No Choos Required

Books, Boys, Buzz...

2007-01-20T18:35:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to send out a reminder that I contribute every Saturday to Books, Boys, Buzz... http://yawriters.blogspot.com

Representing seven different publishing houses, the Buzz Girls all have books coming out in 2007 or 2008. Our seventh and final publishing deal was inked last week by Dona Sarkar-Mishra, my YA critique partner, and most recently, my Golden Heart Awards date.

Dona was the one who grabbed my hands and shouted, "Dude! It's you. It's you!" when I was sitting there in shock after hearing my name called as the Golden Heart Winner for the YA category. If Dona hadn't been there, I don't know what I would have done.

Actually, I do. I'd still be sitting there in Atlanta shocked at my win.

God bless Dona for her speech writing and for her critique work on my novel Never Cry Werewolf.

Most of all, congrats to her on her sale to Harlequin Kimani-Tru! She is a fabulous writer, a gorgeous woman, and an amazing friend. Her blog is located at http://donasarkar.blogspot.com but her regular day is Sunday on the Buzz Blog.

Love you, Dona!

A Rose for Heather

2006-12-13T21:27:00.000-08:00

Here I am with my beautiful friend and mentor Pat White http://patwhitebooks.com She and I received our chapter "sale" roses at the Seattle RWA holiday party last week. If you notice, I have one rose for NEVER CRY WEREWOLF. Pat has a handful for her recent sales to Harlequin Intrigue. I am so proud of her!

I also can't say enough about the wonderful writers in my Seattle chapter. http://gsrwa.org It's been an up and down year in my life, but my writing friends were there for every part of it. Without them, it would have taken far longer to reach my goal of publication, and it wouldn't have been as fun! Kudos to all of you out there in the Emerald City dreaming up your stories and making magic happen with your dedication and enthusiasm.

I am proof that if you work hard enough, keep reaching toward your goal, and never give up in the face of rejection, you can make it happen. This isn't to say I've acheived every goal on my list, but I know someday my former students will be able to check out my book from the library and say, "Hey, I knew her! Look at what she did. Maybe I can go for my dream too."

Never give up your dreams -- make them into goals.

Love and Light,

Heather

Thought for the Year...?

2006-12-10T18:10:00.000-08:00

So, this morning I had brunch in a great little place near my home. The kind of place you can order a Bloody Mary and rock out to classics on the junkbox in the adjoining bar. The kind of place that serves crispy waffles drowning in butter and syrup and pretty good biscuits and gravy for a city diner.

Ironically, it was in that same place that my last major relationship began.

For a long time, I thought I'd have to make out in the bathroom hallway with a boy to banish the ghosts of romance past, but I've had good luck three out of three times and made it through meals without a single tear or sniffle, even.

The amazing thing was this morning my gaze lit on a local newsletter near the counter. There in black ink on recycled brown paper was something I've believed for my whole life, but especially this year. It said:

"People of poor character tend to blame their choices on circumstances. Ethical people make good choices regardless of circumstances. If they make enough good choices, they begin to create better conditions for themselves." -- John C. Maxwell

Hello? Isn't that what I've been living all summer? You can't blame your unhappy life on the people and conditions around you. You're still you no matter what the circumstances! You have to keep doing the right thing and eventually your circumstances will change.

I love that little diner. Ghosts or no ghosts, I'm going to keep going back. If not for the awesome hashbrowns, then for the little winks from the universe.

Hugs!

Thanks...giving

2006-11-23T13:55:00.000-08:00

Everyone in the blogosphere is writing about what they're thankful for today...

My list is rather short:

1) Friends and family. I'm so thankful for the people who have stood by me through some of the roughest -- and alternately, most fabulous -- patches of my life. You never know how many people will lend you an umbrella until you're standing in a freaking downpour.

2) Passion. I couldn't do what I do without a huge measure of passion. Passion makes the work new everyday and every page a challenge worth taking on. Passion is what has propelled me toward some semblance of success and has helped me ignore the people who told me to, "just get a job at the dam." Uh... so glad I didn't take your stupid advice!

3) Love. Even in the midst of losing one love, you find that love is all around you. Love for yourself, love for your work, love for your friends, family, and life. And maybe that's what has sustained you all along...

4) Words. I still get goosebumps reading new words. I love looking things up in the dictionary. I love writing and reading words. I can thank my father for that one.

Happy Thanks -- giving day. I hope you have much to be thankful for and that you take the time to appreciate it all. :)

Books, Boys, Buzz...

2006-10-31T09:17:00.000-08:00

Today is my day to blog over at Books, Boys, Buzz...

See you over there!

How Much Promotion Do You Need?

2006-10-28T18:42:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking alot about doing the whole Myspace thing. Wouldn't that be cool to link up with other authors and readers? I've heard good and bad about the Myspace site -- what do you guys think?

Tuesdays Were Made for Dancing!

2006-10-18T13:00:00.000-07:00

My uber-fabulous sister and I hit the Secret Machine's show at the Showbox last night, in the company of a great new friend from NYC. We had an amazing time, which I really needed. I'd been in a bit of a melancholy funk for the last few days -- and it was time to shake that loose.

I liked the music, which made me want to dance, even when a Yanni-ish looking dude said in passing, "That's too much dancing in a public place." Um. Say what? Is it somehow not okay to groove to the music at a concert? Or was it some kind of a ridiculous pick-up line. I tried not to care too much, and I kept dancing to spite the Yanni dude.

In the end, my sis decided that the music was too heavy for her -- so we headed home. But the effect of dancing, listening to good beat-driven music, and acting aloof toward Yanni look-alikes was long lasting. Life is way too short to let things get you down.

Things won't always be perfect. Things won't always go the way you want. But good friends and good music can help you through.

I have a lot of writing to get done today. Luckily, I'm working on a project that is making me laugh and smile. That's always a good sign for a humourous paranormal YA writer, right?

Have fun today in whatever you do!

Comments, Critiques & Crap

2006-10-05T10:48:00.000-07:00

I think one of the most important things you can learn as a writer is to consider feedback a gift. Mind you, it doesn't always feel like a gift, but when someone in the business takes the time to consider your work, offer advice, make observations, or give impressions it can be invaluable.

A while back, someone had a suggestion about my work, a slight twist of a timeline that made a huge difference in my manuscript. Had she not taken the time to give me that, the story wouldn't have worked as well as it does now.

When we're able to hold our work at arm's length and take a more objective look, we can see the story for what it is -- not for what we want it to be. So, next time someone offers you feedback in a rejection, a revision letter, critque notes, whatever, consider carefully what they say. Sometimes, it may be exactly the thing you need to hear to unlock your story's true potential.

Other times, of course, it may be crap. But that's for you to decide.... :)

My Sis the Beauty Queen

2006-10-02T11:56:00.000-07:00

Just to pay my sister back for dishing on the Books, Boys, Buzz Blog about the Prom Dress Incident -- here is a super cute picture of the two of us playing Intergalactic Charlie's Angels. 'Cause of course we do things like that all the time...

She's such a rad girl -- totally fun and stylish. She's one of the coolest people I know.

Love ya, B!

Goodbye, My Friend

2006-09-27T06:54:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I said goodbye to an old friend... my writing desk. As you can see in this picture, it's huge. (Read: heavy!) To get it into my office, my mom and I had to break it into two pieces using only a rock, shoe, and a screwdriver. Yes, I eventually bought an electric screwdriver and a hammer. :)

Here's my cozy little office, crammed with books, pictures, and writing memerobilia. It helps to be surrounded with things you love when you're going to Storyland.

I wrote so many good stories at that desk. It was sad to see it go, but latest fit of down-sizing I decided that it needed a new home. Luckily, my new friend Linda, who is just starting out in writing, loved it and wanted it! Yay, desk! So, she and her hubby came and got it on Sunday. Hopefully, it will give her many hours of comfort as she writes her novels.

As for me, I was given a new, lighter, fold-out style of writing table a la Ikea. I like it because I can carry it myself, it's easy to set up, and it's sort of sleek modern. The old desk was mission style and sort of went with my furniture better, but portability is a major improvement.

I can't wait to get everything all set up and start working at the new desk. It's going to be a fresh start.

What does your writing room look like?

Smart Vs. Pretty

2006-09-19T21:16:00.000-07:00

Had a super weekend in the city with my little sis. Strangely enough, when she started introducing me to some of her friends and neighborhood peeps, one guy went, "Oh, you're the pretty one."

Uh... my sister is freaking gorgeous, people! She has always been and probably will always be the "pretty" one in the family. She's a pageant girl, for Pete's sake! So here's the question -- why can't there be more than one pretty, smart, funny, etc.. one in the family? No one is ever truly that one dimensional. No one can own an adjective.

Now for the comment I totally dug... "You must be the younger sister." Seriously. I got that more than a few times, and I credit writing YA novels for that little age-defying nod. :)

When I first began writing for teens, I put on sparkly eye shadow, cranked music from when I was sixteen, and went to work at my keyboard. My dogs eyed me dubiously, but it all worked.

I don't have to do all that stuff to get into the YA mood anymore. I love writing about the conflicted feelings you get on the road to self-acceptance and realizations about the important things in the world. I also love writing different endings to the often laughable outcomes of my various high school and college crushes and so-called relationships. The pain -- and joy -- of that time is fresh, even after all this time.

Maybe it's because everything seemed so life and death back then. Without the perspective of time, it just felt like situations meant more. Moments counted. Futures seemed so far away.

I kind of miss that sometimes...

New YA Blog!!!

2006-09-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all ---

I posted today on the brand spanking new YA blog I'm starting with authors Tera Lynn Childs, Stephanie Hale, Dona Sarkar-Mishra, and the lovely Simone Elkeles!

Here's the link to our new blog -- BOOKS, BOYS, BUZZ...

http://www.yawriters.blogspot.com

Go check it out and read all about my worst college break-up ever!

And if you happen to be the Gnome Boy in question, please don't sue me....

Hugs!!

Author Photos

2006-09-06T20:39:00.000-07:00

I'm contemplating updating my author photos soon. Since May, I'm a bit skinnier (or more svelte as I like to say) so as much as I love my 2005 photos, I may have to give them the old heave-ho.

The problem is always outfits. How to choose the perfect, timeless-yet-current ensemble to wear. The make-up is a whole different story.

The one thing I'm not searching for is locations. There's a perfect spot on the steps of an old factory building close to my house. I can just picture the sensitive yet thoughtful look on my face as I stare out from those empty, paint-chipped steps.

More on this later...

Dorky Bios

2006-08-29T21:21:00.000-07:00

I had to write a new author's bio for the Emerald City Writers' Conference, which is coming up in October.

I'm actually presenting a pitching workshop along with multi-published and RT award-winning author Pat White. See how cool Pat's stuff sounds? Well if you know Pat, you'd know how cool I think she is. Just last week she sent me this cool carnelian bracelet (for strength). I heart Pat White. And she's got the publishing creds, sure 'nuff.

As for my bio, I ended up writing something about the GH award and some factoids about things I love, ie. puppies, Heath Ledger and Nutter Butters. So uncool, right? But then again, if you know me, you know I live for the dorky stuff.

I mean, who else was putting on strawberry Bonne Belle lip gloss at the Golden Hearts? Who else recently wrote a letter in the form of a crossword puzzle? Who else goes to the movies alone on purpose? Yeah, um... big dork here raising her hand.

But here's the thing I've learned -- claim your dorkiness. Embrace it. How else (especially if you write YA) are you going to remember how it felt when you tried to HIDE IT back in the day?

*****

Okay, I've just reread this post. It's officially completely dorky. See, there is no escape.

Punch Duty

2006-08-26T20:50:00.000-07:00

Ahh.... back from the wedding of the century and from the dreaded punch duty.

What did I wear? How nice of you to ask. A sparkly black skirt, white camisole, an aqua "librarian's" sweater with a pink and white rhinestone pin, and my golden heart shoes from last year. My mom said I looked pretty... serving punch. More about that later...

The wedding was really sweet. Hymns, scripture read by my uncle who has an amazing speaking style, and in a pink suit, my grandma Molly walking herself down the aisle.

I thought perhaps she'd ask someone to accompany her -- but she went it alone. How amazing it was to see her confidently stroll down that carpet, smiling at the man she loves! I hope I have that much spunk to do that for myself someday.

And truly, she's had to reinvent herself since my G'pa died. Learning to manage things alone, live by herself after all those years of marriage, see herself as a single senior woman -- my grandma did a fine job creating a single life for herself. I couldn't be prouder of how far she's come after losing a spouse.

So... back to the wedding and reception.

My cousin E. (the mastermind), sister B., and I were reception liasons of sorts. By the time we got to the buffet tables where the adorable cupcake wedding tiers, drinks, and snacks were arranged, people were already starting to flow in. B disapperared to take pictures, while E and I took our places behind the tables.

