I was cleaning out my computer files (I hoard even those) and I found an article I wrote last year that may be of some use. I hope some of this may be helpful!

Some people are new to writing. Some people have been writing for years but never come across a need for information in specific areas. Whatever the case, there are a ton of sites with information you may want to keep bookmarked in your computer—but you didn’t know. Until now…

Maybe you’re ready to send out your first book to a publisher, but you’re not sure about the guidelines such as word count or snail-mail vs. e-mail submissions. How do you find it? If you write romance, RWA’s (Romance Writers of America) website (http://www.rwa.org/) has a section for publishers with fairly updated information. First, you do have to login to the member’s section. Then, go to: Member Resources, then Publishers and Agents, you can either click on Publishers , it will show what they’ve been doing lately and click their name for info or click on Market Update to go straight to mailing/subbing info. You can see what they’re looking for. I would, however, suggest you Google, Yahoo and/or Bing the editor you want to send it to first just to make sure they’re still there. (You don’t want to be the one subbed book that is sent to a long-gone, but for whatever reason still listed editor—straight from the slush pile to the trash can!) Agent information is also listed in that section under Agent Update.

Another place you can look at editor/agent info is at: Predators and Editors (http://pred-ed.com/). It will tell you if a place is recommended (by what they’ve gleaned from people dealing with them) or if you should run not walk and stay away. P & E also has a host of other writing related areas. Remember, though, it’s just another kink in the chain of research before you send off your manuscript.

Also, on agents, try one of these places when looking up or looking for someone:

http://www.authoradvance.com/agencies

http://querytracker.net/literary_agents.php

http://www.aaronline.org/

http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/search.html

RWA University has a great calendar of events set up with upcoming courses, check out the website to plan which you will attend!

If you want to know how much you may expect to earn by publishing house, Brenda Hyatt has a wonderful website (http://brendahiatt.com/show-me-the-money/) where she compiles a list every year.

eHarlequin’s website (http://www.eharlequin.com/) has everything from their submission guidelines to pod casts by editors and authors to online classes. It has a huge community of authors (pubbed and not-yet-pubbed) to communicate with (and you can buy books too…).

Writer’s Digest (http://www.writersdigest.com/GeneralMenu/), much like eHarlequin, has everything from courses to books to advice and so much more. Be prepared to spend some time as both places have so much information to wade through. Oh, and, if you ever get stuck and just have no clue where to start writing for the day, WD has a “prompt” section (http://www.writersdigest.com/TipsPrompts/), try it and see where it can take you.

Romantic Times Book Reviews Magazine (http://www.rtbookreviews.com/) has book reviews (as the name states) but it also has an online community as well as help for aspiring authors.

Like to read articles on publishing and the world around it? Try an online magazine: Publishers Weekly (http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/home/index.html)

Have you heard NANO bandied about? Don’t know what it is? It stands for: National Novel Writing Month (http://www.nanowrimo.org/); the function is to get 50,000 words done in a month (the month of November). Just another way to keep you actively writing.

If you don’t already have your domain purchased, it’s not a bad idea to go ahead and get it. You can spend as little as $9 a year; and you can make your registration private—I pay the additional $8 a year for private registry because people can click on it and see the info associated with it. You can obtain/register your domain at places like Go Daddy, Domain and Network Solutions—Google them for the sites as well as many others . (As someone who has a “.net” web-addy and added my middle name because my name without it “. com” was/is taken… it’s worth it if you think you’ll ever use it).

Not ready to jump into the domain field, you can dip your toe in for free with blogs. Wordpress (http://wordpress.com/) and Blogger (http://www.blogger.com) are two, easy to navigate, routes. You can personalize them as much or as little as you have time or knowledge for. They also have multiple pages to be utilized. And did I mention they’re free?

Did you attend last year’s RWA conference? Or the one before that? No… Did you know you can look up the conference handouts online? On RWA’s site (http://www.rwanational.org/cs/conference_recordings_and_handouts), the 2009 thru 2011 handouts are available online (you don’t even have to be logged in).

