing classes, how do you feel you learned best? Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

I Finished It!

Instead of a deeply informative post about a writing topic, or even something intriguing about a creature of the paranormal, I have to share some exciting writing news of my own! As most of you might know, I completed the first draft of my urban fantasy novel on the 28th.

I was going to wait for a month or so to start editing it, but things have changed, and I'm deciding to forge through it. I'm feeling on top of the world right now. The novel I completed was book one of a series of books that I had started in 2006 during National Novel Writing Month, which I'd begun book two at that time. Due to nasty confusion and ideas that called to me more strongly at the time, I set the second book aside while gaining ideas for the first and third books.

I'm happily working on book two again, and now the words are flowing from my fingertips, which makes me very excited. I know that 2009 is going to be an amazing year. I feel it in my bones, and if that's any indication, you guys will be seeing more of my work, or I'll at least be agented with a book deal. hehe

So do you have any New Year Resolutions? Any ideas of what the New Year will bring? Let me know!

How many is too many?

Hey everyone, hope you all had a terrific weekend. I've been working like crazy on my writing, trying to get caught up, I'm sooo behind. One of the reasons is I've got several works in process (WIPs) going at the same time. I know, that's probably not the best idea, but I can't seem to help it. It just sort of happens to me. I've got at least 4 different WIPs that I've started writing, not counting the ideas I've stored away for later use. Sometimes, I think I must be crazy.

When I started writing, I was lucky to write one complete story. I don't know how many books I started writing, only to get about 30 or 40 pages in and get stuck. Ah, those poor discarded manuscripts. When I finally did finish a complete book, I was thrilled, but it was a full year before I was able to do it again. Since that time, I've written three complete stories and have several more in the works. It's hard to believe.

I've heard many authors state that they can't write more than one story at a time. Others, like me, have several going. I guess each person has their own style and way of doing things. Both ways have their positive and negative sides. I'm not saying one way is better than the other. To each his or her own. Find your style and go with it, that's my opinion. Just do it, as Nike would say.

Honestly, I didn't set out to write more than one book at a time. I actually started the first one for a challenge. Fast Draft, the goal to write a book in two weeks time. Well, at least about 50k anyway, not necessarily a whole book for some people. At any rate, I made my goal, but didn't finish the story. After the two weeks was up, life got in the way, I was tired, I had other more pressing matters to attend to, pick your excuse... I stopped writing it. For a little while, I focused my attention on revising my other stories. I had two that needed revision so I figured that would be a good time to do it. When the time came to get back to my writing, I just wasn't feeling it for that story. Maybe I burned myself out on it, I don't know. At any rate, I didn't want to not write, so I started another, thinking I would finish it and return to the first. LOL, that didn't happen.

Shortly, thereafter, I was asked by two other authors to write a novella with a combined theme in order to sub it for an anthology. I liked the idea, and guess what? I accepted. So, now I had three works in process.

Ok, that's enough to give you an idea of how it happened. I won't bore you with the rest of the story. The fact of the matter is, I've done it and now I have to finish them all up. I write on each of them at different times, depending on my mood. This is one of the benefits I was speaking of earlier. The problem is, negative side here, that sometimes you can lose sight of the story and end up never finishing. I hope that doesn't happen.

How do you write? Do you focus on one story at a time or do you have several going at once? Have you tried both ways? Leave me a comment and let me know what you think. I can't wait to hear your methods.

Nano November Hell!!!!

Awesome Friday! I hope you all had a very Happy Thanksgiving. Who besides me ate too much? ;-)

Nano--@#$%! It ends Sunday, November 30th. I’m not sure if I’m happy or depressed by that fact. I need another week. I have just over 38,000 words, but I’m not sure I’ll make my word count by Sunday. *breaks down and weeps from the pressure*

Seriously, what was I thinking when I signed up for Nano? Did I really think I needed more pressure? More obligations on my plate? My Novembers are always busy to begin with from my youngest son’s birthday, karate testing, football/basketball games and practices and then this year I added a surgery, Nano and my husband out of work the entire week of Thanksgiving! @#$%! As if Thanksgiving travel didn’t make writing challenging enough, he is off and at home with me the entire week. Joy, joy, not another word is wrote! lol That line has the ring of some sick joke or twisted song!

