Juggling Multiple Balls While Balancing on a Tightrope

Life has been crazy busy these past few weeks. I've always been self-disciplined about setting goals and personal deadlines. I have no problem working toward one that's given to me. Actually, I like to send requested materials earlier than the due date because that's how I roll.

And I bet that makes my editors at Entangled Publishing very happy.

But here's a secret: I love revising. I LOVE LOVE LOVE fixing problems on the page even if the solution isn't always an easy one to find. So revising is like playing with my words and it's fun.

First draft writing? Um. Well. Twirl toe in carpet and look away. Um.  I like to finish the story so I can revise it and make it stronger. That's been a bit of a problem lately because the first book has a release date (stay tuned--I'm sharing it today). I've got to wrap my brain around revisions on book B, copy edits for book A, and how I will market the debut so that it succeeds.

I can't do it all in one day. Each book deserves my full attention, but now they're queuing up in a different order. I did give myself permission to work on my sequel to the MAVERICK'S RED HOT REUNION through this Sunday. I wanted to get a good handle on Caleb and Hannah before I put them aside to work on another round of revisions for my prequel to the debut novel.

So here's how I'm juggling and walking a tightrope.

I'm not.

I have decided that I will dance to a different tune every day, but I have scheduled my rehearsals so I can dance efficiently. Some days the music will be fast, and I'll have to move quickly, working on the projects my editor at Entangled gives to me first. Other days the beat will be slower. I'll use the time to flesh out my next story, staying on course until I finish the first draft. Having a rehearsal schedule allows me to play every day with my words at the best time for capitalizing on my creativity. It also gives me time to organize my marketing/business life when my inner administrator takes over my brain.

Of course, I've only figured out how to dance to my new writing life's tune. The housework will simply have to suffer. It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make for my career. And now here's the debut release date for THE MAVERICK'S RED HOT REUNION!

Drum roll....  JUNE 30TH!!!  Super squee time!!

Retro Blog: Busy-ness Can Lead to Dizzy-ness First Aired June 9, 2010

I wrote this blog June 9, 2010. As my writing career begins to transform into one that includes lots more writing, revision passes, marketing and promotion of THE MAVERICK'S RED HOT REUNION, and my ongoing volunteer activities, I needed this reminder to slow down every once in a while and just breathe.

People's lives are busy. Some people actually define their lives by saying, "I'm so busy, or too busy or these are busy days." They revel in the busy-ness of their lives. They revel in the going out and about to do a zillion errands, or projects, or luncheons. They revel in being seen as "busy." Busy-ness defines their lives.

But sometimes I wonder if these people who are so "busy" are actually just avoiding themselves. Avoiding personal introspection. Avoiding examining who they are, or where they need to go. Other times I wonder if these busy people are busy because it makes them feel important. The busy-ness defines them.

Ever met somebody like that? I've met a few. I may have actually been guilty of committing the act of "busy-ness" myself. Heck, I was young once. I did my fair share and plus of extra work when I was employed outside the home and afterward. I remember an incredibly intense time after I became a Mom where I spent about 6 or 7 years volunteering in the school, the church, the neighborhood--basically did it all. For free. But then I think part of my motivation was the free babysitting *grin*.

Yup. I was a "busy" person. And I knew a lot of "busy people." It wasn't until I was forced to sit down and take stock that I truly began my inner journey. I admit that I was a self-help book addict for years. Heck, with the crazy dysfunctional background I came from, who wouldn't be? But I never really examined who I wanted to be until I couldn't be out in the world being, well, you know, "busy."

Yup. I couldn't be busy because I got this weirdo bug in my ear that made me dizzy. Beyond dizzy. I had a serious cases of perpetual vertigo. It was the kind of vertigo that made me sick, caused blackouts, and had accompanying bouts of tremenous heat and frightening moments of disorientation. The only way to beat it back was to STOP BEING SO BUSY.

I was felled by a tiny bug in my inner ear for 6 MONTHS.

At first I was so sick, I didn't have much energy. I napped. This was unheard of in my house. I am a "get up and go" kinda girl. Naturally, after I had a few months of serious downtime, I got bored. You know boredom is not always a bad thing. Boredom means you're healing. Boredom means your mind is getting ready for the next creative adventure.

Now if a "get up and go" girl can't really, uh, go anywhere in the real world, what is she going to do? Oh, hmmm, any good guesses out there? Oh, yeah. Write. And experiencing that illness is how I rediscovered what I know I was always meant to do. Write. I started to write my first novel. It was an escape, a joyful experience, and I fell in love with my childhood dreams all over again.

That was a wonderful year. The said book was finished, queried and requested by Silhouette Desire BEFORE I even knew about Romance Writers of America, writing craft, Goals/Motivation/Conflict, plots, revising, and more.

Fast forward almost five years. I'm still focused on the writing. I love it. I have four books under my belt (though I call them 8 given all the recent plot revisions), and I am submitting, being requested, and happily involved in all my RWA/PRO/Chapter organizations. I am also blogging, FaceBook connecting (imagine if they'd had Facebook back when I first got DIZZY? I might not be writing because I'd be "busy" connecting with my social network), TWEETING, helping with an online workshop, volunteering to help with the PRO Retreat, judging contests, entering contests.... YIKES! I am afraid I might get dizzy again.

And yes, before you ask, I am blonde. Let the jokes begin now.

But I won't get DIZZY. You know why I believe in my heart I won't get dizzy? Because all my "busy" stuff is what I want to do for my career (and my family--which comes FIRST). I have learned the fine art of saying "no." Or better, "let me get back to you about that request after I think about it." Or better yet, "I would like some help with this please."

