Name That Book

I bet for a second you thought this was going to be some kind of trivia game where I ask questions and you guess the book. Sorry, no games today, although that might be fun at some point.

What I literally need is a name for my book. The one I was using during the submission process doesn't fit with the line's new title scheme, which is more single title, less Millionaire's Virgin Mistress. Which I'm good with. But, I have to submit a list of title suggestions to my editor by Tuesday. So I need help. I've come up with a couple and friends have suggested a few. I've listed them below. I have also included a short blurb of the story to give you an idea of the book so you can help me come up with some more choices.

Adrienne Lockhart put everything into her dream of being a Manhattan fashion designer. When she fails and closes up her shop, her life comes crashing down. Literally. When she wakes up in the hospital, she has no memory of who she is or what happened, but the ID bracelet on her wrist says "Cynthia Dempsey" and the handsome, but distant, newspaper CEO by her bedside says he's her fiancé .

Will tried to work it out with Cynthia, but he discovers information that gives him no choice but to call off the wedding. Later that day, he learns her plane crashed and she's survived, but is seriously injured. She has amnesia and doesn't remember they broke up, so he returns to her bedside as the concerned fiancé until she recovers. The woman he finds there looks like Cynthia, but her personality has changed radically. He's drawn to her like never before and begins to wonder if they've been given another try to work things out.

As Will and Adrienne are drawn together in a second chance at love, secrets from Cynthia's past threaten to tear them apart. When she realizes she's not who everyone thinks she is, how can she tell everyone, including the man she's come to love, the truth? And will he believe her?

So, there you go. Here's the list of what I've gotten so far. I've played on the second chance theme, engagement, newspaper, design/fashion, memory loss, crash/accident, etc. I need to narrow it down to about ten, so let me know which ones you like the best and throw out any ideas. I need all the help I can get. :)

Accidentally in Love
Crash Into Love/Me

Crash and Yearn
Taking Chances
A Second Chance at Love
To Love Again
Once More With Feeling

Against All Odds
Fashionably Seductive/Desirable
A/His Perfect Fit
Love/Romance/Desire/Passion by Design
Designs on His Fianceé
Tailor-Made for Love/Romance/Each Other
Front Page Seduction
Engaged in Seduction
Unforgettable
Forgotten Desires
Remember Me
The Memory of His Touch/Kiss
Facing the Past
A Time to Remember
Taking Chances
A Matter of Trust
The Way We Weren't
Under His Skin
Another Woman’s Life/Lover/Mistake

What's your favorite? Got any other ideas?

SP

A New Kind of Pressure

So, its been a little less than two months since I got the call. It's amazing how quickly things can change. Sure, there's the parties and the excitement. The rites of passage and open door to new opportunities. But then, things quiet down and you realize your entire career, your writing and how you look at it has instantly changed.

I'm experiencing this more acutely in the last month.

First, there were the revisions on the book they bought. While intimidating, I thought I was doing pretty okay. Word from the editor may prove otherwise, but given my initial panic, things were on track to give them what they asked for. One of the things my editor requested was the addition of a love scene. The original only had one, so I shifted things around and added another earlier in the book.

It was then, as I typed their romantic interlude (down by the fireplace... sorry, Barry White moment there... or it is Chef from South Park?), that I realized things had really changed. Someone was going to read this. I mean really read this. Not just Instigator or whomever else I could rope into it before I sent it out. Not just the editor. The sex I was typing at that exact moment would be in the hands of my friends, family, coworkers and total strangers in less than a year's time. I'd never really had this worry before. I don't know if a part of me figured most of what I did would never see the light of day or what. So I started looking over it. Did it reveal too much about me? Would someone reading it think they'd gotten some insight into my freaky side?

I pushed the panic aside and finished. A little too late to worry. I mean the whole point or writing is for it to be read. I had to remind myself that.

Then I started the next book. I plotted it, put together a synopsis, and jumped right in. Then, once again, I was aware of this new layer of expectations on me. This wasn't just another book. This had to be another publishable book. My sophomore release. The evidence of my growth as an author. A book good enough for my editors to sigh in relief because they hadn't made the mistake of acquiring a one hit wonder.

No pressure. :)

No worries, though. I'm working through my neurosis and have completed two chapters without a meltdown. A third chapter is questionable... It was just a shift I didn't expect with all the excitement and hullabaloo of the 'sale.' When you're unpublished, all you're striving for is crossing that line, getting into the clubhouse. Then when you get there, you're like... hmm... Now I'm settling into the reality of being a professional, published author. I imagine its like getting engaged or finding out you're pregnant and realizing that a million little things will be different from here on out.

So, have you ever done something you've done before, then suddenly realize that everything is different now? How did it change things for you?

SP

A Good Problem To Have

So, I've got a problem. I'm not complaining about being in this situation, so don't throw your shoe at me, but it something I have to figure out. Way back in the day when I had the Circle of Five going, I learned that the more submissions I sent out, the more rejections would come raining back on me. And usually all in the same week. I still recommend it, you're got to get stuff out there, but you've got to be prepared for the results.

Case in point. Last summer I took advantage of multiple pitching opportunities that came up, so I had several requests floating around. I decided to send a partial out on a book that hadn't made the rounds yet. Just keeping things moving around. Seeing what happens. I got a couple rejections and it didn't bother me because I had lots of irons in the fire. Then something funny happened. What I wanted to happen, happened. I started getting revision requests. Requests to see the rest of books that weren't quite ready to go out the door yet. A flush of new idea in my head I'm itching to work on.