So, here’s to all you Nano exhausted participants. *raises my glass of wine at you* Whether we achieve our 50K goal or not, we are all winners because we at least wrote something during our 30 day writing-psycho-sprint. Without Nano I probably wouldn’t have managed a single word, except in the vast void of my brain cells and then it would have been dumped after a few days just like my computer trash bin. Of course, it’s pure speculation at this point that the writing isn’t pure crap or that the crappy parts are even fixable for that matter. ;-)

I hope everyone has an awesome and safe weekend. If you’re cramming for Nano, the best of luck to you! I won't keep you reading because you SHOULD be writing and not reading my blog!!!! =)

Week two of Nanowrimo

Well, it's week two, and boy, I am feeling it. Every other day, I've been actually craving going to bed early (midnight). Or even been feeling like my body isn't as well prepared to deal with staying up and writing or mustering up the courage to face life, nano, and the weather change (or whatever else is going on at the moment). I can't let that get in the way of my victory though. I am with Sierra on the pact we made (hooray for submitting to NY at the beginning of next year!), since that is something we really want to happen. (I'm so glad you joined it with us, Gracen! We're the Deadly trio of Vixens. ;)) You don't have to change your name to have an "S" beginning, we love you as you are!)

Anyways, this week with Nano is all about pushing through even when you don't feel like it, and I've really had to do that as much as I've been too sleepy and worn down. On Monday, I could only muster 137 words, then I had to get to bed. Tonight seemed to be going well, but then it took a turn and life got in the way. I'm having to push it back in its boundaries, which it doesn't really like. But I managed to get a decent word count down. As of right now, I have 23,470 words written. Tomorrow will be another day, and I'll get more writing done. Hopefully, I can start climbing out of the pit with a victorious roar and show my word count who is boss. *smiles*

So! The moral of today's story is that you can accomplish your word count goals, or at least, get some writing done each day, even if you're not satisfied with how high that number is. One of my main goals this is, besides from winning with a special number I have in mind, is to write each and every day, which I haven't always done in past Nanos. Also, when life pushes and tries to get in the way, you have to stand up and push back. You can win Nano, you can be a published author, and you can be a multi-published author. It's all about keeping your goals in mind and your priorities set. You can do anything you set your mind to!

So, how are you doing with Nano? Or life in general? What are things you're learning in regards to week two of Nano? I'd love to hear from you! *smiles*

Time for a celebration!

I've finally finished those edits. Woohoo! Two manuscripts. I was getting pretty tired of reading the same stuff over and over, let me tell you. But now, it's done and I can celebrate an accomplishment. Yay!!!

As most of you know, I haven't done NaNo because I had all those edits to finish. But, I finished them and now I can move on. I started writing again last night. Got a little over 200 words written. Not much, but at least it was something. I'm happy about that. I've been in a pretty big slump with my writing since June. I probably haven't written 3000 words since then. But, I can feel things changing for the better. I feel like writing again. I'm so happy. I was getting worried. 

I have to work 12 hour shifts for at least the next 3 days, maybe 4. So, I won't be getting much done this week, unfortunately. I hate that I'm just starting to get back into my writing and then I have to pause it because my time is so limited. But, that is life and we just have to face our roadblocks head on. 

I've decided it's time to get more serious with my writing. There for a while, I was feeling like Gracen and not sure my writing was worth the effort I put into it. Finally, I'm feeling a little better about it and it's time to step it up a notch. So, I've made a goal. I'm going to sub to NY next year. Period. I can put it off forever, but then I'll never get anywhere. 

I'm very proud of myself for meeting my goals for this year. I've subbed to online pubs. Twice! I'm happy to say that I have two things under consideration with The Wild Rose Press at this time. It's more than I ever expected from myself. I've always wanted to be a published writer, but I never thought I'd get up the courage to actually submit anything. So, my goal for 2008 was to sub. I'm thrilled that I did it. Thanks to the encouragement of my two wonderful blog partners! I'd never have done it if it wasn't for their help and support. If they hadn't pushed me, I would still be sitting here on my hands. Thank you girls, you're the best!!

So, having met my goal for this year, I've made my new goal for next year. I want to sub early in the year if possible. Since NY has such a long response time, I figured the sooner the better. If I sub early enough, hopefully I'll get lucky and hear back by the end of the year. Fingers crossed. So, I have to get busy and get a story written. :D

I'm thinking of doing a fast draft or trying to do a NaNo in half the time. If I can finish a story by the end of this year, then hopefully I can have it revised well enough that by the end of February I can sub it out to NY. Maybe sooner than that, if I can get my behind in gear.  

