Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Image via WikipediaThanksgiving is over, so it's back to work for me in a lot of ways. Not only are we busy at work, but I'm busy at home writing my next novel and figuring out where I can query The Stolen Lady. But as we swing into the holiday season, it's also important to take a moment to appreciate this time of year. The weather is finally cooling down, in some areas of the country we have snow, and twinkling lights are strung over homes and yards. (In fact, some people really get into the holiday spirit, and their houses slightly resemble that of the Griswolds.) This is the last day of November. Take a moment to reflect on your year. What have you accomplished? What can you be proud of in 2010? What differences have you made in someone's life?
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Image via WikipediaThanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I can't think of anything more fun than gathering with family and friends to celebrate our blessings with a bountiful meal. Unlike Christmas, there are no expectations of gifts or financial burdens or decorations, and some of my favorite memories are of Thanksgivings spent at my grandmother's house with all of our favorite family recipes laid out. They included my grandmother's oyster dressing (strangely New England-ish for Southerners), English pea casserole, broccoli casserole, deviled eggs, pecan pie, and homemade biscuits or rolls.This year, our Thanksgiving isn't happening on Thursday, but my family will still gather to share stories and food during the long weekend. Much laughter and celebration will occur, and I'll sit back in wonder counting my many, many blessings. I'm thankful to still have my mother in my life, a husband who would do just about anything for me, a dog who can't wait to see me the second I walk in the door, my brother and his family, and my sister. I'm thankful for a job I love, a second career I can't get enough of (writing), and spectacular friends I can count on in the darkest moments. I live in a prosperous country where opportunity abounds and freedom is valued. And above all else, I am loved by Him.
What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving? What recipes does your family count on being at the table?
Monday, November 22, 2010
Criticism is tough to take no matter who you are or what your profession may be. Often, it's helpful, but criticism also allows you to see where your faults are. Truthfully, who wants to know what their faults are? But we learn from them, and it's important to understand one's strengths as well as the weaknesses in order to improve our skills.
I'm a sensitive soul and always have been. So when I signed up for Saturday's workshop with two literary agents via MCRW, I knew I was setting myself up for potential heartbreak...and potential elation. After all, literary agents are in part the gatekeepers for the publishing industry, and what they have to say is often incredibly influential. I went to the workshop in the hope that maybe—MAYBE!—they would want to see more of my work. What I got was sort of a mixed bag.
I submitted the first page of The Stolen Lady for critique, knowing I had rewritten the opening a dozen times before settling on the draft I submitted. I also submitted the first page of an untitled contemporary romance I've been toying with, knowing if they requested more of it, I'd have some serious writing to do over the next couple of weeks.
The day was nerve-wracking and traumatic and stressful. There really isn't a good way to describe it. When you're in a room with 30 of your peers, two literary agents, and several published authors and your writing is about to be read aloud while the agents critique it, your emotions go into overdrive. Your palms sweat, your heart races, and when you find out your pages are going to be read dead last, a raging headache forms—even if all of the pages are anonymous.
For my pages, the news was mixed. On the one hand, one of the agents said I had obviously talented writing (a definite compliment said about the first page from TSL), but on the other hand, while they didn't necessarily have anything to critique in the writing, they said they'd seen the storyline far too much and would pass on it. They both tempered that particular comment by saying another agent would likely be happy to pick it up. All in all, TSL's first page came through relatively unscathed in comparison to others, and it was still a painful experience.
As for the untitled contemporary's first page, that one actually fared better, I think, than TSL. Honestly, the agents couldn't find much to critique other than to suggest tightening up the writing in a couple of spots, and one said she would probably request to see more of it as long as it came with a strong query letter. Knowing that this particular agent has an affinity for a strong writing voice tells me my voice is shining through in my writing enough to interest her.
Overall, the day was incredibly informative and useful. I learned a lot, and I can certainly use much of what I learned to improve my writing even more. It was also useful to listen to the agents critique other first pages and listen to what the writer was doing right or wrong. I walked away with the knowledge that maybe it's time to start querying TSL and see where it goes. I've revised it to the point that I'm mostly comfortable with where it is, and I'm still receiving help from critique partners as needed. So...to continue moving forward with my process, I'm going to work on the current manuscript and start formulating a synopsis and query letters for TSL. In order to move forward, I have to take some more steps and put myself out there.
