Words written: ? Weather: 94 High
Hrs. writing: 1, maybe 1 1/2 75 Low
Hrs. shopping and sightseeing: 4 94% Humidity (triple yuk! Like a sauna ... with clothes!)
Wednesday started out a little slow for me, as my foot was swollen ... again. Had nothing to do with the carry-on bag handle I dropped on said foot Sun night/Mon morning, just some mysterious swelling that happens to the pad of my right foot every once in a while (yes, I had an injury in the Denver Airport - did I forget to mention that?? Not too much drama, so I left it out :-). I was hoping it was gone for good ... no such luck. So roommate Susan Lute went off on an adventure without me.
Rested foot, iced it, and wrote for about an hour, maybe an hour and a half. Unfortunately, I don't have any way to count my words on WordPad, so you'll just wait on the word count, LOL!
About lunch time, my foot was feeling better, so I called up new friend Kathy and we went to Downtown Disney for lunch at The Raintree Cafe. What a blast! It rained every 10 min, and the animals made noise and moved. The fish tanks were beautiful and the bar stools looked like the hind-end of different animals, complete with legs and tails. I *was* going to get a pic of people sitting on them, but thought it might be a little rude (butt-shots are soooo not attractive!).
A trip back to Ghirradeilli Chocolate was a must, since Kathy hadn't been yet, but I was good ... only had an iced White Chocolate Mocha coffee.With the humidity so high, we were pretty wiped out by that time, so it was another shuttle bus trip back to the Swan.
Su was there when I arrived at the room, full of her adventures @ HP World. Sounds like she had a blast, even with the crowds. She didn't go alone, she met up with a fellow PAN (Published Author Network) member, but of course, I can't remember her name :-(
Then it was a quick check on-line to see what people were doing - quick is a relitive term, as the internet speed is ssslllloooowwww. The Literacy Booksigning started @ 5:30 and we made it just after the doors opened. The room was HUGE, the largest one since I've been going to National conferences. The noise level wasn't deafening, so Su and I strolled around catching up with those friends we haven't seen for a while and admiring books, books and more books. I found a couple of new authors Laura Bickle (http://www.salamanderstales.com/index_files/novels.htm) and Alayna Williams (http://www.alaynawilliams.com/), who happens to be one in the same person (grin). Lovely woman! I had a blast talking with her.
After the signing, Su wanted to go back to Downtown Disney, and dinner sounded look a good idea. We were invited to Elisabeth Naughton's http://www.elisabethnaughton.com/ launch party, and were the first to arrive. It was a blast! Joan Swan handed out Long Island Iced Tea ... I'd never tasted one before - it was delicious. Met a three lovely writers - Hi, Lexi, Jacqui and Adrian!! and made new friends (I hope!!).
Su and I both won a door prize, and then we absconded back to our room to crash for the night. The 2010 RWA National Conference madness has begun!!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Orlando, FL - July 27, 2010 - Day Two
Words written: 0 (this blog counts as words, doesn't it??) Weather: 95 High
Hrs. writing: 0 (does talking about writing count??) 78 Low
Hrs. shopping and sightseeing: 6 84% Humidity (still yuk!)
Didn't get an early start like we thought, but ran into fellow RCRW member, Jessica Davidson (w/a Jessa Slade http://jessaslade.wordpress.com/) in one of the stores on the Boardwalk. She didn't realize what she was getting into when she joined Su and I as we ventured out, I'm sure! We started out strolling around the Boardwalk, then drug her along as we took a shuttle bus to the Magic Kingdom. Our goal was to ride the Tram around the Disney Resort complex, we heard it was free and very interesting. Our source didn't lie. We caught a Tram, and we were off.
The Tram went to the Transportation Station, where we changed trams and caught the one to Epcot. Su and I thought Epcot was one attraction, but it's actually several grouped together. We didn't get out and go in, mind you ... the price tag is a little steep on a limited budget. So we stayed on the Tram and rode back to the Transportation Station and got off. We intended to get back on the Magic Kingdom tram, but the line was horrendous and we were thirsty. So as I bought water, Su and Jessica talked to someone who said the boat was the way to travel. Since I'd wanted to go to boat anyway, it was a great choice! It didn't take but a few minutes on a faux Stern-wheeler to go across the lake back to the Magic Kingdom.
Once there, we decided that food was a necessity, but an interesting fact about the transportation around Disney ... you can't ride a bus from an attraction straight to Downtown Disney, where all the food and shopping is. So I asked the guy manning the information desk and he was singularly unhelpful (especially considering that the question I asked was answered by looking at the directional board next to the information booth - but I didn't see it. It's my defense, and I'm sticking to it!). So we asked another worker what was the closest resort so we could get to Downtown Disney and took the bus he indicated. It was another hour before we got to the Old Key West resort, waited for a DD bus and arrived at our destination.