Gracen, I've already talked Sarah into joining me. It's your turn! Since I haven't been lucky enough to catch you online lately, I'm afraid I'm going to have to use my powers of persuasion on you here, LOL. I want you to agree to sub to NY in 2009 too. You're writing is definitely good enough. It's better than many NY writers I've already read. So, no excuses. You deserve it. You're stories deserve it. What do you say? *You can say no, but I'm not going to quit hounding you, so you might as well agree ;) *

This is our time! And the time is right to make our goals and get busy on them. The year is nearly over and the new one is coming in fast. Too fast, but that's beside the point. 

Okay, I'll quit my rambling for today. I'd love to hear what you all think. Have you made goals that you're working on? Have you met a goal that you're proud of? Share it with me. Can't wait to hear from you.

P.S. For those of you interested, Romance Divas is holding a Workshop for Historical Romance. It's free!! Here's the info...

Week one of Nanowrimo

Disclaimer: This blog was written after working on my novel, meaning it might not make too much sense at times, and there may be grammatical errors. *grins*

Well, as I discussed in last week's blog, I'm participating in National Novel Writing Month, which for those who haven't heard about it is a 50,000 word adventure to the depths of a writers imagination (meaning you write 50,000 words in one month). My journey thus far with Nano has been splendid. I've learned a lot about myself that I hadn't really known in previous years. Including the fact that I don't have to always be the underdog that catches up at the end. I can be on top of my writing the whole month long... or at least so far. *smiles* As of writing this blog, I'm 12,050 words in, and not planning on slowing up.

In the past, I did more slacking, at least this far in, and would always have to play catch up toward later in the month. Now I'm ahead of the game and wanting to reach a ridiculous amount of fairly clean pages. I've gone a little too much on the side of letting my fingers fly over the keyboard before that I'd keep in some spots that I knew probably would be edited out, which is a good thing to do to make the word count, but this year I've allowed myself to go back and correct some errors, especially after one year of going back into the novel to edit and scratching my head at a typo that I couldn't figure out what should have been there. Yikes! I ended up having to just delete that sentence when it had been pretty good except for that mysterious word. I love editing, but if I could take a little more time with the first draft, I think I wouldn't have to do so much!

I also find that with my current speed, it's easier to break through rough patches. So far I've gotten through two sticky scenes, one of which turned into my favorite as of now. This year has been a first since I have been kind of pantsing since I had a very, very rough outline, which was more of an idea than outline. And that idea has managed to change on me, for the good, mind you, but still... It's a wee bit exciting!

Anyways, I want to hear from you! How are you doing with your word counts? Has your journey been going well? What are you learning about yourself and your writing? =) Let me know!

Sleep. What a beautiful concept.

Oh the joys of staying up all night. I'm so tired that I want to go to sleep right now and catch up on all the missed hours. Unfortunately, that's not a good idea. If I don't stay up tonight, I'll never sleep tomorrow day and work tomorrow night will be a bear. So, I'm sitting here trying to keep my eyes open, and hoping they don't just clamp shut on me. That is a real possibility. 

I think one of the things that makes it more difficult, is that very few people are awake at the same time as I am. It's quiet. Perfect sleeping condition. It's dark outside, which tells my body that it's time to go to bed. Even after years of working nights, I still have trouble with my sleeping schedule. I hate it.

One positive thing about it though, is that when I stay up all night, I usually can get a lot done. I don't have all the distractions to keep me from my work. I can sit at the computer and write away. That's always a nice thing. Who doesn't want hours of uninterrupted computer time? It's definitely a big plus! If I had time to do that NaNo this year, it would make things a lot easier. 

Unfortunately, I have too many edits to do to try writing a new story right now. I would love to do NaNo this year, but I've got two stories that desperately have to be revised/edited and I am so slow at that process. I may have to do a NaNo on my own in December :D

I am doing pretty good on my edits so far, yay. I'm halfway through with the first story already. I may have to go through it one more time though. I'm not sure yet. I'll finish it up before I decide that. Then I'll have to move on to my second story for revision. I'm on a bit of a timeline, so I don't have any time to spare. The first book is with TWRP and they want the edits back in a couple of weeks, so I've really been focusing on that one. It's my first submission, so I want to make sure I do a good job with it. 