Just for fun:

I worry about naming my characters after someone who might take offense—I have never deliberately done this, but there are only so many combos of names right? But how to know for sure… I always Google my character names and see what pops up. If you like to waste more time play, try this website: (http://www.howmanyofme.com/) “How many of me”. It will tell you, as the name implies, how many people have that name. Denise McDonald for instance, there are: 268. My kiddo, whose name I spelled a little different than the norm, one or fewer.

Need a little extra push to get words on the page? Try Write or Die (http://writeordie.drwicked.com/), you can set the terms –word disappearing if not fast enough typing on your part or a simple little nudge to move it along (on the site, look to the right sidebar for the timer).

Remember search engines are your friend. Even if you’re not sure what you’re looking for. Try adding words to your search such as author, writer or writing and you may open up a world of knowledge you didn’t even know you wanted to know.

Labels: craft of writing, inspriration, writing, writing tips

I’ve been asked several times recently about using real life people for inspiration. At first I said, naw, I don’t. Then I glanced around my desk and realized, I actually have three main men. And I have them at hand all the time. Okay, I just have pictures of them as I don’t *actually* know them. Sure, one of them I have seen up close(ish) and personal, if you call standing behind him in line at a burger joint “up close”. (yeah I totally chickened out when I could have spoken to him. But truth be told the view from behind was quite nice, I must say…) I have told this burger tale many times before as it was the start of THE COWBOY PLAN. It was truly an inspirational moment for me!

He is a cowboy in heart, spirit and by his love in life. He’s also a country singer.

I have dedicated the last 5 or 6 books to him. So, okay, I only used his initials (C.C.), because again, that whole chicken side of me is afraid that he might find it odd or creepy (assuming he ever even found out) and not be thrilled. As I tend to way over-think things, I am sure this is one of the “way past the deep end of thought”. But anyhoo… I have shared that little secret with you so it’s out there now.

The second guy I don’t even know his name (kind of makes it even better—so mysterious and in a “I can make him whoever I want…” sort of way, but not in a creepy way, y’know…LOL). I have actually spoken to him, but only briefly and on behalf of my kiddo. You see, he was a “knight” at the local Ren Fair.

To watch him on horseback made every girlie fantasy sigh in the greatest pleasure possible in public sort of way! I could see him in chaps and a Stetson riding off to protect his family or land.

It was inspiration handed to me on a silver plate-d horse saddle

My child (that’s the back of #4 boy’s head with “him”) was all distraught because “his” knight was felled in the jousting competition and was convinced he was truly hurt. We went to find “him” afterwards to assure the kiddo, the man was indeed okay. The knight, as you can see, got down and spoke to my son. (He was hawt to begin with, but his talking to my son bumped him up 1000% )

The knight with his dark locks and piecing blue eyes, has the closest placement on my desk. It is such a hardship to have to see him every time I sit at my computer, let me tell you…

The third man—Alex O'Laughlin—I don’t know if he’s every played a cowboy, but watching him on TV as he tackles the wrong-doers… (sigh) Between Moonlight where he was hell-bent to protect his friends from good intentions and bad guys and now on Hawaii 5-0 where he is awesome to watch in hand-to-hand battles (big sigh) he has the kind of fortitude you want your small town sheriff to have to keep his town safe. And he’s not hard on the eyes. Okay so he’s totally hot… so again, no hardship on my part to have a pic of him sitting on my desk.

But let me clarify this all a little. I always have a pretty good idea of what my characters look like so it’s not so much that I look at all these pics for the ideas of hair, eyes etc., but I look at them and think of the girlie, fanning-self reaction I’d get if I came face-to-face with them (okay so me, I’d probably clam right up and act like I didn’t even know who they were for fear of acting like a total fan-girl and embarrassing myself, but still…). I try to translate that into the book when the hero and heroine meet for the first time.

And, who doesn’t want pics of gorgeous guys on their desk?!?!

Labels: COWBOYS, inspriration, writing

Mind out of the gutter folks. I’m talking about your characters. I have started and stopped so many stories I could line every bird cage in Fort Worth with my half-way there, not close to done WIPs. When asked if I’m a panster or a plotter I always answer: yes. Because truth be told, I do both—even in the same story. Both have their drawback and both have tried and true methods. And you can get stuck with either. I can’t tell you how many times I have plotted a book out, I know where it’s going and who the bad guy is and then in the course of writing the thing, I learn, he didn’t really do it, he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. And I’m stuck staring at my screen trying to figure out who really did it.