Most of all, I've given myself permission to walk away from my commitments and take a deep breath. When dinner starts, if the phone rings, I don't answer it. Period. I keep my commitments to a set amount and I don't feel obligated to be perfect (losing perfectionism is a great way to give up the "busy" life). I don't say "yes" to make someone think better of me. And I don't say "yes" to gain approval or puff up my ego. Frankly, I don't consider saying "yes" to anything that does not reflect my Top 5 Priority List.

Ah, the Top 5 Priority List. I shared this list with you in January. I learned about this method of establishing boundaries from a LIFE MAKEOVER book I read when I was dizzy. I reevaluate it every quarter. Usually it stays the same, at least the top 2 items stay the same. The bottom 3 vary depending on season, where I am in my life, and how the rest of the family is faring.

But what is a priority? What does this word mean to you? Here is a brief dictionary explanation:

Priority Defined:

Noun:

*A thing that is regarded as more important than another.
The housework didn't figure high on her list of priorities.
Seriously? It never does figure high on my list of priorities. Sure I want to prevent my toilets from being deemed toxic & hazardous, but if my house is dirty and you want to come over because you're down or need a friendly face, I'm your girl!

*The fact or condition of being regarded or treated as important.
The safety of the country takes priority over every other matter.
Or in my world the health and welfare of my family, and myself, is regarded or treated as important. If I am trying to do too much everyone suffers, including me. 

*The right to take precedence or proceed before others.
Priority is given to those with press passes.
Now I love this. The items/things/people who take precedence or proceed before others in my life are my family first, my writing (actual writing, not blogging or stuff of that nature), my health, my dearest friends, my spirit and my soul. Everybody and everything else must wait in line. Period.

This getting your priorities straight isn't a perfect process. Sometimes I revert and nibble off a bit more than I can chew. Usually the first thing that suffers is my health. So I get a pretty quick reminder to get my priorities sorted.

Ironically, my weirdest time to keep my priorities straight is through the summer months. I've got these writing goals, but I scale them back a bit, or make room for flexible writing time, during this time of year. Darling Daughter is underfoot, we've got summer travel plans, and I want to enjoy my family during these lazy days. I don't stop writing, but I do break it up differently. And my priority is to work on my MS or WIP in Revision. If I'm not on Facebook or I miss a blog post, well that means I'm focusing on my first priority: the health and happiness of my family. We're probably at the pool, or shopping, or visiting some museum. And that's okay.

That's the key to maintaining your priorities and boundaries: telling yourself it's okay to let something slide or go slack every once in a while. REALLY!

Here I am 4 years later with even more books written, a publishing contract, the Darling Daughter off to university, and still writing as much as I can every day. I'm involved in the Heart of Dixie's 2014 Readers' Luncheon as the Raffle Basket coordinator and my debut novel releases in June. My priorities are still the same: take care of my health and my family's welfare, write another book, prepare for my career to launch, and then I will work on my volunteer duties. And that means asking for help because I will need extra hands to get this job done.

I will also say "no" to any other requests for my help until I have cleared my plate of the tasks currently at hand.

How do you prioritize your life? Do you say "yes" before thinking it through? Do you say "no" without guilt? 

Tips to Stay BICHOK: Butt in Chair, Hands on Keyboard

There are days that I don't want to write. I never know when they're going to happen or why. But they do happen and I have to force myself to sit down and write instead of acting on my impulse to run away to the hills and play with my friends. Here are some ways I stay BICHOK which might help you as you struggle with writing on the dark days or the sunny days or the "gee I really don't feel like writing" days.

1. Set a timer. Oh, what a love-hate relationship I have with my microwave timer. Still, it works. Like a charm. I set my timer for one hour. I am not allowed to leave the chair during that time unless a tornado siren blares. Even if all I write is one sentence, I have written it. It works. My daily goal is 3-4 hours of writing/revising/staring at the blank screen and bashing my head against the keyboard. It works. Sometimes it feels like forever until the timer beeps. But sometimes I find the timer's beeping a huge intrusion. Either way, I get words written and the story moves forward.

2. 100x100. This is a great way to generate words on a daily basis if you have a lot of other life factors interfering with your writing. Write 100 words for 100 days. That's a lot of words. That's like almost a story! Right? Write! Try it.

3. A very wise soul once told me that just touching the manuscript counts. In other words, don't walk away for days and expect to come back full throttle with new words. Your head has to be in the game or your characters fade. The story fades. And your enthusiasm fades. We all get stuck. The trick is figuring out how to get unstuck. On bad writing days, I tell myself, just look at the work in progress. Read over it. Revise one piece. Play with a new sentence structure. Brainstorm a scene. Anything to get those creative juices flowing. It's what I have always told the College Kid: think with your pencil in your hand. It makes a difference. Really. Try it!

4. Reward yourself. Anyone who knows me has heard about my typing for quarters which I totally took from Kelly Stone's workshop and embellished. She's awesomeness in the motivation of writing business. I love everything she has taught to me about staying in the chair. Here's the biggest thing: a writer paid herself a quarter per page so she'd meet her writing goals. Me? I take it a step more. Well, honestly, I have run the distance with this one. I pay myself a quarter for every hour I spend in the chair, for working out because a healthy writer is a strong writer, for every goal I check off my writing to-do list be it writing a blog, sending a query letter, pumping up my social media presence (more about that later). Those quarters add up!! I made a pretty tin, got a roll of quarters (I have added to the quarters over time), and every time I make a goal I drop a quarter into the tin. When the quarters are gone, I buy them back with $20 and $10 bills which go into a box in my office (be warned would be thieves-I have an Attack Cat and a security system). I pay for my conference fees and contests and other such writerly stuff with my accrued funds. It works for me! Might work for you. (Just don't tell the Physicist that I raided his change basket once because I thought he owed me a few quarters--make of it what you will).