My second story is one that a partial was requested. I want to go through it again just in case they request a full. I haven't had time to really work on it yet, but I figured it's not as high a priority as the first, since the edits are already requested on it.

So, that's my writing life right now. No actual writing going on, just a lot of editing. How many of you are doing the NaNo this month? How is it going so far? Let me know what you're up to with your writing. I hope to hear from you.

The Joys of Writing

Hi everyone, this week I'm going to be discussing my writing and how it's going. I have had quite a few joys recently. It's very special when you really feel connected to your manuscript's plot and characters. Recently I've had cases when I would work on a manuscript that I've been trying to finish, that has actually had some editor feedback, but as much as I try, I just hit a wall when I try to work on it. I even tried working on another novel that I had started just a couple of thousand words on, but it as well was like hitting a wall. I just couldn't break through and work on it.

Then, I started working on a novel that's been very special to me, but that had kind of blocked a couple of years ago. With that novel, it's flowing like melted butter. The characters are strong in my head and I can really empathize with them. I was working on a scene a few days ago that was pretty serious and heartbreaking for the heroine, and I started crying because she was going through a really hard time.

Really, those are the moments when I know I'm on track. I really like the other novels as well, but this one is taking precedent in my mind right now. It has kind of pushed itself out there so I would work on it rather than the other two. How about you? Have you had any times when you just feel the pulled to a novel that's really grappling for your attention?

Let me know! I'd love to hear what you have to say.

Bringing characters to life

While my computer is out of commission, I've been working on writing exercises to improve my craft. Since all my works in process are on the computer, I'm not able to work on them, so I decided it was a good time to work on other things.

I've been focusing on my characterization. I've really been focusing on figuring out the different aspects of people's personalities. The way they dress, talk, walk, or whatever. All of that is what makes each one an individual.

It's not an easy task creating well developed characters. It's so easy to fall into stereotypes. But that is not what makes interesting characters. People want to read about characters that leap off the page. They want real lifelike people they can relate to.

I'm taking an online conference this week that I hope will help me with this and other issues that I need to work on. Unfortunately, since the computer is in the shop, I won't be able to participate fully. Hopefully, I can at least print out the important information and use it on my own time to improve my own writing.

Another thing I've done is purchased Debra Dixon's book online. I can't wait to get it in. I've heard so many good things about it. I'm waiting anxiously for it to arrive. In the meantime, I'm trying to read up as much as I can in writing articles.

What do you use to improve your writing? Or what kinds of things do you look for in a book? Share some of your thoughts with me. Do you have any good articles to recommend?

Please Welcome Author...Cathy Yardley

Thank you for taking the time to interview with us! Cathy Yardley's newest release is CRAVE: The Seduction of Snow White. Her full length romantic erotica novel became available in trade paperback on June 3, 2008.

• When/how did you know you wanted to write?

I’ve always wanted to write, but I never thought “real” people were authors… you had to be really special or really lucky. Fortunately, I found the Romance Writers of America, thinking that I could become a publicist for the books I enjoyed so much. They taught me that authors are not just real, they’re wonderful. And they helped me become a published author, as well.

• How long did it take you to become published?

I started writing seriously in 1996 or so, and sold my first book in 1999. But if you take into account all the scraps of novels I wrote (never getting further than chapter 7!) then I started writing in 1992. It took me seven years to get published.

• Who are some of your favorite authors?

Jennifer Cruise, Sherrilyn Kenyon, J.R. Ward, Dean Koontz, Sarah Addison Allen, Stephen King, Nora Roberts, Laurell K. Hamilton.

• Who do you count as your literary influences?

All of the above favorites! I also love archetypal stories: fairy tales, folk stories, myths. Neil Gaiman does a marvelous job of mixing different mythologies. Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunter series does a good job of integrating classic Greek and Roman mythology with her own “Atalantean” pantheon.

• How long does it usually take for you to research a book?

It depends on the book, and how far outside my comfort zone I’m writing. I’ve noticed that it takes more and more research the more books I write.

• Many authors are doing strictly e-books, do you think this is just a trend, or does it spell the end of real books?

Well, I think that “real” books is a misnomer. The story’s the key, not the medium. So hardcopy or e-copy, the story will still be king. Personally, I love the feel of books, and I love the physical act of browsing through a bookstore – browsing through Amazon just isn’t as fun! But I think that the distribution model of e-books, like iTunes, will level the playing field for a lot of authors. As more people get comfortable with screen-reading, I think that physical books will probably start to disappear, but not for a while.