Sometimes when this happens, I add it to the bird cage pile. But others, it makes the story stronger—even more fun to write. It’s a challenge. It lights that fire of creativity under my bum. If I can work myself out of the proverbial corner—because I didn’t see it coming—the reader will (hopefully) be more entertained because they didn’t see it coming either.

Still, once I am in that corner, I have to get out. But how? There are ways to jar the story in another direction—to open a doorway, or pop in a ladder, in that corner. Where does the ladder/doorway come from, you may ask.

Some writers will toss in another dead body (maybe even the person they thought did it to begin with—talk about a monkey wrench for the whodunit). Some writers will ignite a bomb and send the world into chaos for all the characters (right, Geri). Think about this: what is the worst thing that can happen at that moment? Make it happen.

If you’re not writing a suspense novel, it could be an ex unexpectedly showing up—maybe even with a baby in tow. A long lost family member who has secrets the H/H doesn’t want revealed. Again, what’s the worst thing for one of the characters? How can you really make them sweat? Something that will throw the H/H’s world off kilter from what you already thought you knew. And as an added bonus, it will pull the reader along for the ride.

Whatever works to drag the story from the corner, go for it. It can be quite the adventure.

Labels: craft of writing, writing

It’s June, half-way through the year and I thought a good time for goals update (especially in light of various challenges going on). My 2009 goals that I set are:

~ Finish two books.(I have well over 20 open WIPs to choose from so it’s not like I have a lack of ideas to choose from)

~ Submit two finished books (they kinda go hand-in-hand y’know)

~ Start and finish a new book from start to finish (but not until I have finished the afore mentioned two books)

~ Submit brand spanking new book (you see the pattern here right, this is supposed to be how it works–rather than staring the WIP and making 42 save copies of it and stopping around page 90 and thinking it’s crappy and watching a week of Lifetime and finishing two quarts of Chunky Monkey to appease the pain and doubt . . . . wheshew . . . . I guess I needed to get that off my chest!)

~ Look for an agent (I won’t be so bold as to put find an agent–a lot depends on that other person too)

~ Write every week (I know me, every day ain’t gonna happen–but if I do better, like two three days a week, I will have gotten so much more done!)

So how have I done?

Actually, not too bad. I have finished and submitted a book (technically two–because one I submitted my editor asked for the full–which I had told her WAS done so I had to then scramble like crazy and finish–and she bought it, it’s my August release, but shhh don’t tell my editor that part).

I am 2/3 through the start from scratch book–which is book 2 in the Paintbrush series–chugging away on that! I am working on it for Ames’ challenge, so it WILL be done and it will be submitted! (before the end of the year)

I have written every week and truth be told almost every single day this year.

So, the agent part, not so much, but I still have six months to go.

One thing that I need to add and prolly the most important one is that I am ALLOWED to write. Even writing every week, and doing cover art sheets and galley edits and getting royalty checks, it still hasn’t sunk in that I can do this. Take yourself serious and every one else will too! That is number one on the goal list from now on!

Labels: goals, writing

In my version of Microsoft Word there are 2 ways to insert the copyright, etc. symbol:

From the top menu, "Insert" then "Symbol" then choose the copyright symbol or select from a few dozen others (registered, trademark, etc.)

or (for a quick reference):

Ctl+Alt+C=© Copyright
Ctl+Alt+R=® Registered
Ctl+Alt+T=™ Trademark

**But warning**…if you hit Ctl+Alt and go through the entire keyboard…it DOES stuff to your computer :-O

For those unsure of what Ctl+Alt means, this is holding down the Ctrl (control) and Alt (Alternate) keys at the same time as the letter/key mentioned above.

NOT to be confused with Ctl+Alt+Del which will pull up your Windows Task Manager.

Labels: tips, writing, writing tips

No, it's not some freaky fetish or weird fruit diet. Nano or NanoWrimo stands for National Novel Writing Month. The title implies what it is. For the month of November you push yourself to sit at the computer and write a novel; get the words down until you get 5oK. Simple as that.