So now I have a request for a book that isn't done (and the editor knows it, so no chastizing), a request for heavy revisions to a single title (big project that makes my head hurt, but I can't pass it up), and I'd started working on a new project that really excited me a couple days before all this came about. So much to do! I'm scrambling to check off one thing at a time, to move quickly yet still provide quality work. I'm about to pull my hair out. I guess its practice for after I sell and have to juggle the current project, the AAs and galleys for a prior project, while promoting the project that was just released in stores.

Did I mention I'm also dieting? Makes everything more dramatic in my head than it needs to be and since I can't eat a cookie to calm my inner panicking writer, I just have to ride it out. Anything piling up on you lately? Chores? Laundry? Work? We can dig out together.

SP

Oh Look...A Chicken!

I do not have ADHD. The diagnosis craze came after I was past that age and even if it hadn't, I was not at risk for diagnosis. Since I was a small child, I have been gifted with the ability to sit and do absolutely nothing for hours on end. I will read an entire book in one sitting, watch back to back movies or entertain myself with stories or songs in my head for hours. I can meditate with the best of them. My rear end is evidence enough of my skill at stillness.

I'd always thought that if for whatever reason I ended up in prison (Yes, I think about that. You don't?) I would be perfectly fine. Sure, I'd probably look at somebody wrong and get shived in the yard, but in terms of killing time, I'm an expert.

So why, oh why, is it that when I need to focus on my writing, I'm like an antsy five year old?

Every other toy is shinier. Every other story is better. I want to work on the next big idea instead of following through with the one I need to finish. Like today... I'm supposed to be finishing my Modern Heat proposal. There's nothing wrong with the story or the characters. I like them both and am no where near killing them in a fiery crash. But last night, I started toying with an idea for an Intrigue. A quirky Intrigue. It immediately stole my attention away. My brain is all a twitter with ideas of murder plots and narcoleptics. (Don't ask.) My inner five year old wants to go work on that now. At least until something else new comes along.

At the moment, it's not the worst thing in the world for me to have a couple ideas bouncing around. I'm trying to put together several projects to send out to a variety of places. I'm just doing the partials... waiting to put the effort in after I hear back from an interested editor. I'm tired of completing books that no one wants to see. I know I can finish a book, not a problem, I just need the incentive and reason to do it.

I think learning to finish a book and ignoring the shiny new story is one of the most important things I've learned to do as a writer (Even though I struggle). Take some notes so you don't lose the idea and go back to finish the first one. Otherwise you never finish anything. Today I wrote about a paragraph in my idea file to capture all my thoughts on the new story and tucked it away. It pains me, but I did it.

Are you like this? Is the thing you're not doing (be it a book or some other task) the thing you always want to do?

SP

Frankenstein's Monster

...otherwise known as, my most recent literary endeavor. At least, that's how it feels. Bits and pieces sewn together and brought to life with an artificial spark.

Since my world shifted about a month ago, I'm in a holding pattern. No sense wasting my time marching down a path when I'm not sure where the heck I'm going. So as I mentioned a couple weeks ago, I'm gutting an old book for a single title. And I'm done. I think. I've added over 22,000 words, a subplot, another bad guy (yes, the drug dealer) and some good lovin'. But does it work? I have no idea.

My writing process is unusual. I don't do rough drafts unless I'm forced by a schedule to move faster than my brain wants to. When left to my own devices, I write in final draft. I write in sequence, plowing forward chapter by chapter to the end. I have an outline and I stick to it unless struck with creative brilliance that works better than what I already had. When I'm done with a chapter, I'm done unless my critique partners say otherwise. Hopefully one day I will hone my craft to the point that I will really, truly be done and not need to go back for additional work.

This means that revisions are hard on me. They're hard on everyone, but to go backwards and start trudging through old territory is exceptionally painful. The internal navigator in me gets lost when I'm plopped into the middle of an existing story and forced to forge new ground. I get tangled in the weeds. I see where I am and where I used to go, but getting someplace new? Ugh. In time I can use my machete and work my way through it, but while standing in the jungle of my story, I can't help the nagging sensation that somehow the book has become horribly and irrevocably screwed.

I pretty much have to finish what I'm doing, take some time off, then go back and read through the whole thing to make sure all the parts of my monster have been sewn back together properly. All the plot lines are connected. Anything removed or added is consistent throughout. This is where I am now. I've finished going through the book and after some "trunk time" I'm starting to read through it for the 27th time. I pray it makes sense. I don't want to do this again. Ever. If this book doesn't sell, I'm going to set it on fire in the backyard.

Have you ever gotten so immersed in a project, you couldn't tell which way was up anymore? Be it a book or a home improvement undertaking? When you finally found your way out, was it worth the trouble?

SP

One Step at a Time

There are two things about my personality that are giving me fits right now.

1. I'm all about instant gratification. I won't lie. I want it now. Now, now, now! I'm like a 2-year-old that way, sometimes, although I try to keep it to myself for the part. I don't get that whole 'sweeter with time' stuff. The only thing that gets better with time is wine. I just get grumpier with time.

2. I don't like to fail. Failure is usually not an option for me. It's one of my greatest fears (up there with clowns, puppets and insects/aliens that burrow under your skin). If there's any question about my ability to succeed (aka. a burning desire to be a ballerina), I simply don't do it. I'm very competitive and I don't like getting spanked at something. That's why I stick primarily to mental activities and not physical ones. I'll take calculus over softball anyday.

On their own, these things are managable. Together, they make certain parts of my life - those that require time, hard work and dedication - very difficult. Primarily they hit me the hardest in two big areas - my writing and my weight.