• How long does it take for you to write books?

Between three months to a year, depending on the book.

• Is there any character in your books that you can really relate to?

I relate to an aspect of all my characters. The funny thing is, I usually find that when I’m done writing a book, the main character’s “problem” usually reflects something I needed to figure out about my own life. How’s that for your subconscious speaking to you?

• Do you see yourself writing in the same genre in 10 years? If not then what?

I would like to shift into horror a bit, or more paranormal, but I really love romance and women’s fiction. Whatever I write will have elements of that, I think.

• What advice do you give to those who are just starting out or trying to become published?

Enjoy what you’re writing. The business can be soul-sucking, so don’t be hard on yourself now. And look for what makes you unique. You can’t be just a little different version of what’s out there. You’ve got to be original and yet understandable. (Yeah, easy to say, but tough to do, I know.)

• What do you do when preparing to write a story?

I do a lot of character background and figure out what they want and why they want it. Then I do a really intense plot outline… I usually change that a bunch of time as I write, but it gives me a sort of roadmap. I've got the whole method in my non-fiction book Will Write for Shoes: How to Write a Chick Lit Novel. It works for any genre of fiction. It’s a little nuts, though, and really comprehensive!

• Where do your story ideas come from? Do you use people you know as characters sometimes or even sometimes a certain event from real life happenings?

I get a lot of ideas from songs on the radio, or from titles. I come up with the book title before I come up with the story idea sometimes! I've used composites of people I know for characters. Only once did I use a person I knew as a model: in my book Couch World, I used a good friend of mine who was a bouncer at San Francisco clubs. He’s “Sticky”, the main character’s best friend. And while the character was larger than life in the book, he doesn't even come close to doing justice to portraying the real Sticky. Sticky is a force of nature.

• What is your favorite part of writing?

Plotting and idea generation. I love it when a plan comes together!

• Do you have any projects you are currently working on?

I’ll have a second fairy tale erotica coming out in October ’08, called Ravish: The Awakening of Sleeping Beauty, and then in April ’09 I will have two books out… the third fairy tale, Enslave: The Taming of the Beast, and a women’s fiction novel called Turning Japanese, about a woman who quits her job and moves to Tokyo for a year to become an intern at a Japanese comic book company. Other than that, I’m also writing a trilogy for Harlequin’s Blaze line, a miniseries called The Players’ Club. I have no idea when that comes out. Busy year!

• Did it take a lot of rejections for you to finally get published or was it pretty easy for you?

I was insanely lucky: I got one rejection on a manuscript, and then my second book sold. It turned out there was a mini-series planned for Harlequin, and then one of the authors couldn't deliver a book, so they needed something in a hurry, and my premise exactly fit what they were looking for. So bam! I got a contract. Of course, then I got writers’ block and didn't come up with another book for a year and a half. But that’s another story.

• Do you write your stories out with pencil and paper first or do you work straight on the computer?

I work straight on the computer. My typing speed’s 110 words per minute… if I tried writing on paper, my wrist would go numb keeping up.

• Getting back to your books coming out soon. Tell us a little about what to expect from them.

The fairy tales are all modern-day versions of classic fairy tales. I tried to use the more grisly, “original” versions as jumping-off points, but I made them all new. For example, with Snow White, I made her a princess from a small country, the daughter of an actress-turned-royalty like Grace Kelly. Then, her stepmother was murderously jealous. So she ran away to a small agricultural cult in Pennsylvania, sort of like a Quaker commune, but with more ominous undertones, ruled over by seven “founders” instead of seven dwarves. I made sure to incorporate a lot of original elements: the apple, the mirror, etc. It was so much fun! I love that book.

• When and where can we purchase your books?

These books should be available in all major and independent bookstores.

• How do you feel about fans doing fan fiction and/or roleplaying on the web based on your or other author's works?

I’ve never had anybody do fan fic of my work. I think it would be strange: writing is so personal, it’s weird enough to know people are basically reading my “daydreams.” To have people reinterpreting my daydreams might feel a little wrong. But if they really enjoy it, or feel that my story didn’t address something (like a secondary character or something)… I don’t know. I’ll have to see.

• What are you reading right now?

I just finished reading The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen, and it’s lovely. I’ve also just finished Odd Hours by Dean Koontz. Not bad… I mean, the guy’s great, and the character’s a winner, but the story felt like a set-up for the sequel. Not as good as Brother Odd or the original Odd Thomas.