Don't edit. Don't revise. Just write.

I have participated every year since 2004. Some years I have completed the 50K word count and some I have faded away about a week into it. I can't say that I have sold either of the ones I completed, but I did get a rough draft done, completed; it only needs to be tweaked. Where as before all I had was a blank page. And twice, the writing in such a fast paced time-frame got me "in the mood" to write and I finished something else that I did eventually sell. So it helps and works!

It's not difficult if you pace yourself right. It's roughly 1800 words a day, which works out to about 7 or 8 pages. That's not that bad. Half a chapter, a scene or two. When you break it down that way, you can easily crank out a scene or two. I have even had days where I have written 25-30 pages so it is totally doable.

And the best part, it doesn't have to be perfect it only has to be done. There is a famous (in the romance world) quote, "You can't edit a blank page." So think of November as getting those pages down and then in December edit 'til your hearts content!



Join those of us up to the challenge and NANO!

Labels: books, Nano, novels, writing

School has started, can you hear me cheering! Don’t get me wrong, I love my children, but there is something to be said for them being out of the house, in a confined space that you know where they are, where hopefully you don’t have to worry about them.


Summer break was shorter than usual, it seemed. The dh and I were only in the same state at the same time for about 1/3 of the entire summer–sounds crazy huh?!? If that’s bad, the last two weeks were uber-crazy. We got school clothes and shoes, supplies, saw a circus–and watched as much Olympics as humanly possible. The cousins from Switzerland were in town and we had kid pics done and lunch and grandma’s house for birthday gifts (Switzerland is a LONG way to send stuff!). Then we took in a ballgame, after a soccer game during the rain. Got school schedules, and football gear as well met the teachers. And sent the dh outta town AGAIN! WHESHEW!!!!

With all this, what did I learn you ask? Oh many, many things . . . in no particular order.

~ A six-year-old WILL puke after eating 3 1/2 hot dogs (and ice cream, and
drinking two water bottles) at a b-ball game regardless of how much better he
“feels” when the older brothers and cousins get 2nd ice creams

~ dogs
DON’T like a six-year-olds fingers up their noses

~ a pet fish, next to
the dinner table WILL ruin appitites when he goes belly-up during the main
course

~ speaking of pet fish, be CAREFUL which seat you pick at a
wedding reception or might “WIN” the centerpiece (a bowl of goldfish)

~
don’t wait to plan talks, pitch info or emcee speeches five minutes before hand
or you may blather on and see many a blank or bewildered stare in your direction

~ a potential editor WILL remember your work if you bring it up when
you’re NOT supposed to

~ when sitting at a table full of authors, don’t
ask how many books they have sold and hold up fingers indicating how many YOU
THINK it might be. 28 is WAY more that ONE ~ GAW!

~ a nine passenger van
(total, INCLUDING the driver) cannot hold 10 conference attendees, no matter how
much we like each other and REALLY want to get to the hotel

~ always
KNOW how you’re getting back to the hotel (for sure) before you leave or the guy
kicking the rubber ducky down the street my be your traveling companion for many
blocks

~ DON’T make eye contact with the big ass dudes, in the black
town car sitting in the alley next to the hotel–safety first, y’know

~
if you do a face-plant on a train at a conference, people WILL remember and talk
about it two years later, even if they don’t remember it was YOU ~ Wheshew

~ on the flight back home after a conference, DON’T let the man next to
your read the back-cover blurb of the book in your hand if his questions begin
with, “have you ever met Fabio?”

~ no matter how much sun-screen you
use, you WILL get burned after a day at a Six Flags water park, so suck it up
(and FORGET the pedicure)

~ when the gas reminder dings, the auto WILL
only go SO long before it won’t go no more

~ when you honk at and flip
someone off, make sure there are places to turn away from them over, say, THREE
miles, or it can be an uncomfortable amount of, “Yeah, I’m still here.”

~ when you’re mom told you, “you’ll GET yours,” when you’re brought home
for the 3rd time after TPing someone’s house… you may end up having a bunch of
stinky, smelling, messy, sweet, funny, taller-than-you boys ~ life is NEVER
dull!