The Earl of Sandwich says it's the best hot sandwich place, ever. It doesn't lie. It was great food, and the company was fantastic. We shopped, of course, who wouldn't?? And had to visit the Ghirradelli Chocolate store, where I had a White Chocolate Mocha coffee, Su had Espresso Chip ice cream and Jessica had Peppermint ice cream (see how good I was ... only drinking coffee?? Stop laughing, I can hear you all the way here!)
By that time we were hot, tired and ready to be back at our hotel, so it was a quick shuttle bus trip back. Jessica went to her hotel (the Dolphin), while Su and I headed to our room. Yes, I took a nap, who wouldn't after the full day we had? Then another RCRW Member, Kim Wollenburg called. She had just arrived from the airport and wanted to know if dinner was on the horizon. Of course it was! We ate at Shula's Restaurant in the Dolphin. A little on the spendy side, but good food. After one drink and great conversation with Kim, her friend Kathy (who became an instant friend, as she writes paranormal, also!) and we were ready to call it a night.
Hrs. writing: 0 (does talking about writing count??) 78 Low
Hrs. shopping and sightseeing: 6 84% Humidity (still yuk!)
Didn't get an early start like we thought, but ran into fellow RCRW member, Jessica Davidson (w/a Jessa Slade http://jessaslade.wordpress.com/) in one of the stores on the Boardwalk. She didn't realize what she was getting into when she joined Su and I as we ventured out, I'm sure! We started out strolling around the Boardwalk, then drug her along as we took a shuttle bus to the Magic Kingdom. Our goal was to ride the Tram around the Disney Resort complex, we heard it was free and very interesting. Our source didn't lie. We caught a Tram, and we were off.
The Tram went to the Transportation Station, where we changed trams and caught the one to Epcot. Su and I thought Epcot was one attraction, but it's actually several grouped together. We didn't get out and go in, mind you ... the price tag is a little steep on a limited budget. So we stayed on the Tram and rode back to the Transportation Station and got off. We intended to get back on the Magic Kingdom tram, but the line was horrendous and we were thirsty. So as I bought water, Su and Jessica talked to someone who said the boat was the way to travel. Since I'd wanted to go to boat anyway, it was a great choice! It didn't take but a few minutes on a faux Stern-wheeler to go across the lake back to the Magic Kingdom.
Once there, we decided that food was a necessity, but an interesting fact about the transportation around Disney ... you can't ride a bus from an attraction straight to Downtown Disney, where all the food and shopping is. So I asked the guy manning the information desk and he was singularly unhelpful (especially considering that the question I asked was answered by looking at the directional board next to the information booth - but I didn't see it. It's my defense, and I'm sticking to it!). So we asked another worker what was the closest resort so we could get to Downtown Disney and took the bus he indicated. It was another hour before we got to the Old Key West resort, waited for a DD bus and arrived at our destination.
The Earl of Sandwich says it's the best hot sandwich place, ever. It doesn't lie. It was great food, and the company was fantastic. We shopped, of course, who wouldn't?? And had to visit the Ghirradelli Chocolate store, where I had a White Chocolate Mocha coffee, Su had Espresso Chip ice cream and Jessica had Peppermint ice cream (see how good I was ... only drinking coffee?? Stop laughing, I can hear you all the way here!)
By that time we were hot, tired and ready to be back at our hotel, so it was a quick shuttle bus trip back. Jessica went to her hotel (the Dolphin), while Su and I headed to our room. Yes, I took a nap, who wouldn't after the full day we had? Then another RCRW Member, Kim Wollenburg called. She had just arrived from the airport and wanted to know if dinner was on the horizon. Of course it was! We ate at Shula's Restaurant in the Dolphin. A little on the spendy side, but good food. After one drink and great conversation with Kim, her friend Kathy (who became an instant friend, as she writes paranormal, also!) and we were ready to call it a night.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Orlando, FL - July 26, 2010 - Day One
Words written: 48 Weather: 95 High
Hrs. writing: .5 (or 30 min) 78 Low
Hrs. shopping and sightseeing: 6 88% Humidity (yuk!)
Despite all good intentions, I didn't sit down very long to write today. Susan Lute and I arrived in Orlando at approx 5:30am (PST Time: 2:30am) and we didn't get to the Swan Resort until about 6:30am. We dropped our luggage off in the room, ate breakfast, then headed outside to tour the hotel and surroundings. The famous Disney World Boardwalk is beautiful (despite the heat and humidity that we're sooo not used to) and peaceful that early in the morning. Of course, nothing is open, but that's beside the point :-).