Besides, I need that RWA PRO status. ;)
I'm a sensitive soul and always have been. So when I signed up for Saturday's workshop with two literary agents via MCRW, I knew I was setting myself up for potential heartbreak...and potential elation. After all, literary agents are in part the gatekeepers for the publishing industry, and what they have to say is often incredibly influential. I went to the workshop in the hope that maybe—MAYBE!—they would want to see more of my work. What I got was sort of a mixed bag.
I submitted the first page of The Stolen Lady for critique, knowing I had rewritten the opening a dozen times before settling on the draft I submitted. I also submitted the first page of an untitled contemporary romance I've been toying with, knowing if they requested more of it, I'd have some serious writing to do over the next couple of weeks.
The day was nerve-wracking and traumatic and stressful. There really isn't a good way to describe it. When you're in a room with 30 of your peers, two literary agents, and several published authors and your writing is about to be read aloud while the agents critique it, your emotions go into overdrive. Your palms sweat, your heart races, and when you find out your pages are going to be read dead last, a raging headache forms—even if all of the pages are anonymous.
For my pages, the news was mixed. On the one hand, one of the agents said I had obviously talented writing (a definite compliment said about the first page from TSL), but on the other hand, while they didn't necessarily have anything to critique in the writing, they said they'd seen the storyline far too much and would pass on it. They both tempered that particular comment by saying another agent would likely be happy to pick it up. All in all, TSL's first page came through relatively unscathed in comparison to others, and it was still a painful experience.
As for the untitled contemporary's first page, that one actually fared better, I think, than TSL. Honestly, the agents couldn't find much to critique other than to suggest tightening up the writing in a couple of spots, and one said she would probably request to see more of it as long as it came with a strong query letter. Knowing that this particular agent has an affinity for a strong writing voice tells me my voice is shining through in my writing enough to interest her.
Overall, the day was incredibly informative and useful. I learned a lot, and I can certainly use much of what I learned to improve my writing even more. It was also useful to listen to the agents critique other first pages and listen to what the writer was doing right or wrong. I walked away with the knowledge that maybe it's time to start querying TSL and see where it goes. I've revised it to the point that I'm mostly comfortable with where it is, and I'm still receiving help from critique partners as needed. So...to continue moving forward with my process, I'm going to work on the current manuscript and start formulating a synopsis and query letters for TSL. In order to move forward, I have to take some more steps and put myself out there.
Besides, I need that RWA PRO status. ;)
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Image by Getty Images via @daylifeIt's the romantic in me, so forgive me, but I'm über excited about the upcoming wedding between Kate Middleton and Prince William. When Charles and Diana married, I was far too young to witness the nuptials, but I've always been fascinated by it. I used to gaze at the pictures and wonder what it must be like to be in Diana's shoes...all of those millions of people around the world staying up or getting up early just to watch her get married.In a way, I'm sorry for Kate Middleton, or Catherine as she'll be known now. She comes from a fairly average middle class background with parents who are successful entrepreneurs. And until she met and started dating William, she led a private, quiet existence. I wonder if she knows what she signed up for, how she'll be treated, and how very un-private her life will be now. On the other hand, she's (hopefully) marrying the love of her life, and she can deal with whatever comes with that.
While Diana was naive and young and unaware of exactly the sort of situation she was placing herself in, Kate has had years to prepare as William's girlfriend. She's smart and confident and fashion conscious. She knows who she is, and she's older than Diana was at a solid 28 years old. I'm quite certain the pair had some in-depth conversations about what her new life would be like. But this marriage won't affect just William and Kate; it also affects Kate's family in ways they may not yet realize. Kate's been in a precarious position, dating the heir to the throne of England but not quite a royal. Unfairly, she earned the nickname "Waity Katy" in the British press. She toughed it out, although I'm sure it can't have been easy to read such nasty comments about herself. It would have been truly difficult to be the prince's girlfriend and hold a regular job, so she worked for her parents' successful business, which she was also criticized for...again, unfairly.
Just about every little girl dreams of becoming a princess, which is why people are so fascinated by this event. I'll be watching as all of this develops, and I can't wait to see how the wedding plans develop. William has a good head on his shoulders, and I personally think he's chosen a wonderful young woman.