• What was the book that most influenced your life — and why?

I couldn’t possibly narrow that down to one!

• What are your 10 favorite books —and why?

Eep. How about my 100 favorite books? J

• Favorite films?

That varies. I love animated movies. Pixar embodies the creative spirit I absolutely adore. I like comedies, romantic suspense, old movies, indie movies, big budget action movies… really depends on my mood.

• Favorite music?

I’m all over the place. I definitely have a soft spot for 80’s music – Oingo Boingo was my first concert! I love Sting for being creative and artistically brave. Sublime, for being inventive…Michael Buble, for that luscious voice…the Gorillaz, especially with DJ Dangermouse producing… the FloBots for being funny and socially conscious without being annoying… Amy Winehouse, for that totally modern yet utterly retro sound… Shakira’s La Tortura, and some other reggaeton by Daddy Yankee… Five for Fighting, for when I’m feeling emotional, or Rob Thomas/Matchbox Twenty… the Swedish Eagle mix of Depeche Mode’s “Drive” and “Route 66”… The Chemical Brothers, the Dust Brothers, some Beck, Cake… oy, I could go for hours.

• Give us three "Good to Know" facts about you. Be creative. Tell us about your first job, the inspiration for your writing, any fun details that would enliven your page.

My first real job was at an ad agency. I was an assistant, and they kicked my ass. I wound up writing about some of the horror stories in my first Chick Lit novel, L.A. Woman. I didn’t name names, but I did once work 32 hours straight (stayed overnight, kept on working.) Insane! Hmmm… I’m a foodie, and I’m pathologically obsessed with ice cream. Some of my fav’s: Sticky Toffee Pudding ice cream from Haagendaaz, Breyer’s vanilla, Karamel Sutra by Ben & Jerry, and just about anything homemade. I’m experimenting more with homemade flavors. This summer, I’m trying honey flavored ice cream with Macadamia Nut brittle. Yum! Finally, for a third weird/fun thing, I would like to write a comic book or have one of my books turned into a comic book someday. I read some manga, especially when I was writing Turning Japanese, although my all-time favorite comic book series is Sandman by Neil Gaiman. Love me some Death! J

• What else do you want your readers to know? Consider here your likes and dislikes, your interests and hobbies, your favorite ways to unwind — whatever comes to mind.

I love dark chocolate. (Food. It’s all about food.) I love music, I love dancing. I love watching movies with my 2 year old son. I hate running after my son when he makes a laughing, screaming break for it at the playground. I love finding a new author and reading a book that will keep me up until two in the morning. I love sinking into a cozy favorite, too, especially if I haven’t read it in a while. I find computer social networks fascinating and could easily spend ten hours straight on StumbleUpon if no one else was around.

• When did you first realize that you were a writer?

I think the better term is “accept”. I didn’t accept that I was a writer until I won a prize in my local RWA chapter’s writing contest, which I only entered to ensure we had enough entries (I was president at the time.) But I’ve been writing stories since I was in kindergarten.

• Who was the most influential author you have read?

It depends. I think Jennifer Crusie has inspired me in writing romantic comedy, Nora Roberts for sheer dedication to the craft, Stephen King for being atmospheric yet personable in horror… so many others. There isn’t just one.

• How do you structure your day for writing?

It depends on whether or not I have one of the “Grandma Squad” watching my son. If they are, I write for a few hours straight. If they aren’t, I write after 7:30, when he goes to sleep.

• Do you prefer pen, typewriter or PC?

PC, hands down. I type about 110 words per minute, a lot faster than I could possibly hand-write, and I love being able to edit onscreen. Also makes backing-up easier and faster.

• What are your experiences with publishers and agents?

I’ve had a good experience with publishers and agents. I’ve had two agents in my career, both very lovely women who helped me get where I am now. I’ve also worked for Harlequin, NAL, Thomas Dunne/St. Martin’s, and now Avon HarperCollins. I’ve been fortunate to work with some wonderful editors.

• What will the role of the Internet play in the future of publishing?

I think that the most important role the Internet is playing is the ability to explode word-of-mouth exponentially, thanks to social networking. As e-books like the Kindle become more acceptable, then you’ll also have an iTunes-styled ability to increase distribution and get out of the print publishing business model, but I think that’s still a few years off.

• What's your next project?

I’m writing a 3-book trilogy for Harlequin Blaze: a miniseries called “The Players’ Club.”