I am in a constant struggle with both. I want to sell now. I want to write quickly and well, the words flowing like water. I want to come up with the next great idea immediately and have it go to auction. Yeah, I know. It will never happen. This is a sllllloooooowwww business. And a hard one. If not for the adamant voices in my head that insist I continue despite the speed and potential for failure, I would happily return to engineering or open a catering business and let all this go.

And of course, those pesky pounds that snuck up on me while I wasn't looking. I want to diet and see results. Immediately. I want the pill or the magic food combinations that will have me dropping 5 pounds a week so I can finish this and return to my regularly scheduled programming. Of course, it doesn't really work that way. Its another long, slow process that requires dedication and this terrible thing called a 'lifestyle change.' Bleh.

So this is where I am. I've been forced to battle both issues at a pace I cannot set. All I can do is go one day at a time. I've been writing maybe five pages a day during the week. Knocking out a couple chapters every two weeks or so. Slow, but discernible progress. When I look at how many pages I've done, I'm actually quite pleased. Same with the diet. I've been eating well, exercising more than I ever have, and I'm seeing results. Good results. Steady, positive movement down.

The speed is killing me, but I'm sticking with it because eventually I will get where I want to go. I'm the tortoise, baby, with the soul of a hare. What are you impatient for? Are you battling with anything lately?

SP

The winner from last week's post is Laurie. She picked up an autographed copy of Blazing Bedtime Stories, featuring Rhonda Nelson. Email me at smartypants@writingplayground.com with your snail mail info. Items not claimed after 7 days will be given away, or maybe kept, depending on how I feel. How's that for a disclaimer??

Sexual Tension

As predicted, I'm totally stuck on chapter five. It's so frustrating, especially since I'm in a writing challenge right now. Even with an outline, I've slowed to a crawl. I pretty much have had to skip that chapter and move on to chapter six because that's when some of the paranormal elements kick in. Chapter four forces the hero and heroine together. Chapter five is where they're really supposed to let the sparks fly between them. They're supposed to be drawn together despite their differences and the danger of their situation. By the end of the chapter (per my outline) they're supposed to kiss, then the heroine is going to withdraw. This rouses the hero to his senses and they go to separate corners. Then it all goes to hell in chapter six and I'm good with that. That's when the sex becomes unabashed, possessed, sex goddess sex. There's no time for navel gazing, just raw sexual consumption.

As time goes on, I'm getting better at writing the sex, but not so much the sexual tension. How long can a heroine really stand there, agog, thinking about the hard, masculine ripples of the hero's biceps? How many times can her eyes run down the flat muscles of his stomach, pausing momentarily to blush at his hot package of love that will no doubt inspire her to frenzied climaxes within only a few more chapters? How often can the hero or heroine *tingle* deep inside with a longing they've denied themselves for far too long? How long can they internalize why they shouldn't give into the temptation? The air buzzes with a sexual electricity between them. Her nipples peak and press against the tight fabric of her blouse, betraying her arousal to the man she's trying to resist...

Blah, blah, blah. I'm over it. Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe I need to read more and see how others do it. The problem is that others seem to do it so seemlessly, I don't even notice it when I'm reading. If the book is good, I just skip right along and craft is the last thing in my mind. Then when I try to do it, it sticks out like a sore thumb (pardon the pun).

I know I can't be the only one with this problem. What am I missing here? Any suggestions? If you're currently writing, is anything giving you fits?

SP

My Favorite Part

I'm pleased to say I'm at my favorite part of my writing process. I've brainstormed an idea, kicked it around for a while, done enough research to make me dangerous, and put together a synopsis and outline to follow. Now, the fun part - I get to start the book.

Some people really hate this part. The blank page with the blinking cursor daunts some writers, but not me. I love opening a new file, formatting my margins, and typing out the header "Chapter One." Within no time, I usually have the first chapter finished. Right now I'm at 12 of a planned 15-20 pages, so its a solid start. Readers have met the heroine, found her to be quirky, yet likeable. They've gotten a quick glimpse of the hero; enough to whet their appetites until he returns in chapter 2 with a vengence. They've met the villians and have little insight into their troubles. It's a good start. At least, I'm still on track with my outline. :)

I love the thrill I get when a story idea clicks in my head, but that's always a short-lived high as I realize I've just set my sights on a bigger story than I can probably manage. I always have these doubts that if So-and-So wrote this story instead of me, it would be as fabulous as it was meant to be. So I do a little research, get over it, and once I get myself out of the corner I've painted into and start writing, I can really enjoy what I'm doing.

At least until about chapter 5 or so. :)

Anyway, I'm hoping to have a partial put together before the 13th. I've already got a synopsis done, so just 2.5 chapters left in a week. Think I can do it?? We'll see.

What's your favorite part of the writing process? If you're a reader, what is your favorite part of your hobby of choice? (picking plants for your garden vs. planting vs. clipping them for vases).

SP

Circle of 5:
1 full manuscript pending with an editor
1 novella pending with Nocture eBites (I emailed the coordinator since they had trouble opening the file and they assured me it worked fine now and was with the editors...)
2 short stories and 4 short features pending with the Trues

I Love It When a Plan Comes Together

I probably shouldn’t say anything for fear of jinxing myself, but things are going well for me, at least in terms of my writing. My last book has been finished, edited and by a twist of good fortune, has hit the mail and vanished into editorial oblivion. What happens to it now is out of my control, so I've followed by own advice and moved onto a new project to keep my mind occupied.