5. Plan for a break. Tell yourself that you can take one day off a week to rejuvenate your mind and soul. Play. Have fun. Talk about real life stuff and not the people in your head. Meet new people. Go to a movie. Read a great book. Call a friend. Just give yourself permission to relax.

These tips work for me. Maybe they might work for you. Do you have any other ways to add to my "Bichok" advice? Leave a comment and share!

Memories, Mayhem & Motivation

It's been a while since I've blogged. Frankly, I've been so busy this summer that my head is about to spin off my neck and what free time I've had has been spent doing the most important thing: writing. I've considered writing about my RWA National Conference experience, but there's no way to truly encapsulate how incredible that experience was for me.

Why? First I got to see so many friends and was inspired to go above and beyond my personal strengths as a writer. Second, I got to see friends who came all the way to see me and meet the writers. They had a blast and I really enjoyed spending time with them. Third, I sat at Lucky Table #55 where Eloisa James sat (and I was unable to speak to her because I was having a serious fan girl heart attack) and she won her first RITA. Fourth, I got to be a Golden Heart date with the awesome writer Gail Hart and we cheered on two RITA winners and two Golden Heart winners. Fifth, I was a Daphne date with Sharon Wray who won a Daphne and achieved highest overall score. Sixth, I was able to share in the best news ever:

My Critique Partner Pam Mantovani sold her first book to Belle Books at the National Conference.

Okay, that meant major screaming, a bit of crying, and lots of wine drinking to celebrate afterward. I cannot tell you how thrilled I was for her. We both sold within six weeks of each other. And we're both in the same boat. This is a dream come true and a great way to start the writing year.

But the writing has taken a serious hit because we've been so busy. The Conference definitely ate up a lot of time. The College Kid has been underfoot and quite frankly, if she's up and wants to spend time with me, I do. The Physicist has also been home more often and that has taken up time and impacted my ability to concentrate. Finally, the mayhem continues because we're gearing up to move the CK back to her college. There's a mattress set, a futon, a bookshelf, and an office chair in my bedroom. Her wing looks like a disaster area and needs serious gutting out. And there's a boatload of stuff stored in my attic and garage that we're moving to down south.

T-5 days till we hit the road. Loading the moving truck up on one day, driving down to the school the next, praying the key works on the condo door (don't ask), and moving her in. The following day we head to Hotlanta where we'll buy two chairs to replace the old love seat she's taking with her as well as to spend time with my CP and the Craftsman.

Then it's turnaround and head home again.

So all this stuff has impacted my motivation. I have to force myself to write a little every day on a story that I've pretty much vacillated between loving, hating, wanting to toss it away, wanting to save it for no other reason than for myself, and then I go through it all over again. Why am I revising this story? I have a request for it. I don't know if it will fly through the backdoor and succeed where others have failed. I don't know if it's going to pass the strict guidelines of this particular publisher's house and I have another set of stories to write that I know have to be written for the contract I signed in May. Still, this story is easier to deal with than writing a series prequel and a sequel, so I persist in writing it.

Bit by bit. There isn't a lot of time. Just a little. But I keep telling myself that if I only get a half an hour logged, it's better than nothing. So blogging? Well that has taken a nosedive, but I've decided to try to get one blog in a week and I'm shooting for a Wednesday Weekly blog.

Let's see if I stay on track.

How do you cope through the busy days of summer when you have projects that must be completed?

Balancing Act: Writing and Yoga with Guest Author Samantha Hunter

Hi Everyone! Last week I blogged about managing my time now that life has taken an interesting twist. You can read about it here. As part of my ongoing quest to find the balance between the business world of writing and the writing world of writing, I've asked many published authors about their methods of staying in writing mode while attempting to juggle all the other aspects of being published: marketing, promotions, author loops, blogs, and so much more. One of the authors, Samantha Hunter, graciously offered to share her advice on my blog. Please join me in giving Samantha a warm welcome and learn how she balances her writing with the business side of writing which also includes juggling two publishing houses--Harlequin Blaze and Samhain--along with multiple projects.

Balancing Act: Writing and Yoga

Author Samantha Hunter

The idea of balance is such a pervasive one. It comes up in writing and work discussions all the time, but also in nutrition, exercise, money, and everywhere else in life. Everyone always wants to be in balance, to achieve that perfect, blissful state. In fact, how this blog originated was in a conversation where Christine asked me how I balance writing for more than one publisher (and in more than one genre). I’ll get to that in a minute. J

The theme of “balance” was a particularly rich one for me to think about in my current Samhain release, Bending Over Backwards (also an RT TOP PICK!). In that book, my overworked yoga instructor heroine may be able to hold a complicated pose, but she’s definitely not in balance in her life. My hero has also been thrown off balance by a tragic event that has changed his life forever – he’s just not sure how to get his feet under him again.

Just to be clear, I’m no yoga expert. Not by a long shot, but practicing has taught me a lot about balance. I only started practicing yoga three years ago. One instructor I like in particular is Jason Crandell. Mr. Crandell offers a key point of advice on his DVD as he guides viewers through Tree Pose. He says that balance is not a constant state – we constantly fall in and out of it (paraphrase). Even in the most stable tree pose, some part of your body might still waver and tilt, if only a little. That was such a key idea for me that it stays with me constantly. Balance is not an illusion, but it is momentary – holding it for any period of time takes practice, and falling out of it is inevitable.