I started doling out cups of the frothy pineapple punch (note to Molly -- good non-staining color choice!) while E took cups of ice water to the frothing masses stuck at the back of the enormous line. She didn't want anyone to pass out at Grandma's wedding, after all. Pouring the cups of punch was a challenge with the big chunks of sorbet floating in it. A couple of times people seemed hesitant to take the sticky cups from me. I don't know why...

Anyway, when two full punch bowls were emptied and another cousin showed up to help with punch duty, things almost got ugly.

"What do you mean you're out of punch?" one oldster whined.

Yeah, um, I'm like a RELATIVE -- not a caterer girl! Do I look like I work here? I'm so getting a name tag next time I'm on punch duty. Wait -- no next time. I'll volunteer for something non-punch related.

Anyway, I flagged down the caterer, who then scurried away to whip up more pineapple froth. Left with nothing else, we handed out cups of ice water while getting dubious looks from people who wanted punch.

"People relax, the punch is coming, " I kept reassuring the crowd. Finally the punch arrived, and despite wanting to punch thirsty party-goers, we filled cups and smiled.

As the stragglers moved through the line, I looked at cousin E and said, "Enough with the punch duty. I'm taking you to eat a cupcake."

And we did. Chocolate. Yum. It was a good day. And I survived punch duty... just barely.

Granny Bride Again!

2006-08-25T22:02:00.000-07:00

So, if you thought because of recent events I'd given up on love -- totally *not* true, by the way -- check this out...

My Grandma Molly, at age 83, is getting hitched tomorrow!

I know, right?

It's been a few years since my grandpa passed, and she finally met a really sweet, funny man at church who is also in his eighties. The man, that is, not the church. :)

The two of them will begin their wedded bliss tomorrow. As is the tradition, Grandma assigned us relatives jobs. I have to serve punch, which, if you know how graceful I am, will probably end up on my outfit.

Needless to say, I'm a torn about what to wear. Something cute... something fruit punch resistant... okay, honestly something I don't care about getting ruined. It may be a difficult morning rummaging in my closet.

But, by the end of the day I'll be raising a glass of punch (or wearing it) in honor of the happy graying couple. They give us all hope and belief in second chances. They give us corny jokes. They make each other incredibly happy. Here's to Molly and Don.

And long live love.

And the Winner Is....

2006-08-21T20:12:00.000-07:00

Check it out...

Stephen is *the* Hottie of publishing!!!

Read the story at http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/

And the funniest part is, the picture could never even begin to showcase his charm, warmth and wit. He's a total sweetheart.

Now, I'm wishing I was the one who nominated him...

Hotties of Publishing...

2006-08-17T12:20:00.000-07:00

Hey there,

I just learned that my agent is in the running in the coveted Hotties of Publishing poll over at Galley Cat. So, go vote for Stephen. This will definitely *not* go to his head or anything...

http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/

And he's a cutie, all right -- but I'm saying that in a quasi-professional evaluation kind of way, not a forbidden crush kind of way. :)

Plus, he's having a birthday! Yay! So, go vote for him.

Kryptonite

2006-08-13T16:33:00.000-07:00

Hey, y'all --

Well, I'm still at the end of chapter one. So, I haven't made much progress in the last few days. Been thinking about what Susan Squires said in Atlanta, that if you write paranormal characters, try to give them "kryptonite". Something that can disarm them. Make them vulnerable.

So, in trying to figure out what my magic girl's kryptonite is, I pose this question:

What is your kryptonite?

Mine is....

I'm not sure. Maybe dogs? Every time I see a cute one up at my summer job on the lake, I melt. I miss my dogs so much. I call it getting "dogstracted" -- I have to stop what I'm doing and go pet the pooch.

Oh, also Nutter Butters. The world could fall around me and I would be happily dunking NB's into good, cold milk.

So.... post your kryptonite! I won't use it against you, I promise...

Bright and Dark

2006-08-10T09:27:00.000-07:00

Back into the writing again. This is a good thing, since most of July I sat at the keyboard, as uneasy as Bambi on ice.

So, I'm writing light. A light, confection with a dark, dark hero you are going to love. The girl gets to be the star (of course) and the redeeming factor for said dark hero. It's set in Seattle, with a magical world simmering underneath the surface of things. Urban fantasy, I guess -- although I've also heard the term "slipstream" to describe the parallel magic and real worlds coexisting.

I'm working hard not to put too much parental angst into this one, as looking back on my other YAs they all have parent issues galore. And I adore my folks! So, what's up with that?

I think it has to do with the theme of self-acceptance and transformation, that bridge you cross from childhood into adult life, and dealing with parental issues is part of that journey. I'm so glad I've dealt (mostly) with mine. As an adult, I have great relationships with my parents, which have come only through honesty and communication. And with the present challenges in my life, I'm so glad I have them to talk with.

I think it's true that if you don't know history, you're doomed to repeat it. That counts doubly when it comes to parental stuff. You have to know what is in their baggage so you can unpack your own.

Wow. This got deeper than just a discussion of a WIP. Anyway, I've got pages to write. I want to have this proposal done by the end of the month!

Happy writing!

Monday in the Real World

2006-08-07T21:12:00.000-07:00

So, I still haven't caught up on my sleep after the trip to ATL. Maybe it's just normal when you immediately have to jump back into work after a week-long conference trip where you basically:

A) Don't sleep 'cause you're too excited, or because you and your critique partner/roommate have waaaaaay too much to talk about. (Shh! Quiet time!)

B) Spend conference week constantly flat ironing your hair because of the humidity in the so-called air-conditioned hotel. (Yes, Dona and I had dueling flat irons.) Any time not spent flat ironing is spent obsessing about the need to flat iron. I know, right?

C) Eat strange and exotic foods from the Peachtree Mall and nibbles from receptions instead of real meals. You body knows nothing of time or appropriateness of food.

Actually, it's funny to have an appetite back after all this stress. Last night I caved and ate four Nutter Butters (the best commercial snack of all time) instead of the usual two. I'm slipping.

Speaking of food, I had a really memorable meal in Atlanta with my friends from Chicago North -- Flux YA author Simone Elkeles http://simoneelkeles.com and her group of merry friends and a couple of their agents. We ate at Hsu's restaurant (who knew they had good Chinese food in Atlanta?) and really had fun. Dona and I split noodles, and I had a great convo with Nadia, Simone's agent, who apparently knows my agent. It's a small world for these industry hotshots. :) Can I just say, I love, love, love Simone and it was so fun to hang out with her! Even better, Dona and I got to attend her and Nadia's workshop the next day and heckle her (not really) from the front row. What are friends for?

Another fun dinner was Saturday night before the Golden Hearts. Agency friend Jennifer joined me, Dona, and the Greater Seattle girls for dinner at Pacific Rim. Again, who knew about Atlanta and the Asian food? Anyway, we got Jennifer some spring rolls (before she started to gnaw on my elbow) and all was well. The girls surprised me with a red corsage, which really made me cry into my sushi. There are no friends like writer friends.

When Dona and I made it back to the hotel to change for the big night, another corsage was waiting for me -- the white roses from Pat White. I can't say enough about what a friend, mentor, supporter she has been for me. Thank God Chicago North has been kind enough to share her with me. I heart Pat.

Okay, so somehow this has turned into a recap post. So, I guess I'll just end with :

A) There was a chocolate fountain at the Golden Heart Reception. Alas, no romance writers cavorted within it. Disappointing, right?

B) My friends made me feel really special. Really, really freaking special.

C) The dress my Grammy helped pick out was beautiful. The shoes, while painful, were fabulous. I don't know if it was wise to lead off my speech complaining about them, though...

D) My critique partners back home are amazing and wonderful. And, Dona Sarkar http://donasarkar.blogspot.com is not only a great CP, she's a fashion goddess and stylist extraordinaire. (A woman who never irons!! How can this be?)

That's some of what happened in magical Atlanta. Okay, so most of it was about food. I have more stuff to tell you guys. I'll post later.

The Secret Life of Golden Heart Winners

2006-08-03T17:22:00.000-07:00

So what is it like to be a Golden Heart winner? Uh... in a word, scary!

Here's one of the screens where the names of the finalist are ginormously projected. You clutch your critique partner's hand while she repeatedly tells you to chill. You try to chat up NYT best-selling authors seated around you. Okay, the editors sitting next to them, actually.

And here's the same screen where YOU are ginormously projected if you win. Of course you try to make it up to the podium gracefully in your new heels. You try to remember all the names of the people who've helped you. You work in the name of your great agent. You smile...? Okay, so you might forget to smile. You're just a tad bit shocked.

You spend nearly the rest of the ceremony snapping open and closed the case the Golden Heart comes in. Yes, it's real. You keep mouthing OMG at your lovely critique partner Dona. She keeps mouthing it at you. Afterward, you put that golden pendant around your neck, so now you're forced to stare into your own cleavage to admire it. Creepy, I know.

It's a lovely night involving chocolate fountains and drinks and calling your family to share the good news. It's almost as good as meeting MEG CABOT!

Heart of Gold

2006-08-01T22:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, so you can totally Google me and read the good news. I won the Golden Heart for Best Young Adult Romance Manuscript at the National RWA Conference in Atlanta. Here I am with Simon Pulse author Jenn Echols after the ceremony, wearing the coveted charm around my neck. (Thanks to Stephanie Hale for the photo!)

Sadly, I have yet to buy a digital camera for my new place -- so I was stuck with a disposable version and a beautiful yet snap-happy critique partner Dona Sarkar. I promise to post those pictures as soon as they uh, get developed. So uncool, right?

Dona was so awesome as a roommate. Seriously, who else reminds a GH finalist to breathe? Who else leaps to their feet shouting, "It's you! It's You!" while you sit there in utter shock and (in your head) the room goes silent.

Who else comes up with the idea to handwrite *your* acceptance speech in case you might jinx yourself. Yeah, uh, last year, when I typed out the speech, pasted it to a pretty cardstock, decorated it with stickers? May have been a little jinxy...

It was a wonderful week spent in the company of so many fabulous, talented, resilient women. I'm so proud of Diana, Simone, Marley, Barb, and all the wonderful writers I know who are launching into their publishing careers full force. Remember, I knew you back when...

Oh, and in other news I got to meet my IDOL Meg Cabot. Yeah, um, total fan girl/stalker here. Again, uncool! But sometimes you just have to gush. It's good for the soul. Alas, no pictures of me with Meg -- which is probably good in case she wishes to press charges.

Hot-lanta Rocks

2006-07-31T22:06:00.000-07:00

Okay, so...

I had a great time in ATL at the RWA National Conference.

My GA didn't attend, but I had fun hanging out with a wonderful colleague of his. So cool to be in the presence of someone who knows good food when she sees it -- and can call a crap steak a crap steak. Ha. Anyone who hires her is very, very lucky.

So many friends and parties and dinners and workshops my head was spinning. Will blog more about all the happenings soon. Hopefully will have some pictures to post.

Thanks again to my peeps (in Seattle, the Eastside, Chicago North and the Chicks from everywhere) for all the love and support. You guys rock!

I'm Like a Bird

2006-07-24T16:59:00.000-07:00

One last post before I fly out the door to begin my RWA adventure.

It's screaming hot again in the Northwest and I broiled in the sun all day at my lake job. Exciting moment of the day?? Evicting a baby bat from the store. What is it with me and wildlife relocation?

Anyway, as I pack, I'm shaking off my country girl personna and cultivating my inner diva. Seven pairs of pants? More, I say! Four pairs of heels? What's one more snuck into the suitcase? Make-up? Bring it all.

The RWA conference is the great unknown, after all. You don't know what will happen -- only that on Saturday night, the Golden Heart Winners will be crowned and the suspense that's dogged me since April will be let loose. It's weird to be going there a double finalist -- maybe it's more pressure... But, on the other hand, it's a really nice "right on" from the universe, telling me I'm making headway in a tough profession.

I'll be sure to post all the gory (or glorious) details when I return. Until then, write damn it!

The Chainsaws are not in my brain, Thank God!

2006-07-21T19:51:00.000-07:00

It's in the high 90's in the Northwest -- and up here in the hills, it seems even hotter. I'm sitting in my office with the cheapo version of an air conditioner (bowl of ice poised in front of drugstore fan) which leaves a lot to be desired.

Thankfully, and I hope it's not just a fake-out respite, the neighbor has stopped chainsawing whatever he was chainsawing in his driveway. Oh, happy day. For a moment there with the heat, I was beginning to wonder if it would ever end, or if it was all in my head.

So, I'm working again. It felt awkward this last week to force myself into the chair in which I'd written so many pages of words, and find it uncomfortable. But I guess that's what a month away can do; the body becomes unfamiliar with the contours of the chair, the fingers and wrists a little creaky on the keyboard.

And the familiar thoughts when beginning a new work surface like silvery fry, waiting to be fed. Can I do it again? When will I feel the magic? When will I hit the groove and get that confidence in my story? It's scary. But the scariness is what makes it work. What makes it something not everyone who wants to do it can do.