My current book, although I haven’t written a single word, is chugging along nicely in terms of plotting and research. The synopsis is almost written and once that’s done, I’ll develop a chapter by chapter outline to help me stay on track. That proved invaluable during the last book, so I’m going with that again. Things seem to be grooving. The characters are talking to me and they're just oozing characterization. They have goals and motivation and conflict (oh my!). They have crazy, kinky sex. All is well and I hope once I do start writing, the process will be even smoother than last time.

I have to say that I struggled with a single title for over a year. At once point, I was pretty sure that the timing was wrong, but I was determined to keep on, no matter what. I had so much faith in the book (I still do, but I know now isn't the right time either.) When it was finished and agents weren't beating down my door, I decided I was sick of looking at it and needed to do something else. I did some short stories, then a short novella. Then I finished my last book. Now, writing a category length book seems far less complicated than it was when I first tried. I won’t say it's easy, it's not, but I’m more confident in what I’m writing, I think. I'm not swimming upstream, at least today. Don't ask me Monday.

Have you ever noticed that sometimes, when you stop fighting the current and go with the flow that things somehow seem easier? How a undesirable situation can sometimes manage to put you in a better position than you were before? (And I don't mean giving up your dream because its too much work. Anything worth having is worth working for.)

For example, my mom and I used to share a car in Las Vegas and carpooled to work. I'll admit it - it was a Chevy Metro. One day, we got rear-ended and the almost new car was destroyed. I was distraught. We could barely afford the one we had much less get a new one and pay off the difference between the value and what we owed after insurance totalled out the car. It was a mess, but in the end, we ended up with a way better car for not that much more money and I'm still driving it to this day. No way the Metro would still be kicking, even if I hadn't been in an accident. It was a rough few weeks, but everything turned out better in the end. When things like that happen it makes me wonder if I've finally found the path I was meant to take. I don't know if I believe 100% in fate, but I'm certain that some things are meant to happen for a reason.

Has something like this ever happened to you? Is life flowing for you right now, too?

SP

PS. Don't forget to join us next week. We have a blog-tastic guest schedule lined up. Monday is guest blogger Karen Rose Smith and Tuesday is Nicola Marsh. Be sure to drop by and say hi to them both!

Three Weeks Late and 5k Short

In early April, I challenged Instigator to a writing competition to light a fire under our tails. I’m uber-competitive and there’s nothing like it to get me to push through a tough writing spot. We opted for a race to 125 pages. If one of us finished our book before we reached 125, whomever had the most pages at the time of completion would win, even if their book wasn’t done. At the time, I was at 100 even, so once I hit my goal, my book would be almost finished. I was on fire at the start. 10-18 pages a day, no problem. Then I went to Disneyworld for four days. Then Tampa. Then Nashville. Three consecutive long-weekend trips and I was toast. She smoked me, finishing her book after 112 pages while I still sat somewhere in the 80s.

I will be graciously buying us both a mani-pedi before Nationals this year. In the last challenge, PC and I decided that win or lose, we should both get a mani-pedi as a reward for our hard work. I quite agree. 100+ pages in a couple weeks is nothing to sneeze at.

So, better late than never, I hit 125 pages yesterday with a grand total of 4 full love scenes (this is a major breakthrough for me, I assure you). I still have about 5,000 words to go on Red-Handed, but I’m close. I have to work out all the post-black moment internal angst and burn down a building. I seem to do that a lot. You'd never know I was pyrophobic. Anyway, I wanted the book finished and edited by June and I think that might just happen. I just need to find a few people frustrated enough with their own books to stop and critique mine. :)

Now that I'm so close, I'm of course being tempted by the lure of the next book. I don't have much, but what I've got is GREAT if I say so myself. I've done a little research and found some perfect stuff. This should be interesting to write, if nothing else. Unfortunately I can't start on it until I FINISH THE OTHER ONE. Argh.

This of course is on top of a million things happening this weekend. Teas, luncheons, dinners, parties...all with outfits I still haven't chosen. Sigh. All I had to say to DB was that it was luncheon weekend and he was like...oh, see you Sunday, then. Pretty much sums it up.

So, what has your brain pulling in 5 different directions today?
SP

Circle of Five:
1 novella pending with Nocturne Bites
2 short stories and 4 short features with the Trues
(yeah, I know it hasn't changed...)

PRO-ud to be Rejected

I'll start by apologizing for this blog post being boring. There will be no half naked firemen today. :)

I've been thinking a lot about my RWA PRO status the last few weeks. When I first joined RWA and Heart of Dixie, I didn't know much about it. When someone told me I was eligible, I filled out the paperwork and sent it in so I could get a pin. I still didn't know much about it. As time has gone on, I figured it out. I've never really participated much in the loops or the workshops. I've attended the PRO retreats twice, but have yet to sit through the whole thing. The best thing for me, I guess, is that I can get priority registration for pitch appointments. Editors and agents never really seem to care about PRO, which is a shame, but true.

But it wasn't until now that I really understood how much the pin means. In essense, it means you've been rejected. (Unless you managed to get the pin with a mail confirmation for a project you sold on the first time out, in which case, I don't want to know.) It means you did what so many others haven't done - not only started a book, but finished it and sent it out into the world. You took the shot and yeah, you didn't sell, but you tried. I took it for granted I suppose because I never thought it was that big of a deal.