By 9:30am we were exhausted and headed for a nap - well, really to finish out our night of sleep.
We woke up at 2:30pm, showered, then hopped on email to catch up with all we missed while we were sleeping. A couple of hours later, we met up with fellow RCRW Member Terri Reed and our new friend Ruth Kaufman. Then it was off to Disney World's Downtown Marketplace to wander around and eat dinner.
Okay, if you're ever in Orlando, Florida anywhere near Disney World, stop at the Raglan Road Pub in the Marketplace. Great food, complete with Irish dancing (video up on Facebook soon!), live music and fantastic company. Couldn't ask for more!
After dinner, it was more shopping and sightseeing, then we finished the night in our room talking and drinking a YouthBerry tea that Su made for everybody.
Too much fun, not enough writing. I'm feeling guilty ... must write tomorrow!!
Hrs. writing: .5 (or 30 min) 78 Low
Hrs. shopping and sightseeing: 6 88% Humidity (yuk!)
By 9:30am we were exhausted and headed for a nap - well, really to finish out our night of sleep.
We woke up at 2:30pm, showered, then hopped on email to catch up with all we missed while we were sleeping
Okay, if you're ever in Orlando, Florida anywhere near Disney World, stop at the Raglan Road Pub in the Marketplace. Great food, complete with Irish dancing (video up on Facebook soon!), live music and fantastic company. Couldn't ask for more!
After dinner, it was more shopping and sightseeing, then we finished the night in our room talking and drinking a YouthBerry tea that Su made for everybody.
Too much fun, not enough writing. I'm feeling guilty ... must write tomorrow!!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
When To Let Go?
It's been a topic of conversation amongst my writer friends for a while now ... when do you let go of a manuscript you're editing and move on to another, shiny, new story? In looking through what comes up when I type in 'When To Move on to Another Manuscript', this topic isn't popular as I'd thought.
What I'm asking about specifically is, after you've edited a book over and over, and have sent it out to critique partners, editors, agents, and feel it's as good as it's going to get, when do you mothball it (or put it under the bed) and move on? Do you have a set criteria for when you're done with a manuscript, and if so, give details!
What I'm asking about specifically is, after you've edited a book over and over, and have sent it out to critique partners, editors, agents, and feel it's as good as it's going to get, when do you mothball it (or put it under the bed) and move on? Do you have a set criteria for when you're done with a manuscript, and if so, give details!
Friday, June 25, 2010
Rough Week
Hopefully your week went better than mine. Broke my tooth last Friday and lived with the accompanying pain until Tuesday, when the dentist extracted the offending tooth. Of course, writing wasn't really an option, as pain is not a good conductor to imagination or romance.
On top of that, I received a rejection that same day from an editor I'd queried a couple of months ago. Writer's are such strange people ... I didn't read the email (even though it could have, right there on my phone) until I got home. In my flawed logic, as long as I didn't read the email, I wasn't rejected.
When I finally recovered from my Vicodin-induced haze, her polite rejection said, "I think you have a really intriguing premise, but it just didn’t quite resonate with me. This is only one editor’s subjective opinion, of course.
I wish you the best of luck with your manuscript."
What the h*$$ does that mean? I'd love to sit down with the editor to get the unvarnished truth of what she saw, or didn't see in my manuscript. Because something is missing, and I'm stumped as to what it could be. The problem is, editors are afraid to tell writers the truth, for fear of retribution or an angry reaction.
So, without a way to get an answer, the best thing I can do is go on. Back to writing at least an hour every day. Listen to workshop tapes and polish my craft.
My goal is to top 30K words on my manuscript. What's your goal this next week?
On top of that, I received a rejection that same day from an editor I'd queried a couple of months ago. Writer's are such strange people ... I didn't read the email (even though it could have, right there on my phone) until I got home. In my flawed logic, as long as I didn't read the email, I wasn't rejected.
When I finally recovered from my Vicodin-induced haze, her polite rejection said, "I think you have a really intriguing premise, but it just didn’t quite resonate with me. This is only one editor’s subjective opinion, of course.
I wish you the best of luck with your manuscript."
What the h*$$ does that mean? I'd love to sit down with the editor to get the unvarnished truth of what she saw, or didn't see in my manuscript. Because something is missing, and I'm stumped as to what it could be. The problem is, editors are afraid to tell writers the truth, for fear of retribution or an angry reaction.
So, without a way to get an answer, the best thing I can do is go on. Back to writing at least an hour every day. Listen to workshop tapes and polish my craft.
My goal is to top 30K words on my manuscript. What's your goal this next week?