So, I cracked open a fresh goals/page journal this afternoon, dutifully recorded the week's word count (embarrassingly low, so I won't post yet) and I'm back to working on the character sketches, the goal, motivations, & conflicts (which, by my mentioning is totally not an excuse for me to grab Deb Dixon's book off the shelf and re-read as a diversion).

I'm excited about re-energizing myself next week at the conference, but I also know that writing energy has to come from myself as well. It's me who's at the desk alone each night, creating life from thoughts. So, I'll do a few push-ups, make a coffee, answer my emails, put on sparkly eye shadow if I feel like it, crank up the music, and write into the void. The only way to make it work is to write through the fear. This I know for sure.

Secret Squirrel

2006-07-20T16:50:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I got paid to relocate a squirrel.

I'm totally not kidding.

My summer job is at a lake not far from town, where we had a slight squirrel problem. Every night (and sometimes during the day) this squirrel was breaking in to eat M&M's (peanut, of course) and the occasional regular candy bar.

So, the company set a humane trap, baited with candy. SNAPPO! He set it off within five hours.

My boss told me to drive the squirrel into the woods to release it. And so, there I was, with my trusty partner, in the company truck, motoring down the road to induct our passenger into the Squirrel Relocation Program.

We stopped a few miles down the road, just across from a creek. Then we lifted the cage into the brush, away from the pavement and opened the door. He jetted out of there, into the nearest tree. My partner and I debated about whether or not to leave him some candy, you know, to wean himself from his addiction. So, we ended up unwrapping some of his favorite bait and pitching it toward his new tree house.

And all the while we were thinking, I hope he doesn't have a family left behind...

So Many Events, So Little...

2006-07-17T21:47:00.000-07:00

I had a fabulous time at Jane Porter's book signing last Wednesday. She did all the right things:

Adorable author -- Check
Cute scene read alout -- Check
Free Mai Tais at after-party -- Check

I can't wait to start Jane's FLIRTING WITH FORTY -- ironically about a divorced woman who finds love again. I love it. And anyone who holds a luau in Bellevue, Washington is tops on my list.

So what else is up?

Got a fab haircut in preparation for my trip to the Romance Writers of America conference. Bought a pair of tiny-sized jeans. (Yep. They're tiny.)

Put on my high heels and wobbled down to see my G.A., who was everything I'd expected and more. Didn't fall on my butt, but I did order a cappuccino waaay past noon. Tragic mistake of a country girl, I guess. :)

Met my Grandma's fiancee. Yep, my Gram is getting hitched next month. Patted my sister-in-law's baby-belly -- the baby is due while I'm out of town, of course.

Ate lots of fresh cherries and raspberries. Looked at a beautiful lake. On my way to work I had to stop for a herd of elk crossing the road.

Life is sweet and bitter at the same time. I guess it's all in what you focus on.

Hugs.

Book Party

2006-07-11T18:59:00.000-07:00

Super excited that tomorrow I'm attending Jane Porter's FLIRTING WITH FORTY book signing and release party in Bellevue. Jane is super sweet -- and really talented. She was the very first category author I ever read, and now she is a Warner author writing chick lit-flavored single titles. Will post more details about the fabulous Miss Jane after the soiree.

Have a great week!

New Office

2006-07-05T09:59:00.000-07:00

I'm totally excited about my new office. Not that I'm completely into Feng Shui or anything, but my desk lies in the direction of creativity and children. Talk about perfect for a YA writer.

I put my book collection in the closet, on these great built-in shelves. My reference books ended up on top of my desk bookended by these amazing carved stones my dad sent.

It's going to be a peaceful, thoughtful office. Coolest part of the house. Nice linen color on the walls with white trim. I so deserved this nice of a space years ago. When I look around at the space I've created I think, man, I'm gonna write some great stories in this room.

Hugs!

Notes from Outer Mongolia...

2006-06-28T12:05:00.000-07:00

No, just kidding. I haven't escaped to a far away continent. It sure does feel like it though.

Things are on hold for me right now, in lots of areas of my life. That's an uneasy place to be -- limbo.

I remember reading a YA when I was in high school about a kid who went to the land of lost things -- Limbo Land. He had been forgotten, along with things like random socks, game pieces, lunch pails.

This limbo is a waiting limbo -- not a lost one. But soon I'll start to move again. And the words will come. One by one and then faster. That's the beautiful thing about writing... the words pull each other out and along and soon you're on your way.

Be well.

My Dad the Poet

2006-06-19T07:17:00.000-07:00

I didn't get to spend Father's Day with my dad, but I did speak to him on the phone. It's amazing that the sound of his voice and his kind words can feel like a hug. God bless Alexander Graham Bell (and whoever invented cell phones).

The big news from the Midwest, where my dad has put down roots, is that one of his Haikus has been accepted into the National Haiku Society's Annual Anthology. It's a lovely poem about the lavender growing in his garden. (And, my fave of the ones he showed to me prior to submitting.) I can't wait to get a copy of the book.

Yep, I'm proud of my dad. He's such an inspiration to me. He's taught me all I know about how to love someone. He taught me to read and to love words. What else is there?

Go hug your dad. :)

Out with the Old

2006-06-12T08:50:00.000-07:00

I've spent the weekend sorting through the past. It's an ugly job, trust me.

But throwing out non-essentials from my life is freeing in a way. Those Writers' Digest magazines from ten years ago? Um... probably not going to be reading those anytime soon.

It's good to get rid of stuff from the closet, too. Stuff that is too hideous to be seen wearing in public -- trash it! Things you bought intending to wear, but then never got to -- be merciless!The cute Ann Taylor silk see-through polka-dotted wrap blouse um... the jury's still out on that one. I keep rescuing it from the Goodwill bag.

I purged paperbacks a few weeks ago. That was hard. I really have no space for all of them, so it was a matter of -- is this a keeper. Ouch. It ended up being a heavy load of books. Some on them good, but needing new homes. The ones that stayed were ones I loved, knew I would read again, or couldn't bear to part with. Double Ouch.

Next stop is the cooking equipment area of our cupboards. That will be a test of wills. I am a cooking equipment junkie/hoarder. But really, how many tart pans does one woman need? I will be ruthless, I will be practical, I will... I really love making tarts.

See, this cleaning/de-cluttering stuff isn't easy for me. It's hard to admit you're not going to use something. You may never light that vintage fondue pot again. The awful truth is the awful truth.

But I'm learning that letting go of the past opens yourself up to future possibilities, to a chance to reimagine what could be your life.

Maybe a shiny *new* tart pan is in my future? Who knows.

Bless your Golden Heart

2006-06-08T06:34:00.000-07:00

The official comment period for RWA's Rita and Golden Heart Awards has begun. They're looking into changing the contest.

Personally, I like the GH.

Okay, I'm a three-time finalist. I'm biased, I know. But I entered for two years before I first finaled -- and have the threes and fives to prove it. I wasn't ready. My work wasn't ready. Those consistent hard scores let me see that.

But then came the year I got a nine and a two in the mix. People always tell you that's the sign of a "strong voice" in your writing. You simply aren't going to make everyone love your work, but some will hate it. Is one judge's nine another judge's two, though? Is there really a way to standardize scores in such a subjective industry contest?

I'm not sure.

What I do know is that to final, there has to be a certain magic that five judges all can see. It's hard to final. Heck, it's hard to get any five people to agree on anything in life. So, I treat my finals as a minor miracle. They certainly have improved my confidence that I am going to make it writing.

And, a little cherry on the cake of last week -- the mysterious final judge/editor requested one of my fulls (along with two other finalists' work). I'm thinking it must be pretty competitive in YA this year. And hooray for that! Makes me want to work even harder. :)

Quick Post

2006-05-31T17:55:00.000-07:00

It's Wednesday -- nearly one week (well, 9 days) of the school year left!

Can I just say I so enjoy teaching. It can be very stressful -- but subbing is totally the way to go if you're a YA writer like me. For every cranky sixth grader, there's a charming kindergartener ready with a hug and a hand-drawn card that says stuff like, "I love you forever, Miss K."

The older kids, who know what I do at my "other" job always ask about what I'm writing. You can just see the spark of possibility in their eyes -- that thought that maybe they might one day write or follow their dreams. But when I say dreams, I actually mean goals.

Dreams are different from goals. I mean, I dream of vacationing on a sandy tropical beach -- am I saving money for the plane ticket? Researching tiki huts? Waxing my surfboard? (Okay, so I don't have a surfboard, duh!) No. That's a dream. A fantasy. Would be nice, but still...

Writing for publication -- making a good living with words -- that is my goal. So, I work at it. Take the lumps that come. Get better. Get braver. Keep going. Repeat. Grow. Change. Learn.

The difference between goals and dreams is action. Be active, people!

Ready for Take-Off!

2006-05-26T16:46:00.000-07:00

I had word from GA (Great Agent) that he liked the revisions I made last week to my YA paranormal and.... drumroll please... it is ready to go out!

Woo-hoo! I'm nervous and excited about what we'll hear back. But in a good way. :)

Also, my buddy Pat sent me a beautiful bracelet to inspire me on the WIP still in my head. It's not the sequel -- had to set that aside to handle revisions, etc. -- but something else that's been brewing for a few months. Don't you love how that happens? That some magical mix of thoughts and images can simmer away in your cranium, and then somehow, one day, you know the story is ready to write. That's how this one feels.

In the meantime, things seem topsy-turvy in my world this week. I can't wait to settle back in to working on my other revisions (Man, it seems like I do a lot of those) on the earlier YA.

No matter what is happening in my life, there are always the words to be written. Stories to be told. Even to the point that I feel like I'm experiencing things from outside my body, looking down on me as a heroine in predicaments that will be solved. Life is a goldmine of emotions to be experienced and noted, I guess. I just wish that I could write the outcomes, you know?

Okay, that last bit sounds a bit mental, I'll admit. :) We're only in control of our own actions, words, thoughts. Too bad we don't get to write the script for the other players. But I guess that's the human condition.

*Lightbulb!* That's why I love writing!!! I do get to write the script and outcome. It is control in a way.

Okay, after those exhausting mental leaps, I am off to eat a snack and collapse. I forgot to mention I walked two miles in the school Walk-a-Thon today (One lap I actually ran!) with the fifth-graders today. It was great. And it kept my mind off the waiting business....

Which, *Duh!* is only just beginning....

The Dress!

2006-05-24T10:23:00.000-07:00

It was a very eventful weekend -- I found my Golden Heart dress!

It's always fun to shop with my Grammy -- she is getting up there in age, but you'd never know it from meeting her. She's as beautiful as Lauen Bacall and as stylish as any TV-fashion guru. Last year, the dress she helped me pick out was a pink tiered silk gown, fit for Nicole Kidman at the Golden Globes. A confection, Grammy called it.

This year, we hit Nordstrom's Special Occasion department, where we were quite disappointed. Aside from a few lonely Sue Wong gowns -- in all the wrong sizes -- and one maybe Tadashi blue silk number, the place was like a picked over wasteland.

We found "the" dress in the Narrative department -- aka Date Dress Land -- on a *gasp* sale rack! It was like the Holy Grail -- but not in the DaVinci Code way -- of little black dresses! Spaghetti straps, black beading in a swirl that runs down and around the middle to the hem, some drapey panels that float the floor. It was, as Grammy put it, "a classy-slash-sexy" gown. Of course, I tried others on, but Grammy was right. I ended up buying that exact dress.

The shoes were harder to find, and even harder to walk in! I'm seriously going to have to practice before the GH Awards ceremony at the end of July.

The thing I liked best about "the" dress? I feel gorgeous when I put it on. You know how like in Hello, Dolly! they sing the song "Put on Your Sunday Clothes When You Feel Down and Out" ? If I ever really get that rainy day feeling I will reach for that dress.

When you know you look good -- for yourself and no one else -- it does make the world seem brighter. Even a paranormal author needs that sometimes.

Hugs!

Post-It

2006-05-18T10:39:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post today...

I finished the "big" revision last night on my teen paranormal. It's funny that I started with that part of the revisons -- the part that needed one little scene inserted. It was a concrete fix, something I could work in with a little tweaking. And it made me all emotional! That love stuff always does. :)

The smaller revision I tackled this morning was more of a subtle attitude thing -- making sure my MC isn't harshing on her fellow campers too much. As GA (Great Agent) pointed out, not every one of my teen girl readers is "going to be fabulous and from Beverly Hills." See why I like this guy? Very astute. I'll go back through that beginning again later, making sure the changes I made are enough.

Oh -- for inspiration this week, I am listening to a Natalie Goldberg workshop on tape, which I picked up at a junk store for next to nothing. Can't believe what a treasure it is. And, since I'm supposed to have my CD player installed in my new ride soon, it may be the last chance to listen to a tape player in a car... haha. Love listening to books on tape/CD while I do long drives. It makes the time pass so quickly and you really can absorb the information.

Have you listened to a book or workshop on tape recently?