The Circle of 5 has changed my mind on this topic. Over the last three months or so, I've sent out a slew of queries, partials, contest entries, short stories, etc. It was quite the boost to my ego at first. Then the rejections started raining down on my head like fire and brimstone. I didn't really think about that part when I started. I just thought it would improve my odds of getting interest about my writing. I guess it has done that to a point. But I wasn't mentally ready for the barrage of rejections. You have to be tough in this business and I'm not sure my skin is quite thick enough yet.

But, I'll keep going. Despite the rejections. Despite how much it can hurt. I wallow, dust myself off and get back on the horse. That says a lot, I suppose. There are plenty of people out there who are so afraid of being rejected, they never send anything out at all.

So I'm going to polish up my PRO pin and wear it with pride. I'd gladly trade it for PAN status at a moment's notice, but for now, I'm proud of what I've accomplished. At least until the next rejection comes.

What are you proud of today?

SP


Aw...what the hell...

Circle of Five Status:
1 agent partial pending
1 Nocturne e-bites novella pending
2 short stories and 5 short features pending

The Waiting Game

The last few weeks have been interesting. Good for some, not so good for others. Busy, regardless. I didn't have a horse in any race, so I was just a spectator on everything. In the meantime, I've just been chugging along, finally reaching the point where I can clear stuff off my desk. (My metaphorical desk, that is. My desk at work and at home, is, as always, an absolute mess.)

First, the full manuscript of Ghost of a Chance got fully polished and mailed to NYC. They've had it since March 25th. The clock ticking begins now. I guess I'll enter this into the Golden Heart next year if I *cough* don't sell and become ineligible before November.

Second, I finished off the novella for Nocturne Bites and emailed it. The entire novella had to be submitted, no query, via email. One more checked box, one more ball up in the air.

Now I'm back to working on the MS that got pushed aside for items one and two. My paranormal Blaze. I've rallied the troops and gotten to 81 pages. My goal is to have it written and polished by the end of May. (I'm pitching it in June, so here's to hoping.)

As you can tell from my circle below I've got quite a few things circulating that could change my schedule. The Lauries get announced next week. I'm hoping to final and maybe get a request out of it. I have two books entered in different categories with final round judges from Berkley and Dorchester. If I win the Nocturne blurb on eharlequin and get a virtual pitch appointment, I might need to polish up my two vamp books to send out. Maybe I'll get a revision request on something else that's out there. Maybe I'll hear back from the agent that requested my stuff in July. Anything can happen.

In the meantime, I watch my mailbox daily for a response from my Trues submissions. That quick high is addictive. I'm sure if I get an R, the new will wear off quick, but right now, I'm 2 for 2 with 7 still hanging out there. I actually got my courtesy copy of the May True Romance with my story in it - Fearless: A Pregnant Woman in Peril! That made me a little giddy. I'll be even giddier when the check comes.

I'm also pleased that I've caught up with all my Playground duties including writing this month's article (ever so timely) entitled - The Waiting Game - with my top ten suggestions for things to do while you wait to hear back on your submissions. Right now, I'm doing focusing on number 1, although I might squeeze in a little number 2 and 7 sometime soon. I'm avoiding 8. :)

What do you do to pass the time while your "baby" is out there?

SP

Circle of 5 Status:
1 Agent Query, 1 Agent Partial, & 1 Agent Full Pending
1 Novella pending with Nocturne Bites
2 Blurb Entries for Eharlequin Nocturne Pitch Contest
2 Contest Entries Submitted to Lauries (final round status announcement delayed to April 12th)
3 Short Stories & 4 Short Features Submitted to Trues
Check out the May Issue of True Romance for my first sale - Fearless: A Pregnant Woman in Peril!

Define “Done”

I’m sure you all remember late last year when PC and I got wrapped up in a writing challenge. At some point, I finished and we declared the contest over. The book was done. Er...well, the first draft was done. It was a coherent story with a plot arc and all that, but it defintely wasn't ready to mail off. I write pretty close to final draft the first time through, so at this point its really just a matter of tidying up. This means going back over it ninety times, editing, having others read it, more editing, getting contest feedback, doing some more editing, then finally, its done. (With a little more editing added in for good measure.)

I don’t know that a book is ever really done. I think an author either gives up, or the editor sends it to press and tells them to go work on something else. I probably wrote this book about 4 times with all the changes I made and it ended up nothing like the story I originally came up with in 2006. (Yes, it took me that long.) Back then, all I had was a scribbled note that said "girl ghost hunters." Fortunately, it turned out way better than I’d expected. Unfortunately, this just raises my hopes for a greatness few ever achieve.

But today, my friends, Ghost of a Chance is done. DONE! I’m not touching this book again unless an editor tells me to! It was printed at Kinkos last night and is making its way to New York City as we speak.

I feel like a load of bricks has been lifted off my shoulders. Of course, the weight will be replaced with the next project and the anxiety of hearing back on it, but for now, for today, I’m going to revel in the joy of it.

What are you excited about today?

(We know why Lynn is excited - Teeter Totters for everyone - Lynn WON the Presents Contest! That is awesome! Congratulations! Go over to Lynn's blog and help her celebrate!)

SP

Circle of 5 Status:
1 Agent Query Pending
2 Agent Partials Still Pending
1 Agent Full Pending (in the mail, baby!)
2 Contest Entries Submitted to Lauries (final round status announced March 31st)
3 Short Stories & 4 Short Features Submitted to Trues, 2 Sales so far!

