First Draft in 30 Days

It was such fun reading Robin’s daily NaNoWriMo progress — so I’m starting something similar here for me! In my writing, I’m at the point of seeing my critique partners’ reactions to my finished book, revising, and sending it in. While waiting for their reactions, I’ve been thinking about starting the next book and looking again at First Draft in 30 Days by Karen Wiesner. She has a detailed day-by-day schedule plan and accompanying worksheets. While I’m not sure all the worksheets will be exactly what I want, I think they’re a good place to start and then refine.

As you’ve probably guessed, I’m trying to come up with a SYSTEM! I wrote my first selling book by the seat of my pants, but it took five years to do it. There has to be an easier, quicker way. And the idea of just plodding ahead,  a la NaNoWriMo, gives me the willys. This gets to the age-old debate of “outlines vs. seat-of-the-pants writing,” which has been discussed ad nauseum. But it’s a very real question every author has to face and decide for herself.

So, for my next book, I’m going to try Karen Wiesner’s system. I’ll post my results here during the month of December. Gulp! Please wish me luck! I have a feeling I’m going to need it. 

Back to Work

Oh, it’s so good to be back at work after the four-day Thanksgiving vacation! At first, I was glad to get the time off and be able to sleep late. But about half-way through, with all the food preparation, the overeating, the outlaw in-laws, the traveling, etc., I was wishing for a little peace and quiet. Like many writers, I’m basically an introvert and too many people in my face day after day makes me tense. 

Does anybody else feel this way today – relieved to get “back to the grind,” and grateful to have a grind to get back to?

Casino Royale

Warning — spoilers follow! After turkey on Thanksgiving, we went to Casino Royale, and, as a writer, I came away happy. Now we have the backstory and beginnings of a great character. Ian Fleming (pictured here) wrote Casino Royale, which was his first Bond book; and I read it back in college. This movie is very true to the book. The movie plot makes big use of cell phones, which, of course, weren’t around back then. And I don’t remember the book showing a house falling into a Venice canal. But all the other book scenes are there in the movie — the poker game at Casino Royale, Felix Leiter providing money after Bond loses the first time, the chair torture scene, Bond falling in love with Vesper. And, of course, that telling last line — “The bitch is dead.” Bond, with all his gloriously unemotional violence, is born. He calls himself “Bond . . . James Bond” for the first time, and his theme song plays.

I loved it, and I’m sure Ian Fleming would approve. And, oh yeah, Daniel Craig makes an awesome Bond, right up there with Sean Connery.

If you love Bond, get the book. It’s a great read!

Perfume Passion

I adore one of life’s pleasures — perfume! It creates such a lovely aura and says so much about a person. Throughout my life, I’ve gone through myriad scented lotions and eau de toilettes. I even worked for three years in fragrances/cosmetics at Dillard’s and had the time of my life!

One whiff of a distinctive scent can bring back so many memories. In high school, I smelled like peaches, and Emeraude was all the rage. My father once gave me a bottle of Heaven Scent. Later, when we went to Walt Disney World, I always wore O! de Lancome. For a certain man, I would break out Fifth Avenue. My best friend likes Paloma.

I’ve also been known to change scents according to season and holiday. Lilac in the spring, spice in the fall, Winter Candy Apple for Christmas. Of course, anything that smells like chocolate is heaven – how about Angel by Thierry Mugler?

The one scent I always come back to is Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel. If I had a “signature scent,” this would be it.  Top Notes of citrus and orange sparkle. Middle Notes of jasmine and rose deepen. Then it drys down to Base Notes of vanilla and white musk. Whenever I wear it, I get compliments. Happy sigh . . . guess I’ll go spritz some on right now.

Do you have a favorite perfume?

  

Thanksgiving — Tag!

With Thanksgiving coming up this week, I thought I’d try the tagging thing — it sounds like fun. I tag Melissa M, Robin R, Diana C, Mary W, and Ken A to tell three things you’re thankful for this year. Hah!

Now, just to be fair, I’d better do it. Things I’m thankful for this year:

That my family is all together in one city, and we seem to be healthy and doing fine.

That my days are spent writing, editing, and teaching — it feels good to spend my time doing things I like and think are important.

Let’s see, something for the world — that  we haven’t had any huge repeats of 911 on our shores.

OK – tag, you’re it!

  

The Guys’ Rules

A friend sent this to me. No, I didn’t write it — I am not a guy — but I just had to pass it on.  Besides being funny, these rules could come in handy to  romance writers out there trying to create those recalcitrant modern heroes!   

The Guys’ Rules­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

We always hear “the rules” from the female side. Now here are the rules from the male side. These are our rules! Please note.. these are all numbered “1″ ON PURPOSE!

1. Men are NOT mind readers.

1. Learn to work the toilet seat. You’re a big girl. If it’s up, put it down.
We need it up, you need it down. You don’t hear us complaining about you leaving it down.

1. Sunday sports. It’s like the full moon or the changing of the tides. Let it be.

1. Shopping is NOT a sport. And no, we are never going to think of it that way.

1. Crying is blackmail.

1. Ask for what you want. Let us be clear on this one: Subtle hints do not work! Strong hints do not work! Obvious hints do not work! Just say it!

1. Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.

1. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That’s what
we do. Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.

1. A headache that lasts for 17 months is a Problem. See a doctor.

1. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact, all comments become null and void after 7 Days.