To Be Read

2006-05-10T15:54:00.000-07:00

I love new books. I love buying them at the bookstore. I adore them coming to my mailbox from Amazon. I love 'em. I only hate the way they tempt me away from my own keyboard...

I just finished reading DATE ME BABY ONE MORE TIME by Stephanie Rowe. Cute and sexy story about the guardian of the Goblet of Eternal Youth and a hero out to break a family curse. Loved it.

Currently reading MAXIMUM RIDE by James Patterson -- a YA about genetically engineered kids who can fly and are on the loose from their prison/laboratory. Very action packed. I had to quit reading it at night, and I'm not even an old person. Ha. I'll come back to it.

Plus, SPECIALS by Scott Westerfeld arrived via Amazon this week. (Just released!) It's the genius third book in his Uglies series about a distant future where plastic surgery and bubblegum minds are the norm and a group of kids try to buck the system. He's got great characters and is a master world-builder. So far, I'm halfway through the book. I have to force myself to slow down and savor the story.

Next up in the TBR pile is I'D TELL YOU I LOVE YOU, BUT THEN I'D HAVE TO KILL YOU by Ally Carter, who I met briefly in Reno at the RWA conference last summer. She was so sweet and the book (in hardcover, no less) looks like a lot of fun.

Then, I'm on to TWILIGHT by Stephanie Meyer -- which I can't believe I haven't read yet, working in YA paranormal myself. I will force myself to finish my own YA revisions before I delve into that dark world. And it's set in the Northwest, in a town I've often been to. Can't wait to read it.

So, I have a lot to read this month -- and a ton to write.

What is in your TBR pile, guys?

I Survived Kindergarten but my Shirts Didn't...

2006-05-08T17:53:00.000-07:00

The sun is out. I'm simmering brown Basmati rice (courtesy of Trader Joe's -- the best food store on the planet, IMO) and defrosting Mahi. I'm actually cooking after several days of leftovers, doing revisions, meetings, long nights. It's so good to smell real food cooking. Ahhh.

See last week I again encountered the 6 year old aliens that populate the school. I had four days' worth of encounters with the little buggers. I'm glad for the work, but when I went to do laundry on the one day off -- the aliens got their revenge. In the form of a purple crayon. Which I pulled from the dryer with my clothes. Which melted all over my fave t-shirts.

At least it wasn't the pants, I told myself... as I drove to the nearest Old Navy. Any excuse for t-shirt shopping!

Anyway, I have several writing-only days this week and I'm anxious to get back to revisions. I love it when new ideas starting popping up for old projects. There's something to be said about letting things marinate.

And... I'm back to food. Gotta go finish dinner. Ciao!

Ups and Downs

2006-04-29T06:55:00.000-07:00

Everyone always talks about the rhinocerous-like hide you've got to develop in the writing business -- well, any business for that matter. But is that harder when you're a "sensitive artiste" type?

To be a writer is to have access to your emotions. You pull from them moment-by-moment as you write. How does the character feel? When did you feel that way? What did it feel like to feel that way? It's no less than freaking Method Acting in some ways.

But then, once the day's pages are filed away we're supposed to put on the business hat and stow the emotions?

I think it's impossible. We're who we are because we can feel. We do feel. So it's natural to take a bit of a personal hit when facing a setback or challenge careerwise.

The good side of all this? The ups we experience fully. The highs of writing a great scene, of finishing a book, of starting something new. In between traversing the dark insecure valleys, you get to climb the mountains and check out the view.

So how do you develop the thick skin while still being able to access emotions? You can't just say, "I don't care." That's be an outright lie. You do care about writing a good story, getting an agent, your Amazon ranking or whatever. But maybe you can say, "I won't care that much. I won't let it get to me."

I'm working on this. I don't know any serious writer who isn't.

Progress...

2006-04-27T08:36:00.000-07:00

Well, had a lovely writing morning yesterday.

Actually did a few copy-edits on my last YA -- edits *ahem* I wish I'd caught before the MS went out in the mail... Ones I'd caught on a susequent rereading.

I'm a huge offender when it comes to typing the wrong word. (Example: Without his medicine, he'll be sick in twenty-four house.) Okay, duh! Mental forehead slap.

I have excellent critique partners who give me notes on corrections, which I do... But then, while correcting, I feel the need to tinker with what's on the page. (Is that revisionistis?) Anyway, voila. New ones.

I totally have to work on this in the future. Dial down enthusiasm, vim & vigor. Chain self to chair for one last reading. :)

In brighter news, I wrote four more pages on my new WIP -- the paranormal sequel. I hope to have a proposal done on this one by the end of May. (If I can keep myself from pushing ahead and finishing the whole damn book.) There's another project I'm itching to write, but I'm keeping it on the down-low for a while. It's so cooool it's kewl. Okay, should delete that, but I won't. I'm in the mood for confessions, obviously.

One last thing -- my little sister emailed me from Venice this morning. Apparently, she and her young Ben Kingsley-esque boyfriend had been to Rome yesterday and were blessed by the Pope. Niiiiiiiiice. You can get more blessing-y than that. Apparently the gondoliers are on strike in Venice... Does that mean you row your own? Haha.

Okay, off now. Leaving you shaking your head, I know. Stop reading blogs and go write, people!

And the Winner is...

2006-04-22T17:23:00.000-07:00

I'm going with the hot paranormal chickee picture for my official Golden Heart stuff. Emailed it to National RWA office today. Thanks for the comments, you guys!

In other news... DYING to write! Have been utterly exhausted this week teaching 30 supposedly humanoid 6 year-olds. More like battling with small aliens who constantly need to use the bathroom and have urgent need to tell you about their pets. Cute yet strange creatures, they make odd, random noises, have obsessions with pebbles in their shoe treads, and tell jokes with no punchlines....

Yeah.

Patience is drained. Brain running on back-up power. Need hourly injections of lattes and Wild Cherry Diet Pepsi (the best drink in the Uni). And time to WRITE!

I did work on character arcs for my four main players in the sequel I'm outlining. That was some progress at least. But, to make my goal for the month, I need to have first chapter written -- and basic plot flow outlined. It's gonna be a nail-biter, especially with hubby's fishing business crazy-busy and our dishwasher on the fritz. I need a maid for my anniversary, unless one of the dogs can don rubber gloves and start scrubbing.

Oh, reading a wonderful RDI book right now -- BOMBSHELL by Lynda Curnyn. (I think I'm spelling it close at least!) Lovely rich plot and complex beating-heart characters. I can't wait to finish up tonight, though then I'll miss my new found friends. I love/hate when that happens to me from a book!

Okay. Enough. You get it. I'm busy. :)

Have a great week!

Which to choose?

2006-04-15T13:51:00.000-07:00

Did I mention I totally hate getting my picture taken? I'm the girl who always closes her eyes when the flash goes off, has something green in her teeth, or is having a perma-bad-hair-day.

Of course, now I have to send in my official Golden Heart photo to RWA. This is the one that goes in all the promo stuff and is projected ginormously on the screen during the awards ceremony.

So here are the choices:

Sweet little YA writer...

Or the more "paranormal" YA writer picture.

Which do you like?

Spring Cleaning

2006-04-08T10:20:00.000-07:00

Whew! I tackled the dreaded desk yesterday with excellent results. I now have a beautiful, if not intimidatingly clean, desk.

There were oodles of old story pieces that needed to be filed. In between dusting and sorting, it was fun to read ideas I'd concocted back in 2001 -- a girl PI novel (included murder scene outside of a natural foods co-op, hah!) and bits of a Hollywood news anchor revenge story. I'm never short of ideas, that's for sure.

Also, I came across the last draft of one of my GH finalling entries -- Do You Really Want to Haunt Me? I was sort of down on that book by the time I finished writing and revising it. By then, Jennifer Love Hewitt had just come on with her Ghost Whisperer series and then the movie Just Like Heaven came out. I thought I was not far enough ahead on the curve of girls/boy talking to spirits and/or dead folks.

But the voice is good in that story and the premise has a bit of a twist, including a family gift/curse. And you know what? I enjoyed rereading it.

Maybe enough time had passed that I could see it from a different angle. Whatever it was, I felt like the novel wasn't the troubled child I'd thought it to be.

Lately, I've been feeling that its making it into the Golden Heart finals was some kind of fluke, but maybe I've been wrong. And at the risk of sounding pompous or whatever, I think it's okay to like your work. It's okay to let other people like your work, too.

So, I'm going to accept its GH final with a simple thanks and not stress about the how and why. It's good enough, smart enough, and doggone it, five people (plus me) really like it!

And now do you see why it took me all day to clean my workspace? Too much to read. :)

Desks Deserve Better

2006-04-06T12:37:00.000-07:00

It's unofficially D. D. B. day. Time to clean my desk! I would post a picture, but I'm sure you'd be shocked...

Currently on desk:

Various paper-copy chunks of last book
RWA chapter's goal bowl
Flowers from husband (in elegant Mason jar)
Crystal bowl with sparkles & clear rocks in it (My substitute water feature a la Feng Shui)
Laptop affectionately named Frankenstein
External mouse and keyboard (Yes, I have laptop issues...)
Reference books (Thesaurus, dictionary, grammar/style book, many others)
Pictures to be filed, Disks to be labeled, Letters to be filed
Assorted dust bunnies
Nearly empty can of air duster
Change (How did that get there?)
Hershey's kiss wrappers
A few never-seem-to-be-sharpened pencils that I always try to use
ACK! You get the idea..

So, about the "water feature"...
It's in the corner of my desk associated with career and it's supposed to attract success and money. I'm not sure if the fact that it's sort of fake makes a difference.. but things are looking up lately.

Do you believe in Feng Shui? What other principles have you used in organizing your desk?

And now, off to clean. Ick.

How Did I Get Here?

2006-04-02T19:57:00.000-07:00

How did you become a writer? What influenced you? Those questions have been popping up on various blogs this last week.

What came to my mind was the dusty second floor library where I spent many long mornings waiting for the first bell.

See, every day I rode with my dad on his way to teach at the local high school, then I walked the six blocks to my own middle school. There, in the cool, large-windowed library, I'd devour Agatha Christie books, sample classics, and check out new releases. It's funny -- looking back at all the hours I spent there, I couldn't tell you the name of the librarian, or what she/he looked like! When I entered through the glass doors of that room, it was only me and the books.

Earlier, in elementary, I'd made my way through great stories like Bridge to Terebithia, From the Mixed-Up Files of Basil E. Frankweiler, Black Beauty and everything by Judy Blume. I loved those books. In fact, a friend named Vanessa and I had contests about which books we'd read, how many pages, and that kind of thing. My favorite teacher had reading rewards that involved lunch with her at McD's! I always won. Sometimes, her white-haired husband, an ex-navy officer, would meet us there to eat. It was so amazing, seeing that my teacher had a life outside of school. When I graduated sixth grade, she gave me a copy of Jonathan Livingston Seagull the ultimate seventies encouragment book. I loved her.

So all of that, those memories, those books, and of course, my English teacher father led me to the writing life, by way of the film life. I'd actually been accepted to a masters in Film program in California and was all set to move, but then I met my dashing Alpha-male hero. My course took a sharp turn, but I ended up back in storytelling where I belong.

It's not so different in a way. When you write a novel you are the director, producer, and editor. (At least at first) It's a group effort later.

But the beginning... the drafting ....

The solitary hours at the writing desk are like those silent hours in my childhood library -- filled with just me and the story.

Yum.

The Secret Life of Golden Heart Finalists, part II

2006-03-29T07:10:00.000-08:00

So, it's the Wednesday after the GH announcements. The congratulations have been trickling in (so nice!) and my honey got me a card and flowers! I know... I can't believe it either. Last year, I was sadly lacking in bloomage; this year, he knows what it means to me.

Here's a photo with Jodi from Wisconsin, a lovely woman who dined with us before the ceremony in Reno. A pink orchid corsage would have been lovely... *sigh*

What a shock to make it into the Young Adult finals two years in a row. A lovely shock, but still. I'm proceeding with a way more realistic sense of what it means this year:

First -- A Golden Heart final is not a publishing contract. Most people sell without ever finalling in the GH.

Second -- Not everyone in the universe cares about the GH. Shocker, I know.

Third -- Not everyone will be happy that you are a finalist. The truth hurts.

Fourth -- Being a finalist is not an excuse to shirk writing duties! (Or to laze around reading endless emails related to finalling, dress shopping, taking the perfect photo.) You need to get your butt into your writing chair and do those revisions, queries, whatever.

So what *is* good about it?

After of learning of my final on Friday afternoon, I let myself say, "I am going to make it. I am going to make it in this tough business." I let myself believe it, let it sink in to my heart. I can do it.

So, the GH final silences my inner critic for awhile. The GH final tells me that I'm on the right path. (I don't know how far I have to travel, but damnit, I'm heading in a good direction.) The GH final gives me a boost of energy to work harder so I can write the best book I possible. That's what it's all about. And that, more than any contest final, is the prize.