I'll Take It Where I Can Get It

I am proud to announce that the Circle of 5 has reaped it's first success. One of the short stories I sent into True Romance magazine sold in a week's time! It's a small victory, but it will be the first time I've ever gotten paid for my writing. I won't be taking any grand vacations or quitting my job, but I took a nice chunk off the price of the new laptop or iPod I've been eyeballing. My story - "I Stopped A Robbery While In Labor" - will be in the May 2008 issue of True Romance. Yay me! I've sent them 2 other short stories and 5 mini-feature items, so I hope to have more sales soon.

I didn't sign a contract for thousands of dollars or land a fancy agent, but I feel good. A little boost. A reminder that I don't suck. And oddly, instead of distracting me from writing and editing my full length books, its actually fired me up a bit. A taste of success to keep me going. I honestly needed it. Over the past few days, I've been flipping back and forth between writing shorts and editing Ghost of a Chance for an agent request and its going well. I'm getting a ton done without burning out on either project. It's keeping Lucinda motivated, which is critical at this stage.

Right now my only problem is figuring out what to work on. My primary focus is to finish editing Ghost of a Chance and get a full out to an agent by March 1st. Major priority. At the same time, before I got the request, I started working on a novella for Nocturne Bites. I'm really psyched about it and I wanted to finish it quickly and get it out ahead of the competition. That's been pushed back. And of course, my Blaze - Red-Handed, has stalled out on page sixty. At least I've got enough for a partial, but I need it done and ready to pitch by June. And then, (yes, there's more) I've been motivated and encouraged to re-work my vampire series as single title and start querying it to houses that accept unagented manuscripts. I've sent a few queries out as feelers and if one of them actually asks to see more, I'm going to be hard pressed to get it fully reworked in addition to everything else.

All I can say is "whoa." Lots to do, lots to do. What's on your to-do list?

SP

Circle of 5 Status:
2 Agent Queries Still Pending, 2 Rejected
2 Agent Partials Still Pending
1 Agent Full to be Sent out March 1st
1 Publisher Query Pending
2 Contest Entries Submitted to Lauries
2 Short Stories & 5 Short Features Submitted to Trues, 1 Short Story Sale!

A Quickie Before Bed

No, you dirty minded people. A quick blog post - it's 10:30 and I don't have a blog written yet. I usually write it the day before, faithfully. Tonight, I went to yoga with PC and closed down the Starbucks, so here I am, blog topic free, and wanting to go to bed. But I can't until this is written.

Now that my completed manuscript is out into the world, I should be working on the next one. Alas, aside from a random book idea that popped into my head (for a new story, of course) my brain is elsewhere. I've thrown myself head first into planning my mother's 50th birthday party. We're doing a sock hop, complete with jukeboxes and poodle skirts. So what, its in October? At least it isn't as pathetic as my perpetual wedding planning (I'm not engaged) which I've also been doing the last two days. I'm sick. I like planning parties. If I could make any money at it, I'd do it for a living.

Anyway, I've gotten myself immersed in the details of this 50's sock hop. I've got the music, the invitations, the menu, the centerpieces...every detail mapped out from the retro candy station to the drive-in photo op. I won't bore you with all of it, because there's a ton of it, but just know I've taken it practically to the level of some people's weddings. Yeah, its 8 months away and just a birthday party. Whatever. Every birthday party need a 100 slide powerpoint presentation with baby pictures and 50's trivia.

Some people scrub showers when they don't want to write. Alas, I cannot be bothered to do something as productive as clean - I plan parties. I'm sick that way. So what do you do when you don't want to something you know you should (write, work, etc.)?

SP

Circle of 5 Status:
4 Agent Queries Still Pending, 2 Rejected
1 Contest Entry Submitted to Lauries
1 Short Story Submitted to Trues

Harvey the Wonder Hamster

I don’t know if it’s my pesky cold, the dreary weather, or just life in general, but I’m feeling pretty bleh about things lately. About my writing in particular. This is usually the time of year I get a rejection letter, so I have a reason to feel this way. So far, I've heard nothing from the agent I queried, but I still feel bleh.


I’m just tired. Like a hamster on a wheel, running, but never seeming to get anywhere. I'm tired of forcing a story that won’t flow. I'm tired of feeling guilty for not wanting to write. I'm tired of revising books that no one is asking for. I'm tired of rewriting lines with passive voice because I can't seem to get it into my head not to write that way. I'm tired of worrying about my character arcs or lack there of. I'm tired of query letters and synopses. I'm tired of entering and agonizing over contests that mean nothing in the long run. I'm tired of judging contests. I'm tired of submissions and self addressed stamped envelopes. I'm tired of waiting to hear back from someone who is so unethusiastic about my work they haven't bothered to write and tell me so. I'm tired of rejections, even the good ones. It never ends.


Like that hamster, it’s always on to the next book, next submission, next idea...running, running, running, yet still just spinning on some little plastic wheel. Being published is not a magical cure either. I know if I sold a book, it wouldn’t be any better. Yeah, I’d get paid, but I’d also have the pressure to deliver, even if I was tired. But maybe, just maybe, I’d feel like I had leapt off my little wheel and actually had something to show for all the spinning. I feel like I’ve accomplished a big nothing. I haven't even earned activity points for all the aggravation.

I’ve been writing, seriously, since 2003. That’s five years and 4 completed manuscripts. Five years of plotting and writing and submitting and failing and writing some more. And I've been halfheartedly working longer than that. I started piddling around with my first book in 1997, finishing sometime in 2000, then started fudging around with the sequel for a while until I got serious. If you count that, you've got 11 years at writing. And what to show for it? A flash drive full of rejected manuscripts and a couple lovely conference tote bags. At least it feels that way.