As I have come to think of it, balance is a verb – we do it more than we attain it.

So, to answer Christine’s original question, a few of the things I do to have some balance in my writing life are:

Beautiful Cover! And you can win it!

1) I try to be clear about my limits and avoid things I know will get me in a bind.  I’m open with my editors about my schedules and abilities. I don’t say yes if I know I can’t do something, or if it will cause too much stress. I try to work within my strengths, while stretching to my edge – but not past it. Every now and then I end up in some kind of a logjam, but then I remember not to do that again the next time. ;)

2) I try to be in the moment. When I am writing a book, it is the book I focus on. When I am editing, I edit. I do one thing, one project, at a time in my writing, and it works (today I am only writing blogs). Each project has my full attention , and I think that’s how they come out best. When I split my attention, the work suffers. I couldn’t hold two yoga poses at once, and when I am in one, I don’t think about the last one or the next one. That way I can hold the pose better and pay attention to form. I’ve tried to approach my writing the same way.

3) I try to remember that every day is different. My yoga or my writing will not be the same tomorrow or next year as it is today. If you’ve written and submitted enough, you will get rejections and bad reviews. Your career will change in ways you can’t expect, for better and worse. There will be ups and downs. It’s inevitable that you will lose your balance. But you will also get it back again.

The key word in all of these is of course “try.” J  How do you try to keep your balance? Share, and I’ll give away a copy of BendingOver Backwards to one commenter. 

Samantha, thanks so much for visiting my blog today. I love the advice about remembering every day is different. So flexibility and reassessing one's goals is important. I also like the idea of working on one project at a time. I tend to layer my days, but maybe your way is a better way to approach my new writing journey. I'm going to try it and see if it works!

Are You a Lark or an Owl?

After the Amazing Email that changed my life, I went about the business of wrangling a new world. First the website had to be revamped, then my Tumblr account, the blog is brand spanking new thanks to the College Kid, and I have awesome new business cards to give away at Nationals.

At first I was so busy getting to know my new publishing home, joining groups on Yahoo, reading about other debut sales, and more that I barely had time to write. And I get kind if twitchy when I can't write. Really. Twitchy.

I cleared my desk of all the technical, business issues slowly and steadily, but I was frustrated by the brain drain of my creativity. Fortunately, I had already started revising a book before we went on vacation in May, and I had signed up for a very cool plotting class with Suzanne Johnson (more about that in another blog). So while I knew I have two new stories to write for 2014 for Entangled Publishing, I also know myself well enough that I need the proper planning time to do it. So instead of stressing out about what was expected, I decided to focus my energy on the current revisions during the plotting class.

I harnessed all my creativity for this class and the manuscript I was revising for another reason: it's summer in the South and everyone is underfoot. The Physicist is taking extra time off work, the College Kid is in and out of the house at odd hours, and we're all traveling more. Plus there's the 2013 RWA National Convention just around the corner which entails a lot of pre-planning and prep. Not a lot of time to generate new story ideas, but plenty of time to work with words that have already been written and need revision.

The first thing I had to do was reevaluate my schedule. It's so easy to get sucked into the Cyber Vortex of emails, new Yahoo Groups, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and my latest obsession Vine. But if I do that I lose precious writing time. I'm best in the mornings, but I won't stop going to my morning Zumba Classes so what's a writer to do?

This writer starts writing early. At 7AM I'm usually up and at 'em. I write for 2 hours with a breakfast break, then I get ready for the gym. After my workout, I get ready for the day and grab lunch, then I sit down to write for 2-3 more hours. After that there isn't much left in the creative well. That's when I bumbled my brain through the business side of writing (and the Linda Howard Contest).

This rhythm has ebbed and flowed over the years. I'm a Lark Writer. I'm most productive if I start early and finish early. I have another writer friend who is the complete opposite of me: she's an Owl Writer. Often times she'll be signing off Twitter when I'm signing into see if there are any #1k1hr writers who want to sprint write with me.

I've always been a Lark. The College Kid is an Owl. The Physicist just wants coffee and a trip to his cave. Tell me, are you a Lark or an Owl?

Fate, Fortune Cookies, and Faith

I got what we writers like to say is "The Call." In my case it was an email. And I was sitting in my trusty Ford Escape getting ready to go to my morning Zumba class when it arrived on my iPhone. So what did I do after my new editor at Entangled Publishing sent me the email that stated my manuscript was approved?

Frankly, I trembled. It was unbelievable, surreal even, after all these years of seeking a home for my stories.

I emailed her back-thanked her so much and then I forwarded it to the Physicist and my critique partners, Sharon Wray, Karen Johnston, and Pam Mantovani. Sharon and Karen have worked with me since 2006 and they're talented writers whom I value beyond measure. Pam and I met through a contest that she was coordinating in 2009: the Maggies for the Georgia Romance Writers RWA Chapter. I finaled that year and the following year I wooed her to become my category romance writing partner. We haven't looked back. She's an incredible writer, a fantastic critique partner, and a dear friend.

I would not be the writer I am today if fate had not lead me to these women. Our relationship is special and I love them all.