**
And now a pre-Golden Heart Acceptance moment:

(Warning... enthusiastic punctuation ahead!!!)

Yay for Juli Heaton & Trish Milburn, two fellow chicks in the YA finals... Good job! Hello to Cherry Adair, chapter goddess with her Rita nom. Also, cheers to Marley Gibson on her sale to Puffin! And kudos to Alesia Holliday on her Anthology Rita final!! Hugs to the other Wild Cards who made it to the 2006 GH finals & those of you working so hard to travel your paths! Love to Ann Roth, Steve, and the gals of GSRWA! Thanks to the Chick Lit chapter with hugs for Diana Peterfreund, Simone Elkeles and Cari Ferrer.

Extra love to Pat White for her support & phone therapy... :) Big hugs to Missy Norris, Robin Wood, Sandi Holstein & Jen Hoffman, my fave critique buddies of all time. Much love to Dona Sarkar, the next big thing & YA critique goddess extraordinaire. You rock, chica!

Okay, they're playing the music in my head. I must cut myself off. Gushing this early in the morning is just plain scary. ;) Revisions await...

Golden Icing on the Cake!

2006-03-24T17:46:00.000-08:00

So, I thought this week was already pretty rockin'. I had revision requests from a *great* agent, had an exciting idea for a new paranormal YA series, and then, today... the GH calls went out.

I really didn't think I would make it. I put it out of my mind and concentrated on teaching science for the day. Several viewings of Cells, Tissues, Organs and All About Balance & Motion later, I called home to check in with my hubby -- and got the message to call a "lady from RWA."

I called. She told me I double finaled in Young Adult. Double finaled! Can I say that again with feeling? OMG. Kinda freaked out! Had to celebrate with champagne and a Pepperidge Farm chocolate layer cake which was pretty good for store-bought, actually.

Yay. It's a good week.

Sequels...

2006-03-08T07:41:00.000-08:00

While I'm waiting to hear on submissions, my goal for the month is to write the first chapter and synopsis of the sequel to my latest teen paranormal.

I sat down the other day, after weeks of letting things bubble and squeak in my brain and jotting down notes in my journal, and surprise -- three and a half pages of a decent opening scene emerged! Love that.

In honor of sequel crafting, I give you a link to Diana Peterfreund's excellent sequel post on RTB http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=554

Wisely, she noted the pros and cons of various sequels before charging on into her own sequel. Smart, that one.

Since I've just finished reading the excellent sequel of Uglies by Scott Westerfield -- Pretties -- I'm excited to get into my own sequel work. Did I mention this story starts off in a Girl's reformatory in the Swiss Alps? What's up with me and the Swiss?

Hm.... perhaps I'll reveal that in another blog entry....

The Value of Good Critique Partners

2006-03-02T07:50:00.000-08:00

I have a new critique partner just for my YA work. Not that my other CP wasn't great (*Hi, Jen!*) but sometimes you need someone who's working in the same sub-genre as you are.

So, my new YA CP and I traded books last month, and it was a great experience. Mostly because her book is great! I looked at her whole MS, made notes, and then inserted them into the word doc. That was a little odd -- when I reached the end of her book, I kinda felt like I was writing "The End" myself. :)
But, this second read made me see the book in a deeper and more involved way.

It's really great. Did I say that already?

My CP has a way of fleshing out her protagonist that I can learn from. She developed her protag fully, and I did that more with my secondary characters. But perhaps that is because she's working in third and I'm in first person. I get so busy seeing the world around my character, I forget to let the reader see her. I'm learning! Anyway, my CP's agented already, and I am feeling that this book may be the one that takes her to that next level. Yay, Dona!

On my MS, her comments were really helpful -- big picture things that I just didn't see being so close to my work. And, unlike a critique group or someone who's just seeing a chapter at a time -- having a CP read your whole MS means they can give you overall impressions, pick up areas where you "lost your thread", etc.

So, the book had the once over -- and immediately went out the door. It's had some interest, so I'm waiting to hear. In the meantime, I'm toying with my ideas for a sequel -- forcing myself not to write it, yet! My M.O. is to dive right into the next work without time for breathing, so this is quite hard. But, I know to do a really good job, I have to plan carefully and start in the right place. There's no sense in rushing.

I am catching up on some reading this week. Just finished Lori Handeland's Dark Moon and am now into a Meg Cabot (who is my unofficial Madonna!) book called Teen Idol. In the TBR pile are Scott Westerfield's Uglies and Pretties. After hearing Diana Peterfreund's rave reviews of SW, I figured it was time to read him!

So, I'm chilling. Waiting. Hoping. The waiting never gets any easier!

Falling Close to the Tree

2006-02-04T16:22:00.000-08:00

I'm so proud of my dad today!

He emailed me a short story he'd written about the night his brother was born. The story, set back on the midwestern farm where he grew up, was thoughtful and rich. It made me flash back to the cramped study in our old house, and to the unfinished pages I used to find there when I was a kid just looking for something to read.

Those pages from his desk drawers showed me a different side of my dad. So quiet in real life, he expressed himself on the page with passion and color. And reading those pages was like knowing him as a person.

Peeking in on his writing life affected me deeply over the years, like secret inspiration. I *never* told him (until I was grown) that I'd read those abandoned and sometimes unfinished stories. They haunted me, though.

I'd invent endings for some of them. In fact, the first short story I wrote with the intention to publish, was kind of an hommage to one of Dad's story images: A boy with an empty bird cage on a dusty road. Doesn't that picture make your brain go -- Why? What if?

The prose in his new story is simple, yet elegant -- just like he is. And the images he creates are unforgettable as ever. I hope he'll publish this story, so the world can enjoy it. I know he plans to share it with his brother.

I'm proud to be his daughter, sharing a lonely craft with him.

And I'm really glad he wasn't a build-a-ship-in-a-bottle kind of dad. My hand is not as steady as my imagination... :)

Rule of Six Update

2006-01-25T07:48:00.000-08:00

The Rule of Six (see last post) totally worked. It did become the Rule of Eight, but it worked.

I wrote down six obvious possibilities to get my heroine out of her scrape, but wasn't ready to stop there. I numbered ahead, and by eight, I had a winner.

Remembering that in first person it's sometimes easier to play with perceptions than in third, I had her think something was happening, but had it turn out to be something completely different. i.e. she thinks hero is the thing stalking her, but it turns out to be a different creature. Then, hero gets to be viscious when he attacks that creature (not attacking the heroine, thank God!) so we're not cheated out of that reality. Win-win.

Now that's all settled, I'm gunning for at least a ten to fifteen page day. Over on the Jenny Crusie/Bob Mayer blog http://crusiemayer.com/blog/ there is a great reminder to have your opening scene foreshadow and echo your closing one. I'm keeping that in mind as I head toward my WIP's end.

Happy Writing!

The Rule of Six

2006-01-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

In a "No Plotters Allowed" workshop at RWA Nationals, authors Patti Berg and Allison Brennan introduced the audience to the Rule of Six.

Apparently, if you get stuck in a scene or with your plot in general, you write down six possibilities, the sixth being the one that you should probably go with.

In my WIP, I know what happens *after* the next scene -- but I'm writing something that could go many directions. It's a paranormal... there's going to be chase... the heroine uses her wits to escape but can't hurt the pursuer because she loves him (when he's in his human form). Major problems!

My DH suggested the hero give her something that protects her... but what? Ahem... cue the Rule of Six.

You wanna know the really hard part? Settling down to write the six possibilities. I mean, what if I can't come up with the first five? What if number three is the best idea?

I'm sitting down to try the Rule. I'll report back.

Retro Friday

2006-01-21T14:23:00.000-08:00

I had a serious Retro Friday -- I jump roped with kids all day at school. Yes, my legs are sore, how can you even ask?

Back in the day at my elem school, we actually had a jump rope team. We'd make up routines to popular songs (um... by like Kool and the Gang... yikes!) and perform them at assemblies. I think we even had little t-shirt and shorts uniforms.

I, of course, looked like a huge dork because back then, my grandma's hairdresser did my and my sisters' hair. The look was "flying saucer" hair -- curly on the edges, flat on top -- must have been a morphing of the whole Dorothy Hamil style. Again, yikes. Never been a big fan of anyone calling themselves a "hairdresser" since then. :)

Anyway, it was great to channel that kid talent I once had. I even did a double-under! I've still got it...

On the writing front, I'm doing amazing! Figured out I've done more than 150 good pages in the last month. I'm writing like crazy this week, and it seems to go so much faster as you near the end of a book. I love that part because it means that revisions are next, and that's where I can really shine.

Hope you're getting to all your goals this week!

Weekend Stuff

2006-01-17T16:43:00.000-08:00

Can't believe it's Tuesday already. Where did time go? Golden Globes, MLK day, and football in Seattle. It was a busy weekend.

I did get major cleaning done (yay, me!) and managed to write. I'm nearly done with my WIP -- about 20k to go -- so I've been making excellent progress. Funny how when you're writing something you love, it just goes faster. Sorta like when you're driving home from somewhere you've never been it goes faster than consulting the map and driving in circles trying to find the house on the way there. I know where I'm going. I see the finish line just in front of me.

Of course, this means my heavy scenes are coming up. I've still got the major crisis to write, and the final conflict. Very intense and emotional, oh, and I've got that shapeshifting description to craft. Yikes!

I am looking forward to it. I'm also tracking my goals with page and word counts in my little notebook every day. That's a great motivator, although I felt sheepish writing in, "Day off for cleaning and Golden Globes." I didn't do any pages that day -- didn't even think about my WIP except for feeling guilty for not working on it. But you've gotta live, you've gotta clean, and you've gotta watch the Globes.

How amazing did George Clooney look? Way amazing. And Charlize Theron's dress? Gorgeous. I love the movies, and I love movie award shows. I draw the line at Ryan Seacrest on the red carpet though. Ugh. It's bad enough I have to see him on American Idol. Oh, well, you can't have it all.

Happy Writing!

Leaps of Fate

2006-01-12T16:49:00.000-08:00

It's been raining in the Northwest for 24 days in a row. We're talking big fat raindrops -- not sprinkles -- which have cause mudslides, road closures, rivers swelling to flood stage. Ugh. Everything is wet.

In our neck of the woods, we've witnessed the reemergence of Lake DH. All around the cabin we're building, a moat is forming. Luckily, the cabin is built up high and the water hasn't reached it. Boone the Lab, of course, thinks the lake is fab --he's wading, playing, and now leaping after toys in the water.

We're taking our own leaps, too. The DH and I have decided that we're done working in Alaska every summer. We're retiring from the summer vagabond life of lodges and resorts. It was a hard decision to make, but we're thinking that it's time to stay home. I'm putting it out there to the universe for something good to come and fill the summer hole Alaska will leave.

In the meantime, I'm pressing on with my WIP -- a paranormal YA. Now, with more than half the book completed, I'm feeling like it was a good leap to take. Not a leap of faith alone, but a leap of fate. It was a leap that was well worth it -- a leap from a comfortable genre, to something different, something incredibly fun.

What leaps are you taking in your life this week?

Resolutions vs. Goals

2006-01-04T11:52:00.000-08:00

I hate resolutions, so you'd think my DH wouldn't ask me what my resolution is. Of course, he didn't. He's a resolution kind of guy.

So I just answered, "My resolution is to drink more water."

He didn't seem to think this was a very good resolution, but I'm about goals, not resolutions.

Goals are like dreams with a plan. Who said that? No clue, maybe it was Dr. Phil. But it's so true. My goal for 2006 is to write the best damn books I can.

To support the goal, I've started a "goal journal". In it, I'm going to write down what steps I took to accomplish the goal that day. I'm tracking page counts, word counts, planning time, brainstorming, workshops, books read, research done, and any other activity that contributes to making the goal a reality. And I imagine that on a day when I have nothing to write, the guilt will be a killer.

But more than guilt, I think a record of how hard I'm trying to improve my craft is going to be very motivational. Writing is a craft that is honed by practice, by action.

What are you doing to reach your goals this year?

OMG, My First Tag!

2005-12-29T14:35:00.001-08:00

Okay, I know that these kinds of memes or tags or whatever are really popular in blogs, but this is my first one. I'm so honored that Trish tagged me. (I know, it's kind of geeky for me to say that, but if you read this blog, you know I can be a little geeky now and then.)

So, here are the answers:

7 Things I Want to Do Before I Die:

1. Dip my toes in the Mediterranean again.
2. Adopt a child. (Or three...)
3. Take my dad on an awesome trip somewhere because he totally deserves it.
4. Go to a Hollywood permiere.
5. Finish building our dream home.
6. Make the New York Times Best Seller List (Yes, stolen from Trish's list, but it's true!)
7. Own a really new car.

7 Things I Can't Do:

1. Ski. I almost broke my leg trying to learn when I was 15.
2. Drive fast. (Ask anyone who'd been behind my slow butt in traffic.)
3. Do that curling tongue thing. How do people do that?
4. Let go of the past sometimes. (Working on it!)
5. Not eat chocolate.
6. Parachute? I'm guessing here, since I've never done it.
7. Tango.