• Why and how did you get started writing?

I’ve always loved writing. I didn’t get started in a serious sense until I graduated from Berkeley and joined the Romance Writers of America (I thought I was going to be a publicist.)

• Why did you choose your genre?

When I went to college, romance novels were the one thing that helped calm me down from all the stress. I started writing them because I enjoyed them so much.

• What do you consider your best work and why?

In a weird way, I still think my very first book, The Cinderella Solution, is my best, because it’s so fresh and funny, and probably the strongest example of my voice. Also, I still enjoy reading it.

• How do you create your characters? What determines their characteristics and names?

It’s sort of different every time. I like to create a character description and a “chronology” that gives a summary of his/her life from birth to present.

• Have you ever gotten to a point where a story wouldn't come? If so, how did you get back on track?

That’s been happening a lot more lately. You just have to ride it out, keep showing up to the page, and hope for the best. Having a good critique group or supportive group of friends is important.

• What do you think is the most important characteristic of a prolific writer?

A business-like attitude. If you look at each book as a work of art, determined by the whims of muses, you’re going to be screwed at some point when the muse decides to take a vacation.

• Some authors start out with a plot in mind, others with characters whom they’ll follow to reveal the theme. What works best for you and why?

I start with the characters, come up with the story goal and conflict as a result of the characters, then write a plot outline before I go to draft. There are always changes, but that “other view” lets me keep the pacing tight. It works for me.

• Do you use a pseudonym? More than one? Why?

I’ve always used the same name: Cathy Yardley. It’s my maiden name.

• How did you research for this novel?

I did a ton of research on voodoo for RAVISH: The Awakening of Sleeping Beauty, because it’s an integral part of the plot. Fascinating stuff, too!

• Many writers have had success writing in different genres. Do you think it is difficult to switch over to another genre?

I’ve written in three different subgenres so far: romantic comedy, Chick Lit, and erotica. I think that the first two were fairly close so it wasn’t too far a stretch, but the third was like night and day. If I had that much trouble between subgenres, I think that the difference between genres like romance and horror or romance and mainstream could be brutal, especially once you factor in publishing’s desire to keep you in one recognizable category for branding’s sake.

• Do you belong to a critique group or have a critique partner? Which do you prefer?

I belong to a group, and have had several groups over the years.

• Would you recommend critique groups to other writers? If so, what elements, in your opinion, make a successful writer’s group?

I recommend crit groups, definitely. The kind of group depends on where you are as a writer. When I first started, my critique group was full of beginners as well, and we were all very gentle with each other because we were so afraid of sharing our work. As I developed a thicker skin, I joined a much rougher critique group, improving my skills and getting used to producing more. Now, I have a group that doesn’t critique a lot of my work, but they do provide a lot of emotional support and brainstorming. A successful writer’s group will be in a similar place in their career, and they’ll generally have similar goals.

• Can you tell me a little bit about your writing habits such as where you work, how many hours a day you spend writing and researching, how you tap into your creativity to produce a satisfying day’s work, writing rituals, etc?

I could’ve told you that a few years ago, but since my son’s birth every day is different!

• Have you ever experienced writer’s block and how did you handle it?

After I sold my first book I had block for a year and a half. I was depressed. It took a lot of reading to get out of it, and very supportive friends.

• What advice would you give writers looking to get published?

Join a professional writers’ group if you can – the RWA is one of the best. And keep your love of writing as long as you can.

• Do you ever look back and think, "I wish I had written this differently?"

Sometimes, but I try not to anymore. If you do that, you’ll make yourself nuts.

• What's the hardest aspect of writing?

Keeping perspective. I usually call my best friend about halfway through every single one of my novels, and she always says the same thing: “Don’t worry. All does not suck.”

• Is writing your full time job or do you have another job also?

I do some freelance editing and content writing, a lot of different weird things.

• When you are researching a book, what is your most valuable resource?

Google! The internet is a treasure.

• How do you cope with the inevitable stress of deadlines?

Chocolate, good friends, prayer.

• How long does it take you to complete a book, from the time the idea for the book is conceived, to when you submit it to your editor?

I think 3 months is my shortest.

• How many drafts does it take you before the book is just right?

Depends on each book. Thanks to the plot outline, my number of drafts goes down a lot.

• How important is it to attend writing conferences?