Fate also lead me to a fantastic writing group. The Romance Writers of America. My first manuscript was requested by an editor at Harlequin and then rejected. Rightfully so. It was a hot mess and I needed to learn a lot. But in that rejection, the editor encouraged me to join RWA. So I did. Then I found Karen and Sharon and then I found more writing chapters with my subsequent move to Alabama. Southern Magic, Heart of Dixie, Music City Romance Writers and Georgia Romance Writers of America have given me so much support throughout these long years. Fate also led me to a fantastic group called GIAMx4 (Goal in a Month) after I emailed the loop's creator about a PRO post. Amy Atwell is a dynamo and I adore her for including me in this group. They are so good to me. Finally, fate also sent me a multi-published author who literally took me by the hand and said she'd read the first three chapters of the book I just sold because she knew how hard it is to get published. I finally plucked up the courage to send her this book and she fell in love with it. Though it didn't suit her publishing house's line, it lead me down an interesting pathway. And her faith in my writing kept me going when times got dark and I wanted to give up writing for a shopping vocation.

But I couldn't quit writing because then I would be--as Sharon so wisely and gently said--rejecting myself.

This brings me in no clear way to Fortune Cookies. For some reason I like saving certain fortunes that come in the cookies. I've kept two in my jewelry box for at least four years. I used one in my short bio because it suits me to a T. I kept the other one because it describes my internal motivation. Here they are:

Your ability to find the silly in the serious will take you far.
Your skills will accomplish what the force of many will not.

There were days when I'd open my jewelry box to get my hoop earrings and heart necklace and I'd read these fortunes just to jump start my day and keep my motivation going.

I came home and showed the College Kid the email who then promptly hugged me three times in a row (a record!) and said she was proud of me. I still get all weepy when I recall that moment. Then it was off to PF Changs because the day I sold to Entangled Publishing, the Physicist and I had already arranged a SWG with one of our favorite couples at the restaurant to catch up. SWG stands for Scotch Working Group. The servers there keep The Marine and The Physicist's  favorite scotch on hand and know them by name. So one minute I was signing a contract and the next I was off to eat Chinese and hang out with friends while the College Kid started fooling around with my Tumblr account to make it look better.

When the Marine and his wife learned the news they were very excited. But really? I was so dazed, I was almost overwhelmed. They insisted on me tooting my own horn a bit. So we had a big piece of cake on the house (because the server was happy for me after they told her I had sold a book). After we ate the cake (which was super yummy and completely sinful) the fortune cookies arrived. We each opened ours and I'm saving them all in my jewelry box. Here's what they said:

You will receive a surprising gift very soon.
You should have a talk with a friend today.
Treasure what you have.
A small gift can bring joy to the whole family.

Somehow, in the dim glow of the low lights at PF Changs these fortunes reflected my entire day. I loved that moment when each member of the table read their slip of paper, then handed me their fortune.

Their friendship leads me to Faith. I could not have gotten to this point without the company of faithful friends and without faith in something greater than me guiding my destiny. My family, my dearest and oldest friends (two who read the first ill-fated manuscript and encouraged me to go forth), my new friends, my Zumba Sisters, my writing friends, my awesome critique partners, the mentors and teachers who have guided me (Mary Buckham, Dianna Love, Margie Lawson, Michael Hauge to name a few), the published authors who have given me so much encouragement--all of them have filled my internal faith jar with hope for the future.

And I have a real faith jar. Years ago someone gave me a prayer jar. You write down your prayers on slips of paper and date them, then you put them in the jar and let them sit there. When things change, you check the jar and pull out the prayers that have been answered. OK, so now I'm crying as I write this because this weekend I pulled out two slips of paper. Here's what they said and the dates they were written:

I  pray that someone will publish my works 2005
I pray for strength to write strong even when I'm not published. 2012

The top of my jar is inscribed with the following words:

Faith is the substance of things hoped for... Hebrews 11:1

It's been a long journey from that first tiny slip of paper to today's new slip of paper. The journey's not over, it's just different. I'm making new connections and finding new friends who are in this extraordinary world that I've just entered. But I'm so glad that the companions I have known throughout my life will be cruising on this pathway beside me. They are why I have the courage to sit down to write stories which believe in the power of love binding two hearts together.

The Outside World Presses In

Writing is a solitary profession. Period. Yes, we can meet with our writing colleagues at meetings and gather at conferences, but for the most part we act alone. No one can write our books for us. No one can revise our first drafts for us. And no one can force us to query or submit even when we are filled with doubts about achieving our goals.

Published or unpublished, we all fight demons. For the published authors there are real deadlines. That's great. Puts a fire under one's bottom and presses that author to work.

But me? No one is waiting for me to meet any deadlines right now. So I have to set my own deadlines which, to be honest, have been shifting daily due to outside world pressure and different expectations of myself as a writer.

I'm working hard, but real life has pressed in and I've had to fight for my writing time. Occasionally, I have to surrender to the outside pressure because it's immediate and important and intrinsic to the well-being of my family. And every interruption to my schedule impacts my ability to get back in the chair and diligently pursue a publication career.

And then there are my own demons. Personal ones that every writer, published and unpublished, struggle with all the time. Am I good enough? Have I really got what it takes to write well and write much? Did I say no to an opportunity only to lose the one chance I might have had to be published? Did I start too late? Is the story I'm working on right now good enough? Am I wasting my time? Am I wasting my family's time? Will I ever get paid for sitting here at this computer for hours on end to generate stories and ideas and more?

Do I care about the answers to these questions? Of course I care. However, I live in a delusional, imaginary world so I propose my own answers to these questions all the time. I need to otherwise I might quit. And if I quit, I reject myself.