7 Things That Attracted Me to My Spouse:

1. He's strong.
2. He's funny.
3. He gets me most of the time.
4. He's handsome.
5. He has a good heart.
6. He likes to be goofy (which is totally different than funny).
7. He believes in me and my goals.

7 Things I Say (Or Write) Most Often:

1. Holy crap or variations like crow, cow, crapola, etc.
2. You're missing the magic word...
3. Cookies! (To call the dogs.)
4. Boone, don't eat that!
5. Honey, the *insert random appliance* isn't working again!
6. Hello? Are you new?
7. No way...

7 Books (or Series) I Love:

You only get seven? Here are my latest and greatest.

1. the Harry Potter series
2. Pride & Prejudice
3. Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series
4. Elmore Leonard's books.
5. Jenny Crusie's books.
6. Anne Rice's books -- these are also awesome as audiobooks
7. Bridget Jones' Diary (Laugh every time I reread it)

7 Movies I Would Watch Over and Over Again:

1. Magnolia (Fascinating characters.)
2. Four Weddings & a Funeral (Love Andi & Hugh together.)
3. About a Boy (Just rewatched this one. Lovely, human characters. Heart and Wit.)
4. Rockstar (Obsessed with watching this when it comes on VH1. Can't explain.)
5. Phantom of the Opera (Love this soundtrack, too. Am I the only one who feels bad for the phantom at the end? Learn to be Lonely, bah humbug!)
6. Sixteen Candles (I love the ending when Jake shows up at the church.)
7. Get Shorty (The dialogue is sooo good and funny.)

7 People I Want to Join In (In other words, tag, you're it!):

Okay, I'm not going to tag people, because duh, I'm not sure who has blogs! So, if you know me, love me, read this blog, whatever -- you're it. Hm...I'm counting... that should be about four people.

Back with a normal blog soon. Until then, go read Miss Snark's blog. She's got the "Crap-o-Meter" out again and is using it to rate synopses. She's at www.misssnark.blogspot.com if you haven't been there.

Deal or no Deal?

2005-12-21T07:53:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm a baaaaad blogger. It's been way too long since my last post, but life has been crazy.

Last week, my ancient car died, so my DH and I had to go through the grueling process of buying a replacement vehicle. Downside -- dealing with dealerships.

What's with the typical guy comment that my DH made as we strolled on the first dealership's lot? "Let me do all the talking?" Ugh!

Of course in the second dealership's office where we waited for the salesman to prepare the purchase papers, DH's tune had changed to, "Wow! Honey, you're a good negotiator! How did you know to say that?"

"Well," I said, "while you had your head under the car and were on the phone with your mechanic buddy, I was chatting up the salesman, who told me how long the car had been on the lot, how he really liked to blow the cars out at a discount after a certain number of days, and how he'd rather lose money on a sale but gain a repeat client." DH was suitably impressed. Salesman told my DH to come back in 2006 for another car, but to leave me at home next time. :)

So, that was great, but the biggest upside of the deal was that for the first time in thirteen years, I'll be driving a car not inherited from a dead relative. Yay!

Boone and Katie had waited in DH's truck while we dealt with the car stuff and Boone apparently was in a partying mood -- he completely shredded the Auto Trader magazine into confetti. Parade anyone?

The dogs both love the new rig. It has a fold-down seat, so Boone's crate will fit in the back, and both of them can walk around to stretch their furry little legs. And so far, knock on wood, Boone's found nothing to shred.

In writing news -- working on my new paranormal YA MS, which I am loving. Set the other YA manuscript aside to mellow for awhile before I figure out how to fix it. My page goal this week is two chapters. Bold, with the holidays coming up, but with the DH driving and my Alphasmart on my lap, I'm pretty sure I can get it done.

BTW, did I mention the new car has an overhead reading light just above the passenger's front seat? I can finally write at night, which will be a big relief from watching hubby's driving on the long and winding road to the city.

Happy writing!

Stories are Like...

2005-12-08T15:06:00.000-08:00

When I first started writing, I thought that each story was a "baby" you birthed, raised, sent out into the world, hoped would make a decent living, etc.

Now, I'm starting to think that stories might be like dance partners. You pick one out across the crowded room in your mind and ask it to dance.

Some are so-so looking, but are good dancers. They surprise you by teaching you new moves, and when you're done, you can't believe the night is over because you had so much fun.

Some are hunky at first glance, but the poor clods can't dance a step. If you spend time partnering with them, you'll have to teach them to cha-cha-cha and tango and that could take forever.

But the thing is -- you can't tell from appearances -- you have to let the music begin and take a few steps together. Write a chapter, start a synopsis, check your partner out.

And there's nothing wrong with telling a story to sit the next song out so you can look for a better suited partner. It's your party and you can bail if you want to... well, within the first few songs. After that, you may already be married to the guy.

I guess as writers, we all like to think that our stories are all worth developing, and that with our skills, we should be able to whip any story into shape. But, looking at it from a time perspective -- would you rather start something that's going to be fun and moving, or something that will be drudgery?

Okay, you may want to flog me with your manuscripts that prove me wrong or accuse me of being super lazy, but I really think if I'm not feeling the passion for my story, no one else will either. If I have to manufacture the passion -- the reader can tell and so can I! Ugh.

There's plenty of hard work to come in the latter stages of writing a novel -- so why not have fun? Don't just love the one you're with. At least not at first.

Boone's Top Ten

2005-11-29T10:56:00.000-08:00

Boone, my now sixty pound chocolate lab puppy, insists I record his top ten list of favorite activities:

10) Chewing dog crate -- Thinks it is just one mondo doggy toy, not an apartment.

9) Pawing through garbage can -- Can easily knock it over now.

8) Drinking coffee from cups on side table -- He loves his java. What a Seattle dog.

7) Destroying stuffed animals -- Shreds them and tosses stuffing into air like snowflakes.

6) Eating --- Everything.

5) Licking refrigerator door -- In hopes it will open and he can snarf everything down.

4) Sleeping -- On my side of the bed. Kicking legs out like frogman. Snoring. Running in sleep, which boots me in the behind.

3) Fetching -- Anything he can find. Anything you throw. Even in the house.

2) Nosing people -- In odd places. At odd times. Lately does this when I'm at my desk trying to write.

1) Showering -- He is now known as the Shower Bandit. The minute the water kicks on, he opens the bathroom door (lock inexplicably not a problem) and sticks his head around the shower curtain to see what's happening. Will lay on bathroom rug until showeree is done and then helps dry the person off by licking droplets off legs. Yes, my dog is weird.

But I love him! And so does his ancient German Shepherd sister. Will post some pictures this week. It's snowing here and he's having a blast tearing through the flakes, barking and racing in circles. Gotta love puppies in the snow.

Golden Heart Babies

2005-11-22T07:37:00.000-08:00

I finally can post, now that my two entries for the Golden Heart are in tip-top shape and ready to ship out today. I actually wrote an eight page synopsis yesterday from the bones of a two pager -- which was pretty amazing for me to do in one day. My brain is consequently toast this morning...

Eight pages seemed like a lot, compared to last year's entry which had a five page synopsis, but this WIP is more complicated. All of my books are complicated, damnit!

Rereading last year's entry and synopsis did make me smile though. I really am proud of that finalist MS. I had to sit back in my chair and say, "Damn. This is pretty good." That's always a good feeling.

Good luck to all the Golden Heart entrants! I can't wait to judge this winter!

How Sweet the Bitter End

2005-11-14T19:42:00.000-08:00

I wrote the final sentence of my WIP's first draft today. Wah. Hoo. Hmm... Expected fireworks, explosions, at least some freaking confetti.

Okay, not really. It will never be like the first time I finished writing a novel. That time was I screaming, "I can't believe I did it!" and boucing around the house for days. Writing a novel was a goal I'd had for years. It was a sweet success.

This time, after multiple manuscripts completed, I guess I'm more aware of the work ahead. Aware that I will edit, revise, plug scenes into spreadsheets, revise again. Aware that I'll be thrown back into polishing and refining and then forced to hit the publishing pavement. Ack.

A good thing did happen though. I caught myself getting emotional as I wrote a father-daughter scene toward the end of the book. The kind of talk scene my own dad calls a "come to Jesus" session. I love when the people in my stories reach these cathartic moments, forcing me to dig deep for the feelings, the right words. I teared up a bit. Then again, although there are funny moments in it, this book has themes of forgiveness, eternal love, self-acceptance, and the regrets that haunt us. If I didn't feel something at the end, I would have been worried.

So, now to go back and tweak my synopsis to fit the changes I've made since beginning the story. I do like having the synopsis in at least skeletal form when I begin. It's much easier for me to rewrite it then to begin from scratch. And then, the work continues! Spreadsheets, revisions, the works.

Ah, sweet mystery of writing...

The End is Near!

2005-11-10T07:27:00.000-08:00

*Whew!* I have written 54,700 words of my 60-65k manuscript.

This is always the happy but tension-filled slide to the end of the book. I know my characters, I know what should happen at the climax of the book, all the players are on the chess board, so to speak.

But, I suck at chess. Or maybe suck is too strong of a word. I'm just not that great at it.

In my defense, I only learned to play chess in sophomore year of college. My boyfriend at the time, an egotistical photography student still in love with his devil of an ex-girlfriend, taught me to play. Then, when I won my first game against a mutual friend, my BF, watching from the sidelines, laughed and said I could have won three moves ago. Grrrrr.

Maybe I'm too spontaneous a decision-maker to be good at chess. When I do play, I'm looking at say, the next three moves. Those people who can see five moves of her own and her opponents? Totally not me.

In my writing, I see this is a good light. I'm open to the moment, to my characters who are acting on the stage I've built in my story. If I truly know them, they will do what they do "in character". They will show me possibilities my subconscious mind only hinted at. And the lovely verisimilitude that made shows like Seinfeld so great will surface in my novel. Loose ends magically tie. Things I never imagined connected will connect.

And if they don't? Well, that's the beauty of a novel -- and the vast difference between it and a true chess game -- you can go back! Enhancing, shading, foreshadowing, changing, scultpting? Every thing is fair game in revisions. :)

Did I mention I love revising?

Lunch with Susan & Jen

2005-11-07T10:35:00.000-08:00

My local chapter of RWA had a fabulous meeting this weekend -- lunch with best-selling authors Susan Andersen and Jen Heaton (aka Desire author Caroline Cross). Although the food was fabulous (loved that Thai chicken salad) my favorite part was the question-answer session.

Susan and Jen answered all sorts of queries about the industry, their careers, their work. I was touched by their generousity and candor. What a gift to all of us working toward our own publication goals!

Some highlights from the conversation...

* Your writing/career problems don't magically disappear when you sell. There are always new things to tackle, new things about yourself to learn.

* Perserverance is the key to a successful writing career.

* A good synopsis focuses on the emotional arc of the characters. What internally will change from beginning to end of the story? How will they grow emotionally?

* If you get stuck in the middle of your story, work backwards from the climax of the story.

And now... to get on to my WIP. Nearing the 50k mark and feeling the "good pressure" of having to tie up the loose ends.

Good luck with your writing this week everyone!!

It's All About the Words

2005-11-02T18:58:00.000-08:00

Well, I hit a milestone today -- 48k on my WIP! For someone writing stories of 60-65k this is like the beginning of the end. I'm literally at my heroine's "black moment" in my story. Woo hoo!

Of course, this black moment isn't quite what I had imagined. Then again, when I began the draft, I planned the final conflict more than I thought about the black moment because, in my experience, the black moment (bearing in mind the GMC of your character) can grow organically from the story that comes before.

And this black moment did not disappoint. It'll all end well, but how my heroine is going to get out of the ugly, ugly situation she's found herself in is... (to quote Shakespeare in Love) a mystery.

Good thing I love a good puzzle. After all, I'm writing to surprise myself. If I can do that, then I know I'm into something good, something compelling.

I can't wait to get to the keyboard in the morning. Don'tcha love that feeling??!!

Halloween in the Country

2005-11-01T12:37:00.000-08:00

Well, after a three year holiday drought, we actually got TWO trick-or-treaters last night! Yay! One little witch and a hunter. (Only in a rural town do you find parents encouraging little kids to don camo clothes and safety orange vests...)

Boone's costume was a bust. I dressed him as a kind of ghost. Okay, yeah, he was wearing a lame t-shirt. A lame t-shirt I forgot to remove when I let him out to go potty. Yep, draw your own conclusions on that one. I'm a genius, I know.

Cruising right along on the writing though. Am past the 45,000 word marker! Woo hoo! Just about 15,000 or so to go, and lots of little threads are poking up through the story material begging to be tied off. Love this part of writing a manuscript. The Wheeee sound you hear is me sliding downhill toward the finish line!

I have been using the "fun proposal" I've been wanting to write as a reward to get myself to finish the draft of the WIP. I can't believe how easy it is to write when you're hot to start another idea. Then, soon, you forget all about the reward and get back into the draft. At least that seems to be working for me.