And yes, before you say it, I do stop to fill the well. I have plenty of fun, watch plenty of movies and read books and whatnot. I go on vacations and have other hobbies outside of writing. I know I've made strides in the industry, meeting people, making a name for myself. I know I'm making progress, even if I feel like I haven't. If I got my butt in gear, I could very well be on the verge, or I'd like to think I could be. I'm just tired. I feel as though I'm a marathon runner on mile 23 of 26. I'm vomiting on the roadside, every muscle screaming in me to stop. I'm close and yet, today at least, those last three miles might as well be thirty. I mean, given that agent turns me down today and I query a new one tomorrow, say, it takes them three months to request a partial. Then another three months to read that and request a full. Then six months with that before they ask to represent me. Then a year of shopping the book around until they find a house that wants it. Then a year of revisions, etc. Then a year before the book actually hits the shelves. Best case scenario, that makes me a published author in oh...2012 or so. And that's if I work quickly.


I’m not giving up, so don’t jump on me. I’m just feeling wore down. Mentally fatigued, I guess. Anyone else feel this way or are you all hyped up on that New Year's Rush of enthusiasm? Maybe I'm just one of those winter depression people. Pity I can't get in a tanning booth for some 'sun therapy.'


SP

Dragging Across the Finish Line

It’s over.

(Both SP and PC breathe a huge sigh of relief...)

The Playground writing challenge is done. Both PC and I put up a valiant fight. I managed to write 140 pages in 44 days. PC is close behind and will probably finish her book off later this week. Although I technically won, I can’t say there is really a loser. Both of us are finishing books we’d gotten stuck on. Although I had a strong start and was able to keep a lead, PC worked hard to close the gap towards the end, so I don’t think anyone could be disappointed by their performance. Both of us are getting a fabulous mani-pedi. We worked hard, we both deserve a little pampering. Only difference is one of us gets it for free.

I know that only comes out to about 3 pages a day, but I took off most weekends and was out of town on a trip for several days, so that boosted my average up to almost 5 pages a day when I actually wrote. Low for some, but pretty darn good for me. And besides... compared to what I’ve written since I got a big, fat R earlier this year – this is AWESOME. It isn’t as though rejections make me go into self loathing mode where I don’t want to write, it actually mentally robs me of the capacity. I struggle for each sentence, each word. It’s a mess, so I just stop for a while. Even without an R, I typically stall out in the middle of a book – lose direction, lose enthusiasm, lose my mind...but this forced me through it. Now - my book is actually finished. I’m going to set it aside and go back over it in a couple weeks, let some CPs look at it, clean it up, and hope that someone wants to see it in the near future.

I considered entering the Golden Heart this year to really boost my motivation, but at this point, I think I’m just too tired for all that. After my CPs look it over, there may be some major overhauls required and I doubt it will all come back together in time. I don’t want to throw away $50 just so I can say I entered. Besides, I don’t even know what category this book should be – Single title? Paranormal? Romantic elements? My brain is so foggy right now, a decision like that could take me down for the count.

I want to celebrate my victory with a nap, but they frown upon that at work. I’ll have to settle for a bottle of diet raspberry white tea and a low carb granola bar. Yum. Congrats to PC for chasing me to the finish and making me incredibly nervous toward the end. May you celebrate with the carbs I can’t have. :)

What accomplishments have you made lately that you're proud of? Brag on yourself!

SP

Battle Cry of the Procrastinators

A little battle music to get us started...

"Dum...dum, dum, dum...dum, dum, dum...dum, dum, dum! Rising up, back on the street. Did my time, took my chances. Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet. Just a man and his will to survive! So many times, it happens too fast. You trade your passion for glory. Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past. You must fight just to keep them alive! It's the eye of the tiger, its the cream of the fight. Rising up to the challenge of our rivals! And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night and he's watching us all with the eye of the tiger..." (Survivor, Eye of the Tiger)

So we're four days into the SP/PC writing challenge. No timelimits, no minimums, just a race to 140 pages. This could take a week if one of us buckles down or six months if we creep along at our current pace. Who knows what will happen?? So far, it hasn't been too painful, at least for me. I had to psych myself into it, though. I took the last few weeks leading up to the challenge to prepare. I looked at my outline and made a list of major scenes that need to be written. Sure, there will be scenes that come along as I go, but I captured the high plot points to move the story along. I went back and edited what I'd already written so I had a better idea of how many pages I really need to write to be finished. (The goal is 140, but if one of us completes our book at say, 125 pages, the contest will end there and the person with the most pages at that point, even if not done, will win.)

I've also started going to bed about twenty minutes earlier. I choose a scene and lie in the dark, thinking out how it would go. I fall asleep with the scene in my mind and wake up ready to write it the next morning. Instigator has always written her scenes out of sequence as they come to her. The thought of this has always made me crazy, but I'm trying it now. I'm writing the scenes that seem the most alive to me at the time. I'll go back and string them together later. This may not be the best method, but I'm getting words and scenes written, so I say don't knock it till you try it. I have to go back and layer a bunch anyway, so it doesn't matter. The pages don't have to be perfectly revised and submittable to win, but they do have to be clean without gaps, etc., so I'll have to do all that before the race is done.

Of course, it takes the threat of public shame and financial burden of losing to movitate me, but that's ok. I say whatever works at this point. I haven't quite gotten my method down as a writer, so challenges like this force me to work through my issues and get books written. That's the whole point, right? Someone said you have to write a million words before you get to the level that you should be published. That comes out to 12.5 80k books for me. So far, I've cranked out 5, so I still have a way to go.