Here are my answers: I become a stronger writer every time I sit down to write. I am a self-motivated and self-disciplined person who has the drive to work hard and work smart. There's more than one way to get published and I'm not shy about looking down every avenue. I have a wealth of experience to draw from whenever I sit down to write a story. My current story will become better as I continue to revise it and mold it into shape. If I am happy doing what I am doing, the time I put into it doesn't matter. My family is proud of my endeavors and they support me just as I am proud of their endeavors and support them. I will get paid for generating these stories because I have a plan of action which I am actively pursuing every day.

How do you beat back the world pressing in? How do you fight the demons of doubt and despair?

Post Vacation-itis: Or Creatively Avoiding Revisions

I just returned from a lovely visit to White Rock, British Columbia where I spent a week shopping, watching movies, hanging out with my best friend since forever-ago, and giggling at nothing and everything.

Writing was not on the agenda. Other than the flight out to Seattle, I took a break from my usually strong writing schedule. And that's a good thing--I needed it in loads of ways. However, now that I'm home from my fantastic getaway, I am having trouble getting my brain out of creative home decorating and clothes shopping mode.

That's rare for me, but it does occur. Oh, I've thought about the current story I'm revising. I've discussed it with my CP on the phone. I've made a few notes. But I didn't open the document in question until yesterday. Then I looked at it and thought: ugh, it needs SO MUCH WORK before it is where I want it to be as a story.

Yah. Love my process. I go through many stages. The Thrill of First Draft Writing is often followed by the Avoidance Stage of Revision and then I go deep into the Rebellion Stage of Revision.

The Rebellion Stage of Revision is often accentuated with a "I just submitted a story again, and now I am Obsessively Compulsively having a Love-Hate Relationship with my email in-box." My mind is very distracted; filled with memories of lazy and fun days as well as wondering and worrying about the current submission's fate.

I go through a "why am I doing this to myself when I could be decorating the house or shopping for cute clothes or playing with my friends" stage. Usually I push out of it very quickly, but I had the joy of being "normal" for a week and it's hard to force myself to get back into the process of revising.

How will I combat this Rebellion Stage? The usual way. Creative Avoidance. I'll read my CP's pages and critique them first. I'll catch up on all my writing organization volunteer duties (which are minimal, but still require my attention). Then I'll rework my quarterly goals (it's that time again) as well as straighten out the office. Finally, I'll tiptoe back into the story I currently think is in serious need of a intravenous injection of life.

Baby steps. Yesterday I opened the document and peeked at it. Today I will start layering and incorporating some of the notes I made about the story's direction into the main document. Soon I'll be operating on my normal schedule. By the end of the week I expect I'll be finished the first three chapters and will send them off to my CP.

I set a deadline for everything. Sometimes the deadlines shift due to circumstances or other demands, but in general I meet them. Oh, this blog post? Yes. It's another way of creatively avoiding my revisions.

How do you bust through Revision Rebellion?

Shops & Lemon Drops

I'm in British Columbia and it's absolutely stunning here. The views are fantastic. The trees are blooming huge pops of colorful pink and white flowers. Green trees in various shades are beginning to bud. Tall ever greens reach to the sky during rain and shine.

But I'm not going on a nature hike.

I'm shopping--virtually and in reality. So far I've purchased new bedding, a cool soft blanket and taken tons of pictures of pillows, chairs, decorating items and ideas. I really need new clothes, too, but opportunity knocked and I answered. I'll show you the new stuff when I get it home and have it all arranged.

I'm also visiting with friends. And as a result of the visiting, I've learned to love the Lemon Drop martini. MMMMM. I have the recipe on my Pinterest board. I'll share that when I get home as well.

All my recent juggling of my two worlds in Facebook has made it difficult to upload pictures directly to my new FB account. Grrr & hiss. But despite this minor challenge, I've tiptoed into yet another realm of social media called Tumblr. Not really sure if I should--the College Kid's realm really, but I'm trying to be more patient with technology and who knows? I might write a YA series one day. Of course, by then all the young folk will have run to another social media because it's been infiltrated by their parents  (much like Facebook) .

I tried to add a theme. Not sure if I did or not. I tried to follow John Green. I don't think I am. And I tried to repost a post. Didn't succeed. Why am I doing this to myself?

A. I sort of have time to play with it.
B. I'm not in writer mode. Though I am layering in a few words into the first three chapters of a new book.
C. I'm delusional about my ability to learn this monster of techno nerdfighter stuff.
D. I've been influenced by my lemon drop martinis to attempt new things.

You decide. Are you on Tumblr? Do you like it? Is Tumblr only for the young and crazy? Or can a Romance Writer with a College Kid who is also a Nerdfighter learn new tricks?

Tune Out the Noise & Learn to Adapt

Published or unpublished, there are a lot of industry bits of information to understand and be aware of as writers. I know I have to stay abreast of these current changes, but I can't let it overwhelm my creativity. Otherwise, I won't have any books to market.

And that's what I need to be able to do. Write books so I have a product to market. In addition to having a product to market, I have to develop a marketing strategy regardless of who decides to take a change on my writing and offer me a contract. See, this is me believing it will happen one day. And it will.

I actually have a marketing strategy. I have kept my ear to the ground and learned a lot from those who have gone forth into the great land of publishing before me. However, I liken getting published to having a baby. Before the baby is born, there's a lot of preparation. Baby showers, nurseries decorated, diapers brought in, special birthing classes, and learning how to be a good parent of a newborn.