Have you ever found any motivating tricks that work for you?

Okay, so back to the WIP I go. Good luck on your writing goals this week, everyone!

Roses for Me

2005-10-26T07:52:00.000-07:00

I'm sending myself (and you) roses today -- because I rocked my WIP yesterday. I wrote 20 pages Courier, a complete chapter! I didn't even stop to work on the oh-so-tempting Fun Proposal.

All this writing and still managed to work in a walk with Boonie and Katie, and a long lunch watching Michael Chiarello's Easy Entertaining show. (He was making Vampire Blood Punch and Slimy Green Fondue -- I'm totally carving Boone's pumpkin tonight!)

Anyway, today's goal is ten pages again. I only have half a day to write, since I've got appointments this afternoon. But after yesterday's push, I'm motivated to finish this pesky first draft.

Only 18,000 words to go... that's like 72 pages or something. The end is near.

Bouncing Baby Boone

2005-10-25T07:41:00.000-07:00

Whew! Tuesday morning and I get to sit down in front of my laptop and work on my new proposal and WIP.

So, question -- is it bad while I was checking my email this morning, Boone jumped on the couch and slurped up the rest of my carmel latte?

Yeah, that's what I thought. He should be bouncing around the house for the rest of the day. Great.

Wait! Just went to check on my breakfast and totally soaked my socks. Boone played fountain in his water bowl again. Java officially kicking in. Heather's writing morning officially in jeopardy. Must find chewies!

Officially entered the Golden Heart 2006 today. Hard decision. But I have made so many improvements to AMBER, especially in the full manuscript, I owe it to her to give her one more shot.

My YA paranormal, though I may finish it in time, will probably not be polished enough to enter. Unless I amaze myself and kick out the jams within the next few weeks, that is.

But, unfortunately, I'm in the second act "doldrums".

The beginning of act II is always fun for me. I'm fresh into the meat of the conflict there. But as I go deeper, I find myself having to push. Really hard. I know, having completed many manuscripts, that things will naturally fall into place in the third act. But the middle to end of the second is always a hard slog for me.

I'm a natural reviser -- I enjoy it immensely. Taking everything apart, cataloging it, and evaluating the structure of the scenes/plot -- I love it all. I set up a spreadsheet with all the scenes labeled and see where the holes are. Total revising geek.

Now, I just have to get to that part.

Writing goal today -- a balanced diet of 10 pages WIP, 5 pages fun proposal. Sort of like eating your spinach before you go for the brownie sundae. Willpower, woman. Willpower.

Test Anxiety

2005-10-22T09:41:00.000-07:00

Okay, I just did a quickie IQ test that I found a link to from Stephanie Rowe's super cute blog http://stephanierowe.blogspot.com. Then I screwed up posting the results here. Hmmm... what does that say about me and my intelligence???

Anyway, interesting results:

Below average logical ability? What? Who writes these tests?
I mean really....Heather : logical : Hemmingway : wordy

Now you know why I flubbed that section of the test. Apparently, I am lacking in the logic department. Stupid logic question.

But then it says I'm a genius in other departments - like verbal ability and general knowledge. Hey -- this test must be accurate.

See, it's only logical.

Off to ponder my story world with my genius brain...

Flashbacks Kill Story -- Film at Eleven

2005-10-17T15:07:00.000-07:00

Obviously, I'm treating you to a picture of the fabulous Orlando Bloom, but he's not there just for his good looks. He's in a great movie just released on DVD - Kingdom of Heaven.

We watched this epic over the weekend, and when compared to Domino, which we saw on Friday in a *theatre*, KOH has a definite leg up in the storytelling department.

Domino, about a woman bounty hunter, is muddled by odd timing. It starts near the end with a crisis, then skips back to the sort of beginning of Domino's bounty hunter career, and pounds us throughout with disjointed flashbacks of Domino's childhood --- STOPPING THE ACTION!

Duh! In an action story, readers/viewers expect action. Don't halt the action to show me grainy images of a child on a beach narrated by a bored-sounding heroine. Give me the story. Show me how she became the way she is, instead of telling me through lazy flashbacks.

*Whew* Ranting. Sorry.

But during these annoying and uncomfortable flashbacks, people coughed. Dudes looked away. My husband rooted around under the seat for his popcorn bag. So, keep it moving people.

Kingdom of Heaven, on the other hand, is a linear story which begins in the middle of the action. Orlando's ordinary world is a blacksmith's shop. He's just lost his wife in dramatic circumstances. Enter Liam Niesen, his long-lost father, who offers redemption through a journey to the Holy Land. Orlando is forced to choose what to do and bang -- we're off.

We learn things about him through dialogue and through his subtle performance. We aren't bammed on the head with clunky flashbacks. In the end, I think the screenwriters trusted Orlando's character more than they did Domino. Weird, huh?

A woman bounty hunter is a cool character to begin with. Why did they think that we wouldn't understand her need to kick ass without the flashbacks? It may be a sexist thing -- that in order for a woman to be strong, something *dreadfully wrong* must have happened in her childhood and needs to be explained to the delicate viewers, again and again. Puh-leese. Did they not see Kill Bill? Sometimes, girls just wanna kick ass!

Sorry not to love it, because I do like the actress and I even liked the sexy anti-hero in the movie, but the storytelling killed me.

In fiction and in film, the audience just wants a good story. To pelt them with boring flashbacks is eeeeeeevil. Give me hints, mini-flashes, and the like -- in small doses if you must, but never stop the action long enough for the guy in the seat next to me to yawn.

Or the reader to click off the light and let the book flop to the floor.

Okay. It's safe to come out now. Rant officially over. Trust your characters. Be careful with your flashbacks. Enjoy Mr. O. and go rent his movie.

Conference Gems

2005-10-12T10:10:00.000-07:00

Just returned from the Emerald City Writers Conference in Seattle. Three days and two nights of chocolate, conversations about writing, hotel food, and missing my dogs and okay...my husband, too.

Writers' gatherings are always a little overwhelming, but I generally take away something great. Two things stuck out for me this year:

1) I can sing Karaoke. Who knew? And that tipsy guy from the bar was a great back-up singer. Another nugget of wisdom -- avoid photographers when you're wearing a blue fuzzy cowboy hat.

2) The Chick Lit heroine is very heroic. Just as heroic as any hobbit. I gleaned this fact from Eileen Rendahl's workshop on the Chick Lit heroine's journey. She took the basic structure most writer are familiar with (a la Christopher Vogler) and applied it to a genre where often, the quest/journey is an internal one. I'm totally posting her handout beside my computer this week to help keep me on track. And I need to buy her new book -- she rocks.

Also, got thinking about Feng Shui this weekend. (A character in Eileen's debut/Rita nominated book Do Me, Do My Roots arranged furniture in a fit of Feng Shui.) So when I got home, I moved my lucky bamboo plant into the Southeast corner of my desk and created a "water feature" (okay, it's a crystal bowl with rocks and sparkles in it) on the North side. Supposedly, this is going to help with my career. Hey it couldn't hurt.

But then again, I could just get to writing my good book. :)

Dusting Off my Ruby Slippers

2005-10-06T13:05:00.000-07:00

Today I'm getting ready to head over to the Emerald City Conference in Seattle. This is always a fun, regional gathering with the best chocolate desserts in the freaking Northwest. I'm super excited to hear Katie MacAlister's welcome on Friday night and to see the chicks that are flying in from other places to attend the conf.

The dogs know something is up. They're both hanging out near the suitcase looking very suspiscious. DH definitely knows something is up. Looked a bit panicked as I informed him of the frozen lasagna and the dinner possiblities in the fridge. Most likely, he'll end up eating PBJ sandwiches all weekend. :)

Got my business cards (left over from Nationals), surveyed my cute outfits (the ones that still fit) and am printing out photos from Reno.
Still to do: Laundry. Ugh. Packing. Double ugh.

Have a new haircut with.... bangs! I was really going for the Jennifer Love Hewitt bangs, but kinda got a hybrid bang instead. Blocky, yet pointy, er... it's really hard to describe bangs in a blog.

Oh, but I did get carded at the store right after my haircut. Bangs = youth. Write that down.

Well, back to packing...

Inspiraton

2005-10-04T08:23:00.000-07:00

Is it sad to be inspired by an animated movie? I think not. When my DH and I got married in our twenties, we both owned copies of Peter Pan. What are the chances we'd both believe in Neverland?

Needless to say, animation is not just for kids (or puppies) in this house.

So, over the weekend, the DH and I watched the animated film Robots. I learned two important things:

1) You can shine no matter what you're made of.

2) A dream you don't fight for will haunt you for the rest of your life.

It's amazing how the themes of many beloved movies are applicable to the writing life and to most other artistic endeavors. I love movies about following your dreams. Crap, I even loved Field of Dreams. "If you build it, they will come."

Can't that be said about any dream? Of course in writing, it's more like, "If you write it, they might first reject it, but keep improving as a writer and heck, then they might just buy it." The bottom line is first you have to build, write, paint, create it. It starts with action. Not wishing or hoping, as much as I'd like that to be true.

Speaking of writing, I'm also listening to an audio version of On Writing by Stephen King this week on my commute around the valley. I love this line -- "Write with your door closed; edit with your door open."

Have you ever gleaned a good mantra from a book or movie?

He's My Boo

2005-09-28T10:20:00.000-07:00

It's Wednesday -- puppy time:
My furry son is in deep love with a duck. Said duck no longer has any entrails of any kind -- just like the hedgehog who came before him. Sadly, Ducky is repeatedly subjected to Boone's romantic fantasies, which, thankfully will all end on October 14th with a little procedure we call "tutoring" around our house.

In writing news, I'm finally switching over to Courier font. (Big gasp!) Always a big fan of TNR, I'm getting sick of the conversion.. pages, words per page, etc. that has always caused controversy in our industry. So, I'm going with the old tried and true -- just as an experiment. It's super weird to see the ginormous lettering of courier on the screen. We'll see how it goes.

BTW, fascinating discussion of the writing "rules" over at Diana Peterfreund's blog (see link on the right) this week. Check it out.

My WIP is kicking along. Also, working on new YA proposal and a couple of adult chick lit ideas.

Meanwhile, as I hunch over my laptop...
In the valley here, the trees are brimming with new colors and the air has that crisp, leafy twang to it. I love that smell. The locals have finished canning (a friend of mine with a five month old baby confided to me last night that she had *only* canned 26 pints of green beans this year). I did freeze some blackberries I picked. That's about the extent of the foraging. Well, except for the gorgeous Johnagold apples on our trees at the front of our property. I'm wishing I had grown a pumpkin, though. I'm so craving some Thai curry-pumpkin soup. I'll be hitting the supermarket in the big town tomorrow, so I'll pick up a good ol' can of Libby's. Works for me. :)

Happy writing!

The Un-glamourous Life*

2005-09-23T10:36:00.000-07:00

Can it really be the start of autumn already? Just seconds ago, I swear I was in a fabu dress at the ill-fated GH/Rita ceremony, ready for my close-up.

Hmm, signs that it's now the end of September:

1) Gained back the few pounds I lost leading up to RWA Nationals.
Not that I'm one of those who obsess about my weight, but hey -- I drank mega watermelon-smoothies during the month of July to look good. Now, all the cute stuff I bought for the trip has, um, shrunk in the wash... Stupid hot water detergent.

2) The apples are ready on our trees.
Yeah, so I don't can green beans, but I do make a kick-ass apple pie. Already baked my first one. Of course, my health-conscious DH has only had one slice. So... yeah, see number one above about the laundry problems.

3) School is back in session.
Love this one. Can't count the number of hugs I received my first day back teaching at the elementary. The kids have evolved so much over the summer -- especially the first graders now going into second. Huge.

4) The Pink Salmon are in.
Couple this with my DH's revamped website and our phone is ringing off the hook. Am forced to be nice and answer many, many, many fishing questions in the middle of writing intense YA scenes.

5) The Golden Heart application is in RWR.
Ack. Am still trying to decide if I'll enter again (probably will). Pushing ahead on my WIP so it will be ready in time.

Would love to do the Stiletto, too. But, I feel compelled to focus on my writing right now, so I may let that one slide by me. Still remember my odd conversations with Diana P. last year when she called to tell me I was a Stiletto finalist. I was like, "About time you called me. I was thinking something was off with the universe." Gah.

That kind of belief is a little scary. I really thought that my MS was the best I had ever written. But then, I didn't win the Stiletto and I was pretty crushed. Had to talk myself out of my dark, dark place. Then I got the call from Nikki B. telling me I was a GH finalist and I was rockin' again. This really is an up and down business. We emotional types get sucked into the drama big time.

I guess what I learned was to pull back and not get too invested in things. But, getting emotionally invested is what also makes me a good writer. It's that "heroic flaw" thing you always read about in books on writing. I so have that.