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Milestones & Celebrations
My daughter graduated from college yesterday and it started me thinking on milestones. There are so many in life, usually accompanied by a celebration. Now, they even graduate preschoolers (I'm not knocking it - just sayin'). But once you're an adult and out of college, what milestones do you celebrate? Getting older? Not that there's anything wrong with getting older, I'm a fan of it myself, 'cause the alternative isn't much fun, I've heard. But really. Promotion at work? That's great, but if you're a writer, your heart is usually not at your day job.
In writing there are milestones, but usually nobody throws you a party to celebrate. Finish that first book, or send out the first round of query letters, friends may buy you a drink - or if you're really lucky, dinner. Going to your first conference, networking and getting an audience with an editor or agent is a huge milestone. Everybody will cheer when you get published, but *sometimes* that can be a long time to wait. Great friends will toast to your continued success, but in the end, it's the milestones YOU celebrate that mark your progress in this business.
So my advice - for what it's worth, LOL! - is to celebrate those moments in writing, even if you don't feel it's worthy of mentioning. If you belong to a writer's group, let them know you hit a milestone. If you have writer buddies, email them a quick note that you've accomplished something great. Have a virtual toast if you don't live close to your critique partner or writing friends. BUT CELEBRATE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS. Nobody is going to beat down your door to congratulate you.
Here are just a few, if you want to write them down:
This is not a comprehensive list, they're just milestones off the top of my head. I'm celebrating that I'm making progress toward my goal every week. 26,00+ words and counting. You may have more, or less. Tell me - what are the milestones you celebrate?
In writing there are milestones, but usually nobody throws you a party to celebrate. Finish that first book, or send out the first round of query letters, friends may buy you a drink - or if you're really lucky, dinner. Going to your first conference, networking and getting an audience with an editor or agent is a huge milestone. Everybody will cheer when you get published, but *sometimes* that can be a long time to wait. Great friends will toast to your continued success, but in the end, it's the milestones YOU celebrate that mark your progress in this business.
So my advice - for what it's worth, LOL! - is to celebrate those moments in writing, even if you don't feel it's worthy of mentioning. If you belong to a writer's group, let them know you hit a milestone. If you have writer buddies, email them a quick note that you've accomplished something great. Have a virtual toast if you don't live close to your critique partner or writing friends. BUT CELEBRATE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS. Nobody is going to beat down your door to congratulate you.
Here are just a few, if you want to write them down:
- Book completed
- Queries out to editors and/or agents
- Request for more pages from queries to editors and/or agents
- Rejections (because you're sending out your work!)
- Pro Status at Romance Writer's of America (requirements: you must be a member of RWA, completed a book AND received a rejection from editor or agent - hey, a reason to celebrate that rejection!!)
- Book sale, or even a phone call from interested editor and/or agent
- Landing that coveted agent
- Book deal (2+ books)
- Movie deal and/or interest in book for a movie
This is not a comprehensive list, they're just milestones off the top of my head. I'm celebrating that I'm making progress toward my goal every week. 26,00+ words and counting. You may have more, or less. Tell me - what are the milestones you celebrate?
Friday, June 4, 2010
Flying into the Mist ....
Mentioned in my prev blog, when I started my current project - tentatively titled THE GATHERING PLACE (named for the bar the heroine owns) - I was pretty much "flying into the mist"; not unlike driving at night, on a dark back road, in the fog. In talking with my BFF yesterday Susan Lute (yes, I'm still twelve, LOL!) I realized that I LIKE not knowing where I'm going on a manuscript. I trust the process, that my muse (or girls in the basement) will come through.
That way, I get those unexpected scenes that pop up out of the fog, like when the Heroine's ex-boyfriend shows up, appearing to stalk her. This ties in two - no, three - ways: First, the Hero gets all protective and jealous - yay! Perfect timing. Second: it introduces back story without an info dump - I may be able to delete some earlier back story narrative. Third: he could be the bad guy. Score!
Have you had those unexpected scenes show up that became a pivotal part of your book?
Oh, and I topped 21k this week and am in Chapter 8. So ...
Fly into the mist, my friends, you'll have company and the weather is great :-)
That way, I get those unexpected scenes that pop up out of the fog, like when the Heroine's ex-boyfriend shows up, appearing to stalk her. This ties in two - no, three - ways: First, the Hero gets all protective and jealous - yay! Perfect timing. Second: it introduces back story without an info dump - I may be able to delete some earlier back story narrative. Third: he could be the bad guy. Score!
Have you had those unexpected scenes show up that became a pivotal part of your book?
Oh, and I topped 21k this week and am in Chapter 8. So ...
Fly into the mist, my friends, you'll have company and the weather is great :-)
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