As of Thursday night, our numbers stand at:

SP:6,500 / 35,000 (18.6%)
PC: 3,750 / 35,000 (10.7%)

There's a long way to go until the mani-pedi is awarded, but I think we're both off to a good start. Is there something in your life you could use a little movitvation to start or finish? Share with us and maybe we can give you a boost to get going.

SP

Fear Factor

So, you're probably wondering what happened to the big Playground battle between myself and PC. All gung ho after drinking at a restaurant, we decided we'd start the following Monday (cause all challenges, like diets, start on Monday.) Well, then we postponed for the knee surgery and desk assembly. Didn't want anyone to have an unfair advantage that might taint their victory. We told ourselves September 1st. Hmm...that's tomorrow. So I sent an email to PC to renegotiate - yes, its the beginning of the month, but what challenge starts on a Saturday? It should start on Monday the 3rd. Wait. That's Labor Day. What challenge starts on a holiday? Tuesday then. Yes, Tuesday the challenge will begin!

I'm a little freaked out by the whole thing. Yeah, I'm sure I jumped right on it when the suggestion came up. Yes, I'm super competitive and know that the pain of losing will be much worse than the pain of pulling 140 pages out of my hind end. I know I cocked an eyebrow at her and raised the stakes so high, there was no way to blame the peach bellini and back down. But still, I worry. I worry like I do with every book, but this one is worse than the others.

I really like this book. I like the characters. I think what I've got so far is great. Yeah, there are issues, but...what if I screw it up? 140 pages, whether written in 6 months or 6 weeks can be screwed up. What if I ruin this story? This great story. This could be THE story. Makes it that much harder. And what if I don't screw it up? What if its great and it sells and they want the other three books that go with it? What if they can never be as good as the first? Darned if I do, darned if I don't, although I'd be stupid to complain about having the latter problem.

This will probably come as a shocker (hush, y'all) but my list of fears does not have spiders or snakes on the top. I'm pyrophobic, but that's an irrational fear and doesn't really count. My personality type is the mastermind. The problem solver. The perfectionist. What I'm afraid of, really afraid of, is failure. Followed up by a close second of rejection. Guess I got in the wrong business, eh? I mean, I think most people don't want to fail and they pray not to get an R in the mail, but I'm actually afraid of it. Occasionally paralyzed by it. Got that whole "if I'm perfect maybe my daddy will see and love me" or some psycho-babble crap thing going. Not as exciting as spiders or those people with odd ones like fear of hairballs or mayonnaise.

Well, I've shaken hands and gotten myself into this challenge, no matter what. We'll see how it goes. Hopefully we'll both break through our barriers and get some good work out of this. In the meantime, what are you afraid of? Share your neurosis with the group, please, so I'll feel better about this. :)

SP

A Friendly Competition (with a side of Shame and Greed)

Every now and then, you’ll hear us talk about “writing challenges” here on the blog. You challenge yourself to write X number of pages in X amount of time. Usually it’s a daily page total. You let the others know your goal and check in with your progress. A great idea, right?

Well, there are two flaws to the average writing challenge:

1) If you don’t make your goal for the day, there’s no real penalty.

2.) The pages don’t have to be any good. You can write garbage and still get credit for meeting your page goal.

So, while they're a good idea, the shame factor is relatively low and you're not really competing against anyone but yourself.

Smarty Pants and I are obviously having some motivation problems. WIP issues we don’t know how to fix, life issues that need to be dealt with, and confidence issues of feeling we suck have all worked together to stall out our manuscripts. Something must be done or else these books will languish forever.

Saturday night, we hit on something that should kick our butts in to gear. A competition. Well, more than a competition or a writing challenge. More like a bet. A down and dirty bet.

We have the same goal—140 pages. (That’s not an arbitrary number—we have reasons for that page count). However, they must be 140 GOOD pages. Not pages of “blah, blah, blah, I’ll fix that later.” Not pages of crap that must be massively edited to be presentable. The goal is 140 pages of good, “ready-for-prime-time” stuff. That may mean rewriting. That may mean going back to page 13 to change something and having to deal with the ripple effect though all the pages that follow. (Critique Partners, brace yourselves.) We’re going for Quality as well as Quantity.

There’s no set time limit, other than First One to 140 Wins. But it is a race. No dawdling and fiddling around.

And there will be a prize. In addition to gaining bragging rights and avoiding public shame, we decided there needs to be a tangible prize. Something we want. Something we wouldn’t want to lose. Shame and competitiveness will only go so far. We’re going for the baser motivations like greed as well.

That’s where we’re stuck. We need y’all to help us come up with a prize. Remember, it needs to be tangible and it needs to be good. We’re avoiding cold hard cash or really expensive things (partly because I’m a kept woman these days and feel bad about betting too much money I don’t actually earn). Manual labor can be involved—the painting of each other’s offices did come up in negotiations. We’re not into public humiliation beyond having to admit on the blog that we lost. Nudity is also out. Y’all know us pretty well by now; what do you think a good prize would be? What would you want if you were in our shoes?

Give us your ideas for the Grand Prize (If it’s what we chose—or leads us to the final choice, I’ll send you an awesome prize pack of your own.)

The start date has been set for August 13, so we have less than a week to come up with final terms. Help us out, then be ready for a ring-side seat as PC and SP go keyboard to keyboard in a no-holds-barred race to 140.

Knowing us, this should be interesting...

PC

******
PS: Our first MOANday winner is Ellie! Email Angel for your prize.

PPS: In a late-breaking addition, erotica writer Colette Gale will be here tomorrow!