Hope you had a fun and intersting summer too!

Labels: kids, life, writing

The contract's signed and in … so I can announce…
It will be out in “E” in early 2009 and in print in late 2009.


It is a Contemporary western-ish novel set in Wyoming. (Cowboys, horses and bad guys OH MY!)

Labels: books, MY BOOKS, news, writing

Labels: writing

My favorite chocolates plated—and handy. The CD set on repeat for the soft crooning voice of my fave country hottie (or whoever you prefer—you know the one, his/her soft, sexy voice sends a shiver of delight up your spine). My favorite candles—strawberries and cream—lit and placed about the room. The lights turned down low. I pull my companion close and …

… set my fingers to tapping on those keys!

As writers, especially those who have jobs, spouses, kids, those who can’t write full-time (or those of us who tend to procrastinate with every e-mail and Solitaire game) we have to beg, borrow and steal time to write a scene or two. But maybe from time to time we need to set a “date” with our computer. We’re writers. We’re allowed to create—sometimes we forget to give ourselves permission to do so. So why not schedule our “writer” time. And while we’re at it, set the mood; find whatever it is that allows our creativity to flourish. We can relax, unwind and inspire our muses with prolific possibilities.

Labels: writing

Now that I have a few books under my belt, I think I have even less conviction and confidence in my work. I think, "What am I doing?"

I know this is a constant struggle for writers after talking to several of my friends, so I am not terribly surprised, but it is still hard to overcome the dreaded doubtmyselfitis.

Having said that, I have been working on a couple of polishing revisions of a book I want to send out SOON and I think, it's not so bad. But I don't know. . . It has all the right parts girl meets boy, boy acts all crazy and girl and he spilt, girl kicks bad guy's patootie and boy realizes he cannot live without her--see it's all there. I even let Ames read it and made changes, grudgingly at first even though I knew she was right.

So why am I afraid to put it out there? Why do I think it will be met with, um sorry, you suck. . .

Whoever said it was easy to write books, show them to me so I can kick their patootie!

Labels: writing

A sick child prevented me from doing what I had planned today, poor little guy … don’t know if he just totally overdid it yesterday or if he’s getting another cold, but he couldn’t even sit all the way through lunch and had to lie down—his cheeks are getting redder by the hour and he feels a little warm.

So I donned my fuzzy Minnie Mouse slippers, am keeping an eye on Spare and am hunkering down, going through all my “semi-finished” works and thinking over what to do with them. Recently, I learned of a great opportunity at Har/Silh. They are taking submissions of a 2 paragraph synopsis for romantic suspense stories and will draw five for a chance to pitch your completed book to an editor—I have one that just might work.

And according to Ames, according to Jordan, then next big thing to hit after the blending of urban fantasy (genre blending—uber hot right now) will be stories of the psychic nature—follow the TV trends and you will know what will hit big in books in the coming years, according to these women. So I am thinking of a story I plotted with SJ and BC. We were actually doing to try to write the thing all together but well, we were too busy to get together and work on it—such is life. Now before you go thinking I am trying to steal thunder from the other two ladies, I don’t even have the notes from that. Lost it but good! But the overall idea I kinda remember and I think it would make an interesting story. And besides as I have always said, you take one story outline and give it to several different authors and you’ll get several different stories—I believe that to be true!

so. . . . . . Working on working . . . gotta start somewhere.

Labels: writing

Earlier this year, my publisher sent out an e-mail for a publicity opportunity. One of the e-bookstores, All Romance E-books, who carries Samhain titles offered an author spotlight. They wanted pieces 200-2000 words long. I thought, "What the heck."

I sent them Hudson Flotsam. Yeah, okay, I hadn't consdidered the fact it wasn't so much a romance and they asked if I had something else. Well, no... I tend not to do short pieces. But not one to pass up an oppotunity, I sat down pen to paper (okay it was really fingers to keyboard) and voila, Hooky was born. They took it! I was so excited.

Yesterday, I received their weekly newsletter and my little piece was in there - YAY ME!

(and I even got an e-mail from someone yesterday telling me they liked it. . . UBER-COOL!)

Labels: writing