But I've learned that no amount of preparation can really prepare one for the baby when the baby arrives. The baby has a personality and a constitution of its own that the parent must learn to adjust to and adapt to in order to have a successful parenting experience. The baby grows, becomes a toddler, an elementary school student, a teenager, a young adult. And still the parent must grow and adapt and change as this individual becomes a fully realized person.

There will be bumps along the way. Mistakes will occur. Great moments will happen. Joy and distress. Happiness and pain. Elation and exasperation. They are all part of the great parenthood ride. And guess what, I think that's what becoming a published author will be like.

So in the meantime, while I prepare for my publication career to be born, I am fully aware that I will never be fully ready for it in the sense that afterward my career will grow and change and evolve. All that I can do is adapt and be ready and work on what I can control. My response. And in the world of writing, my best response is to continue to tune out the noise and write my stories and market them and learn and grow and adapt and do it all over again.

And with that being said, here is a great quote to live by as you evolve as a writer on your journey toward publication and after you traverse to the land of the published author:

Every moment spent whining about your writing career is a moment of creative energy lost... turn grousing into energy by WRITING! James Scott Bell

How do you plan to turn grousing into energy today? Me? I'm wrangling a pesky first chapter into shape.

Spring into Revisions of Stories & Life

March is almost over. We've experienced our first bad day of epic storms. I may have seen a small tornado trying to form over my neighborhood on Monday, but yesterday the skies were blue. Spring has officially arrived.

Tonks has been eagerly nick-nicking in front of the window as flocks of robins, cardinals, sparrows and other birds have migrated through our neighborhood. She's a huntress by nature, but her indoor status keeps my feathered friends safe.

We had a College Kid sighting last week. She came home for half of Spring Break, regaled us with stories of her adventures (oh lord), big piles of laundry which she waited until the last minute to wash, and just a lot of goofing around the house. When she left on Sunday afternoon, the house felt very still and empty and lonely. We're looking forward to seeing her again.

I'm in the middle of major revising. I have written 9 books, revised 3 of them multiple times, and have learned so much in the interim that it's time to bring my new writing eyes to the stories again. It's been difficult to focus with all the other demands of life and shiny new stories calling for me to write them, but I am determined to have 4 fully polished full manuscripts ready to roll out the door into Query World & set sail for Submissions by the summer. So shiny new stories are brought out to play with and have fun only when I'm finished each revision.

It's about getting ready for change. It's about growing deeper roots. It's about building on what I know. I have a clear goal set and a clear mission. I always planned to hit it this way. And now I'm on the verge of making my dreams become a reality. This will be the year. I know it because I own it.

And along the way, I have met some amazing companions. Some have gone down different paths and we've waved goodbye. Others have remained on parallel paths and we continue to converge at odd times. Then there are the few who stand beside me, walk with me, pull me up when I am down and cheer me on when I am in a good place.

Right now. Today. I am in a good place. I feel good about my writing. I feel good about my primary writing friends (who are so much more than critique partners and writers to me). I feel good about the plans I've made.

Where are you in your writing world? Who are your companions?

Writing Life 101

Sometimes writing is two steps backward, one step sideways, and it's often never in the right direction. But I know I will get to the end of the story if I write every day. And I know I have a critique partner Pam Mantovani who will help along the way.

I'm a crapper-pantser-fixer-upper. A moniker I forever immortalized accidentally during a Southern Magic meeting when I learned I was the 2012 Linda Howard Award of Excellence triple finalist.

My CP can attest to my process. It is kind of scary. However, I do appreciate her sticking with me.

How do you face down your manuscript demons? Got any suggestions to make my writing journey less messy?

Writing Life & Tidbits & Sneak Peek Interview: Latoya Smith, Editor, Grand Central Publishing

I've been working on a new story that's challenging me as a writer. I want to write it fast, but the characters and the emotional journeys they are on toward deserving each other are taking a long time to unravel. In addition to the characters's journeys being very crucial to the development of my WIP,  I've had to deal with making the core emotional development occur in a very short amount of time.

Time is compressed. That means I have to figure out how to compress time in more pages without being BORING. I want to engage the readers's senses and emotions and raise the stakes at the deeper level during the compressed time. It's not easy. But I'm having fun figuring it out. And that just brings a smile to my face even now.

Another thing that brings a smile to my face is the interview I had with Latoya Smith, editor at Grand Central Publishing. She's the final judge for the Linda Howard Award of Excellence's  Paranormal/Urban Fantasy. I'm very excited about what she had to say about her life as an editor. As part of her interview, I asked her the following question:

If you were to give an aspiring author one piece of advice, what would it be? 

Promote, promote, promote and remember to stay humble.

  

Remember to stay humble. No matter who you are or where you are in your writing journey, that is a most excellent thing to carry forth into your publishing career. To find out more about what Latoya Smith thinks about the "slush pile" and read the rest of her interview, go to www.romancemagicians.blogspot.com tomorrow, February 21st. Polish your entries now. The 2013 Linda Howard Award of Excellence is still open for your diamond waiting to be discovered. Check out www.southernmagic.org for details.

Happy Writing!

Writing Life & Tidbits & Sneak Interview Preview : Beth Miller, Agent, Writers House

I've been teasing you about my current WIP. And it's been fun. I think part of the reason I'm being coy is that my characters are behaving exactly the same way. This hero and heroine are driving me batty. He's a stoic, only child who buries his emotions. She's the youngest of five and was neglected so she's learned to be a spark of light.

They're perfect for each other, right? But they aren't making it easy for me. I'm working hard to figure out what's driving them together and pushing them apart. At heart they are more alike, than they are different. It is in the differences that the conflict occurs. The EMOTIONAL conflict. And that's why this story is a little different for me. Instead of external devices and turning points being used to drive the story forward, internal revelations and emotional responses are driving the story. THE CHARACTERS are in charge.