Congratulations, William and Kate. May you live as happily ever after as you both deserve.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Life has been a little crazy the last couple of weeks, hence the lack of blog posts. Sorry about that.
I'm in my third draft of The Stolen Lady, and I'm also in the midst of some serious frustrations with it. I've spent the past two years thinking about it night and day, and the truth is, it may not be good enough to be published.
Every author has a book they call an "Under the Bed" book. (By the way, I stole your term, Keri.) I already have one of those—the book I wrote at 18. But as it turns out, I may have another one. Apparently, I'm having some difficulty (based on valid feedback) with making my characters too Americanized or not aristocratic enough.
A few months ago, I wrote a chapter or two for a contemporary novel. Really, I was only toying with it and had no serious intentions of making it into a "real" novel. As it turns out, that single chapter or two received more positive feedback in the first pages than The Stolen Lady has. Apparently, my writing voice feels more comfortable there. And part of that could be because TSL was partially written when I was younger and partially written in my present day life. The book has also been a huge learning curve for me, both for writing and revising.
I haven't given up on TSL nor will I. Not yet anyway. I'll revise it until I think it's polished and shining to the best of its ability. But I'm starting to face the reality that this may not be the book that gets me published. Instead, it's more likely to be my third or fourth book that does that for me. So I'm shifting my focus. I'm going to begin focusing more on the contemporary, fleshing it out, and revising TSL a little bit at a time until it's finished. If I don't want to be a one-hit wonder, I can't continue single-mindedly toward one goal. I have to begin to work toward other goals as well.
I had a comforting conversation with Will about all of this. He reminded me that Dave Ramsey often teaches us that no successful person ever gets it right on the first try. A successful person must be willing to fail before succeeding. I'm willing to fail, but this realization hurts. I've devoted so much time and energy to this book that the idea of putting it down breaks my heart. But if I'm going to continue moving forward and learning as an author, I have to be willing to recognize the learning process as a whole. And even if TSL never sees the light of day—never becomes published—I'll know it wasn't for nothing. It was teaching me who I am as a writer and where my writing voice lies. Those aren't easy lessons to come by, and to learn them fairly early on in the writing career is a step in the right direction.
I'm in my third draft of The Stolen Lady, and I'm also in the midst of some serious frustrations with it. I've spent the past two years thinking about it night and day, and the truth is, it may not be good enough to be published.
Every author has a book they call an "Under the Bed" book. (By the way, I stole your term, Keri.) I already have one of those—the book I wrote at 18. But as it turns out, I may have another one. Apparently, I'm having some difficulty (based on valid feedback) with making my characters too Americanized or not aristocratic enough.
A few months ago, I wrote a chapter or two for a contemporary novel. Really, I was only toying with it and had no serious intentions of making it into a "real" novel. As it turns out, that single chapter or two received more positive feedback in the first pages than The Stolen Lady has. Apparently, my writing voice feels more comfortable there. And part of that could be because TSL was partially written when I was younger and partially written in my present day life. The book has also been a huge learning curve for me, both for writing and revising.
I haven't given up on TSL nor will I. Not yet anyway. I'll revise it until I think it's polished and shining to the best of its ability. But I'm starting to face the reality that this may not be the book that gets me published. Instead, it's more likely to be my third or fourth book that does that for me. So I'm shifting my focus. I'm going to begin focusing more on the contemporary, fleshing it out, and revising TSL a little bit at a time until it's finished. If I don't want to be a one-hit wonder, I can't continue single-mindedly toward one goal. I have to begin to work toward other goals as well.
I had a comforting conversation with Will about all of this. He reminded me that Dave Ramsey often teaches us that no successful person ever gets it right on the first try. A successful person must be willing to fail before succeeding. I'm willing to fail, but this realization hurts. I've devoted so much time and energy to this book that the idea of putting it down breaks my heart. But if I'm going to continue moving forward and learning as an author, I have to be willing to recognize the learning process as a whole. And even if TSL never sees the light of day—never becomes published—I'll know it wasn't for nothing. It was teaching me who I am as a writer and where my writing voice lies. Those aren't easy lessons to come by, and to learn them fairly early on in the writing career is a step in the right direction.
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