1. If you won’t dress like the Victoria ’s Secret girls, don’t expect us to
act like soap opera guys.

1. If you think you’re fat, you probably are. Don’t ask us.

1. If something we said can be interpreted two ways and one of the ways
makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one.

1. You can either ask us to do something. Or tell us how you want it done.
Not both. If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself.

1. Whenever possible, please say whatever you have to say during
commercials.

1. Christopher Columbus did NOT need directions and neither do we.

1. ALL men see in only 16 colors, like Windows default settings. Peach, for example, is a fruit, not a color. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have no idea what mauve is.

1. If it itches, it will be scratched. We do that.

1. If we ask what is wrong and you say “nothing,” we will act like nothing’s
wrong. We know you are lying, but it’s just not worth the hassle.

1. If you ask a question you don’t want an answer to, expect an answer you
don’t want to hear.

1. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine…Really.

1. Don’t ask us what we’re thinking about unless you are prepared to
discuss such topics as baseball, the shotgun formation, or golf.

1. You have enough clothes.

1. You have too many shoes.

1. I am in shape. Round IS a shape!

1. Thank you for reading this. Yes, I know, I have to sleep on the couch tonight; but did you know men really don’t mind that? It’s like camping.

Pass this to as many men as you can – to give them a laugh.

Pass this to as many women as you can – to give them a bigger laugh.

Update on my Writing

Time to update about the status of my writing. I haven’t talked about it since my ”Afraid of Halloween” post. Since then, I’ve been working on my steamy novella — editing, tightening, lengthening, adding a sex scene, etc. Today, I’m ready to print it out for one final look-through. Then it’ll be off — submitted through cyberspace to one of the online romantica lines. If they don’t take it, there are lots of others to try.

The romance markets have changed so much over the years! I’ve watched many trends get hot, stick around, come and go out of favor. Back when I started, 400-page single-title historicals were all the rage. Then short contemporaries all about “brides, babies, and cowboys” took precedence. Next, romantic suspense got hot, with some of the major romance stars moving over into single-title suspense. After Bridget Jones’ Diary came out, a whole new genre was spawned — Chick Lit. The latest rage is online ebook erotic romantica, especially paranormal and vampires. I love how everything changes, and new markets and opportunities for writers appear.

It all makes me hope the good ol’ Gothics will come back some day – I never got tired of them. You’ll know them by their covers. Anybody for an isolated mansion, a dangerous hero, and a frightened heroine running away in the night, clad in a white nightgown and holding a candle? I just KNOW I’m not the only one who fell hard for Mr. Rochester, Jane Eyre’s ultimate Gothic hero!

AO-HELP!

I’ve used AOL for years and years because I love it. I like keeping my same email address, my address book, my IM’ing, and my “Favorites” settings. I like the content on the opening page. And now it’s even free!

However, every so often, AOL upgrades. Today, I downloaded the new AOL “OpenRide,” and it’s taken me hours to explore it and get my new settings right. I’m still not sure if I’m going to like it as well as the old AOL, but these things take time to get used to.

This is when I wish I were a little kid again. I substitute-teach computer classes in Lincoln Public Schools, and even the kindergarten kids are already so computer-literate and sharp, it’s mind-boggling. I can’t imagine what they’ll be doing with computers when they’re my age. Probably virtual reality– if they want to be in Paris having sex with Daniel Day-Lewis, they’ll think they are. It’ll be as good as real!

What’s really depressing is that virtual reality is about the extent of my imagination. They’ll be doing cool new things nobody has even thought of yet. Wish I could be around to see it. 

Will You Write Today?

Let’s assume you’ve decided writing is important to you. You have a window of time today (maybe even just 15 minutes), and you have a project in the back of your mind. Will you actually write today, or will you do something else and then feel slightly disappointed? Here are three quotations I think about to get myself to the computer:

(1) ”On the days you can’t seem to get started, just sit down and begin, because very often what’s stopping you is not actually the writing, but that you’re distracted. Once you get into the world of the book, something usable will always come.” — Susan Isaacs.  It’s not me — it’s just those darned distractions that make my mind feel scattered! Forget about them for a little while.

(2) “Make something, and the ideas will come.” — August Rodin. The “making,” no matter how fumbling, even aimless at first, will itself be an inspiration. Sometimes I don’t know what I think about something, until  I start writing about it. Oh! Then the lightbulb goes on.

(3) There’s really no reason to worry about what editors, agents, readers, or critics think, until the last stage of submitting. Right now, I can indulge myself and have some fun with today’s writing.

What do you tell yourself so that you’ll write today?

How I Quit Smoking

Melissa Marsh posted that her husband quit smoking because their little girl made him feel guilty. That’s one way. Hey, whatever works!

I’ll throw in my two-cents worth and tell how I quit on April 23, 2006. It wasn’t any superhuman strength on my part. I didn’t even need any willpower. I’d just had an impacted wisdom tooth pulled and lit up a cigarette. Suddenly, I found myself feeling nauseous, sweating profusely, and literally crawling across the floor to throw up. I thought I’d have to get better to die.

Now, everytime I get the urge, I do three things. (1) I remember how sick it made me.  (2) I think of my sister, Morgana, and her husband, Tom, who both quit and how much I admired them for it.  (3) I tell myself, “Sure, I’d love to smoke. But millions of people get along perfectly well without it, and so can I.”

Yep, smoking was a lot of fun for a long time, but I hope I never start up again. I can’t imagine I ever will.