by Sarah | Dec 31, 2012 | 500k, Books, Challenge, General, Writing, writing tips
A week ago my joy and confidence was bursting forth.
I said that after 2012, I was ready for 2013. I laughed in the face of danger (yup, quoting Lion King here, times are desperate). I told 2013 to “Bring It”.
I made the monumental and overwhelming decision to join the 500k in 2013 writing challenge.
In brief it doesn’t look so bad. 1370 words/day? Easy peasy.
500k? Holy cow what was I thinking?
Then a couple of days ago my confidence was squashed under a thumb and my muse got grumpy and I got grumpy and I pretended the challenge wasn’t real.
My confidence is still a little shaky, but I am determined to work through it. I have my new series to work on, and with 500k staring me in the face I could write 5 books in the series with that much playroom.
It’s a lofty goal that I’m certain I could accomplish if I got in “the zone”. After all about 3 years ago I wrote about 500k in 4 months time when I really got into my stories.
So off I go. Send caffeine, chocolate, and prayers for my sanity.
Because if the 500k doesn’t make me insane – my characters’ trauma drama will!!
by Sarah | Nov 9, 2012 | Books, General, Writing, writing tips
This is what my desk looks like.
This is my research.
There are days when writing is the worst job in the world. When your inbox is a mine field of rejections or dead silence. When you get notes from your editor that rip your plot to shreds and leave it bleeding. Or notes on your grammar and technical issues that leave more red on the page than black.
When you sit and stare at your screen knowing in your mind what you want to write but the line of communication to your fingers is broke.
Of course – then there are the days when you hate everything you have written and want to throw it all away.
Then there are days like this. When you have ideas brewing so fast you can’t keep track.
Or – when you have to research those ideas.
Reading fairy tales as research?
Native American Mythology?
Hells yeah.
Most of my research in the past has centered around the 1800’s. The Wild West. I love that period and research is almost secondary now to knowledge (although there’s always more to learn) I have been so deeply enmeshed in that time period since my youth.
To research new ideas, and go into new genres that don’t get close to my original genre – it’s a daily bit of excitement.
It’s in those moments that I really do just love this job.
by Sarah | Oct 16, 2012 | Critters, Writing, writing tips
When I first started this writing journey I had no people.
No, that’s wrong. I had two people.
My two people were (and still are) amazing. They remain today as my Alpha readers, keeping me going when I wane in energy. Pestering me for more words, more characters, more stories. Those people, they are my first people. My first line of defense in story writing. The ones that say “Um, wait…wha?” if i screw up a story line or a character in some way. They keep me on my toes and eager to write.
But a writer needs more than Alphas. Needs more than two people (ok, 3 if you count my hubs, but he doesn’t read romance) cheering you on.
So I found a group. A small group, but they were great peeps. In my first novel-writing foray before ebooks took over and before I ever managed to reach anything resembling a sell-able novel, they were good to have around. They were there to critique, but I rarely took advantage as I was new, not thick-skinned, and just didn’t understand the importance. One person among them (the one that brought me there) saw my novel and gave me critiques. They were harsh. Looking back, they were fair, but to my naivete they were very harsh.
After a couple of nibbles on the novel, 3 rewrites and no takers I started something new. I walked away from 5 years of effort to try something new. At the same time that writers group sort of drifted away into the wind. No one went to the forum, all was quiet and eventually faded into the depths of the internet. I’m still friends with two or three of them on Facebook, but for the most part we’ve parted ways.
Fast forward to about 6 months ago. Changing Tracks had made the agent rounds, I was still waiting on word from a couple of agents and not sure where to go next. I had started working on The Tribe, but not much else. I’d joined a couple of those writing challenge things, but one had faded into the background (but is now active again, I may participate) and the other…well, they screwed me and my friend over and so we walked away.
My only connection to any sense of the writing world was the #amwriting thread on twitter. One random day I happened to catch a tweet about a blog post called “Beta Readers, Critters, and Editors Part 2A“. I didn’t know the author but all I could think was “Wow, I could use some of THOSE” and thus I clicked the link.
The author had me rolling in laughter talking about DFL (Dumb F***ing Luck) and how that’s sort of what it takes to get a good critter. I responded immediately because I’d just recently posted on twitter about needing some good critters.
Turns out seeing that tweet and clicking on that link gave me the best dose of DFL I’ve ever had. The original author (Jennifer James) formed a group of critters – 8 people, half published, half not. We formed a support group of sorts. We push each other forward, we let each other know about submission calls, or our experiences with certain publishers, bounce ideas off each other and, of course, critique the hell out of each others pieces.
In the 6 months since I met them I’ve been published in horror, received a contract for Changing Tracks (technically 2 contracts, I turned down 1), I’m currently waiting on a response for another horror submission I put in (I know, horror and romance, aren’t I a BLAST?) – and I’ve got one heck of an amazing critique going for my other Historical Western Romance (Masked Hearts) that I’m hoping to sub by the end of the year (Yeah, I totall <3 you, Sabrina).
I used to think I could make it on my own. That stumbling through this world of publishing could be done just because I’m awesome. Turns out, I had to find the right group. With the help of some DFL, and some wonderful people, my entire writing career has changed drastically in 6 months time.
I never could have done it without them.
And I wouldn’t ever try again.