And whenever I try to put them somewhere to make the story move a bit more, they fight me. But then she's a rebel and he's an alpha male who wants to control everything. Trust me, there's a lot of hair washing going on at my house just to shake loose what they want to say.

Agent Beth Miller at Writers House took the time to speak with me about her writing background and how she ended up becoming an editor with a very unique skill set. You'll have to tune in tomorrow, February 19th at www.romancemagians.blogspot.com to learn them. But I do want to share who we both go fan-girl over in the Romance Writing world. Here's what she said when I asked her this question:

Have you ever become star-struck when meeting an author? If so, who?

Nora Roberts.  I may have drooled.  J

I still can't stop dropping my chin to the ground and gaping at Nora Roberts whenever I see her at the RWA National Conference. She's just amazing to me. And so is Linda Howard. She supports our writing chapters at the local and national level. How awesome is that? So polish your entries now. The 2013 Linda Howard Award of Excellence is still open for your diamond waiting to be discovered. Check out www.southernmagic.org for details.

Writing Life, Tidbits, & Sneak Interview Peek: Chelsey Emmelhainz, Avon Impulse

Ah, this week is good. Love is in the air. Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, and I'm a romance writer. What could be better than writing about my favorite subject? Love. The possibility of attaining a Happily-Ever-After with someone who is made for you. I've been working on a first draft of a new story, but revising is where the meat of the story falls into place. This is why I love to bang out my first drafts fast.

However, my current WIP's first draft process has been slightly slower for me. I think this is because I am on a learning curve regarding the line I am targeting. This is a different animal for me. I used to write fast, furious, high paced all the time. Whew, you'd be exhausted reading my first drafts. Stay tuned for how I'm changing my approach with this new WIP.

Right now I've got a King, a commoner, a secret baby scandal, and a forced marriage of convenience story between two reunited lovers who have to learn how to forgive each other and themselves. A story of second chances. I believe in them. Do you?

Another thing I believe in is opportunity. AVON Impulse offers authors a place to send their work whether it is single title, historical, romantic suspense, or contemporary series romance with a high concept. This year the Linda Howard Award of Excellences final judge for the Historical Category is Editor Chelsey Emmelhainz with Avon Impulse. She's Southern Magic's Carla Swafford's editor and very fun to interview. As part of our time together, I asked her this question:

While reading a manuscript, how long does it usually take before you know whether or not you want to request the full? Why?

For me, I can usually tell within the first ten pages. While we may not want to judge a book by its cover, I can generally tell fairly quickly whether or not the writing is clicking. My advice to authors? Grab ‘em early and really showcase your writing!

To find out what grabs Chelsey's editorial eye visit the Romance Magicians Blog at www.romancemagicians.blogspot.com on Thursday, February 14th. And polish your entries now. The 2013 Linda Howard Award of Excellence is still open for your diamond waiting to be discovered. Check out www.southernmagic.org for details.

Writing Life & Tidbits & Sneak Interview Peek: Alethea Spiridon-Hopson, Entangled Editor

Wow, I've been a busy bee these past few weeks. The Physicist has been gearing up for a very long trip overseas to parts unknown, and the College Kid has had some health issues I've had to wrangle long distance so my free time to blog has been minimized.

I love blogging and connecting with my cyber world. It's another water cooler for me, but if I have less time in my day it means setting the blog aside. Why? Oh, that writing thing I do? The stories I need to generate? They always come first. I've put myself on a series romance schedule of 3 books a year. I'd like to add to that schedule, but quality is important as well. I'm dedicated to mastering my craft and becoming even more adept at revising. More about that on Wednesday as I tease you about my current WIP.

In addition to real world interferences and my writing taking on a life of its own, I've been coordinating the 2013 Linda Howard of Excellence Contest. The deadline is approaching fast! February 22nd is just around the corner. I'm excited about the final judges and who will win this prestigious award. I won it last year and my interview about the Linda Howard Contest is running concurrently with today's blog. I've never been interviewed about my writing experiences before. It was fun. So check out www.magiccitywriting.blogspot.com for that interview.

Though I've only given one interview, I have interviewed so many of my wonderful friends who have had debut novels and achieved their dream of publication. I love their stories because they give me hope that the dream is attainable. And now, in another new thing for me to do, I have interviewed four delightful people on the other side of the publishing fence: 3 editors and 1 agent. All this for the Linda Howard Award of Excellence.

I learned a lot from these wonderful women. The main thing was that they care about writing and the stories and the craft as much as I do. And they're also very generous with their time and energy even though they have real lives and work demands, too.

My first interview will be up tomorrow on www.romancemagicians.blogspot.com with Entangled Editor Alethea Spiridon-Hopson who is judging our Contemporary Series finalists this year. Here's a sneak peak at what she has to say when I asked Alethea this question:

What do you consider the most important qualities of an author?

Flexibility, professionalism, cooperation, patience, and kindness in how they deal with you. Sounds simple and what should be, but you have no idea... it's often not the case.

Wow. Kindness. The Golden Rule. Let's hope we all apply it regardless of where we are in our publishing and writing journeys.

To find out what Alethea's looking for and more, visit the Romance Magicians Blog at www.romancemagicians.blogspot.com on Tuesday, February 12th. Polish your entries now. The 2013 Linda Howard Award of Excellence is still open for your diamond waiting to be discovered. Check out www.southernmagic.org for details.

Happy Writing!