6) Good TV returns. Everyone is blogging about this. So, I'll add that good movies return to the theaters in the annual race to the Oscar deadline. Love the movies. Had originally wanted to be a screenwriter. (Took Syd Field's Screenplay with me on my H.S. graduation trip to Hawaii.) Funny how I'm right back where I started and frequently use that book during plotting snafus.

Okay, so I've rambled on. It's time to get back to my YA before the phone rings with some life-or-death fishing question. Batman has the batphone, right? So I guess we have the fishphone. Lovely.

HK

*With all apologies to Sheila E.

2005-09-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen a lab look like a sharpei?

On Friday, Boone and I went out to throw veggie scraps to the neighbor's cows. The little pup is still afraid but fascinated by bovines, so he hung back a few feet from the barbed wire fence. After I dumped the bucket of treats, the two of us made our way back down the trampled weed path to the yard.

And then, when we went inside, Boone's snout went all lumps and bumps. Of course, I thought this was some kind of reaction to his broken tooth from Thursday. The poor guy had snapped one of his canines on one of the myriad chewing choices around the yard. Metal chairs, firewood, lawnmowers... you name it, the kid tries to eat it.

I called the vet, who calmly assured me it was probably a spider bite and then told me to give Boone some Benaydryl. So I did. And the puffiness got worse before it got better.

Picture this tiny lab trying to play fetch (because physically he feels fine) only able to see through the tiny slits where his eyes used to be. I totally cried. I'm just that sort of sap, I guess.

He's all better now, and in a way, he seems more lovey to me. Maybe he realizes I'm the one who's going to take care of him when he gets sick. Or maybe he's just becoming part of the pack.

In writing news -- got to page 100 on my WIP and then promptly killed a three page scene from the first chapter. So, technically, I made my page goal for the week.

Trying to move forward with a "spirit of adventure" instead of focusing on the tough business things right now. New ideas are tugging at my sleeve, but I've forced myself to take a few notes and then get back to work. Funny how the bigger-better-faster ideas always pop for me between page 50-75.

Anyway, this week I'll try for twenty five pages on my WIP. I'm well into the plot and subplots, so I have lots of middle to write.

What are your goals for the week?

Boone's Bite

2005-09-20T09:18:00.000-07:00

Getting Naked in Public

2005-09-13T11:44:00.000-07:00

Last night, my regular writing group got together at the town's latest greasy spoon (they come and go like dollar stores around here) after a long summer off. Our group is comprised of three retired ladies, two young mothers, and me and another 30-something.

Every Monday night for the last five years, we read our chapters aloud and then do verbal critiques. Some of us want to change to a silently read, written critique, pass the chapter around the table format.

Okay, some of us is me. Through other channels, I have a "written critique" partner, so that's not why I'm pushing for the move.

Two summers ago we used to meet at a cafe with an outdoor patio. At the time, I was working on an adult Chick Lit story. And it was my turn to read...um...the scene that takes place at a fetish club.

See, the heroine is duped into taking her blind date to a nightspot where people clothed in body paint, live snakes, leather biker outfits, and my favorite, giant plush animal costumes abound. She's formulating a plan to leave without looking like a big dork.

Now, I wrote it to be funny, yes. Did I write it to read it out loud where other patrons of the cafe's patio could hear? Er, no.

Um, did I mention it was in first person? As in, "The giant panda's hard-on poked me in the back."

About half-way through my scene, a couple at the next table actually got up and moved away! I was too shocked to yell out, "Okay -- this is fiction people!"

Another time, a oldish couple seated around the corner from our group popped over to say they were *ahem* inspired after hearing a love scene from my friend's western romance. Eww.

All the more reason for doing a written critique, or for finding a less public place to read aloud. But in a town this small, there just aren't many places that would work. See, we get hungry reading, so they have to serve french fries and Diet Coke. And pie. Definitely pie.

Maybe we'll keep looking. Our current greasy spoon has only one big table smack dab in the center of the room. Talk about being in the town spotlight.

At least writing YA there's less a chance of getting embarrassed reading aloud. Although, maybe I could work in that fetish club scene if I....

Struggling Out of the Cocoon

2005-09-11T18:53:00.000-07:00

Sometimes in this business, it's easy to get discouraged. Writers deal with rejection at all stages of their careers. And then there are the days filled with doubt which you have to battle through -- those days when you think life would be so much simpler if you could only give up your story habit.

But there's a dogged determination inside writers that keeps us going. Also, the knowledge that you'll go crazy if you're not writing (a fact my husband can attest to) and that eternal hope that around the next corner lurks the sale, the inspiration, or the whatever-you're-lacking-at-the-moment.

I've been thinking about this story I heard once:

A man watched a chrysalis struggling inside its cocoon. Worried about the creature, the man decided to cut it an escape hole and end the poor thing's suffering. Of course, the half-formed butterfly dropped out -- and without the strength to fly, died within minutes.

In writing and life -- the struggle makes us grow. Beating our wings against the obstacles makes us strong.

And all that testing prepares us to fly.

Baby Bonding

2005-09-07T17:04:00.000-07:00

I'm about to have a retro Kathie Lee moment. If you're squeamish, look away...

My furry baby Boone and his big sister Katie are finally bonding. It started as barking, evolved to whining and playing, and stands at cuddling!

Hooray! Never thought my old lady German Shepherd would adapt to the little monster who gets fed two more times a day than she does and has stolen her place at Dad's feet.

I'm a proud mommy, can't you tell?

Now, back to work on my manuscript.

Inspiration by the Cup

2005-09-06T09:56:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking today about our good friend who is opening a coffee stand in incredibly java-saturated Seattle. He's amazing, this friend of mine.

First, he did all the research he could, including working at a running coffee business and going to (didn't know they had these) coffee shows, where he learned the ins and out of good joe. He got a business plan, investors, bank loans and built the stand. In a few months, he was ready to open for business.

And then he got hit by a truck.

Actually, the stand got hit by a truck. A Salvation Army truck. It backed into his stand, causing thousands of dollars worth of damage.

But to his credit, my friend sucked it up, started to rebuild his coffee stand knowing the insurance money was months away in coming. He did the work himself, down to the drywall and painting. He refused to let a setback like a runaway charity truck get him down. And he opens in a few short weeks.

I'm touched by his dedication to his dream. In this world of "why me" he didn't waste time complaining, he went about his business and got the job done.

And so, not to get all rah-rah on you today -- but what excuse is there for us not to make things happen for ourselves? Not to attack our writing goals without reservations?

After all, there's no truck anywhere near my computer. :)

Things to Make You Feel Better

2005-09-04T09:06:00.000-07:00

1) Donate to Hurricane Relief http://www.redcross.org

2) Read a funny book like Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie.

3) Watch a puppy run in his sleep.

4) Pick wild blackberries. Eat some while you pick.

5) Watch a great old movie on AMC.

6) Play soccer in the rain. Use apple trees as defenders. Dogs play goalies.

7) Write. Dream up two settings you'd never considered for a scene.

8) Bake something yummy like chocolate chip banana bread.

9) Call or email a friend you haven't talked to in at least two months. Your high school best friend is a great choice.

10) Create a beautiful space to work, cook, or sleep in. Clean, redecorate, enjoy.

The Aftermath

2005-09-02T15:40:00.000-07:00

The suffering in the wake of Hurricane Katrina has touched everyone. You only have to turn on the television to experience (in tiny way) the utter devastation people in the South are living through.

My ex-military DH watched the news last night with tears in his eyes. I know were it not for obligations here at home, he'd be jumping the next truck to Louisiana. Gotta love an Alpha hero. We decided to visit the Red Cross site to donate. http://www.redcross.org

The devastation puts things into sharp perspective. As writers, how do we write today while people in our rich country need the absolute basics -- food, water, clothes, shelter, medicine?

An author at the Emerald City Conference shortly after 9/11 said, "Now, more than ever, the world needs our stories. Writers take people away from their problems and transport them for a short time to another world. That is important work."

Well said.

Boone's Hot Tub

2005-08-28T09:09:00.000-07:00

My dog has a hot tub. Okay, it's not a hot tub, but he thinks it is. Check out this cute picture of him playing in it! Not that I'm biased or anything... but he's sooooo cute.

I spent the weekend working on stuff around the house, but I'm planning to hit the book hard on Monday. I've finally got goals and motivations set up (have to do this after I've written a few pages) and now, if I can stop tinkering with the opening, I'll be a happy writer.

Now a question for my readers (okay, Trish and Marley -- haha) what do you think is the hardest part of beginning a story?

Have a good Sunday and take a clue from Boone -- don't forget to play!

The Collective Unconscious?

2005-08-26T12:49:00.000-07:00

I think I'm a little too tuned in to the creative masses...

As you may or may not know, I'm working on a paranormal YA this time around. So, a day after writing my scenes involving the spirit world, I saw a commercial for a Jennifer Love-Hewitt series The Ghost Whisperer. Yes, the show Medium already existed, so it's not like my premise is earth-shatteringly new, but still I was a bit rattled. To make matters worse, I then saw a romantic-comedy trailer for a Reese Witherspoon ghost picture.

Ack! I've tapped into something that's already out there. And my idea is soooo good!

Okay, I got over my inital freak out, thankfully. As most writers learn, no plot is ever going to be truly original (I mean, unless you're Diana Peterfreund or something...). It's how you write the story that makes it unique and fresh. Or at least that's the common wisdom.

After putting this into perspective, I got quite a bit of work done on the story yesterday. Those other related stories floating around out there may actually be a good thing. They are forcing me to go unexpected places.

I mean, who else would write a seance set in a bathroom, right? Only I could do that.

The Hardest Part

2005-08-23T08:45:00.000-07:00

I've never been good at waiting.

I'm the kind of person that can't wait for toast, so I set the toaster on the quickest setting, but then when it pops up, I decide it's not done and shove it back in, only to set it on fire. I know this is going to happen, but I do it anyway. Hugh Jackman in Kate and Leopold where are you when I need you?

Somehow though, I manage to be reasonably patient with little Boone. Oh, he's not so little anymore. He weighs at least twenty pounds and eats his chow like someone coming off the Atkins Diet. So far, he's just about potty trained and can(when he's in the mood) fetch, sit and come. I have to keep remembering he's only ten weeks old, so this is pretty darn good.

Did you know Bill Clinton had a Chocolate Lab named Buddy? I saw it on a VH1 Hottest Celebrity Pets special. (Yes, there are plenty of ways to divert myself from working if I really want to be diverted.) So, if I understand correctly, Boone is going to be a sexy pet when he grows up.

But back to the waiting. Waiting to hear on submissions out in the wild shouldn't be so stressful. I should be heading back to the keyboard and not worrying about the things I cannot control. So why is this so easier said than done? Not to get all Deepak Chopra or anything, but I think I've got it figured out...

The unknown is easy to imagine. In your mind, all the possibilities spin themselves out into the void of unknowing. All the things that could happen become more important than what is at that moment. Your mind thinks it's working on the problem, making headway, but in reality it's keeping you from moving forward.

So, onward I go. I'm writing some new scenes today on my YA and trying to forget about what may or may not happen with my submissions.

The waiting is the hardest part. Tom Petty was definitely right about that.

Working Mother?

2005-08-19T09:03:00.000-07:00

I knew puppies were a lot of work, I just never imagined one would impact my writing time so much. Between feedings, walkings, play time, and naps, my 17 pound baby Boone is giving me a clear picture of what it might be like to be a working mother -- only with chewies instead of Cheerios.

Yesterday was a miracle. I actually got nine pages written -- a new opening for my YA -- which was good page production. Made myself a sign that says, "What's at Stake?" the thought for the week.

Meanwhile, Boone managed to dump his shepherd sister's water bowl over and carry it over to her bed (nice surprise come her nap time), wrestled with the garden hose, lost his favorite purple football which made for a tantrum, and chewed another hole in the cheap kitchen flooring. A big day for him.

My DH was home to help take care of Boone yesterday, so today should be interesting as the pup and I try to coexist. If he'll let me write, maybe I'll throw in an extra chewie or two.

Starts & Fits

2005-08-13T17:04:00.000-07:00

My first official blog isn't about writing -- well, not that much anyway. See, we brought home our new chocolate lab pup yesterday and he has taken over.

Boone is his around-the-house name, but my DH is determined that Boone should have a showdog name harkening back to his hunting champion forefathers. Whatever, honey. I'll be calling him Boone.

Speaking of getting started, I'm in the beginning of my new YA novel. (I told you I'd work the writing in!) I so love that can't-sleep feeling I get when I first start a story. Plotting on the pillow is, unfortunately for my DH, one of my brain's favorite activities.

But back to my new love.

Boone had his first night sleeping away from his mom and siblings, and for him, the challenge seemed to be staying cool. His little puppy pants kept waking me up -- those and the growls from our adult dog Katie. She's not quite sure Boone is a good thing.

But I think he is. He's a good reminder that you have to fall alot before you run. And that sometimes, only the table leg will do when you're teething.