Have you found your people?
by Sarah | Oct 2, 2012 | Books, Changing Tracks, General, Hex Ranch, Writing, writing tips
[flickr id=”6367108607″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]You work diligently on a piece. At times you’re almost frantic.
You edit. Refine. Perfect.
You send it off into the world.
Breathe a sigh of relief.
And freeze.
What next?
You have to wait.
Sometimes it’s days, others it’s months or even years (I waited almost 2 years for a reply on a full before throwing in the towel – not without hesitation and sadness).
What next?
Sure they tell you to dive into the next thing.
It should be that easy.
Unless you know – the wait is only a couple of weeks. Maybe a month.
When you’re waiting for each email alert.
It’s easy to get distracted.
Facebook. Twitter. Blog posts. Real life.
Sleep. Oh, sleep is beautiful.
No beating yourself over the head to write, or edit, to make each sentence shine.
You miss it – but oh the break is nice. It’s only a few weeks anyway. Who cares if you take a break?
Except you miss it.
The break is stupid.
But how can you write when you’re distracted by email alerts? Facebook games (just ONE more quest…then I’ll write. Oh, wait – that quest is easy, one more. I swear it.).
It’s time to regain focus. Time goes too slow when you’re waiting on word.
It’s best to get lost in a new world.
Meet new friends (i.e. Characters).
How do you do it? What tricks do you use to regain focus?
Me? Well, I’m dropping my Facebook games. I don’t need them clogging up my feed anyway. I’ll just keep one game that doesn’t clog my feed and takes forever to regain lives. That means I need to focus and get back on my schedule. I have plenty more stories in my head that need to come out.
But just one more quest before I quit…
Just one….
by Sarah | Sep 19, 2012 | 45 before 45, All About Family, All About Me, Changing Tracks, Writing, writing tips
[flickr id=”7809492264″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]We all have dreams.
Some dreams are big – bigger than what our logical minds tell us we can accomplish.
Some dreams are more practical – but still mean something to us.
Growing up I had many dreams. I wanted to be a dance teacher. I wanted to perform on stage in musicals. I wanted to be a vet. I wanted to be a mom.
I was blessed to accomplish some dreams early. At 10 my dance studio let me become an ‘assistant’. Me and my co-advanced-class dancers would help the teachers with the young ones. By 11 we were teaching the classes ourselves for the most part. By 13 we were allowed to choreograph.
When I was in my 20’s I was able to take some courses and training and became a vet assistant. For about six months I worked in a vets office and still think of that time with fond memories.
I became a mom at 21, and again at 29 & 30.
Right after I got married I performed in a series of musicals over the course of the year. On stage. Singing and dancing under the lights.
Then I got wrapped up in real life. I had a husband, kids, bills, work and a home. Dreams went by the wayside as our girls were born and their development took up every spare second of breath and thought in my head. In the moments of quiet when everyone went to bed and I could unleash the stresses, I chose to do them with words.
Writing.
It had never been a dream, but as worlds formed under my fingertips, stories unfolded on the page, and characters breathed life into my soul a new dream formed.
Wrapped up in the realities of life I’d forgotten about me. About how important even the smallest dreams could be.
They give you life, hope, something to look forward to and achieve.
Dreams are life.
Since then I have created a 45X45 list and begun to tackle things on it. Some are small, others seem impossible.
Still, every time I cross something off of that list I feel a sense of elation, I smile for days. I have accomplished something.
It’s not just good for me. It’s not selfish.
My children need to see it. See me achieving goals and dreams. The little ones, and the big ones.
Within 6 months I’ll have proof of one of my biggest dreams on my Nook (and Kindle). Within a year I’ll have physical proof sitting on my bookshelf. Published.
It wasn’t a dream I had growing up. It’s new. Formed just 7 years ago. When I thought it was unattainable, outlandish and crazy.
I’ll never stop having dreams. Achieving this one I’ve formed new ones.
New ones will follow behind.
Never let go of dreams. Always have two – one practical & achievable, and another completely outlandish.
Never give up hope.
Let your children see the hope, and the accomplishment. It’s a prize that lasts for a very long time – and it helps them set their sights on the biggest dreams.
by Sarah | Aug 16, 2012 | Books, Changing Tracks, Critters, Writing, writing tips
While I’m blissed out at having an empty house during the days now (post on that soon)…it’s also leaving me to face everything I need to do all at once. That often leads to me getting overwhelmed when face with sheer numbers of responsibilities.
Key among all my ‘to-do’s these days, layered in with cleaning and sewing and shopping and blogging and fixing my social media outlets and more cleaning, is editing.
Editing Changing Tracks to make it shiney before it goes to my editor who will help make it bright as the sun.
Editing and Critiquing my crit-groups work.
Writing my short(er) novel.
Reading/using/doing-more-editing-based-on notes from those critting my stuff.
Did I mention I’m overwhelmed?
And a little buried under?
Thankfully I’ve found EditMinion that helps me do side by side with my chapters. It’s in beta version, but if he adds some more areas to the editor it’ll be just about perfect. The other online-editor I’d been using you had to click for each area and it didn’t let you do side by side, just pulled out the relevant sentences. With the minion I can get on my hubby’s computer and split screen minion vs. manuscript and just hit everything that needs hit.
Talk about a time saver. I have a wonderful critter helping me out with line edits – but this gives me one more layer to tackle before I send my baby off.
Now if I could just find those extra 10 hours in the day to get everything else I need to do.
Do you know where those hours can be found?