If you’re unpublished, it can be good to meet editors and learn at workshops, but I think you can get a lot of that from your local chapters or online. I get burned out at conferences, so if you don’t make it to one, I think that’s fine.

• Do you write more than one kind of book? Do you have a preference? Is one type of book easier to write than another?

Erotica is by far the hardest to do well, because the guidelines and expectations are so strict. I love writing romantic comedy, but alas, no one’s buying it right now.

• What kinds of books do you like to read? Who is your favorite author?

I have too many authors to list one specific favorite.

• What do you do to unwind in your free time?

I’ll admit I play video games like Diner Dash or Cake Mania or JoJo’s Fashion Show to relax. Very fun!

* * * * *

Disclaimer (because we don't have a choice): The views expressed by the guest blogger do not necessarily reflect those of The Deadly Vixens.

Deja what?

This week we’ve decided to discuss Déjà vu on the blog. For some reason, I can’t seem to come up with anything to say about it. I’ve had the experience before, but I can’t seem to think of one instance at this time to tell you about. So, now I’m trying to think about what I should say…thinking…thinking…and still thinking. To be honest, I have no idea what to talk about today, so instead of blabbering on about nothing, I think I will share a new game I’ve begun playing to help me out with my writing. I call it, Show Me the Senses.

There is a great site that I belong to that has helped me tremendously with my writing. Romance Divas. I love, love, love this place. In fact, I spend an enormous amount of time there. Shhh! Don’t tell anybody. ;-) Anyway, I’ve posted this game on the message boards there and I love to read what other people have come up with.

Anyway, here is how the game works. You pick something and then describe all the things it brings to mind for each of the 5 senses. Here’s an example for you. I just did this one this weekend.

Swinging in the late afternoon/evening 

Sight- the sun breaking through the clouds, the suns rays glinting off the water in the lake across the road, the clouds drifting slowly across the light blue sky, the bright colors of the playground equipment, the faded wood of the park benches, bright green of new grass, darker green of older grass, grey-blue water, the many geometric shapes I learned in grade school (how the swing set makes a triangle, the monkey bars a perfect rectangle, the oval links of the chain)

Sound- the creak of the chain as I swing, children laughing at the neighboring pavilion/playground, the whoosh of the wind past my ear as I swing, my own laughter ringing in my ears (something I hear so rarely), the sound of a happy family 

Taste- the sweet and spicy taste of barbeque sauce, the smoky taste as food cooks on the grill, cool sweet taste of soda, smooth crisp taste of bottled water

Touch- the warm breeze blowing against my face, my hair caressing my cheeks as the wind pushes it back and forth as I swing, the warmth of the sun on my face as I close my eyes and look upward, my skin tightening as my grin widens, the softer feel of plastic? covered chains on some swings, the cool metal holding onto the uncovered chains, cool water condensed on the outside of a water bottle, the cold feel of reaching into the cooler to pull out a drink

Scent- the smell of cooking meat on the grill, fresh clean outside air

Ok, that’s how it’s done. It has really helped me to focus on the showing in my writing. You can play along with me. Post yours in the comments section. I can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with. And feel free to choose a different topic if you want. Let’s see how creative we can be. Let me know if you like my game or if it’s helped you too. That’s the point, to help each other improve in our writing. Good luck!

What's In A Name?

Naming my characters is not difficult, but it is a long process. Not just any name will do. I f I name a character something that doesn’t fit right, the characters will let me know it. They will protest and not tell me their stories. Therefore, I have to make sure that I’m picking the right name or else I get stuck.

I use several online naming sites to help me pick the names. One site is for first names and I have a couple that I use for last names. I also have a site that gives random names, in which I can choose for it to give me both first and last names. Sometimes, I’ll find just one name this way but I’ll find gems that I can use for secondary characters as well.

I’ve also been known to go through the phonebook and pick names. The problem with that is that some of the names are regional and not something that would work in a different state.

Sometimes I’ve been lucky enough that my characters will tell me their names flat out. That doesn’t happen very often, but it does occur once in a while. I also have to take into account whether or not the name is appropriate for a hero or heroine. Sometimes, names may be unique, but just not fitting for the character part.

I also don’t like to reuse character names, so I keep a list of the one’s I’ve used to prevent me from picking a name again. I just have to remember to keep it updated. If I get carried away with a story, sometimes I forget about everything else but it.

This is my method of naming my characters. Do you have a different method that you use? I’d love to hear it. Leave a comment and let me know what you think.